WHEN it comes to pre-game nerves and feeling overwhelmed, young Sydney Swans star Isaac Heeney is just like any other second-year player lucky enough to run out in big finals.
How he handles those nerves after just 37 games and readies himself for the job at hand is what separates him from other young players who might get swept aside by more experienced opponents.
Naismith's unlikely journey to the GF
Asked how he settles his nerves before a big game, Heeney doesn’t hesitate. He can pinpoint the exact moment he goes from an overwhelmed youngster to a composed pro.
"It's once you get out there (in the warm-up) and have that first set shot at goal," he says.
"You go out there and soak it all in, and then you put your head down and really knuckle down.
"It's pretty exciting going through the banner, but you've already been out there, you've already soaked it in and you've just got that job to do.
"You've got to focus on that without being too nervous or drained."
Grand Final agony and ecstasy in one car
Heeney has been the player of the finals so far in the eyes of the coaches, who have awarded him 15 votes in the Gary Ayres Award over three games.
His past two games, against Adelaide and Geelong, have been exceptional and he enters Saturday's Grand Final as a potential match-winner after moving into the midfield and showcasing his potent inside-outside game.
He won a career-high 32 possessions against the Crows and produced a complete game against the Cats, with 28 possessions, six clearances and a goal.
His role mixing time between half-forward and a wing has become a dangerous one given his knack for losing his man and hard-nut instincts at stoppages.
Grand Final sprint line-up confirmed
"These days you've got to have that versatility and I feel like I have that," he said.
"I can play forward, I've been thrown into the guts and feel I can play my role there, and if they need me as a spare down back I can do that as well.
"Obviously it's nice to move up the ground a little bit, but just to play on big stages in front of big crowds, it's where you want to play each year and this is the game everyone strives to get to.
"It's going to be on and it's going to be hot early, and I'm looking forward to it."
While able to control his nerves on the field, Heeney wasn't so sure he'd be able to keep his cool during the Grand Final parade on Friday in front of 180,000 fans on the streets of Melbourne.
Superstar forward Lance Franklin was one player who has offered words of wisdom this week for staying calm before the Grand Final.
The pair has enjoyed a strong relationship in the forward line and Franklin was thrilled to see his younger teammate flourishing up the ground.
"For a kid to come in in his second year and play the way he has, especially in the last two finals, has been unbelievable," Franklin said.
"It's been a really good move that he's found himself on a wing.
"He's been able to push out of the forward line and get a little bit more ball on the wing and he's a really important player for us."
The key to Heeney's big-game form was simple, Franklin said.
"He's a very gifted kid, but he works really hard. It's not just his gift," he said.
"He works really hard on his marking, his ground ball, he does everything.
"Now it's about doing everything he's done in the back half of the season and bringing that on the big stage."
