Finals record worry

History favours Saints

NEITHER grand final coach believes Saints’ superior grand final record – or Souths’ habit of losing them – will be a factor in tomorrow’s AFL Cairns decider.

While Saints hold the title of September specialists, having made the past nine and won five of the past seven, Souths carry the unenviable tag of finals flops.

The Cutters were in six of nine deciders between 2001 and 2009 during their halcyon days but collected just one flag.

Back-to-back finals losses to Saints in 2008-09, the second of those in crushing fashion after being in control at three-quarter time, only confirm that reputation.

But with such different lists on show this year and Souths’ regeneration in the past three years, neither Daniel Lock nor Zac Kelly thinks it means much.

“We haven’t got as many flags hanging in the shed as we’d like,” Souths player-coach Lock acknowledged.

“But I don’t care, because you can’t change that in any way.

“The only thing we can do is win in 2015 and start that dominance again.”

Saints’ playercoach Kelly has hoisted the silverware as a player in both previous seasons in Cairns but enters his first grand final as a coach.

Only on the scene for the past few years, he said history wouldn’t count for much.

“There are hardly any players left from that era,” he said.

“The only thing we take out of anything is that honours are split for the year (2-2) and if we don’t play well we won’t win. Simple as that.”

Grand final experience is something that Lock admits they are light on though, urging his younger teammates to relax and enjoy the contest.

“We do have a lot of new faces and it’ll be a matter of settling in and getting the nerves right early on,” Lock said.

“The finals build-up is something new for many of us and it’s exciting to be a part of it.”