So close four times, now
DANIEL O’Keefe has been part of four premiershipwinning teams — just never in an official capacity.
Injury-riddled as a footballer, O’Keefe’s last final on the field was as a Geelong Falcon in 2006.
The TAC Cup captain led his under-18 side into a preliminary final, but he spent just 10 minutes on the field before injuring his knee.
The talented midfielderdefender, after winning the Falcons’ best-and-fairest, was then a first-round pick to the Sydney Swans, but it would bear no fruit on two fronts.
He never managed to make his AFL debut and he missed out on two Sydney reserves premierships in AFL Canberra.
A torn hamstring, a torn quad and an operation on his groin were just some of the restrictions in 2007 and 2008, but after a full season in 2009 in the Swans reserves, the leftfooter was deslited.
Then, after returning to Warrnambool in the Hampden league in 2010, he managed just two games before missing out on an elusive premiership.
“I’ve actually been part of four premiership teams with- out being able to play in any of the four of them,” O’Keefe said.
“I actually haven’t played in a final since I left the Falcons — that was my last final, believe it or not, and I lasted 10 minutes and injured my knee.
“The next final I’ve been a part of has been at the Falcons as coach, so there’s some irony to that.
“I feel like, as an individual, I’ve got unfinished business in the AFL system, whether that’s the TAC Cup or whatever that might be, so all I’d love to do is to be able to give to the boys.”
The first-year coach said it hadn’t sunk in until yesterday that his side would be playing off for a TAC Cup premiership against Sandringham.
It’s been 17 years since the Falcons last made a grand final, hence the delayed realisation.
“In terms of nerves and a bit of anxiousness, that’s come today,” O’Keefe said yesterday.
“It’s probably been more of a high since Sunday — we’ve been excited all week, that’s for sure — but as soon as we finished training on Thursday night, it’s really hit home.”
The Falcons will train this morning to break up the long gap between Thursday’s session and Sunday night’s game.
It will provide the final touches on a season that’s been littered with success.
“The staff deserve it as much as anyone, in particular the staff that have been around for a long, long time and haven’t seen a grand final day in 17 years,” he said.
“What I’m thinking about, if we have a positive outcome on Sunday night, is looking at those guys and seeing their big smiles; I’m sure there’ll be a lot of emotion if that's the case.
“It’s my burning ambition to get the win.”