The Hawks, you talk much about them yet or just later in the week, Vossy?

We have.

We've done our Oppo preview.

It's obviously Monday now, and we had main training yesterday.

So we did our Oppo preview.

Didn't dive super deep into them, but, yeah, we've got a little bit of a glimpse of them and obviously played them earlier in the year and know how they play.

So, yeah, really looking forward to it.

Vossie?

Do you embrace it or what do you do? You just stay away, you train as normal, but it'd be hard not to embrace it.

Yeah, we had a good chat throughout the week this week.

I was actually pretty nervous, and you can start telling yourself stories and all that sort of thing, and I was actually absolutely shitting myself.

Yeah, JL sort of...

I had a pretty good chat with JL and the group, and, yeah, we're just leaning into it.

We're embracing it.

There's obviously going to be a lot more noise around it and a lot more distractions and all those sort of things, but we'd much rather be in this position and have to deal with those distractions and that extra noise than be on holidays at the moment.

This little man has got a very full trick bag.

Do you embrace it or what do you do? You just stay away, you train as normal, but it'd be hard not to embrace it.

Yeah, we had a good chat throughout the week this week.

I was actually pretty nervous and you can start telling yourself stories and all that sort of thing.

I was actually absolutely shitting myself.

Yeah, JL sort of...

I had a pretty good chat with JL and the group, and, yeah, we're just leaning into it.

We're embracing it.

This little man has got a very full trick bag.

How was it, um, off the back of the Carlton game, which was a disappointing result?

Yeah, obviously, uh, disappointing and not the way we would've liked to finish our season, losing two of the last three.

But, um, yeah, looking, looking at the season as a whole and finishing a game on top, um, really, really positive and put ourselves in a really, uh, good position to attack the finals and get a few, uh, home finals, which will, which will be unreal.

And, um, yeah, looking forward to it.

Yeah.

And, um, got some great habits and great learnings and, um, has all sort of led to where I've got to to get today and, and played a vital role in my journey.

Um, and the old cliche, everything happens for a reason, is true, and I ended up at Perth at Freo at the right time, right place-

Do you run out at halftime and it's still probably dark and the lights are flashing? Does

it sink in how the enormity of how amazing this is? Yeah, the first couple of times it happened, I didn't really know what was going on because we obviously don't really...

get briefed on the entertainment and all that sort of stuff.

So first couple of times I was like, what the hell is going on here? The stealth game was the one where it went absolutely nuts.

Like we walked out there and we were like, holy.

Was that when the dance party was in the race as well? Yeah, that was that one.

That

What did you think when Harrison Petty was rubbing his own noggin? Yeah, I actually didn't say it.

No.

We had that many swings at it.

And, um, yeah, Jordie Clark come, come forward and was able to nail one and get us on the board, and then...

Well, momentum's a, a funny thing in footy, especially when you've got the home crowd on your side.

And, um, yeah, a bit's been documented about Freo's home crowd, and it was absolutely off its head on Thursday night.

So, um, yeah, I reckon it, I reckon it would cost us a few goals.

Like, um, yeah, Swans obviously felt the, the pressure and perceived pressure, and, um, yeah, it w- it was unbelievable.

Yeah.

No.

We had that many swings at it.

And, um, yeah, Jordi Clark come, come forward and was able to nail one and get us on the board.

And then, well, momentum's a, a funny thing in footy, especially when you've got the home crowd on your side.

And, um, yeah, a bit's been documented about Freo's home crowd, and it was absolutely off its head on Thursday night.

So, um, yeah, I reckon it, I reckon it would cost us a few goals.

Like, um, yeah, Swans obviously felt the, the pressure and perceived pressure and, um, yeah, it w- it was unbelievable.

Do you catch many of the one-liners that he does sprinkle?

No.

We had that many swings at it and, um, yeah.

Jordie Clark come, come forward and was able to nail one and get us on the board, and then...

Well, momentum's a, a funny thing in footy, especially when you've got the home crowd on your side.

And, um, yeah, a bit's been documented about Freo's home crowd, and it was absolutely off its head on Thursday night.

So, um, yeah, I reckon it, I reckon it would cost us a few goals.

Like, um, yeah, Swans obviously felt the, the pressure and perceived pressure and, um, yeah, it w- it was unbelievable.

Do you catch many of the one-liners that he does sprinkle?

Mm.

It's, um, yeah, real credit to the, um, eh, S&C team, physio team, um, docs.

It's, uh...

Yeah, we've had a fairly good run at it, which, uh, which makes playing a lot easier.

And, um, yeah, we- we've obviously got the streak going this, this year, but we've got a mentality of one and oh.

We've, we've got a bell at the club that we ring each Monday and on to the next.

And, um, yeah, really excited for the challenge this week, and, and Gold Coast coming over here with, um, their backs against the, the wall.

Oh.

[laughs]

No, it got ripped.

Like, it actually went pretty easy on the weekend.

Um, and then, yeah, I didn't really... 'Cause I had a rotation at, like, the 25-minute mark or something, and it got done in the first four minutes, so I was... didn't know whether or not to expect someone to come out with a new jumper and if I was gonna get the full rig out, um-

Yeah.

So we had a 12-day instead of your traditional 14 or 15 days.

Um, but yeah, can't wait.

Thursday night all eyes will be on a packed Optus Stadium.

... and just bowled some bastards over, Vossy.

Vossy.Yeah, he sets the tone, the big fella.

He loves doing stuff like that.

He's, um...

Yeah, he's so good for, for things like that when the momentum's against us or, um...

Yeah, we call them trademark actions.

He's always winning our, um, trademark award for each week.

Yeah

Yeah, of course.

And at quarter time, we, um...

Andy Brashaw pulled us in and said, "Lads, Jordan Clark's getting run with.

If we get the opportunity, get a bit of physicality on it, and let him know that, like, we're all against him today and whatnot." And we all agreed, and everyone's got in, and we went into our lines.

And then apparently after the game, Dogga went up to, um, up to Clark and said, "Oh, I had to go today, mate." And he goes, "Oh, not too bad.

I got sat on today.

It was, it was pretty hard work," and two of the tag, and Dogga goes, "Did you get tagged, mate?"

So how's the body feeling? How does everyone go with, like, that really short break?

Embersy.

Yeah, g'day, it's Embers.

Um, yeah, they were going on and, um, I just felt, um, yeah, my stomach started to go and I was probably thinking, uh, top end or bottom end when you're thinking bottom end.

Yeah.

And yeah, I was sort of up on stage and I, I felt really bad.

Like when I went to the toilet once I said, mouse, I've got to go to the toilet.

You're like, I don't know, I thought I ate something on the way there.

diarrhea is what we say a lot.

[laughs] Boosie?

Yeah, young Boosie.

No, he's, he's going pretty well.

He's getting a fair, fair go in the midfield and I think it's, um, yeah, it's been pretty impressive.

Like, there's a few moving parts, and we probably haven't, um, had as many moving parts in years f- gone by, but the amount of boys that go through the midfield, I think there's about 9 or 10 of them and, um, yeah, I don't think anyone else is gonna be able to put their hand up the way that they're, those boys are going.

So, um, yeah, it's nice.

But tell us a bit about Purple Hands, please, Vossy.

Yeah, yeah.