CHRIS Wakelinhas logged up thousands ofkilometres watching his twin sons build successful AFL careers, andthere is nothing in life he would swap it for.

“I’ve got very good employees that look after me,” is how hedescribes being able to get time off from his job in the mining industry towatch Shane and Darryl Wakelin at grounds across Australia for more than a decade.

For want of one straight kick, Chris might have achieved thedream of watching his boys lining up at opposite ends in Saturday’s GrandFinal.

“Another goal on Friday would have been handy” he said ofCollingwood’s five-point preliminary final loss to Geelong.

Darryl will take part in his third Grand Final in hisfarewell game, but Shane has yet to announce his intentions. Darryl joked thathe had told his twin that he was too old to front up again in 2008.

Chris Wakelinrealises that it is all coming to an end.

“With a bit less travel [to pay for] we might be able to doa few things we were supposed to have done over the last few years, like builda house and buy a boat! But it’s been a hell of a trip and I’m very proud.”

By Saturday night Chris Wakelin was contemplating a typicalweekend of air travel.

“We caught a couple of red-eyes, one from here [Adelaide] to Melbourne onFriday and another from Melbourneto here this morning. I had a bit of an injury and I was in hospital last week,so I was off work which worked out well.”

His travel itinerary could have been even greater in recentyears as his eldest son, Michael, was also on the verge of an AFL career. Atone stage St Kilda had him in their sights when Nicky Winmar was dropped off the list, butMichael had knee problems and the Saints lost interest. He then carved out asuccessful SANFL career, winning a best and fairest with Central District.

Darryl Wakelin admits that a Grand Final clash with hisbrother’s Collingwood team would have been “nice, real nice”.

By Saturday night he had not spoken with his brother in thewake of the Friday night loss, but they had exchanged text messages.

Darryl went down with an injury just a month ago and itseemed his career would peter out as he had announced his intention to retire.

“You don’t lose your ability,” he said, “but as you getolder you wonder if you’ve still got it, especially when you have a fewniggles. But I was quite confident I’d have some luck go my way and, if I couldget some full training sessions in, I was going to be the right option.”

He saw a light at the end of the tunnel a fortnight ago.

“TwoFridays ago I got through a big session and I trained really well and got confidenceout of the whole week obviously it was a tough decision for Mark [Williams] andit was great to be part of it today.”

He feels mentally fresh, he says, because he has not beenplaying continually.

Darryl’s two previous Grand Finals were notable for himbeing St Kilda’s best in the losing 1997 game and then being the focus of Alastair Lynch’s fury in hislast game in 2004.

“I’ve been spoilt, now that I get to play in my third GrandFinal. I tell the young kids to stay relaxed, get back to their preparation andget to contests during the game and block out everything else.

“My first it was such a whole new thing. No one at St KildaFootball Club had played in a Grand Final and it was new for everyone. It’sdifferent this time around. We have a large group of players who’ve been to aGrand Final before. We’ve played in finals and feel quite comfortable in theenvironment. We are very well prepared as far as knowing the routine of theweek.”

Wakelin’s presence will be a steadying factor this week ashe looks towards the final two hours of his AFL career.

Teammate TobyThurstans summed up Darryl’s contribution: “He just gives you a bit moreconfidence when you run back, that he’s going to protect you. He just gives theother blokes confidence around him.”

More than being admired for their football, Shane and Darrylare universally recognised as great blokes at Port Adelaide, Collingwood andtheir initial club, St Kilda. That means a lot to their dad.

“That’s what you get consistently from everyone they haveanything to do with”, Chris Wakelin says proudly.