After a week of training then lazing by the pool in Perth it’s go time for both AFL Grand Finalists and they are stepping things up a gear.
The pressure of meeting their own expectations at the Western Bulldogs is equal to any Melbourne players are carrying as they seek to end the longest active AFL premiership drought in Saturday’s Grand Final.
Caleb Daniel, one of nine members of the Bulldogs 2016 flag success set to run out against the Demons, said the players had flicked their own switch to get Grand Final ready after a week of intense training, but “chilled” time off the field.
Having blown their chance to finish in the top four with a sluggish end to the home and away season, the Bulldogs have had to do it the hard way to get to the decider.
Melbourne on the other hand will be playing just a second game in a month as they look to win a first premiership since 1964.
But Daniel said that doesn’t mean the Demons are carrying a bigger burden in to the match.
“Both teams have a fair bit of pressure on their shoulders,” he said on Monday.
“We dropped from the top four in the last month, we were in the top two and people were writing us off.
“There’s pressure on us, on them, breaking the drought. But I don’t think they will be reading too much in to that.
“It’s all about the now for them, and for us.
“It’s who is going to weather that pressure, if it’s in the game or your head, it’s going to be a huge battle.”
Bulldogs defender Alex Keath rejoined the main group for training on Monday after an extended session on Saturday to fill test his hamstring and it set to take the field in Perth.
Daniel said the players didn’t need to be told to up their intensity this week after the first-ever two week Grand Final preparation.
“I don’t there needs to be a switch flicked,” he said.
“We are old enough and experienced enough to realise now is the time you want to be playing footy.
“It was a little bit more chilled (last week) but mainly that you didn’t need to stress about a game. We are in tune with our emotions enough to realise when to pick it up.”
Daniel pinpointed skill execution, a cornerstone of his game coming out of the Bulldogs defence, as a key factor in Saturday’s game, and getting through the well-oiled Melbourne machine.
“It’s incredibly important,” he said.,
“The team that weathers the storm of pressure football will come out on top and that skill aspect is going to loom large.
“If you are able to hit your targets, don’t allow them to have the ball, it’s going to be massive.”
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