AFL: Michael Voss has no sympathy for Vic teams having to win the Grand Final interstate

Michael Voss has no sympathy for any Victorian team finally given the task of winning the Grand Final interstate but won’t let Port Adelaide’s attention drift to the decider fearing an unwanted “correction”.

Michael Voss has no sympathy for any Victorian team finally given the task of winning the Grand Final interstate.

But the Port Adelaide assistant coach has no eyes on such a distant happening knowing any deviation from his team’s path could come with an unwanted “correction”.

Voss, who as Brisbane captain had to go on the road three times to win premierships, said the decision on where this year’s Grand Final would be played was “significant” in many ways.

That extends to the prospect of it being in Adelaide, with Port well-placed to secure top spot, home finals, and maybe even an “advantageous” Grand Final should the Power go all the way.

But it’s creating that launching pad, and momentum when it matters that is front of mind for Voss and Port who only have to look back 12 months to see how things can quickly unravel.

An 86-point loss to this week’s opponent North Melbourne, in the penultimate round of 2019, proved a dagger blow to POrt’s finals chances, and Voss said no-one wants a slip up like that ever again.

“We had a game around this time last year where we played North and they came off a bad loss and they gave us a good correction. That gives us a really good reason not to take our eye of the ball,” Voss said on Monday.

“We’ve been in position in previous seasons where we might have just thought ahead a little bit too much and it has caught us out. We can’t afford to do that.

“The expectation don’t change from the start of the season. We’re still in the business of qualifying as best as we possibly can. That should be a really nice carrot for the players.”

What a game from Robbie on Saturday 🔥

📰 | https://t.co/JeNkci7nkL#weareportadelaide pic.twitter.com/Qy7vOjd0ND

— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) August 31, 2020

Port has finals hopefuls Essendon and Collingwood to come after the Kangaroos, and Voss said winning form was the best form to take in to the finals, which meant maintaining focus.

“It’s all about getting momentum. We’ve even recently spoken about that ... we’ve wanted to see progressive improvement, build momentum … so we’re ready to go by the end of the year.

“I’d rather be winning than losing (going in to finals). Winning form is good form.”

Voss knows they could have to take that form on the road to win a Grand Final, but said that was not an “insurmountable challenge”.

“Interstate teams have consistently gone to Victoria to try andwin GFs. I’ve been part of that, Port Adelaide have been part of that,” he said.

“It will be a different challenge for say a Victorian team to have to go somewhere else, to have to win it from a completely different state. It’s a big challenge, it’s not an insurmountable challenge.

“But it’s exciting with the notion we are going to go somewhere else. “