Last time Pirates played in the Central North grand final, winger Ryan Witherdin was addressing his captain come this Saturday as "Mr".
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The baby of the team by a couple of years, the young gun was in 2019, in Year 8 at Calrossy where Conrad Starr, or Mr Starr as he was to him, is a teacher.
It was Starr, and fellow Pirates stalwart and Calrossy teacher, Bart Leach, who lured the rising star to the club ahead of the 2022 season.
Now he's preparing to play in his first senior grand final as Pirates take on Moree for the silverware at Ken Chillingworth Oval on Saturday.
One of around a handful of the side playing in their first decider for Pirates, when the Leader caught up with the 18-year-old mid-week, he was naturally feeling a few nerves, but at the same time excited and couldn't "wait to get into it".
"It's been pretty good and I'm pretty happy with the footy I've been playing," he said of the season, replying "definitely" when asked whether he felt his game had grown over the year.
![The whirlwind that the last two years have been will culminate for Pirates young gun Ryan Witherdin with a home grand final on Saturday. Picture by Gareth Gardner The whirlwind that the last two years have been will culminate for Pirates young gun Ryan Witherdin with a home grand final on Saturday. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/cf7a5a22-cf56-4e74-8d3f-10a4b8a121dd.jpg/r0_0_7493_5037_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He put that down to more time on the field and also "stepping up a bit more".
Interestingly, it will be the first time he has faced the Bulls this season. He's been out under concussion protocols their two previous meetings.
"I've been watching a couple of their games and stuff, they're a pretty schmick looking team so hopefully we can match it," Witherdin said.
Still finding his feet in senior footy and growing into his body, the size of his opponents is one of the biggest things he's still getting accustomed to.
As he put it: "it's not school footy any more".
That has been particularly pronounced also playing for Calrossy in the North West Regional Youth Competition of a Friday night. He wasn't going to this year but Starr "conned" him into coming back.
"You play Friday night and then you come down here and it's like s..t.
"You've got 130 kilo boys running at you instead of 70," he said.
"That's been a big eye opener."
![Witherdin takes this ball strongly during their qualifying final win over Gunnedah. Picture by Gareth Gardner Witherdin takes this ball strongly during their qualifying final win over Gunnedah. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/9eef426b-a11d-4235-bf58-bb211edc2947.jpg/r0_0_5405_3603_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
As a youngster still learning his craft, Witherdin couldn't ask for many better footy brains to pick, with the experience he is surrounded by.
Starr and Brendan Rixon are two that he has especially learnt a lot off.
"They're just so calm with you," he said.
But, as he added, ever since he's come to club everyone has been just "so welcoming".
A second year apprentice electrician with Davidson Bros Electrical, there has been a bit of grand final fever around this week with two of Witherdin's colleagues also playing in deciders this weekend.
Isaac Moxon is in the Pirates second grade side while Flo Davidson will suit up for Olympians in their Tamworth women's first grade hockey grand final.
Pirates' first home grand final since 2018 and potentially the last time that a few of their stalwarts pull on the black and yellow, it is promising to be a big day.
Gates open at 10am with the first game kicking-off at 11.20am.
The first grade clash starts at 3pm.