Cordy clan

GRAND FINAL FEVER

FIVE Cordys have amassed hundreds of proud games for the Western Bulldogs, now youngest Zaine is shooting for the zenith.

A pumped posse of a dozen family members including his 124-gamer dad Brian will take red, white and blue hearts to the MCG today to witness his crack at premiership immortality.

“I’m very much in the supporter role right now,” former Bulldogs VFL coaching director Brian said amid grand final fever in Melbourne yesterday.

“A proud dad and a mad Bulldog.”

Running out for just his 11th game, Zaine will be the least experienced player on the ground, but at a pinnacle his dad, uncles Neil and Graeme and big brother Ayce were unable to reach.

“It’s quite surreal the fact that he and Tom Boyd — Tom is 21 I think and Zaine’s 19 — are the two key forwards in a grand final,” Brian said.

“Zaine is a fairly relaxed character, he’s a very strong competitor. He’s only in his second year at the Bulldogs and he’s had a shoulder reconstruction in that time, had a broken thumb and he missed five weeks with an ankle injury at the start of the year.

“This is the first time he’s been able to put a number of games together and lucky for him he’s been able to put them together in a senior side that’s gone to a grand final.”

Brian and wife Karen live at Ocean Grove and both teach at Geelong’s Sacred Heart College. Third son Reece joined them in the colours at yesterday’s grand final parade.

“I know I’ll be very nervous, but very, very excited,” Brian said, looking to the game. “It’s exciting for the Bulldogs and their longsuffering supporters. I’m one of those players from between 1961 and now who the best we could do was play in a preliminary final.

“Brad Johnson, a Geelong local now with his daughter at Sacred Heart, I think he played in five losing preliminary finals and didn’t make the grand final so all of the past players are just genuinely excited about what’s happened for the group.

“And as a parent, to have a son there it’s very, very exciting.”

He commended coach Luke Beveridge and staff for their impressive work and said his own match plan for Zaine would be plain.

“I’m trying to give him the least advice, as I did with all my sons with football,” Mr Cordy said.

“Zaine is a fairly relaxed character, he’s a very strong competitor.” BRIAN CORDY