Click here to watch Shane Wakelin's Sunday press conference - on CTV
Veteran defender Shane Wakelin praised his side’s four-quarter commitment in the elimination final victory over the Swans on Saturday night, and believes the Magpies are primed to end their 15-year drought against the Eagles at Subiaco Oval.
Speaking to the media after the club’s recovery session at the Lexus Centre on Sunday morning, Wakelin, who kept Sydney spearhead Barry Hall to just 12 possessions and one goal, summed up Collingwood’s performance clearly and simply.
“It was a really honest effort, a real four-quarter effort last night”, Wakelin said.
“I suppose the biggest compliment we can pay ourselves is that we beat Sydney at their own game at the home of finals, and playing that one-on-one type accountable footy, so we were rapt with the effort.”
Wakelin also emphasised that one reason why so many Magpie youngsters were able to have an impact in such a big game against the Swans is because of the exposure they get in big games throughout the home-and-away season.
“I think we’re in a very fortunate situation where those young players have been able to play in front of crowds up to 90-95 thousand this year, so from that point of view they are used to it to a degree.
“Finals footy’s completely different obviously, but in saying that I thought our young players really held themselves well last night for four quarters."
On having the better of Hall for the second time this year, after earning best-on-ground honours in blanketing the key Swan in the round 12 clash between the two sides in Sydney, Wakelin said it was important not to let him get into any rhythm.
“In all fairness he’s obviously not covering the ground as well as he has. In saying that, if you let him have a kick, he gets a spring in the step again, and he starts covering the ground a lot better, and getting to a lot more contests.
“I believe he’s probably still as sharp over that first 10, but he probably hasn’t got the endurance that he has had for the rest of his career, based on his preparation.
“Obviously last night it was a bit disappointing to let him have that last goal at the 24-minute mark of the last quarter, but I think you’d take that every day of the week against him.”
With the Magpies now having secured their first finals success since defeating Port Adelaide in the 2003 preliminary final, it’s off to Perth to take on West Coast at a venue Collingwood hasn’t defeated the 2006 premiers at in six meetings since round 13, 1992.
But with three wins from four interstate trips during season 2007, as well as a narrow 12-point loss to the Eagles over there in round two and a game plan that is based on tough, hard finals-like football, Wakelin believes the Magpies are ready to give West Coast an almighty shake on their home turf.
“It obviously is the toughest task in footy these days. Three-and-a-half hour flight, four hour flight, but in saying that we always travel well.
“Without having a win across there we’ve always been very, very competitive, structured up well, and we play a very disciplined game on larger grounds, so we’ll take the same qualities to the table that we did last night. That’s our hardness, our intensity around the footy, our ability to lay tackles on a consistent basis.”
