SMALL TOWN, BIG AMBITIONS

SITTING back and watching as St Mary’s thundered through the finals series will hold Colac in good stead when it counts, according to midfielder Jonathan Simpkin.

The Tigers vice-captain said his side had no fears that the stop-start nature of playing just one game since August would hold back the GFL flag favourites.

Colac will carry a 14-game winning streak into Saturday’s decider and Simpkin said strong hit outs on its weekends off would have the minor premier ready to go at the first bounce.

“We’ve got a strong belief we’ve done the work, way back from the start of pre-season,” he said. “I don’t think one game of footy in three weeks is going to matter, we’ll still be out there when the whips are cracking.”

The Tigers held a bruising training session at Queens Park on Saturday before watching their reserves side bow out of the finals.

The senior players stuck around at GMHBA Stadium to watch St Mary’s take down St Joseph’s in the preliminary final.

“They definitely started well, St Mary’s, and it was a tight tussle after that,” Simpkin said. “We’ll have a look at the tape and have a talk with (cocoach Rowan McSparron) and I’m sure he has a plan up his sleeve.”

After a 41-game AFL career that included playing in the 2013 premiership with Hawthorn, Simpkin said he wanted to do his home town proud after returning to Colac last year.

The dangerous runner polled 10 votes in the Mathieson Medal this season and has kicked 21 goals from his 17 games.

“It’s a great opportunity for us as a club and the whole town community, just to represent the Colac district,” he said.

“All our family is down there, we’re just really excited.

“We’re a small town in a big competition here in Geelong and we just love the opportunity we’ve got to represent Colac and we’re really looking forward to the challenge.”