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AFL grand final: Western Bulldogs star Adam Treloar says Collingwood’s 2018 loss ‘still hurts’

Samantha RogersThe West Australian
Western Bulldogs star Adam Treloar says the pain of Collingwood’s 2018 grand final loss will hurt him ‘until the day that I die’, as he prepares for another shot at premiership glory with his new club. 
Camera IconWestern Bulldogs star Adam Treloar says the pain of Collingwood’s 2018 grand final loss will hurt him ‘until the day that I die’, as he prepares for another shot at premiership glory with his new club.  Credit: Darrian Traynor/AFL Media

Western Bulldogs star Adam Treloar says the pain of Collingwood’s 2018 grand final loss will hurt him ‘until the day that I die’, as he prepares for another shot at premiership glory with his new club.

The 28-year-old has played 16 games since arriving at the Kennel at the end of 2020, two years after the Pies lost the AFL decider to West Coast by five points - after coughing up a five-goal opening term lead.

As he prepares to play in his first grand final since then in new colours, Treloar said the loss still hurts him.

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“Coming so close and feeling yet so far, it’ll always hurt me,” he told AFL 360.

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“It’ll hurt me ‘til the day that I die because in the manner and the way that we lost, we were up for pretty much the whole game and losing within two minutes of the game finishing, it still hurts me to this day.”

Treloar, who was drafted to GWS before his four-year stint at Collingwood, said he promised himself that “no matter what” he would enjoy the day - win or lose.

Adam Treloar.
Camera IconAdam Treloar. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

“Building up to the (2018 grand final) and then having it play out and not having the result go your way, it was hard for me to reflect and really appreciate what us as a footy club had achieved at that time,” he said.

“And what I had personally achieved at that time, considering the year I had had with injury and what not... it’s been quite similar for me the journey into this season in particular and now the situation I find myself in.

“The fact that I’m part of a team that if getting to play off for the ultimate success, which is what we’re chasing, is something that I don’t want to take for granted and something that I want to appreciate, whether we win or lose.

“In saying that, I don’t want to lose. I felt that feeling and I do not want to lose.

“But I do want to enjoy every single moment that I get out there because when I’m old, when I’m retired, I’ll be able to talk to my daughter and hopefully my grandchildren about the experiences that I went through and the fun that I had doing it.”

Adam Treloar.
Camera IconAdam Treloar. Credit: Ryan Pierse/AFL Media

Treloar said that he hasn’t shut away the pain of being within a (famous Dom Sheed) kick of premiership glory, saying it still makes him emotional to see vision of him crying after the siren sounded.

“When I think about that year and that game, it hurts me. Thinking about it now pulls at the heartstrings because we were this close,” he said.

“It’s actually quite emotional for me thinking about it because we were just so close to winning and it meant so much to so many of us.

“I made a promise to myself that I never want to feel that feeling again and if I’m in that situation, just to give my absolute best.

“Hopefully in a week’s time I’m not feeling that pain and I’m a premiership player and I don’t have to think about that too much.”

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