A club rebuilt, missing the final piece of the puzzle. 

But Kiama coach Rod Richards’ message is simple.

“We’re just trying to win a game of footy,” he said. 

“If we worry about the result and what it means, it can be too easy to forget what we need to do out there.

“We went horribly close last year, it’s been a great rivalry the past couple of years, so now we’ve just got to leave it all out there (on Saturday).”

The Power led all afternoon in last year’s grand final, 12 points ahead at three-quarter time, before being held goalless in the last term, as the Lions marched to a 15-point victory, to secure their second successive flag. 

So as much as Kiama are chasing their first premiership since 2011 and third since coming into AFL South Coast in 2002, the Lions are also eyeing their own huge slice of history. 

Of the clubs currently in the league, only Bomaderry (2006-08) and Wollongong Bulldogs (2012-15) have won three or more in a row. 

The type of rarified air only achieved by the like of Hawthorn (2013-15) and Brisbane (2001-03) have recently occupied in the AFL.

“The opportunity to do that, to win three in a row, is really exciting,” coach Ray Burgess said. 

“It’s a big day for the club, especially with our women’s team in the grand final as well, we’ve had 60 or 70 at a dinner (on Thursday) and it was just great to have everyone part of it. 

“We’re confident our structure will hold up, but we’ve spoken about taking our chances when they come.”

Kiama have won six of nine games head-to-head in the past two years, including this year’s major semi-final by 12 points to earn the week off and direct path to the grand final.

 Teenager Saxon Forrest was a casualty of the Lions’ 33-point preliminary final win over the Bulldogs, suffering a broken wrist and will miss the decider.

Kiama’s spearhead Troy Cole and Lions full forward James Adamson will be out to leave their mark on the game, but the Power had seven goalkickers in a total of 11 in the major semi-final win.

And Adamson, who was injured early in the season and returned in the final round of the season after time overseas, is part of a three-pronged forward line which also includes Jake Hogarth and Ramez Dagher.

“Our back six has probably been our biggest asset this year,” Richards said.

“They’ve got a big job again, to stop their key men.

“You look at the semi-final and it’s pretty even in terms of scoring shots and chances, we were just a bit more efficient on the day and we’ll need to be again.”

Saturday

Grand finals at North Dalton Park

First grade

KIAMA v WOLLONGONG LIONS (3pm)

Power

B: J Bateman, A Perger, J Simpson; HB: B Rawson, B Hoctor, M Williams; C: S Brierty, N Baggio, J Lawrence; HF: W Howitt, L Kirk, C Wood; F: B Koop, T Cole, S Phillips; Foll: C O’Toole, J Ryan, J Mahony. Inter: G Haworth, J Krull, R Neels, M Price. 

Lions

B: D Goodley, C Panagakos, L Konza; HB: B Leonard, M Sieger, J Tier; C: C Cook, O Christie, J Gray; HF: J Burgess, J Hogarth, A Herne; F: T Bishop, J Adamson, R Dagher; Foll: R Watson, L Maples, H Freund. Inter: D Carter, C Hally-Burton, D Nolen, J Nugent. 

Head-to-head record

2018: Lions 15.10 (100) d Kiama 4.6 (30); Kiama 9.9 (63) d Lions 4.12 (36); Kiama 5.8 (38) d Lions 4.8 (32); Major semi-final: Kiama 11.5 (71) d Lions 8.11 (58).

2017: Lions 10.5 (65) d Kiama 9.6 (60); Kiama 6.9 (45) d Lions 5.3 (33); Kiama 12.5 (77) d Lions 9.7 (61); Major semi-final: Kiama 7.15 (57) d Lions 8.5 (53); Grand final: Lions 11.7 (73) d Kiama 8.10 (58).

Women

WOLLONGONG LIONS v BOMADERRY (1.15pm)

Lions

B: S Boss, E Harper; HB: H Minehan, J Van De Voorde, L Myers; C: T Martin, R Sossai, E Moate; HF: R Dawson, I Babic, S Walker; F: A Babic, K Clements; Foll: M Allen, B Macdonnell, M Ryan; Inter: E Bonin, B Horlsey, K Milham, K Tobin.

Bomaderry

B: K Phillips, S Hackett, C Stokes; HB: G Chapman, J Liddiard, E Priest; C: K Bramley;  HF: M Pearson, E Dempsey, S Seymour; F: K Dickson, J Hudson, L Macdonald; Foll: M Allen, B Macdonnell, M Ryan; Inter: F Hector, E Reichler, E Schweitzer, B Swankie. Emerg: A Libbis, A Whittacker.

Reserve grade

BOMADERRY v KIAMA (11.15am)

Third division

BOMADERRY v FIGTREE (9.15am)