Rovers coach Damien Hall has played down talk of a premiership fourpeat as grand final day looms

Rovers boss Damien Hall says individual improvement is the key to another flag

Rovers' joint captain Gareth Remfrey looks for a forward option.

ROVERS coach Damien Hall smiled when asked if his side had any extra pressure on them leading into Saturday’s CAFL Grand Final.

Hall is already a premiership coach having guided the Double Blues to the 2019 flag, the third consecutive grand final triumph for the club.

An historic fourpeat beckons, the only time in the club’s history four premierships in a row are only 100 minutes of football away.

Only Federal (six flags in a row from 1958-63) and Wests (2004-07) have achieved it.

But Hall said it was more about every player adding to their playing resumes.

“Nobody is looking at what we’ve done in the past, we’re certainly not and I dare say Pioneer aren’t particularly interested either,’’ he said.

“They’ll be trying to get some success for themselves after 10 years without a flag.

“And our blokes have looked a lot hungrier this year than 12 months go when we won the flag.’’

Hall said that hunger had shone during the COVID period when his players maintained a running program two or three times a week.

“I don’t think the players are really concerned with what they’ve done in the past, they’re just trying to get better every year and every game,’’ Hall said.

“From a club point of view it’s a big thing. They’ve never won four in a row or even three in a row up until last year.

“But for the players and myself it’s really irrelevant, what is important is everyone is trying to get better.

“(Joint captain) Gareth Remfrey is 32 and he’s still looking for ways to get better as a player and as a leader and he’s done that.’’

Hall rates a Pioneer side beginning to bear fruit from their rebuilding program.

“They will be hungry, of course they will, they’ve had a really good year with a very well balanced team,’’ he said.

“Shawn Foster I rate very highly and Curtly Hampton and Jamal Lynch are top line players who can turn games.’’

In team news NTFL and Thunder star Cameron Ilett will turn out for Rovers.

Ruckman Travis King has thrown his name into the selection hat after recovering from a back injury.

And Rovers selectors will wait until later this week before making a decision on the fitness of Zane Clarke-Edwards and Lachlan Todd.