Craig Bird will have a new perspective for this year's AFL grand final.
A decade on from tasting premiership success with the Sydney Swans, the Nelson Bay product will turn spectator on Saturday and be alongside mates in the MCG crowd when his former club tackles Geelong.
Bird, now retired, was out in the middle for both the 2012 and 2014 deciders but hasn't previously watched a title showdown from the stands.
"I'm going down this weekend and it will be good to watch from the other side of the fence," Bird told the Newcastle Herald.
"I obviously played in a couple but I've never actually been [to the MCG] to watch one, so I'm pretty keen to experience the atmosphere and it'll be interesting to see how the boys go.
"I'm already nervous. It might be harder watching than playing."
Bird planned to catch up with some of his old Swans teammates in Melbourne on Friday night.
It comes after the bulk of Sydney's 2012 squad reunited at the SCG earlier this season, marking the 10th anniversary of that famous flag.
"It's crazy to think that it's been 10 years to be honest. Obviously there's still a lot of fond memories and just appreciating how lucky I was to be in such a good team," Bird said.
In terms of advice for the current Swans group.
"It's a hard one because everyone says live in the moment but it's hard not to get caught up in the whole big deal of the occasion," Bird said.
"I remember the first 10 minutes [in 2012] and I was like a headless chook. I just tried to get myself involved in the game and that's the thing I'd probably say.
"Try not to think about the result, even though it's hard, and worry about the process. Being the underdogs [in 2022] might help take a bit of pressure off."
Bird, who has lined up for Nelson Bay in recent campaigns, has been impressed with the rise of fellow Black Diamond Cup player Isaac Heeney.
"He's always been a good player from day one, but he's now in that top echelon and one of the most influential in the team," Bird said.
Nelson Bay's Troy Luff played for the Swans in the 1996 grand final.
