"This isn't a grand-final winning photo," he told them, taking the opportunity to launch into an inspiring rallying cry about Saturday's Premier League Hockey grand final.

He tells them while he doesn't want them starting daggers into the camera, Shea wants it to be a serious shot and being professional.

Then, just as the final snap is taken, he gently nudges the front row of kneeling players and sends them sprawling all over the field they'll be playing on on Saturday and bursts into laughter.

If that doesn't sum up Pete Shea, nothing will.

He knows his side faces a massive task against perennial competition heavyweights Panthers, but said the aura around that club is something he wants to emulate at CYMS.

CYMS' whimsical mentor has focused on building a strong culture in the club's first two seasons back in the Premier League competition, and the club is owning between having fun and professionalism and making not only a culture of winning but creating a space people want to be around.

"We're working well as a team, the 20 people who've played this year, we had 19 here on Tuesday, they all want to be here, all happy to be a part of it and want the club to be successful," Shea said.

"It's a positive culture and hopefully it's a winning culture.

"To have the second year into our rebuild and build the culture in our club, and it's way beyond our expectations but we say this is what we want to do week-in, week-out."

The mentor shopped around for the right word to describe how he was feeling heading into Saturday's grand final.

"We are prepared, we've put ourselves in a situation to get an opportunity, and we've put ourselves in a position to win a grand final."

Shea played in the last Orange men's side to line up in a grand final and said he'd passed on what wisdom he could, the side was looking forward.

"We've passed a lot of things on, the legacy, the club and what happened previously and how we've got an opportunity to create a future so here's a point in time were we go, 'let's see how we go'," he said.