It galvanises then, helps them focus on the details, increases the learning curve for what is required to be the elite of the elite and gives everyone a taste of that buzzing adrenaline that becomes contagious and makes older players youthful again and dedicated to ensuring their younger teammates get the best out of themselves.
We are still a week away, but just reading the training thread for this week you can feel the intensity lifting, the leaders rising to the occasion and everyone get on board to find every little bit of knowledge and effort that could make a difference.
What general or specific things have you seen or hope to see or believe make a difference long term to teams that play finals football?
This stuff really interests me. What makes it different from any other game?
I asked an ex-player once what the difference was betwen a H&A game and a final, and he told me it was the amount of needles! He was talking about the intensity, but basically everyone went so hard that everyone would need jabs to keep going, which meant they'd likely injure themselves more, and it just wasn't sutainable during the H&A season.
No doubt the planning/strategy sessions are longer before finals, and everyone is more focussed and intent on winning 'must-win' games.
I suppose more people are watching (including supporters of other teams and other codes) and so everyone is desparate for selection as it's a big tick off your career checklist. Remember people saying how good Prismall was because "you don't get selected in a final for Geelong unless you're the real thing".
I guess the players care so much because finals seem to be remembered better than H&A games too. They are replayed more and talked about more.
I think one of the main factors that get teams over the line in finals is playing for each other. You can't have selfish players or players who don't understand the gameplan. There's a lot of experimentation throughout the year but come finals you should know which players you want going to war with you.
We have Goddard and Chapman and Bomber T this time
much more finals experience than Zantuck, Cupido and Knights.
Also playing 3 ruckmen as opposed to 0 should be a massive turnaround cause yaaaaaaaaaa know, ruckmen are kinda important.
Only talking from personal experience, and definitely not at AFL level, but you become kinda more fearless and more fearful both at the same time. You are scared to death of losing a final because it means your dreams for that year are over and done if you don't have a double chance. That fear drives you to do things you wouldn't normally do, because you are scared of letting your mates down. 8-9 months of preparation, hard work, blood, sweat and tears out the door if you lose, crappiest feeling in the world. The upshot is of course, that you learn more about what you can and can't do on a footy field. You learn that you can run further, faster for longer than you ever thought you could. You learn that when no matter how much air you draw into your lungs, it never seems like enough, yet you somehow find the ability to put in another sprint for the ball or lay another tackle. You learn that instead of having 2 seconds to get rid of the ball, you get one and a half. You learn from your team mates who will stand up when the going gets tough, and who doesn't have the required ticker. It is all those things, and you remember them the next time you play, and the game after and the game after that. Get to play in three or four and you can't help but be a better player than if you had never made a final. It's why teams that win flags invariably have solid following seasons, even if they lose players to retirement, other clubs or injury, because those that remain know what is required to get to that ultimate place.
My experience, lost my first 2 GF's (U18's (82) and seniors 9 year later (91)), won my next three in a row (95,96,97). 96 dropped my wife off at the hospital in the morning to give birth to my son while I went and played in the GF. Could not bring myself to let down my teammates, even for that.
For some players it is the culmination of a season, for others the culmination of a career. Plenty of great players never get to play in finals. Skilton only played in one final. l think he said h would have traded a Brownlow to play in another one. Finals are also an affirmation of the season, or how ever many seasons it has taken for the team to get there. The effect cannot be over emphasized.
I actually had the worst hangover I've ever had during the last final we played (day after my engagement party). For me to be able to say that with conviction is a VERY big statement. Top that off by being at the game and sitting between my brother and my best mate who are Carlton supporters. I still haven't gotten over that traumatic experience...
After the last two years, saturday week is going to be huge for our club. We deserve it. The players more than anyone deserve it. Bring it on you fkg tin rattlers