SEPTEMBER is everyone's favorite month for footy, unless of course you're one of your club's brightest young stars, and can't be a part of the magic of finals time.
That was the life of Sydney Swans midfielder Luke Parker this time last year, when the hard nut willed himself to overcome a serious leg injury, but ultimately failed to get up for his club's two finals losses.
Parker had suffered a fractured fibula and ankle damage against Collingwood in round 20, and despite having the issue surgically repaired, he was up and running during the finals, but when the Swans bowed out after going down to Fremantle and North Melbourne, the 2014 club champion ran out of time.
That's why this season the 23-year-old told AFL.com.au that he is relishing the chance to play on the big stage again, after the Swans won this year's minor premiership.
"I'm rapt to be heading into a finals series after missing last year," Parker said.
"It's the time of the year you want to be playing and I've been lucky with injury this year, so I get my opportunity.
"You realise how much you miss the build up and the excitement of playing finals, so it does give you a bit of drive to get back there.
"To be a part of it, I'm stoked."
John Longmire's men won 16 games in 2015 – one less than this season – and finished fourth to earn themselves a double chance, but with Parker, Lance Franklin (illness), Kieren Jack (knee) and Sam Reid (hamstring) all missing, they crashed out in inglorious fashion.
The Swans won their last five games of this season by an average margin of almost 70 points, but Parker knows that top spot on the ladder means nothing once the regular season is over.
"It is a great achievement and we're stoked with our 22 games and the season, but it begins now," he said.
"It's an exciting time and the team is playing really exciting footy at the moment.
"With the young guys coming through, you can see the drive that they've got and the look in their eyes, and then there's the old blokes who are leading the way.
"It's a good position to be in and we're full of confidence, but it all starts again now."
Much has been made of the Swans’ increased scoring in the second half of the year, but while Parker said he loves seeing the likes of Franklin, Isaac Heeney, Ben McGlynn and Gary Rohan kicking bags of goals, the players know that it's the Swans' renowned contested style that will bring them success in September.
In last week's 113-point thumping of Richmond, Franklin, Heeney, McGlynn and Rohan kicked 17 goals between them, but the quartet also forced plenty of forward half pressure on the woeful Tigers.
"The confidence is up at the moment but we know it's the basics that wins games of footy," Parker said.
"The mindset that we believe we're in wins finals, so it's another big challenge going forward but we're ready for it.
"We're really focused on team football and we out tackled Richmond, and when you win by that much and out-tackle them, it's a pretty good achievement.
"We'll rest up this week and re-set for next week."
