His side will round out their campaign with a match against Counties-Manukau at Forsyth Barr Stadium tomorrow.
Regardless of the outcome, the team will be left reflecting on a season which promised more than it delivered.
Otago have not played the kind of sparkling rugby they had hoped to play and they have not got the positive results they were hoping for either .
No-one feels that disappointment more than Donnelly.
"It hurts," he said.
"I care deeply about this province and this team.
"It is tough to see us letting our public down."
"There is no hiding from that. We had pretty big ambitions of making the playoffs this year and we haven’t got there.
"But our results certainly haven’t reflected the hard work and effort in the group, from everyone from the staff to the players."
In a way, Donnelly is able to rest easy about the results. He was confident the team prepared as well as it could, and the poor run was not down to a lack of effort.
"The way I approach it is I’m a processes driven coach. If we get the process right during the week then results will take care of themselves. If they don’t then it is because we have got something wrong during the game and we can go and work on it during the week and try again the following week.
"It hurts when we are not getting the results, but I’m super proud of the effort the guys have put in each and every week to try and get better and try and rectify the mistakes they are making.
"The most enjoyable bit is watching these guys turn up on Monday feeling a bit hurt and actually working hard to get better."
It is easy to forget just how small the margins can be at times as well.
The playoffs would have been within reach for Otago had they held on for a few more minutes against North Harbour, and had Finn Hurley nailed a sideline conversion against Hawke’s Bay.
First five Cameron Millar picked up a season-ending injury during the loss to Hawke’s Bay and that put a big dent in Otago’s game plan.
Donnelly singled out decision-making as the area which had cost his side more than any other. Millar was supposed to be at the helm driving the game, but his injury scuppered that.
"We wanted to be able to play an attractive game where we use the ball. But that relies on decision-making.
"We’ve got a pretty young and inexperience group and they are learning their lessons the tough way on the big stage in front of critics. That is probably the big thing for us.
"But hopefully this will set these guys up to have a really good year next year. It is tough on them at the moment because they are basically apprentices learning on the job."
NPC
Tomorrow, 2.05pm
Otago: Sam Gilbert (captain), John Tapueluelu, Josh Whaanga, Jake Te Hiwi, Jeremiah Asi, Ajay Falaefaga, Nathan Hastie, Will Stodart, Harry Taylor, Josh Dickson, Fabian Holland, Will Tucker, Jermaine Ainsley, Henry Bell, Abraham Pole. Reserves: Ricky Jackson, Rohan Wingham, Saula Ma’u, Josh Hill, Tom Sanders, James Arscott, Finn Hurley, Caleb Leef.
