Collingwood veteran Ben Reid believes just moments of inconsistency have cost the club its two gut-wrenching final losses in the past two years.
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The Pies fell by four points in last year's preliminary final thriller against GWS, while West Coast's Dom Sheed broke their hearts by slotting a blinding goal in the dying stages of the 2018 grand final.
Despite the bitter disappointment, the 30-year-old believes unlocking that consistency will be the key to breaking a 10-year premiership drought.
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"In general, in the AFL, if you play your footy consistently throughout a game and the year, you put yourself in the best (possible) position," Reid said.
"I think we weren't as consistent as we would have liked throughout the day, but that happens, GWS was too good on the day.
"I definitely think we have the game plan (to win the flag)."
Reid is in line to play his first game at Wangaratta's Norm Minns Oval, a former home ground with the Murray Bushrangers, since also facing Richmond in 2014.
This time of year if you have been able to get most of the pre-season done, which is what I've been able to do, you put yourself in relatively good nick.
- Ben Reid
"Mum and Dad will come up from Bright and I've got a few friends in Wangaratta, who play with the 'Maggies' and Rovers in Matt Kelly and Shane Gaston, they'll certainly get along," he said.
Reid is now one of the league's most experienced players, starting his 14th season at the game's highest level.
However, he only passed the 150-game milestone in the preliminary final loss with injuries restricting him to only 23 games in 2014-15 and 2018-19.
"This time of year if you have been able to get most of the pre-season done, which is what I've been able to do, you put yourself in relatively good nick," he said.
"Still, I've done full pre-seasons before and it hasn't worked out either.
"You've probably got to get a bit smarter.
"I'm not doing every single session, I do one full session a week and the others are tailored."
Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Brodie Grundy, Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore won't play at Wangaratta due to the AFL's bushfire relief game on Friday night.
