Bathurst Giants and Bushrangers to meet for third straight AFL Central West senior men's grand final

The question is which one of those factors will win out when it comes to this Saturday's AFL Central West senior men's tier one grand final this Saturday?

It's the third straight grand final meeting between the two Bathurst clubs - and likely would have been the fourth if the 2021 finals series went ahead - but there's some important differences this time around.

For starters, the big day will be held on Giants' home turf at George Park 1 and they'll be the favourites in the match up for the first time, having won four games in a row over their rivals this year.

There's also the disappointment for the Giants of missing out on playing the grand final two years ago, due to COVID-19 shutdowns, which is sure to spur them on to bring their best football this weekend.

Then again, the experience of the Bushrangers team could be a decisive factor when many of their core group have found themselves among the pressure of a grand final game in the past.

They could thrive under the rare conditions of being an underdog squad on the big day, as they chase their fourth straight title.

It all makes for an intriguing matchup, and Giants skipper Bailey Brien said the atmosphere at the top George Park oval is bound to be memorable.

"That year the grand final was called off was gutting. We've got a similar squad to that year, all a bit older, and we've played a lot of footy together. It's really nice to have the home grand final as well, which is a first for the club," he said.

"It's a really special day for everyone. Playing in Bathurst is always a joy, but I think being on the top ground is really great. We know how to play on this ground. Getting hosting rights for the whole day is amazing.

"The club's had such a great year. There's been a great atmosphere, with a lot of the seniors getting behind our juniors over the past few weeks, and we've got some great footballers coming through. That's really exciting for future years."

Brien said the team's enjoyed the build up to the big day, striking a balance between enjoying the occasion while putting in the right preparation.

"It was nice to have the week off, with a few niggling injuries around, but we still had a good training run on Saturday. We treated it like every other week, going through our usual routines in the lead up to the grand final," he said.

"It's been nice to get a few wins against the Bushrangers this year but they're always a quality team who have given us some great battles over the years. This weekend will be no different.

"They've got some big game players that can stand up, but if play the footy we want to play we can get the result we're after."

In his first year as Bushrangers captain Andrew James finds himself looking to lead his team to an upset grand final win.

It's a different scenario for the Bushrangers compared to what they're used to on grand final day, and James finds that to be an exciting change.

"It doesn't feel like we're the hunters this year so it's nice coming into a grand final where we're trying to bring the pressure from our end," he said.

"It's our first year on their ground, we've always been down the bottom, but we've known for a while now that the game was going to be up there so now it's about getting the job done there."

Things got off to a winning start in the all-Bathurst matchup for the Bushrangers this year but it's been tough going since that first derby victory back in May.

The latest game - where ladder positions were always locked in - saw the Giants run clear late to score a 22 point win after being down a half-time.

James said it's all about trying to peak for the right game, while limiting the moments where Giants have cut them down in recent meetings.

"We feel like we've turned a corner a little bit and have a little bit of momentum now. We didn't treat that last game against them as a dead rubber, we still wanted to get some things out of it," he said.

"We need to avoid those patches of 10 minutes or so, like in that game, where they can get a bit of a run on and put some goals away.

"If we can do that we're right in it. The boys are switched on, the vibe is good, everyone's upbeat and pumped for it."