Guglielmana desperate for finals but focus on Foundation Derby

SOUTH Fremantle’s Adam Guglielmana will play his 118th WAFL match in the WA Day Foundation Derby against East Fremantle but what he desperately craves is the first final of his career that a win could bring one step closer to reality.

Guglielmana made his league debut with the Bulldogs in 2008 and had to do a long apprenticeship to earn his stripes in a side that was a regular finals participant and the premiers in 2009.

By 2011, he had become a regular member of the line-up as a hard-running wingman and midfielder, but he wasn’t part of the finals campaign of that year after undergoing a knee reconstruction.

Since he returned from injury he has been one of the South Fremantle’s best and most consistent performers firstly in a role as a small forward, and since early in 2014 as a small defender where it looks like he has now found his home.

The now 27-year-old has been part of the leadership group for several years with the Bulldogs and is a player that never lets the club down. He will again receive another big task in Monday’s WA Day Foundation Derby against East Fremantle.

While not looking past that game, he would desperately like to get a taste of finals football later this year. Recording a ninth win for the season on Monday would bring that one step closer to reality.

“It’s been a good start to the season obviously but it’s taken a fair bit of hard work and a big pre-season. It’s good to get some rewards for that early on and hopefully we can keep it going towards the back end of the year,” Guglielmana said.

“We’re not taking anything for granted because we’ve been through some tough times the last few years so us senior guys make sure we enjoy any wins we have. Cooky might have played one final in 2011 but I’ve not played in any yet because I did my knee that year.

“We just want to try and get to 12 wins at the moment to shore up a spot in the five and that’s all we are looking at. We have eight so far but we need another four from somewhere still. We are enjoying the wins while we can get them but we are fully aware it doesn’t always last.”

With the majority of the players who kept Guglielmana out of the 2009 premiership side no longer playing, Guglielmana is now one of the senior players at South Fremantle and he has enjoyed that leadership role which has increased even more in 2016 following Craig White’s retirement.

“The last couple of years I’ve taken on a bit of a leadership role just through the circumstances of us losing a few of our older blokes as it happens in the WAFL,” he said.

“‘Craig White retiring last year left a big hole for us in the leadership stakes so I’ve tried to step up a bit more by saying a bit more around the place, but I haven’t changed too much.

“We have a good leadership group with Josh Pullman, Hamsy, Schloithey and Adam McIntosh really stepping up and we’ve tried to carry the load together. That’s been good and eased a bit of pressure off Cooky as well.”

While Guglielmana might be desperate for finals come September, his eyes are firmly on trying to work out how to overcome East Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Monday.

“They are playing a bit of a different style under Robbie Wiley and it’s quite unusual the way they play on, and handball out of the back-line and really take the game on,” Guglielmana said.

“It’s probably not a good game against them to be a backman but we are all looking forward to it. We should get a great crowd and the Foundation Derby is always the biggest game of the year. The boys are really looking forward to testing themselves against a good team.”