NICK Chirnside has found a quiet escape from the hype of a long-awaited grand final appearance.
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The Warrnambool wingman will feed cows in the tranquil surrounds of his 45-hectare hobby farm at Mailors Flat on Saturday morning, just hours before lining up with the Blues in the Hampden league grand final showdown with Koroit.
Chirnside revealed this week he had relished time away from football training and work commitments as a plumber during the season with nightly visits to the farm, which will soon become his home.
The 25-year-old said the peace and quiet of the lush fields suited him.
But his focus on Saturday afternoon will be on a different green paddock — Reid Oval — surrounded by noisy supporters.
While the Blues are shooting for three consecutive premierships and four in five seasons, Chirnside is chasing his second victory from five grand final appearances.
Like many of his teammates, he was part of the Blues’ consecutive grand final defeats in 2008 and ‘09 before claiming the ultimate prize in 2010. He was part of the club’s 2011 grand final loss but suffered a serious knee injury in round five of 2012 that forced him to watch from the sidelines when the Blues won the flag that September.
After overcoming the knee injury, he returned to senior footy last June, but form and injury at the wrong time conspired against him. A hamstring injury held him back late in the season, consigning him to being an emergency for the Blues’ grand final victory.
“I got back in and played a couple of games but I had no power in my kicking,” Chirnside said.
“You are disappointed to not play at the time but if you are injured, you are not going to play to your best.”
Chirnside’s desire for a premiership on Saturday is stronger than ever.
He has played all 19 of the Blues’ matches this season, just the second time in his senior career he has been injury-free for the campaign. The first was in his debut year in 2008.
“It’s been a really good year,” he said. “I’ve played a lot on the wing. I was playing forward more in the past but I got a lot fitter.”
His pre-season included three months in Darwin playing with Northern Territory Football League club Waratahs, which won the division one premiership.
Before leaving Warrnambool, he had signed with Warrnambool and District league club Panmure as an assistant coach but while in Darwin spent plenty of time contemplating his football future.
“I thought I would enjoy assistant coaching but it didn’t really appeal to me,” Chirnside said.
“I thought coaching would be good and getting to learn under Tocka (Simon O’Keefe) because he’s such a good coach.
“But I took a few drills in pre-season and it just wasn’t me. I like the freedom of just being a player. You can just rock up and worry about your own game.” When he returned from Darwin, he headed back to the Blues’ Reid Oval home and now finds himself one game away from two premierships in six months.