But right on the bench, with the team board in hand, is where Idnurm will be on Sunday with Chris Maple calling the shots from the coaches' box.

Just like their time with North Ballarat Rebels.

Maple pieced together a team, primarily made of western suburbs talent with seasoned AFL-experienced leaders, to launch the Western Bulldogs' relaunched VFL arm this season.

The former Rebels coach moved to Whitten Oval in 2009 as a Bulldogs development coach and when appointed the Footscray VFL coach last off-season, Idnurm rang up to send his congratulations and offered to help any way he could.

"I was tickled pink when Mapes said he wanted me running the bench like I did at the Rebels," Idnurm said.

"Working with AFL players was a bit intimidating at first - how do you give instructions to a player like (Daniel) Gianciracusa?

"I absolutely love it and the best thing is I'm back working with a good mate."

This is Idnurm's first season back in football. He stepped aside from the Rebels with illness that led to a stroke in 2011 and it had taken a lot of hard work to get back in the game.

The game has evolved and bench rotations are naturally more intense than Idnurm experienced in the TAC Cup under-18s but once he learned players' names it was a little like old times.

This is Idnurm's first grand final - he went to a TAC Cup preliminary final under Maple and Gerard FitzGerald.

Maple is set for his fifth in club terms.

A Buninyong premiership coach, Maple netted one flag from three Central Highlands title matches having also led Tatyoon to a Mininera runner-up finish.

He is keeping a similar approach with Footscray in grand final week.

"You still go through all the planning and processes, only there is a lot more statistics and vision available at your fingertips at this level," Maple said.

"A grand final still means the same at all levels of coaching, whether that's VFL or the first XVIII grand final with Ballarat High School or Buninyong and it was the same with the Rebels - you still want to win one and don't take any game lightly."

The historic Ballarat High School firsts football premiership in 2001 remains one of Maple's coaching career highlights.

Ironically, he said, it featured Brad Sewell - now a decorated Hawthorn veteran the Hawks have dropped back to the VFL grand final.

Sewell headlines a strong Ballarat flavour across the field tomorrow.

He is named for Box Hill with former Rebels Kyle Cheney and Dallas Willsmore.

Footscray boasts North Ballarat Roosters' dual premiership player Brett Goodes, now an AFL-listed player who won the Bulldogs' VFL best and fairest this season.

Maple said Goodes played a key leadership role for the Bulldogs - a team most in VFL circles had written off for their inaugural season.

"People probably underestimated the depth in our AFL list and how quickly our VFL top-up players, particularly the younger ones would adapt to AFL systems, our AFL facilities and working with AFL players."

Maple said the whole purpose of his team was to develop Bulldogs players and staff. A grand final offered great experience.

Box Hill has named a super strong team but his Bulldogs would attack the game as they had all season.

It helped for Maple to have a trusted old friend to car-pool with to Etihad Stadium to see how they can finish off this campaign.