THIS time last year, Toby Nankervis was in the same position he was on Friday morning – sitting in the back of a ute, waiting to be driven down Spring Street to the MCG as part of the Grand Final parade festivities.
But Nankervis was wearing a Sydney Swans polo, surrounded by red and white balloons. His ute was at the back of the line. He was an emergency, and would not get to play in the 2016 Grand Final.
Fast-forward a year, and Nankervis was wearing yellow and black, a guaranteed starter in Saturday's Grand Final, sitting next to unlucky teammate and fellow ruckman Shaun Hampson.
"It is pretty amazing, the turnaround," Nankervis said.
"I didn't put too many expectations on the year, but it's pretty amazing how it's happened."
Nankervis was grateful for the opportunity to play on the last Saturday in September.
"The journey we've had as a group, it means so much if we could get the job done tomorrow, but there's such a way to go before that.
"I'm just looking forward to getting through this and preparing for the game and getting stuck into the Crows, hopefully."
Nankervis wore a protective guard around his pinky finger on his left hand but when asked about it, grinned and said it was nothing to worry about.
The ruckman played seven games last year and was omitted before the preliminary final to allow Kurt Tippett to return from a broken jaw.
At the 2016 Grand Final parade, Nankervis told AFL.com.au while it was an odd feeling to be involved in the festivities as an emergency, it was still a good opportunity to soak it up.
"It's good to be involved in it, but it's disappointing not to be selected in the team," he said.
"[Coach John Longmire] said with Kurt [Tippett] coming back, it's just one of those things in footy, where it comes to this time of year blokes have to miss out. It's disappointing, but there's not much I can do about it.
"The blokes we've got around here, the coaches and players, it's easy to keep positive for them. They make it a lot easier."
Twelve months later, Nankervis will be the one lining up for the opening bounce on Grand Final day.
