NATYA-born Melbourne footballer Eden Zanker’s dream of winning an AFLW Grand Final will be one step closer when she steps out on to the Adelaide Oval this weekend.
The 22-year-old from Natya will be aiming to become one of the first players to win an AFLW premiership with the oldest football club in the land when her beloved Demons face two-time AFLW premiers Adelaide from 12.30pm on Saturday.
Zanker spoke with The Guardian this week ahead of the big game – stressing that while it’s a very surreal feeling, the job’s not yet completed.
“The nerves are pretty good at the moment – it kind of doesn’t quite feel real yet,” Zanker said.
“It’s certainly a different feeling, but the nerves haven’t kicked in, which is a good thing as I’m not wasting too much energy – but no doubt they will come as it gets a bit closer.”
The former Bendigo Pioneer, who was selected with pick No.6 in the 2017 AFLW national draft, is no stranger to the big occasion, with her and her teammates defeating the Brisbane Lions by four points in a heart-stopping preliminary final at the MCG last Saturday.
The occasion was the first time an AFLW game was played on the hallowed turf, a moment certainly not lost on Zanker this week.
“It was a massive stepping stone for women’s footy, playing at the ‘G, and it also kind of suited our game style playing on that big ground with lots of wide-open space,” Zanker said.
“It was an amazing experience to run out on the ‘G and ultimately get the job done – it was definitely a different feeling to playing out at Casey (Fields) and I’m still sort of pinching myself.
“It really was an amazing weekend just gone, but now it’s all about setting ourselves up to have a crack at winning this weekend.”
The Demons have played the Crows once this season, with Adelaide winning by 14 points in round 4. But while the result didn’t go their way on that occasion, Zanker was quick to point out that Melbourne would be a lot better prepared this time around.
“They’re an amazing side and at the end of the day the two best sides are playing off in the grand final – which is great, because if you deserve to win then you should want to beat the best,” Zanker said.
“The last time we played, they probably bullied us a little bit with their bigger bodies and we were probably a bit intimidated by them, but we learnt a lot from that game – they’re a very high-pressure team that likes to play body on body, but they’re also very quick with a number of talented players who just know their game well.
“It’s going to be tough, but we’ve learnt a lot since we last played them and we’ll definitely be up for the challenge – and at the end of the day, if we just stick to our game style and play the way we want to, then we know we can outrun any team.”
The AFLW Grand Final will be broadcast live on the Seven Network, Fox Footy and on streaming service Kayo, with the first bounce at 12.30pm.
