A YEAR AGO, James Frawley was at a career crossroads. A Demon since he was drafted in 2006, Frawley was a free agent. He chose Hawthorn and the lure of both premiership potential and the chance to improve his game with the best.
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The Ballarat export is now preparing for an AFL grand final.
“Looking at it all now, I definitely made the right decision,” Frawley told The Courier on Sunday. “It’s all been a pretty good season. I’ll try and take it as a normal game...There’s a lot of experience around the group that I can ask advice."
One teammate happy to share his grand final experience with Frawley is Redan premiership player Isaac Smith, who is preparing for his sixth football grand final in seven years. Smith’s remarkable run started with Redan in 2009, went via North Ballarat Roosters in the 2010 Victorian Football League season and, after a preliminary final end with the Hawks in 2011, has played in the past three Hawthorn grand finals, netting two AFL premierships.
Like always, Smith is taking it all in his stride and enjoying every moment.
“I don’t get too fazed in grand finals (hype). It’s great experience and the beauty is sharing it with friends and family,” Smith told The Courier in a joint interview with Frawley. “It’s good to be playing in another grand final – there’s a lot of guys who never get to play in one. Chip (Frawley) hasn’t played in one yet.
“...We’ve got guys who have won three already and we’ve got guys going for their first. Credit really does go to our coaching staff every year in how they motivate players.”
The Hawks are vying to win a third-straight title, a hattrick feat last achieved by Brisbane Lions (2001-03).
Frawley said the most notable change, moving from Melbourne to Hawthorn, was experience in the playing group. For the Dees, Frawley was one of the oldest guys in the squad. Now 27, Frawley says he is more in the middle bracket of age and game experience with Hawthorn.
And it was a nice change.
Each hopes to make Ballarat proud.
Frawley was an East Ballarat junior.He has family ties with East Point. A lot of his close friends play for Redan, which is proud Smith territory.
Redan forward Damien Horbury and Frawley particularly spent a lot of time doing strength and conditioning in the gym as North Ballarat Rebels, from which Frawley was drafted to the AFL at pick 12 in 2006.
He hoped more Rebels would continue to follow.
