GEELONG is determined that Jimmy Bartel's Brownlow win does not derail the team's grand final focus. Thankfully for the Cats, it is a goal Bartel shares.
"I don't think it will be too big a distraction," the new medallist said yesterday at a press conference promoted as his last media appearance for the week.
"I've got some pretty good teammates here to keep me down to earth … I just want Saturday to come now … I can't wait for the grand final."
The Cats made Bartel available yesterday but will now move to contain the hype flowing from his medal win. They will also ask him to skip key grand final week functions, at which the medallist is usually feted — a move that has won the blessing of the AFL.
The functions included yesterday's Carbine Club lunch — an event specifically designed to honour the Brownlow medallist — as well as scheduled appearances at Federation Square during the week. Instead of taking their place of honour at the front of Friday's grand final parade, Bartel and Rising Star award winner Joel Selwood will ride in the motorcade with their teammates.
"Being in Geelong and having had a late night on Monday, Jimmy just decided he wanted to get back here as quickly as possible and settle down," said a club spokesman last night. "None of those traditional events are compulsory."
In recent years, Adam Goodes, Ben Cousins and Nathan Buckley have all played in losing grand final sides just days after winning the competition's top honour. While Bartel said he was not superstitious enough to believe in curses, he was tired after a mostly sleepless night and "still in shock" after taking out football's highest individual honour. He was also desperate to restore normality by returning to the training track.
On Monday night's TV coverage, when he realised he'd won it, a broad smile swept across Bartel's face and the crowd around him erupted. It was only moments, however, before coach Mark Thompson was in his ear with a thrilled congratulation but also a message: "Now let's look forward to Saturday."
Bartel had watched the count sitting next to his friend, teammate and medal favourite Gary Ablett. All night they nervously joked, each calling the other "champ". Bartel revealed yesterday he had been barracking for Ablett: "I always like to see him do well." Ablett, he said, had been the first to congratulate him.
He says he does not feel nervous or pressured going into the grand final newly anointed as the competition's best player. He does not mind because he does not believe it is true. When he shot to Brownlow favouritism earlier this year, Bartel laughed it off, telling The Age he was nowhere near players such as Chris Judd and Goodes.
He said it again yesterday, only with the medal in his hand.
It had spent the night centimetres away from him on his bedside table. "When I woke up I checked that it was there, to make sure I wasn't dreaming ," he revealed.
Bartel is determined to play well on Saturday but said he would be happy if he didn't get a kick as long as the Cats end their premiership drought. It's something of a cliche but he would happily trade his Brownlow medal for a premiership one.
He has spoken in the past about how uncomfortable he feels being regarded as among the AFL's elite. That hasn't changed overnight.
"I don't think it ever sits comfortably with you," he said. "I'd rather just keep doing everything as usual. I don't think you ever become accustomed to it."
Geelong will have a full hit-out today before final training in front of an expected crowd of thousands on Thursday.
The Cats will depart for Melbourne and the grand final parade on Friday morning. Players will be offered the choice of staying in Melbourne on Friday night or returning to Geelong to sleep in their own beds.
