No rush on career call
‘I WILL TAKE MY TIME TO ARRIVE AT MY DECISION’
LAST Friday night was so hard and it is so disappointing to perform the way we did on the night, as I believed we were prepared really well.
Obviously it all got too much for me once the siren sounded and my emotions spilt over. I can’t really explain why. It was a combination of things, I think. We had worked so hard and just missed the opportunity to play off in a Grand Final and those chances don’t come around very often.
Once the emotion came out I couldn’t control it. The more I said ‘stop crying’ the more I cried and there was nowhere to hide.
The emotion I showed prompted discussion around my future and if I was to play on again or decide to retire.
The week since has been full on. We caught up together as players over the weekend. On Monday I was fortunate enough to attend the Brownlow, see Patrick Dangerfield win the medal and celebrate with him. Then we had Wacky Wednesday. In between all this I have had the chance to speak with teammates, the footy club and my family.
I will take a little bit of time just to think and clear my end before arriving at my decision.
Quickly, on to the game itself, we started really poorly to let Sydney score seven goals in the first term.
I must say that I haven’t experienced pressure like they produced in that opening 25 minutes and they got the jump on us.
After that we actually played OK but the game was in their control and they played it on their terms.
We were all disappointed with the performance and not many players could say they won or broke even on the night.
I think a lot of players will learn a lot from the game itself and it make them better.
It sets up a wonderful game of football at the MCG today, with two sides that will be confident and fit having played the same number of games throughout the finals.
The Bulldogs are in a unique position in that they finished in seventh spot but have played brilliantly through the finals.
Their strengths are their ability to win the ball in close and put pressure with the ball.
Their potential weakness is their lack of height in the backline and a marking target up forward.
Sydney is also very strong in the contested ball area. I think they have very good bookends in Heath Grundy and Lance Franklin.
The Swans like to play man-onman defence and this could be challenged with the Bulldogs’ slick ball movement.
The start of any game is important but I have a feeling it could be the difference in this game. Sydney is a faststarter — the Swans play at their best in first quarters — and I will be looking to see how the Bulldogs players, none of which have been there before, handle the occasion and also the build-up of not winning a premiership for 62 years.
I think Sydney will win in a close one by 17 points and the Norm Smith Medal will go to Luke Parker.