‘I honestly don’t know’: Fagan hints at grand final swansong ahead of parade
Updated ,first published
Dockers coach Justin Longmuir has declared his team is ready for the grand final.
“Yeah, I think we are ready, this is not a flash in the pan. We have built over a number of years,” he said.
“It should stand us in really good stead.”
Amid the hype of grand final week, Longmuir said there was a lot of “normal” to the occasion, and that’s what he and his team had leant into.
This time last year, Fremantle midfielder Neil Erasmus was considering leaving the Dockers, stuck behind a blue-chip on-ball brigade.
On Friday, a day out from his first AFL grand final, he was glad he had decided to remain and fight for his spot.
“I probably just stuck to what I was doing already, to be honest. I worked really hard on my game, but I probably just relaxed a little bit off the field and probably found a better footy life balance, and it’s allowed me to, I guess, play footy with a bit more freedom,” Erasmus said before the grand final parade.
“And our coaching staff have done a great job and made my role really clear, and I worked really hard on that over the preseason, so yeah, I was fully confident if I did stay that if I just kept working on my game, that the opportunity would come.”
As costumed lions and fans clad in blue and red (we’ll get to the purple army later) gather outside at Melbourne Park, Brisbane’s Sam Draper – who jumped ship from Essendon before they became wooden spooners this year – says it’s feeling “pretty surreal”.
“Last year when I when I ruptured my Achilles, that was definitely the darkest moment of my life,” he told media.
“I needed a fresh start, and I’m glad I got that. And yeah, I’ve said many times, I knew before the season started that I’d made the right call. And then yeah, fast-forward to the end of the season, we’re in grand final week … It’s pretty crazy seeing all the microphones and cameras in front of me right now. It’s a pretty big deal.”
Seasoned photographer Eddie Jim is on duty at the parade today, and some of his photos have started coming in. Check ’em out:
We’re very serious about helping out footy tipsters by providing sound and reasoned guidance.
Football scribes Andrew Wu and Peter Ryan consider themselves the most expert of the expert tipsters in the office. What’s more, they backed up their boasting by finishing first and second among our tipsters this year, Wuey identifying 162 winners and Pete scoring 157.
Every week throughout the year, this pair have hosted the Real Footy expert tips podcast.
We’re still deciding if it’s a serious footy podcast with a light-hearted edge or a light-hearted program with moments of serious footy analysis. Either way, it’s an entertaining 20-25 minute look at the games each week.
Tipping contests and sweeps are a familiar part of the grand final tradition.
If you’re yet to enter your predictions, perhaps you’d like to see what our panel of experts have forecast. Check out their tips here and, in case it’s helpful to you, here are the line-ups for tomorrow’s game:
After the parade, it will be time for the players and coaches to switch back into game mode – well, kinda.
Both teams will be having a “captain’s run” training session on the MCG in the early afternoon.
The Dockers have got the ground booked from 12.30pm and the Lions from 1.30pm.
The captain’s run is the lightest of light training sessions; more a chance for the players to get a feel for the stadium they’ll be playing on tomorrow than to do any strenuous physical work.
Some players will have a gentle jog, maybe do a few stretches and possibly engage in a little bit of kick-to-kick or lane work, but don’t expect anyone to hit top speed – no one wants to risk an injury today.
Before the parade gets underway at 10.30am, we’ll hear from the captains and coaches of both teams.
Harris Andrews and Chris Fagan, for the Lions, and Alex Pearce and Justin Longmuir, representing Fremantle, will be speaking to the media.
The parade will take about an hour.
Both teams will be cheered as they move through Melbourne Park, Birrarung Marr, and finally to Yarra Park, where the players will be presented on the main stage at the Footy Fest and the obligatory photos with the premiership cup will take place.
I know a few youngsters who’ve visited the Footy Fest this year, and it sounds like it’s been lots of fun. It is a great way to spend a day of the school holidays. If you’ve checked it out, we’d love to hear what you thought. Share your views in the comments section.
There’s plenty on the agenda this morning as we build towards the time-honoured grand final parade.
The Brisbane Lions have told us they’ll be putting Oscar Allen and Sam Draper up for the first media conference of the day.
The Lions might be gunning for a three-peat of premierships (and their fourth grand final in a row) and Allen and Draper might both be seasoned AFL players, but both men are preparing for the first grand final. They were star recruits for the Lions last summer. Allen was the West Coast captain before making the move to the Sunshine state, while Draper was an injury-riddled ruckman for Essendon.
Fair to say they should be pumped up about what lies ahead of them today and tomorrow.
Joining the Lions recruits at the presser will be Fremantle forward Jye Amiss and teammate Neil Erasmus, who are also preparing for their first time playing in a grand final.
The Dockers, as we know, have never won a title in the AFL – this being their 32nd season since joining the league. Their only previous grand final appearance was in 2013.
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