AFTER the final siren of last week's preliminary final at the MCG, Melbourne star Maddi Gay simply held hands with mum Margot Bradley over the fence, a tear or two rolling down the cheeks of the pair.

It's been a tough year for Gay.

Glandular fever in pre-season, a COVID-19 infection, a persistent quad issue and the usual knocks and niggles that come with being a contested ball-winner. 

"We're pretty close, I would say she's my best friend. I'm glad they captured it, because it meant a lot, and when I saw her, I just broke down," Gay told womens.afl.

"It's probably been the toughest year yet, which is why that moment hit my heart. Injuries haven't been great, but that happens with footy, you don't go out there thinking you'll be unscathed. I'm feeling good now, and it's the right time of the year to be feeling good.

"I'm grateful for the club's medical staff, they've given me the time to get everything right. I'm young (25), but my body's a little older than I think, but that's ok. I feel good this week."

Gay will be coming up against close friend Ebony Marinoff in the Grand Final, and the two are likely to go head-to-head in a midfield match-up.

"We're good pals, she's probably one of my best friends. We've travelled together, a few months in Europe and stuff like that. We thought there might be a chance we'd see each other in a Grand Final, and here we are," Gay said.

"We've messaged each other, and we probably won’t talk a heap this week, because we're sort of enemies, but I wish her the best, I always love to see her succeed in her sporting career, as she does with me. It's almost ideal you get to play in a Grand Final against your best mate.

"(Collingwood's) Ruby Schleicher will probably take credit for the friendship. It's quite funny, when we're on holidays together, people wonder how we're all friends, but I knew Rubes from (St Kilda) Sharks, and she knew Eb, so we connected that way."

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The Grand Final is likely to come down to midfield ascendency, and both engine rooms are jam-packed with stars.

"They've probably been the best midfield in the comp for the past few years now. But I feel like the way we’ve developed over the past couple of weeks, even having those weeks off before the prelim, we've developed even more," Gay said.

"So, I back our mids. Yes, we're young, but we've got some fight in us, so I'm keen to see those girls out there doing their thing."

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