Be in the moment Hawk premiership players advice to Bulldog teammates
Taylor Duryea is one of a selection of Bulldogs players, along with the miracle-makers of 2016, who have experienced the hype of grand final build-ups and the joy of saluting on the big day.
But he has some advice for the teammates who were not involved in the drought-breaking 2016 flag.
Traded to Whitten Oval from Hawthorn at the end of 2018, Duryea played in back-to-back premierships with the powerhouse Hawks in 2014-15 after being a member of Box Hillâs VFL triumph in 2013.
Taylor Duryea, left, in action during round 11. Credit:Getty Images
There was some uncertainty whether Duryea would earn another contract after being restricted to three games last year. His pubic synthesis (groin) surgery was compounded by complications with a quadricep rupture, turning a five-month injury into a 12-month layoff.
But he has bounced back with arguably his best season to date - and his message for those premiership-less teammates in the Bulldogsâ ranks on how to handle this fortnight is simple.
âMy only advice would be to soak it all up,â he said.
âYou donât know when youâre going to get another opportunity, or if you ever will again.
âFor the guys who didnât play in â16 or havenât been in a grand final, you canât expect that youâll get there again, even though weâd like to think weâve got a long period of sustained success in front of us.
âYouâve just got to soak it up and enjoy it. Be in the moment, and embrace the week. You donât wish to be anywhere else.â
The 71-point preliminary final margin over Port Adelaide was scarcely believable given the Bulldogs dropped out of the top four in round 23 and had dropped the last three home-and-away games of the season.
But the sideâs intensity in finals wins over Essendon, Brisbane and Port was no surprise to Duryea.
âYou donât go into any game thinking youâre going to win by that much, let alone a prelim,â he said.
âIn terms of the performance we put out there though, it wasnât a shock to us that we brought that high-energy, high-pressure brand we like to play.â
He added that the grand final against Melbourne at Perthâs Optus Stadium on September 25 would be a battle of the midfield.
âIt [the grand final] will be two good sides with really great midfields,â he said.
âMelbourne have a strong, experienced defence, not dissimilar to us, and a lively forward line. Itâs going to be a cracking contest.â
0 Response to "Be in the moment Hawk premiership players advice to Bulldog teammates"
Post a Comment