Jake Elphick will play out a boyhood dream when he lines up for Gundagai in the Group Nine grand final on Sunday.
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Elphick is expected to be one of 10 junior products in the Tigers' starting side to take on Tumut in the decider at Equex Centre.
The second rower can't wait for the experience.
"I'm very excited," Elphick said.
"It's my first one and especially as over the last 10 years that I've been a junior we've had a fairly successful first grade team.
"Now to be a part of it is awesome."
The fact it's another clash with arch rivals Tumut only adds to the occasion.
"It's awesome especially with the rivalry between Gundagai and Tumut," Elphick said.
"When you are a young fella you are told not to like Tumut and that is just how it is.
"It is always a great game and especially this year they've been very good and we've been very good.
"We've had some good games this year so I've got no doubts it will be close again."
The young forward feels privileged to line up alongside the likes of Luke Berkrey and James Luff in Gundagai's forward pack.
"There are a lot of great players in the club so to get the privilege to start, especially in the grand final, is very exciting," he said.
However Elphick is also looking to rewrite his own grand final history.
The 20-year-old has only played in one grand final, a thrashing at the hands of Young in last year's Weissel Cup decider.
"We got flogged so hopefully we win this one," Elphick said.
Elphick has really made an impact on the edge of Gundagai this season.
He feels like he's really starting to belong.
"It's been very different, it is a lot more technical, a lot faster and a lot more physical but I'm really liking it," Elphick said.
"It's good especially with the group of blokes that we have got. They've helped me out a lot.
"I was a bit behind the eight ball at the start of the year but I'm starting to find my feet towards the back end now."
After the interrupted build up to the season, Elphick feels he is much fitter now which helps him contribute to the side.
His tackling technique is something he's really worked on too now that he has to face much bigger bodies after coming out of the junior grades.
"I was a bit slow, a bit unfit and just wasn't used to the pace of the game," Elphick said.
"I was a bit out of my depth at the start but it is alright now."
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