SYDNEY co-captains Chloe Molloy and Lucy McEvoy have no concerns over their young team's ability to calm the nerves as they approach the biggest game in the club's AFLW history.
The Swans, fresh off a winless season in their inaugural campaign, will head north to take on Gold Coast in a do-or-die elimination final on Saturday night.
The leadership duo have seven AFLW finals matches between them, but six of those are under the belt of Molloy who has one message for her teammates in the lead-up to the game - "Keep it simple, stupid."
Molloy's larrikin-leadership and on-field prowess has been key to Sydney's ability to drag itself back into contests all year, having found itself behind at quarter-time or half-time in four out of its six winning matches.
"It is the biggest game but whatever we've done through the past 10 rounds has obviously worked," Molloy said.
"I'll just keep them grounded. They are so naive to what this means and what we've achieved. No one expected us to rock up to finals, to make top-eight.
"The messaging stays the same; stay humble, embrace it. (Assistant coach) Colin O'Riordan gave a stat to me which is 'only seven per cent of athletes across AFL and AFLW have played finals' and we are now a part of that.
"My message is to make sure it's an opportunity taken, not an opportunity lost.
"We're already history makers and this is all part of the long-term success that we're after as a club."
Neither Molloy or McEvoy will be touting successes prematurely, however. Making the finals may be an astonishing achievement but it won't be the key message as the team runs out for their first final.
"It's a tricky one because we have to acknowledge that it is a final and it's win or go home, but it's sort of been like that the last couple of weeks against Collingwood and again on the weekend where it was if we win, we make it," McEvoy said.
"We'll acknowledge that this is a final but our process stays the same, we don't have to do anything too different.
"We'll scout them and implement some things to stop the way they play but the way we play will still be the same and we won't disrupt individual approach by making anything too different."
Sydney and Gold Coast boast the least experienced lists of any finals teams, meaning the leadership of their captains could prove a crucial advantage on the day – especially in McEvoy's defensive 50, where the height of the Suns' key forwards may prove impossible to overcome in the air.
"It will certainly be different to the other team's we've matched up against," McEvoy said.
"In saying that, if we can bring the ball to ground and beat them on the spread and with our run and carry that will be an advantage for us. We've just got to get it to ground first."
McEvoy isn't yet sweating on the availability of key defender Alice Mitchell, who dislocated a finger in Sydney's win over Fremantle.
"[Mitchell's] got a little bit of soreness but I think she should be fine, I don't think there's any worry, she should be fine to strap it up and get out there," McEvoy said.
"Even if something did happen and someone wasn't to get up we've got a really good group in that the next person will step up and fill that role for us."
Lisa Steane and Paris McCarthy will both be a test ahead of the elimination final.
Steane landed awkwardly in the Swans' first quarter against the Dockers but was able to play out the match, while McCarthy should be well rested after sitting out the trip west.
Paige Sheppard is available to return from the concussion that kept her out of the Swans' final two home and away matches.
