GAFF STILL HAS VITAL JOB TO DO
ANDREW Gaff will spend the toughest week of his sporting life helping West Coast midfield coach Sam Mitchell plot Collingwood’s downfall.
Gaff’s teammates have lauded the suspended star’s involvement this finals series and coach Adam Simpson will welcome Gaff’s input in his MCG coach’s box on Saturday.
The Kew product trained at Monday’s open session and received a rousing applause from 12,000 Eagles fans at Subiaco Oval.
Gaff, 26, will fly to Melbourne today with the team as the prospect of becoming the first player to miss a grand final through suspension since Anthony Rocca in 2003 crystallises.
“It’s a tough one,” Eagles captain Shannon Hurn said.
“We’ve always been a club that wants to support players, but we understand it’s a bloody hard thing, because if you can’t contribute you feel a little bit left out.”
Adding to Gaff’s mental burden is North Melbourne’s godfather contract offer to leave West Coast as a free agent.
“Gaffy and Shep [injured defender Brad Sheppard] will probably be in the box,” Simpson said. “I didn’t hear much from Shep on the weekend and Gaffy chimed in a little bit.
“The work they’ll do is during the week with their lines. They come to our leadership meetings and are invested in what we’re doing.
“I’m sure there’s an element of disappointment that they’ll have but we’re doing our best to [keep] them involved.”
Gaff was West Coast’s best ball winner in the 2015 grand final, recording 34 disposals in the 46-point loss to Hawthorn.
While Sheppard appeared overjoyed as the Eagles sang the song after Saturday’s preliminary final win, the pain of missing a grand final appeared to wash over Gaff and injured ruckman Nic Naitanui. The Eagles have handed Naitanui ruck coaching duties since Jon Giles left mid-season to pursue a job in Melbourne.
Lewis Jetta said laughter was the best medicine for Gaff.
“I’ll try to beat him at table tennis,” Jetta said. “He’s a good table tennis player, so just make him smile and crack a joke with him.
“He’s elite — I think him and Le- Cras are the best two table tennis players at the club. I’ve been pantsed already [losing 11-0].”
Spearhead Josh Kennedy said it was “sad” for Gaff.
“You have the celebrations after the [preliminary final] win and know you’re going in a grand final and then you see those blokes.
“The amount of effort they put in in pre-season, into the games to help us get to where we are today, it is quite sad. It’d be the hardest thing especially for Gaffy, who is out of contract. But the effort he’s put in the past few weeks is terrific.”