Magpie Chris Mayne focused on Grand Final redemption

DEFENSIVE forward, old-school defender or wingman, Chris Mayne is determined to do whatever it takes in his second attempt at premiership glory, Eliza Sewell writes.

Mayne celebrates the Pies’ preliminary final win over Richmond with a cuddle from coach Nathan Buckley. Picture: AFL Media/Getty Images

DEFENSIVE forward, old-school defender or wingman, Chris Mayne is determined to do whatever it takes in his second attempt at premiership glory.

Mayne went to dangerous Richmond forward Kane Lambert in Friday’s 39-point semi-final demolition and the move freed up Levi Greenwood, allowing the tagger to trail Tiger champion Dustin Martin.

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Mayne has made a name for himself as a tackling machine as the Tigers found out on Friday night. Picture: AFL Media/Getty Images

In the qualifying final against West Coast two weeks ago, Mayne was moved to the game’s premier intercept defender, Jeremy McGovern, after he was dominating in defence.

He restricted McGovern to just two marks and seven touches in 47 minutes.

“Whatever position I’m put in I just try to play that role,” Mayne told the Herald Sun.

“Where ever it is, I’ll jump at it and I’ll be first there to crack in and get the job done.

“I’ve always believed I’ll do anything for the team to help them win and that’s how I’ll continue to play my footy for the rest of my career.

“It’s that ethos that we all believe we’re enough and we all stick together and work together.

“I’m really proud to be in the position I am and I’m really looking forward to having another crack at the big one.”

Mayne loves a goal... Picture: Michael Klein

,..But he has his eyes firmly focused on a bigger prize. Picture: AAP

Mayne has gone from maligned to admired this season and will suit up in his second Grand Final. His first was the 2013 decider as a Fremantle forward, where the Dockers went down to Hawthorn by 15 points.

“If someone said to me last year you’re going to be playing in a Grand Final I probably would have laughed at them,” Mayne told the Herald Sun.

“My partner (Britt), she’s the main driver, (she) kept me strong, she kept me in the right headspace and then the ability to come into this season just with an open mind of anything’s possible.

“And then to have coaches like Garry Hocking, Robert Harvey really support you, really push you to be the player you can be, work with you non stop and then Bucks to be working closely about what I can do and what I can contribute.

Mayne celebrates the Pies’ preliminary final win over Richmond with a cuddle from coach Nathan Buckley. Picture: AFL Media/Getty Images

“It’s an amazing feeling but as we said together, job’s not done.

“We’ve got four more quarters, play our brand of footy and to get the job done and it’ll all be worth it.

“From the beginning we’ve always said we’re enough.

‘We’ve got 22 brothers representing the club on game day but we’ve also got another 100,000 that are right behind us.

“Everyone at the club from support staff to coaches, to the players that aren’t in the squad, everyone’s buying in, everyone’s chipping in.”