A preliminary final is a big feat in itself but a preliminary final between two fierce rivals is a day to savour.
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That will be the case when arch-rivals Longford and Bracknell face-off in the do-or-die fixture for the right to advance to the NTFA grand final next week.
Bracknell have been one of the form sides of the NTFA premier division finals series after knocking off Deloraine and Rocherlea in recent weeks to earn a preliminary final berth. Internally, the club had set itself the goal of returning to finals after some time in the wilderness.
With that goal accomplished, some may dare to dream of premiership glory but the Redlegs are firmly fixated on Longford this week.
"They've got some great players coming out of defence for them that really rebound off half-back so we'll be keeping a close eye on their guys," coach Corry Goodluck said.
The mantra of intensity and pressure may sound monotonous from Bracknell but their style has shone in their recent finals fixtures.
Goodluck said his team will be aiming to execute the basics to punch their ticket to the grand final.
"Discipline is the key for us, it's worked well for us this year, trying to cut down on free kicks ... that's one thing we've tried to knuckle down on," he said.
Longford were treated to the Bart McCulloch show in their last game but coach Beau Thorp is tipping his defensive unit, including Jacob Wiggers and Jaidyn Harris, to bounce back.
"Our back six have been our strongest line all year and I am sure other teams know that our back six are really good," he said.
"We'll be looking at pressure around the ball more so than pressure on our back six."
The Tigers will put some time into the Redlegs tall forwards, including the likes of Matty Dennis, who has proved a focal point in attack.
"They've got two fantastic big men, so we'll put a lot of work into those guys and if we can slow them down I am sure we'll go a long way to winning the game," Thorp said.
As part of the longstanding rivalry, both teams will be out to claim the Roberts Rivalry Cup and Gerald Mahar Medal.
"It's good for the two teams to have such a rivalry against each other, generally when we play, there's big crowds that really get into the game and enjoy watching a good contest," Thorp said.
"The rivalry is massive, obviously the two clubs have had a strong rivalry there for a lot of years ... both teams don't like each other and it's going to be a heated game," Goodluck said.
The losers will be left to plan Silly Sunday commiserations while the winners will advance to the grand final against South Launceston.
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