Sydney Swans forward Will Hayward says the side is feeling the excitement and ready to embrace the energy ahead of tomorrow’s 2024 Toyota AFL Grand Final, but they will be well prepared and know what to expect come game day.
Hayward spoke to the media ahead of taking part in the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade and Open Training on Friday.
See what he had to say below.
Will, are you feeling that excitement of the week?
Yeah, definitely. It's a really exciting week, Grand Final week. The vibe only lifts when you touch down in Melbourne, so we are all very excited.
It's the first non-Victorian grand final since 2006. Are you aware of that and does that play into feeling that excitement at all?
I'm aware of it, but I think when it comes down to who you're playing, it's just business as usual. We don't read too much into it and are just looking forward to a big contest.
It’s been a big week for the captain. How's Calum Mills doing?
Yeah, he's really well. We've obviously addressed it, but moved on pretty quickly. We've got a job to do come Saturday and we'll do everything we can to get that win for him.
What did he say to the playing group when he found out?
He just said this was a joint decision obviously, between the medical staff and our coaches. There was no further comment needed.
We knew from then we've got a job to do now. So it was addressed and moved on pretty quickly.
Is it a 1% that you use as motivation?
Yeah, I mean, it shouldn't change much. We didn't play with him last week. We'd love him out there, don't get me wrong, but that's out of our control now and we just move on in the game.
How does the preparation build up compared to 2022 and do you feel like you've learnt anything from that experience?
It's a bit different. You obviously mature a bit, but the past is the past. We've moved on from 2022 and we're a more mature side now.
On the Brisbane Lions front half group, Dane Zorko's had a superb season and was an All-Australia. Do you see that as someone you keep a pretty close eye on and maybe do a job on?
They're all very good players down there. They're backline from Starcevich to Andrews to Zorko, they're all very good players so we'll be aware of everyone and we'll do what we need to do.
I think you can have a plan going into a game, but that can change in the snap of a finger out there. So we'll adapt to the trends of the game and see what's happening. But as I said before, they're a great back six.
Both sides have lost grand finals recently. There's been some sort of raw emotion from the Lions because maybe it's a bit fresher. Do you think having a couple of years of distance for you guys is a bit of an advantage that the emotions of losing isn't as raw?
I don't think so, I'm sure they would have moved on. As soon as the last game of the season is finished, you're looking to next year and how you can get better. I'm sure they've done that and they've moved on and they're just as hungry as we are.
The final week is always a busy week, not just training, but also mentally. There's so many things to deal with. How are you feeling and what's the buzz around the team like?
I'm feeling good and I'm feeling really fresh. We tried to keep it as normal as possible.
Obviously, there's a few things that are different, but I'm feeling really good and excited.
Any less nervous energy coming down this time compared to last time? Does it get any easier?
Stuff like this and the parade, we've done that before. It's all about conserving your energy and knowing where to spend it. At the same time, it's a really exciting week. It's hard to get here and we'll embrace it, but conserve our energy at the same time.
Will, a couple of weeks ago you said this has been your best season so far. How do you feel that's positioned you to have a really good campaign?
I think I've just matured a lot as a player.
My role's changed a little bit so I'm able to see and probably help my other teammates as well a lot.
Is there more pressure on them or you (Brisbane)?
It's Grand Final day. It's an even slate when you walk onto the field. No matter what happens throughout the year, it's 0-0 when you walk out there.
Is there a theme during the week?
Ours has been pretty similar for the whole year. It's just been about our process and what we do. We obviously know that the opposition has a lot of strengths but we keep coming back to what we do. You need to be a good team to get to the grand final. So we know that, we know we're a good side and we'll focus on our process.
