The St Kilda captain said nothing could be gained from adding hype to this week’s grand final clash with Collingwood and that the Saints would prepare for it like a home and away match.
“I suppose it is the 26th game of the year and while there is a big prize at the end of the day there are still teams going out with an equal opportunity and there is two hours of football to be played,” Riewoldt said on Tuesday.
“What that does is bring you back to your preparation and focusing on the things you can control because at the end of the day it’s another game of footy.”
Riewoldt hosed down any hype about his own importance to the team, pointing to the Saints’ good mid-season record when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
He has steadily improved since returning in round 15 and says he is feeling fit and fresh at the business end of the season.
“We worked really hard and put in a lot of effort and did everything we could while I was out to give myself the best opportunity to find ourselves in this situation,” Riewoldt said.
While the Saints skipper was keen to stress that Saturday was just another game and that the team could only worry about its preparation, he said there could be some advantage to be had by playing in last year’s grand final.
“I suppose it is a little different to last year in that we’ve got an understanding of what the week looks like and how it pans out,” he said.
“You can use your experience there to perhaps prepare a bit better."
