They have secured seats at the MCG with Nathan, a Collingwood premiership player-turned-Saint, and Mitch, a former Eagle, ready to watch their old clubs and plenty of old friends do battle.

Nathan has reignited his AFL career having joined St Kilda as a free agent two years ago but admitted it was a little weird to see former teammates preparing for the grand final and not be part of that.

“I left the club and there were no negative feelings. There’s a lot of good people at Collingwood and a lot of hard work has gone into getting back in a grand final," Nathan said. “Obviously I know people at West Coast through Mitch and there’s a lot of people there too who deserve it. There are so many good stories at both clubs.”

Nathan enjoyed a chance to get back to Mars Stadium for the second annual AFL Goldfields Grand Final Friday Free Footy Festival with fellow Ballarat export, Western Bulldogs ruckman Jordan Roughead, and Carlton AFLW footballer Kerryn Harrington.

“Ballarat is a great footy town. It doesn't matter who you’re going for, or the Ballarat weather, the kids turn out and many have loved sliding around in the wet this morning,” said Brown, who barracked for Carlton as a junior.

In an extra ‘Pies’ link, Mitch’s wife Shae Brown has played Super Netball for Collingwood the past two years before announcing her retirement at the end of this season.

Roughead is well-versed in when AFL comes to Ballarat and was pleased to see plenty of junior Bulldogs’ fans about Mars Stadium – although, with quite a few rival club jumpers on show, he was not sure Ballarat was a Bulldogs city just yet.

Harrington, who hails from Bendigo, said events life Free Footy Festival were so valuable for regional youngsters to meet and engage with players.

“It’s important for kids to have good role models,” Harrington said. “There are some enthusiastic footy kids around town today.”

The Blues hoped to have a return chance to play at Mars Stadium after a hit-out against Western Bulldogs in the AFLW pre-season last summer.

Meanwhile, with no Eagles in sight, 10-year-old Madison said her team Collingwood was a certainty to win the flag because, simply, the ‘Pies were such a good team.

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