Illawarra footballers represented in A-League grand final

Ten years on, it is great to see the region is still represented at the A-League's showpiece event.

When Sydney FC claimed the title in the inaugural season there were five players from the Illawarra or South Coast Wolves system in the championship squad.

Myself, Justin Pasfield, Alvin Ceccoli, Ruben Zadkovich and Sasho Petrovski all had links or were brought up in the region.

Add in Central Coast Mariners midfielder Noel Spencer and squad member Dez Giraldi and we could have fielded half a team worth of local talent in the 2006 grand final.

Ten years later we mightn't have the same number but there is still a presence on the big stage.

Wollongong junior Matt Jurman looks a great chance of keeping his spot in Sydney FC's starting line-up after some strong showings over the past month.

Helensburgh's Aaron Calver was left out of the squad for Saturday's win against Adelaide United but will surely play his part during grand final week.

Any experience the 19-year-old can gain this week will undoubtedly be beneficial to his promising future.

The third Illawarra player at the Sky Blues is Corey Gameiro, who would do anything to be out there on Sunday after sitting out most the year through injury.

In any case, the grand final should be a cracking affair in Melbourne.

The Victory and Sydney FC are sure to provide plenty of entertainment for the neutrals to enjoy throughout the 90 minutes.

Goals haven't been hard to come by for either side, so it's hard to see it being a problem in the decider.

It shapes as a final which could truly fall either way.

The only disappointing factor is the fact a lot of supporters won't be able to see the match live at the venue.

With AAMI Park's limited capacity, more than 15,000 fans will miss the opportunity to see what could be one of the most exciting finals in the competition's history.