I got the flights to Perth. I'm going to see the Prelim one way or another. This is just the second time we've got this far and I'll be damned if I'll miss it.

This could be our last game of the year.

I haven't been to a game at Subi for a while. I moved to Melbourne at the start of 2008. Before that mum, my brother, my sister, and I would walk to Subiaco every other week to watch the lads.

I remember as a teenager rocking up in my Dockers cap, Dockers jumper, Dockers flanny, and badge-laden Dockers scarf.

These days it's purple skinny jeans. That's what melbourne does to a kid.

I remember watching the big screen at the pub in Freo in 2006 when we took on Sydney in our first Prelim. I knew we could beat the slime in a derby GF. And I was confident. This was the heady days of Sandilands, Bell, Carr, Mcmanus in the midfield. Hayden, Parker, McPharlin, Black in defence. Pavlich, Headland, Farmer, Longmuir up forward.

I can't remember now which pub it was but I remember it was packed and I remember crying when the final siren went.

Damned if I was going to be stuck in Melbourne when we trounced the Swans at Subi.

As it turned out I was in Perth long enough to attend my grandfather's funeral on the Monday after the game. He was a wonderful man (and played some reserves footy for Easts back in the day) and had a good innings, passing at 90.

After the ceremony on Monday people were ducking in to corners of the funeral home to check their phones - It was all about the Ballot results.