Teenager says Swans need to be 'switched on'
SWAN DISTRICTS' four-goal preliminary final hero Chris Yarran wants a great start if his side is to break Subiaco's stranglehold on the WAFL premiership.
Yarran's Swans advanced to this Sunday's WAFL Grand Final after coming back from 35 points down against West Perth to snatch a dramatic 10-point win at the weekend.
The Swans are the only team to have beaten the Lions this season, by one point in Round 13, having come back from six goals down at half-time and booting 12 second-half goals.
But that win was tempered by a 50-point belting from the Lions in the return fixture just over a month ago.
"In terms of trying to win the game (on Sunday) we have to get a fast start," Yarran, 17, said.
"We go with that mindset every weekend as well. Sometimes the boys aren’t ready at the start of the game but I think they will be switched on and ready to go."
The grand final will be Swans' first since 1990, one year before Yarran was born, and was the last time they won a flag. Club legend Phil Narkle and Danny Penny were part of that team. Subiaco are aiming for the club's first hat-trick of premierships.
Yarran, a WA Under-18 squad member, is an experienced finals campaigner, albeit at junior level.
"Throughout my career I’ve played in a lot of finals (at junior level) and a lot of grand finals as well, I just want to make sure that this one doesn’t let me down," he said.
Yarran is being touted as a first-round AFL draft pick. He sparked the Swans with three of his four goals in the second half where they kicked nine of the last 11 goals to win the game.
Coach Brian Dawson was suitably impressed.
"Four goals is a good return on any occasion so it was well played by Yarran," he said.
"At times you'd like him to make more of his opportunities but he's a laconic player and he's only a kid as well. He has come on a long way this year."
The game was Yarran's second after returning from a three-week injury enforced lay-off in the first semi-final against South Fremantle.
"I have just come back from a hamstring injury and I’ve played pretty well in both of the finals so far." he said.
"I just want to have another good crack at it this week."
DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Last Modified on 17/09/2008 22:31