GIANTS NEAFL coach Brad Miller believes the WSU GIANTS are well prepared for the challenges they will face in their Preliminary Final clash with Sydney University at Blacktown International Sportspark on Saturday afternoon.
A spot in their first-ever NEAFL Grand Final beckons for Miller’s men, if they can get past the team they only just finished above on the NEAFL ladder.
“It’s exciting for our guys, they worked really hard to get into this position,” Miller said.
“It’s a high-pressure game obviously, it’s going to be a really good challenge.”
The WSU GIANTS were third going into the final round of the NEAFL season, but took second spot from Sydney University with a 139-point win over the Brisbane Lions Reserves.
It earned the WSU GIANTS a direct route to the Preliminary Final and a weekend off, while the Students played the Gold Coast Suns in a knock-out final.
Miller said his side won’t be disadvantaged by the bye and are well prepared for the challenge.
“Having the week off we had to give the guys a really solid hit out last week to replace a game,” Miller said.
"Our last month to six weeks was fairly strong and that put us in a really good position to finish second, we’ll come into the game really prepared.”
Sydney University had been mainstays at the top of the NEAFL ladder all season and the contests between the two sides this year have been hard fought.
The WSU GIANTS took out the first clash by 20 points in round one but haven’t met Uni since round 13 when they won by 17 points.
“Every time we’ve played them we know it’s going to be a contest,” Miller said.
“We’re just going to have to get our hard and more experienced bodies around the ball, and know that what’s coming is going to be a fierce contest."
Both sides will take extra motivation into the game after they were both knocked out in their respective Preliminary Finals last season.
Miller believes the fact that the WSU GIANTS haven't made a NEAFL Grand Final wouldn’t impact on their mindset going into the clash.
“There’s no more pressure than there has been in the past, we’ll prepare the way we have throughout the year and hopefully the results will go our way.”
NEAFL restrictions come into place for this week’s final with AFL reserves sides only able to play 15 listed players. The remaining players will come from the GIANTS Academy.
For the WSU GIANTS' AFL listed players that are playing, there's the added incentive to perform.
An eye-catching performance could earn them a call up to the GIANTS’ side for their first-ever AFL final against Sydney on Saturday week.
The side to take on Sydney University will be named on gwsgiants.com.au on Friday.
The WSU GIANTS play Sydney University at Blacktown International Sportspark on Saturday, September 3 at 2.15PM.
