Heading into this year’s finals series Melbourne knew they would be branded ‘favourites’.
It is a natural by-product of producing a 20-win season and a second consecutive minor premiership.
They acknowledge that the expectation is there externally but that is precisely where it remains – external.
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Within the walls of AAMI Park thoughts remain solely on overcoming the Broncos this Friday night at AAMI Park.
That steadfast focus on the task at hand has served Craig Bellamy’s men incredibly well for the last 28 weeks.
Everything else, including the ‘favourites’ tag, means very little to them.
“We do not think about it to be honest. We know we’ve put ourselves in a good position this year and we’ve got a great opportunity,” Tim Glasby said.
“We are just focused on the Broncos and playing the game as best we can. We want to come into the game playing with the consistency we have all year.
“I don’t think the ‘favourites’ tag changes too much, we will just approach the game the same as we usually would.”
A massive crowd is expected to pack out AAMI Park this Friday night.
It will be the Club’s 10th Preliminary Final in the last 12 seasons so the opportunity at hand is not lost on Storm.
“It is a big occasion playing in a Preliminary Final,” Glasby said.
“It is a big achievement by the team and it is a good reward for the hard work during the year.
“We will just build into the week and as it gets closer I’m sure there will be some nerves.”