ANTHONY Vallejo looked at his Premier League playing squad at training this week and declared them "100 per cent'' ready for a serious tilt at the club's 33rd flag.
Losing grand finalists at the hands of Nightcliff in the last two grand finals, Vallejo can sense a ravenous hunger among the players to put things right.
Losing grand finals has never been a favourite past time at St Mary's as the third-year Saints coach was keen to discuss.
"We're not even thinking about grand finals at the moment with a big game against Waratah this weekend in the qualifying final,'' Vallejo said.
"They're flying at the moment, even though they went down to Nightcliff at the weekend, they've definitely been a pretty good side all year.
"But there is no doubt the boys are hungry, even if it's an entirely different side from last year after we blooded at least six under-kids who have played up to six games each for us.
"Matty Green from Katherine is another new face, so the mental scars from the last couple of years aren't there.''
Former GWS Giant and Essendon forward Shaun Edwards will miss the 7pm second semi-final qualifier at TIO Stadium to attend a wedding and wingman Lachy Taylor is training with WAFL club South Fremantle.
St Mary's beat Waratah twice in the home and away season, including a 13-point win in Round 11 and a 78-point romp three weeks ago when the Tahs players were severely affected by the Covid outbreak.
Saturday night's clash is the first St Mary's-Waratah qualifying final in the 14 years since the top five finals system was introduced in the 2007-08 season.
Ironically that was the year Saints beat a Waratah side by 96 points in the grand final after Tahs became the first side to make the decider from fifth position.
Tahs will get key playmaker Abe Ankers back for the third encounter with St Mary's this season after their Round 7 clash was abandoned due to lightning and torrential rain.
Wanderers meet Southern Districts in the elimination final in a throwback to the mid 1990s when the Eagles and Crocodiles regularly met in a knockout final.
Back then it was the first semi-final where Districts stars like Gerard Atkins at full forward, Graham Taylor and Bill Feeney Jr through the middle and speedsters Kelvin Maher and Archie Harvey always performed well at finals time.
Wanderers have dominated the four elimination finals they have contested since the top five was introduced, including a whopping 29.15 (189) they kicked against Waratah in the 2011-12 final.
Wanderers are confident skipper Braedon McLean, Jarred Erlandson, Darren Shillabeer and big marking forward Ed Simpson will return to the side after they succumbed to St Mary's in the last minor round.
Saturday's twilight final is Aaron Motlop's first finals match as a coach since he replaced his cousin Shannon in the pre-season.
Southern Districts showed what they are capable of with a classy disposal of a young Buffalo side last week.
The lead-from-the-front style of skipper Dean Staunton, Beau Schwarze through the middle and a four-pronged forward line of Josiah Farrer, Jonathon Ross, Jake (Steve) McQueen and Leigh Williams will test the Wanderers defence.
Premier League Finals Schedule:
Saturday, February 26 at TIO Stadium
Men: Wanderers v Southern Districts, elimination final, 4.30pm; St Mary's v Waratah, qualifying final, 7pm.
Women: Waratah v St Mary's, elimination final, 12.30pm; Darwin Buffettes v PINT, qualifying final, 2.30pm.
