What are your thoughts on the win?
It's pleasing that we get an opportunity to go to a grand final, they're hard to get to and they are even harder to win so we know there is a significant challenge that lies in front of us, but it's one we're up for. I think first of all to Sydney the reigning premier, they've overcome a lot of adversity on their way to defending their crown and I thought they have been super and they've got significant injuries and their ability to come back in the second half when we were absolutely dominant in the first half shows why we do what we do, so you can imagine what they would be like when they have everyone fit and healthy, they are going to be a real power again.

From our end we were a bit anxious coming here, we knew it was a wonderful opportunity. It was certainly created off the back of a significant win down at Geelong against a lot of adversity and that enabled us to have a home preliminary final. As much as a home ground doesn't do it for you, it means you don't travel and everything settles. I thought to hear a stadium full of purple and roaring tonight was really quite powerful for the club and the players to experience that and it certainly drove their energy levels. I thought their first half was absolutely fanatical and then we did fall away in the second, Sydney really responded, they threw bits and pieces at us. We fell away a bit, which I'm not super pleased about, it all depends what you want to focus on, and then I've experienced it before when they know, they don't really want to get hurt because it’s secured but I would have preferred us to finish it off better than what we did. After a two-week break and uncharted territory for us, I thought it was quite a strong performance, so it's pleasing.

Do you think your first half pressure tonight was as good as it has been all season?
It's hard for me to make that judgment call except I did recognise that we were really at them, that was really quite strong and I thought the game could have been over at quarter time but it was a concern because we dominated and I think we kicked 2.9 in the first quarter, a lot of them were gettable.

History tells you if you don't take your opportunities you are going to be vulnerable and that was a concern. We spoke about keeping it going, but they lifted, Parker had 12 in the second and McGlynn got going and they ran a bit harder and went a bit harder so we had to wrestle back a little bit of control. Overall it was pretty good but there is plenty to improve on.

You’ve said all week long the midfield was going to be the decider in the game and you really controlled the midfield.
It's significant and why it's significant is we knew they would fall back in there. They've been hurt around the edges, their back six and their front six is a little bit but their full contingent of midfield was a really worry for us going in, but I thought we were really quite strong in there and it's been a feature for the last couple of weeks and it needs to be a feature next week.

What was the decision to sub de Boer out?
We just made the decision for him, we just thought the structure of the team and they were quite small forward and we thought we would keep the backs going because they missed a bit. It was a really hard decision with the sub, we had it at Suban, de Boer and we had Neale. I flipped it around and had to eat some humble pie. Lachie Neale has been in super form so he was really quite stiff but we made that call and thought he had good impact.

Is going in as underdogs against Hawthorn a good opportunity to keep a lid on things?
I think there will be no doubt we'll be underdogs. We need to travel, they have clearly been the best home and away team for the year on win and losses but it's not about the best home and away team we all know that it's about the best finals team and we've had two significant performances, and in particular the Geelong win was really significant.

We go over knowing our best can challenge anyone.

Has the rise since you have been at the club been more rapid than what you thought?
I'm on the treadmill a fair bit, I'm relatively level. I didn't analyse the list, I just jumped in. When I got here there was nine on the track, we've blooded a few and there's certainly a few who have turned their careers around. It's more you get in and see Matthew Pavlich and Luke McPharlin and their leadership has been really strong, they've jumped on board.

It starts at the top. Matthew adapted straight away, so did McPharlin and then from there I saw everyone follow. We're still the ninth youngest team in the competition statistically. It's about premierships, and we still think we've got plenty of growth. We're about to find out where we are next week.

What do you think Freo have had to grasp after 19 years to make a grand final?
It already started before me, there were some significant decisions before me. I think we acknowledge 2008, they were full salary cap, oldest list in the AFL and they finished on the bottom. From my end there's no magic it's all about unrelenting action. We see possibility for ourselves, then we get into action and we are unrelenting with it and we have a strong purpose that drives us. League football is about character, I don't know what drives each individual but if you don’t have drive and you haven't got your own purpose that makes you tick, it's too hard and too demanding. Clearly we have a number of players that work really hard, as have a lot of teams in the AFL. It's hard to answer that question.

What was the thought process with Crowley going to Jack and how did you rate his performance?
I stuffed up the other week with Stokes, so we thought we better get it right this time, but we rate them all. It could have been any of Ryan O'Keefe, Dan Hannebery, Jarrad McVeigh or Kieran Jack, but I think it was just a bit of a shuffle of deck chairs and we went Jack. I think Ryan did a good job but the team pressure helps in Ryan's role. It was a good job.

Were there any injuries?
Unofficially, we are clear.

What does it mean to you personally to be in the grand final?
It means I get another opportunity, so past results are irrelevant. My past is irrelevant to be honest, it's not my day, it's not my game, I'm a part of it. It will be great. You remember the day, you remember the anticipation, you remember the week. You get another parade, you get another day's stress. You walk through, you see the crowd roar.

So what does it mean? It just means another opportunity, they're hard to get to. There are 16 other clubs who would like to get to Hawthorn and Fremantle's position. For me as a coach, I would like for this club to win a premiership and that's the aim, that's what I'm employed to do. It's the business and if we don't win I wont be satisfied.

What is your message to the players?
I tell them it's another game. Tonight was round 26, I know people don't like hearing it. The real challenge is to let go of the ultimate distraction, which is the result. Which it was tonight, which it was down at Geelong. So what do I tell them? We don't need to do anything different, we will prepare in the exact same manner and people might not believe this but we will prepare exactly the same way as we did for round one, what we did for Melbourne in round 20. It's identical, there will be nothing new thrown at the players.

How different will it be for Fremantle to have to travel to the MCG?
When I was with Sydney we travelled, it was only door to door, an hour and a half so that was a snack. We travel really well, we're a no excuse football club, we'll recover. We have great people in their positions. I won’t see the players until Tuesday, and from there we will be on the bird on Thursday, so it's pretty short.

How hungry do you think Pavlich and McPharlin are?
They're a bit older so they know it doesn't come around that often. The younger blokes probably think it come's around every week. I know when you are in a losing grand final you have a look around and think, gee, I might never be back here to experience this again. We're going over with an aim to play our very best football, we're going to ask some serious questions of the Hawthorn Football Club, and they are going to ask some serious questions of us. I don’t think Matthew is any hungrier than Lee Spurr. If we didn't think they were hungry we wouldn't pick them.