Former Hawk and Dog Brian Lake torn ahead of elimination final showdown

Brian Lake is not sure who to cheer for as his two former sides prepare for a blockbuster MCG final in front of more than 90,000 fans.

Brian Lake doesn’t know who to cheer for in Friday night’s blockbuster MCG final between Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs.

After all, he won three flags and a Norm Smith Medal in a short but sweet stay at Hawthorn from 2013-15.

But he was a two time all-Australian and Charles Sutton Medallist in a 197 game career forged at Whitten Oval.

The formidable full back will be in the stands as the Hawks and Dogs face off in the elimination final alongside daughter Mylee, 15, who is forging her own footy career as a dashing winger in the Bulldogs’ Next Gen Academy.

Ex Bulldog and Hawks player Brian Lake, pictured with his daughter Mylee, is torn between his two former teams before Friday night’s elimination final. Picture: Michael Klein

But while he thinks the Dogs deserve to start favourites and is convinced the contest will be a cracker, Lake is torn on who he should support.

“It’s a tough one ,’’ he said.

“I’m about 10 years into retirement now and there are not many people left at the football clubs in a playing sense that I have a connection with, so that makes it a little bit tougher.

“Obviously I played with Sam Mitchell so there is a connection but I also had Luke Beveridge as a coach for the first couple of years at the Hawks.

“I’m probably not as emotionally invested as much any more, you kind of move on.

“I get the question a lot ‘who do you barrack for? ‘Who do you support more?’ but there is probably not one team.’’

Lake played 197 games for the Bulldogs.

Lake, who coaches and plays for Caroline Springs in the Western Region Football League, said not even the thrill of a historic three-peat with the Hawks swayed him as a supporter.

“I guess the biggest difference was I had success at the Hawks but I was only there for three years,’’ he said.

“I had the success but I didn’t have the journey.

“You look at the Bulldogs, where I was from the end of 2001, and I saw so much change in the football club.

“They struggled financially, everyone had to take a 15 per cent pay cut … facilities were terrible but then they went through the rebuild and I’m a life member of the football club with 197 games.’’

More than 90,000 fans are expected at the MCG for the match — the biggest crowd for a Hawks-Dogs clash since more than 107,000 packed the ground for the 1961 VFL Grand Final.

“The Hawks players have produced some big games this year but 90 odd thousand on a Friday night in an elimination final — that is pressure,’’ Lake said.

Lake with his Norm Smith medal and Premiership medal after the 2013 grand final. (Photo: Michael Willson/AFL Media)

It will be just the sixth time the teams have squared off in a final, with the Hawks winning four and the Dogs one of their previous five September encounters.

Far from a corporate box or premium seat, Lake, 42, revealed he was lucky to even have a ticket to the match after initially forgetting to reserve them.

“With playing 200 games, I get two tickets to every game and they went on sale at 10am and I forgot about them,’’ he said.

“My daughter wanted to go but I forgot about them so I jumped online at 1 o’clock and luckily got two tickets.

“But unfortunately me and the daughter will be sitting up in level four.

“I’m probably going to cop it from supporters saying “why are you sitting up here on level four Brian? ‘Why aren’t you down a little bit further?’

Lake is hoping for a close game. Picture: Michael Klein

“I’ll use it as an excuse to teach my daughter about running patterns.

“I hope they’ve got a lift because I’ve never been up to level four and my knees and hips aren’t too great at the moment.’’

While he has love for both teams, Lake is just hoping for an even game.

“It’s been amazing what Hawthorn has been able to produce after (losing) the first five games — they are riding this wave of emotion and excitement which is scary,’’ he said.

“But you look at the Bulldogs and they are the number one team in defence and defence wins premierships.’’

The biggest MCG elimination final crowd came in 2013, when 94,690 fans turned out to watch Carlton defeat Richmond by 20 points.