Roy Jaques always dreamed of ending his career with a premiership and the prospect of walking away from the Queanbeyan Tigers with two grand final wins in less than a week has the veteran salivating ahead of the NEAFL decider.
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Jaques will run out for the Tigers today for the last time after deciding the clash with the Brisbane Lions at Manuka Oval will be the final game of his career.
After a week of celebrating the Tigers' NEAFL eastern conference triumph, the 33-year-old told his teammates he was retiring at their final training session on Thursday night.
Now he has a chance to achieve what few footballers can boast - win two grand finals in just six days.
Jaques wanted to retire at the end of last season, but he was stranded on 99 games for Queanbeyan and decided to play for one more year.
That decision paid off when the Tigers broke a 12-year premiership drought by beating the Sydney Swans reserves to claim the eastern title last weekend.
''I certainly didn't want to miss out on a premiership so I'm glad I've played on,'' Jaques said.
''[Retirement] has been on my mind all year and I thought what better way to go out than winning the flag.
''It seems like the perfect time and I didn't want to get too greedy and push myself around for another year … I was emotional, but this is the perfect time.''
The Tigers partied hard after their win against the Swans and had Mad Monday celebrations. But despite having the trophy they had been craving for more than a decade, the players were subdued as they prepared for the task of backing up for another grand final.
The Tigers have made three changes to the team which beat the Swans. Will Griggs has been suspended and Alex Overs and Paul Franchi are both injured. The trio's absence opens the door for Matt Liddle, Beau Watts and Nathan Kerlin to win a premiership medal.
Liddle is an established NEAFL star, but injury forced him to miss the majority of the season. The trio adds the fresh blood the Tigers need to ensure they have the spark against a strong Lions team.
Jaques's farewell will also add inspiration. He has played 159 NEAFL games, was named in the NEAFL eastern team of the year at fullback and has been with the Tigers since 2006.
''It's my time, I've got three young children under four years old and winning [a premiership] is just a dream come true … I couldn't have hoped for a better ending,'' Jaques said.
