If all goes to plan on Wednesday night, we could have not one, but two Illawarra representatives in this year's A-League grand final.
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Shellharbour's Joel King and Helensburgh footballer Aaron Calver are both just one win away from the decider for their respective teams. King's Sydney FC will face Perth Glory in a semi-final, while Calver will line up in Western United's defence against Melbourne City.
There will be plenty of interest in the Sky Blues versus Glory semi-final. Neither team were in great form heading into finals, however, Perth have a chance for redemption after last year's grand final loss to Sydney FC.
Meanwhile, United are arguably the form A-League team heading into Wednesday night's Melbourne derby. Conversely, like Sydney FC, City will be the fresher side after not playing in the first round of finals.
It would be great to see two locals each other in Sunday night's decider, continuing a tradition of Illawarra having a fair representation in A-League grand finals.
It will be a different experience for the title winner. The COVID situation means the atmosphere has changed, with minimal crowds at games. But the players and coaches have sacrificed a lot to be there. It's still the ultimate reward to win.
