The Balmain Dockers head into their second consecutive Grand Final with the confidence of having won three cut-throat Elimination Finals.
Playing coach, Craig White (pictured) is no stranger to the pressure cooker of finals and believes his side has responded well to adversity.
“It’s not ideal as we were definitely aiming for a top three spot in order to get the double chance,” White admitted when speaking about having to come through three Elimination finals.
“You have to turn the situation around into a positive and I think we have a bit of momentum now.
“Obviously UNSW/ES will be fresh but we’ll try and use the momentum to get us through.”
With momentum comes belief, according to White.
“We’ve got a little bit of belief...the last three weeks the boys have shown a bit of resolve,” he said.
“We did sneak over the line against them last time so hopefully we can get the job done again.”
The 27 year-old has enjoyed a successful first season with the Dockers, playing 20 games this season and kicking 32 goals, after crossing from WAFL club, South Fremantle.
Like his opposite number, Rhys McAlister, the Sydney and NSW Representative believes pressure will be crucial in deciding the final result.
“I think pressure on the ball carrier will be vital and our quality players will need to play well,” White said.
The Whiteboard- with Craig White
Who needs to play well for Balmain to win?- Our senior group of players who have played a high level of footy like Ben Taggart, Gerard Wilkie, Leigh Conway really need to step up. If those senior boys can step up and then if the bottom-tier players can have an impact when they’re needed, then I think we can go a long way to winning.
Who do you need to stop from UNSW/ES?- It’s not just one. I think they’re on top for a reason but obviously Leigh Lavery has kicked almost 100 goals for the year so he is a focal point for them. The midfield group of Max Collett, Dane Rampe, Ryan Plant and Peter Kefalas all need to be respected. Then you have a couple of boys who get under the radar in Matt Rawlinson and Josh Parmenter that need to be respected as well.
Last Modified on 19/09/2012 16:22
