Sydney FC goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares hasn't contemplated any other outcome besides winning the A-League Men grand final.
Set to travel across the Tasman to face Auckland FC, Devenish-Meares is fully embracing the roller-coaster ride that is grand final week.
The quirky shot-stopper admits he hasn't even done his laundry in a bid to stay in the moment ahead of Saturday's match at Go Media Stadium.
Come inside our training as preparations ramp up for Saturday's Grand Final 💪#WeAreSydney pic.twitter.com/1uKdHGZ2A8
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) May 20, 2026
Devenish-Meares proved his mettle in a semi-final penalty shootout against premiers Newcastle to help the Sky Blues seal a grand final berth.
The tie was level at 1-1 after the first leg, before a sensational added-time goal from Eli Adams equalised Piero Quispe's 64-minute strike and sent the game into extra time.
Devenish-Meares then denied Jets captain Kosta Grozos and youngster Xavier Bertoncello in the shootout, before Ben Garuccio converted the match-winning spot kick for Sydney.
The 29-year-old has spoken previously about how integral meditation is to his match-day preparations after spending a week in a Buddhist monastery in Indonesia meditating for 16 hours a day.
But in the lead-up to his first ALM grand final, Devenish-Meares had changed tack.
"No, I haven't been reflecting too much just because I think everything's coming really fast," Devenish-Meares said on Thursday.
"We've been playing back-to-back finals games. I haven't even done my washing at home.
"I've just been so caught up in the moment and just enjoying my football.
"I don't plan to look back and think about it in any other way other than it's just really great to be here, and it feels right."
He hasn't thought about what it would be like to lose to Auckland or win a championship title.
"I haven't contemplated any other outcome," Devenish-Meares said.
"I haven't really thought about that (winning) either. I think I just want to play on Saturday, to be honest.
"I hope I'm nervous because I think it's a beautiful thing."
After a raft of howlers following his disastrous ALM debut last season, Devenish-Meares has proved a genuine star as Sydney's No.1 and was named captain of the player-voted Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) league team of the season.
The 29-year-old had been sent off in his first-ever game, arriving in the ALM after playing in lower tiers in the US and Romania.
Since then, his impressive season has put him in conversations for a possible call-up into Socceroos coach Tony Popovic's World Cup train-on squad in Florida.
"It definitely was a shock for me, like a massive surprise," Devenish-Meares said of the PFA honour.
"I feel like it's definitely the highest honour that I've ever been given just to be recognised by my peers in that way.
"I'm ready for any challenge, really.
"I'm ready for whatever the universe has in store for me."
