Luke Virgili doesn't expect the emotion of finally returning to Magic Park on Sunday to get the better of Lambton's former Broadmeadow players when the sides clash in the NPL qualifying final.
Virgili, Broadmeadow's captain in 2021, brought up 13 years and 250 games with Magic last season before parting ways with the club, along with his brother, James, and fellow stalwart Matt Hoole, to join Jaffas. Mitch Rooke, who had two years at Magic, also switched.
The quartet are yet to play at Magic Park in Jaffas colours, after their regular season clash was moved to the synthetic of LMRFF.
Jaffas won that, and a fiery match at Edden Oval in March, 2-1, but they finished third, three points behind Broadmeadow (41 points), in the premiership race won by Maitland (42).
James Virgili savoured scoring the winner in the first clash and Luke had a heated exchange with Magic coach Damian Zane after fulltime. Luke, though, did not expect similar scenes on Sunday.
"I think the first game against Magic was probably the biggest one for me," he said. "I kind of just wanted to get that one over and done with so we could just move on with the rest of the season.
"Obviously there was a fair bit of feeling there, but now we've played them twice - it will be a little bit different going there again - but I see it as a positive. I still get on great with most of the people there and I'm looking forward to seeing some faces I haven't seen through the year, especially some of the supporters.
"In terms of the game, any semi-final is going to be fiery and intense, and a bit aggressive, but I think we already had that in round one and a bit in round two. And the boys who have come over to Jaffas are pretty experienced, so I don't think we will see anything silly.
"I actually haven't been back to the ground since late last year.
"I haven't been there for a year, which is weird because I went 13 years going there three and four times a week, so it will be a bit funny walking through the gates."
He expected a full-strength Jaffas side to rise to the occasion on Sunday.
"I think the big games suit our team," he said. "I don't think the premiership was lost in the Charlestown 0-0 draw or the Maitland loss [last week], it was lost in the results we had against Valo, or conceding late against Olympic and Edgy. I think our record against the top teams is pretty good."
Zane said Magic had only Jake Harris (wedding) out.
"I don't feel that they've got the wood on us," Zane said of Jaffas.
"We were up in the first game and just died off. The second game, it was a controversial [send-off] decision that changed the match, which I felt we were on top in.
"Probably the guys we have on the bench now are no different, but now they've got a year in first grade under their belt."
On Saturday, Charlestown host Olympic in the elimination final at Lisle Carr Oval.
Outgoing Charlestown coach Graham Law has Matt Tull and Harry Frendo out suspended.
