Whilst her team-mates may wake up today fretting ahead of the biggest game of their careers, Cortnee Vine will be playing it cool.
The Matildas striker will play a crucial part in today’s huge clash against Western United at Commbank Stadium, but she won’t let that bother her as she gets ready for the game.
She said: “My routine is pretty chill. I am a pretty relaxed person on game day. I tend to wake up whenever, usually around 8am.
“I’ll go into a local café and grab some coffee; grab some breakfast as well. My breakfast has actually changed recently. For Finals Series I have been having scrambled eggs on Turkish bread with a side of a hash brown and chorizo. It is delicious with a coffee.
“Then, I’m chilling for the day until the game comes. I try not to think about it too much. I try to switch off, perhaps watch a TV show or a movie, or maybe read a book. Anything to make my mind relax.
“I’ve been reading the Throne of Roses series by Sarah J Maas. She is massive for her books. They are all over TikTok and I’ve read the first one and now I’m on to the next one. They are big books and take a while.
“I’ve also been watching Wrexham FC, and I have been really loving that. I have been following them and they have just got promoted so that is cool. I love Ryan Reynolds and he is great in it.”
The tempo will tick up a bit when Vine jumps in her car and heads to Parramatta ahead of the 4pm clash with Western United.
She added: “I do like to listen to my pump up music in the car on the way to the ground, or if we are away I have it on my headphones. I go for a bit more of a house music “duff, duff” vibe to get me going.
“When I get to the ground, I’ll check the field out for ten minutes with the girls and then I get into my little routine – which is get my ankles strapped and take my jewellery off – all the little things.
“I chill out a lot and do get on the roller, have a stretch and then chat to the girls.”
The rountine is designed to help the 25-year-old avoid any nerves in the build up to the game.
“When I do think about it, the nerves come but I don’t tend to think about the game at all. It’s part of my plan,” she added.
“Doing this means I don’t get nervous or super excited until I get the opportunity to go out and play. That is when nerves to start to build.
“When they start it’s like, ‘there you are’, then you have to turn them into good nerves and excitement about playing in a Grand Final.”
As the players get ready to enter the arena they will form a line behind captain Nat Tobin in a pre-determined order.
Vine added: “When we walk out, we all go in number order. So, Macca [Mackenzie Hawkesby] is always behind me because she grabs me on the shoulders – standard Macca. We do this line up with the Matildas as well. I’m at the front with Matildas because I am number five. We have been doing it at Sydney FC since I have been here.”
Then it’s out on to the field and face to face with a Western United team who beat the Sky Blues in the Semi-Final to secure their spot in today’s game.
Ante Juric’s team landed their Grand Final place by seeing off Melbourne Victory at Allianz Stadium last weekend.
“We looked at the game when we lost to Western United, and looked at the stats and it was just execution on the day. As a striker I look at it and think I do need to be a bit more composed in situations where I get the opportunity to shoot on goal.
“But we were so dominant. You can’t fault Western United, they came out with a lot of heart and a lot of physicality. They got one chance and they finished and that’s a great team. You have to finish to win.
“But I feel comfortable that if we play the way we want to play and we finish chances, we will get it done today.”
A win will secure a superb Double for a side that have won the Premiership for the past two seasons but failed to back it up with Grand Final victories.
And Vine is confident the story will have a different ending this time around as the Sky Blues approach their sixth consecutive Grand Final.
“I am proud of these girls. The last three years have been amazing,” she added.
“Three back-to-back Premierships is unheard of in the league. To win something like that has already made the year the best possible and they all deserve so much.
“They are all such good individual football players and I am playing my best football with. So, to get that double would just top it off and make it a year to remember.”
Don’t miss seeing Vine and her team-mates bid for the Championship. Get your Grand Final tickets now.
