THIS Saturday night will be the last time Alex Bogart-King walks out onto the Lauren Jackson stadium as a Bandit.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Work commitments will see the 199-centimetre forward return to Melbourne once the season has concluded, making the upcoming conference grand final and, potentially, the championship game Bogart-King’s final outings for the Bandits.
The Hume City and Big V product joined the Bandits ahead of the 2014 season, and coach Brad Chalmers was quick to thank him for his services.
“It’s been great to have him here for a couple of years,” Chalmers said.
“The grand final will also be his fiftieth game, a well deserved milestone after a couple of strong years at SEABL level.
“He’s matured a lot in his time here, he grabbed an opportunity and both he and the team benefited from that.
“He’s played a really vital role for us this year, maybe a role a bit smaller than what he might have liked, but he was still very important.”
The Bandits bench will also be slightly thinner due to the absence of Jessy Wilson, who will miss Saturday's final due to an earlier commitment to a deb ball.
“It's tough for him to miss out, but he's a young kid with a bright future with us,” Chalmers said.
“He's an integral part of the group, and hopefully he gets another opportunity down the track.”
The mood at Bandits headquarters was fairly low-key Chalmers said, but the coach added that he wouldn't surprised if there were a few more emotions brewing internally in his players.
“The good thing about this squad is that the mood at training doesn't really change that much, win or lose,” Chalmers said.
“They come in, do the work and get out, and I think that's a real positive.
“Internally I think there might be a bit of nervousness, but we don't play like we're nervous.”
Chalmers backed veterans Michael Watson and Matt de Koeyer to a calming influence on the group when the crowd starts to roar.
“I've got no concerns about the group in a high pressure atmosphere,” Chalmers said.
“Michael (Watson) and Matt (de Koeyer) both have plenty of finals experience, Matt landed a couple of crucial three-pointers in the 2012 final, they're both well-suited to it.
“They've filled Daniel Sepokas' shoes seamlessly.
“Daniel's influence on the bench has been great, it's sad that we can't have him out there, but he is doing well to get around the guys during the game.
“Many hands make light work, the more he speaks, the better.”
