GEELONG superstar Patrick Dangerfield says the Cats were "primed" for September this year as the brilliant midfielder finally claimed his elusive premiership.
Dangerfield was significant in setting up Geelong’s 81-point drubbing of Sydney in Saturday's Grand Final, with the key playmaker having 26 disposals and nine clearances in a damaging display.
It was the crowning moment of a brilliant career that has spanned 15 seasons, 303 games and two clubs, with Dangerfield finally capturing the thing he wanted the most of his glittering career – a premiership medallion.
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"I don't spend too much time comparing each [season] to be honest. I'm just going to enjoy this one. I'm not going to reflect too much on the last 15 years but enjoy the next couple of days," he said post-game.
"I always had belief. I had belief in this team and our coaches. We all did. We get written off every year and we joke about it internally so it's nice to shut a few of the haters up, but we don't do it for that reason. We do it for each other."
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Dangerfield played in the Cats' 2020 Grand Final loss to Richmond at the Gabba and had also featured in five losing preliminary finals across his career, including one at Adelaide before crossing to the Cats at the end of 2015. He said he never lost faith in the flag dream.
"It was tough two years ago getting over 2020, but this is pretty sweet," the 32-year-old said.
"For me it's never been about looking too far ahead. It's about embracing the moment and enjoying each year. And that's what collectively we've done. We've got others to plan ahead for us as a team, but we want to give ourselves a chance to compete and I think that's what is so special about this place.
"Our staff give us a chance, our recruiters give us a chance, our coaches give us a chance to compete and contend in the last day of September."
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After last week being best afield in the Cats' preliminary final win over Brisbane with 28 disposals and two goals, coach Chris Scott said the Cats' medical team had prepared Dangerfield to be peaking for the finals series after an injury-interrupted year saw him miss six weeks mid-season with a calf issue and training block.
Dangerfield said he had narrowed his focus in that time to getting himself right, with the reward dangling around his neck post-game.
"There's a time when you have a few little hiccups here and there physically and the right thing to do is to make sure your own preparation is right. That's the most important thing as a leader and a player – to perform well," Dangerfield said.
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"It's not in a selfish sense but it's to get yourself right however long that takes. That was the plan and it was nice to hit the game running. For our group, September just felt like we were primed and ready."
