Gold Coasters Michael Osborne and Brent Renouf will play in their first grand final tomorrow as members of a Hawthorn team desperate for premiership glory.
The Gold Coast duo are the only two Queenslanders in the decider and will be attempting to join previous legends of the Hawthorn Football Club as premiership winners.
Although both cut their teeth on the Gold Coast as juniors you wouldn’t get two more different players.
Osborne is a well established player with the Hawks, the grand final will be his 99th game after being elevated from the rookie list in 2001. Renouf will be playing just his eighth game in the brown and gold and had to withstand a late challenge from fellow Hawk ruckman Simon Taylor, just to be a part of this team.
Prior to joining the Hawks, Osborne played all his junior and senior football at the Labrador Tigers whilst Renouf moved from being a Surfers Paradise Junior to the mighty Southport Sharks where he won two AFLQ premierships in 2005 and 2006 before being drafted.
Renouf is a 200cm ruckman known for his athleticism and aggression. Osborne has matured from a tough, in-and-under back pocket player to a silky skilled half forward flanker who can play in the midfield.
Eight Gold Coasters played in the first week of the finals including Renouf, Osborne, Ben Hudson (Bulldogs), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda), Sam Gilbert (St Kilda), Kurt Tippett (Crows), Brad Moran (Crows) and David Hale (Kangaroos).
Three Gold Coasters from the Crows and the Roos were ousted in the first round leaving five players who went through the second round and then onto the preliminary finals. Riewoldt and Gilbert were knocked out by Geelong and Hudson had his season ended by Hawthorn.
Of the 17 Gold Coast bred players that are currently on AFL club playing lists, Renouf and Osborne will be the first to play on the last Saturday in September.
