EXCITING EXPERIENCE

QYou’ve been there multiple times as a player. You won a NSL title for Marconi, two ALeague championships (including the league-grand final double in 2009-10), and played in big games throughout your career. How do you keep the boys settled heading into the biggest game of the year?

AYou just try to keep it as normal this week. The big build-up to the grand final, there’s a lot of publicity they have to do, the boys, but at the end of the day it’s another game. It’s a big game, but the majority of them have been there before so they have their own experiences. It’s all about remaining calm at the right times. That will be one of my messages to them, remain calm. Once we get out on the field it’s all about the football and that’s all it comes down to at the end of the day.

QYou’ve been retired as a player for the best part of a decade, retiring at the end of the 2009-10 season as a premiershipwinner for Sydney FC. You’ve been to and won grand finals as a player, and a youth coach (2013-14 at Sydney FC). Is it difficult, particularly as a former player, to stay on the sideline or has the desire to play now passed?

AI’d love to be out there as a player, I love playing. This is what you play for, to get into these grand finals and win trophies. I have great memories of the times I’ve done it. This is very special as well. For me, it’s my first season as coach to make it to two grand finals this season, I’d just like to walk away with a trophy. I’m excited as well, just as the players will be.