The pre-game routine starts pretty much from the moment we finish our main training session.

Main training is usually three days before the game and the following day is our day off.

I like to use my day off as an opportunity to freshen up mentally and physically, and make sure my body is right for the weekend. In the morning of the day off, I do an extra yoga session at the Club. There are four or five of us, who come in early every week to do it. It’s a great way to start the day and I always feel pretty good afterwards.

After Yoga, I head off for an extra physio session away from the Club. I’ve been seeing the same physio for a couple of years now. It’s just a different set of eyes, hands and way of thinking. I find it complements the physio treatment I have at the Club.

In the afternoon, I do whatever else I need to do for the day. If I’m good, I’ll do a bit of study. I’m doing a Diploma of Business at the moment. It’s good to have something ticking along that helps take your mind off footy. I also use the time to catch up with friends and family.

The morning before the game we have a light training session, which we call a ‘Captain’s Run’. Before the session, we’ll have a 30-minute team meeting. Sando runs the meeting, where we go through our individual positions and how the opposition is going to line-up. We discuss our plans for game day and what we’re trying to do as a team. Sando calls the information he gives us the ‘macro’ information.

After the team meeting, we have our areas meetings, where our line coaches go into the more ‘micro’ info for each area; forwards, mids and backs. The areas meetings are a bit shorter, usually only 10 or 15 minutes. Once those meetings are done, we head out onto the track and have a 30-40-minute run before heading home and having the rest of the arvo off to prepare for the game the next day.

I used to have a really strict routine the night before a game. I’d have exactly the same food and drink each week. It was a bit OCD, so I’m a bit more relaxed now. I generally have pasta and steamed vegetables for dinner. I used to drink lots of Powerade, but now I tend to drink more water and also Hydralyte, which helps to prevent cramping in a game.

I like to get about nine hours sleep before a game, so I’ll go to bed at about 10pm. I wake up between 7-8am the day of the game. Even if it’s a night game, I don’t like to sleep in late. It makes me feel a bit lethargic. I try to keep my wake-up time the same every day of the week. When I get up, I’ll have breakfast and go for a 20-30-minute walk and have a bit of a stretch.

I’m pretty strict with what I eat on game day. For breakfast, I always have cereal with yoghurt and fruit. For an afternoon game like this week, I’ll just relax in the morning, but I don’t like to sit on the couch and do nothing. I try to keep my mind occupied and body active. You can play the game in your head a number of times before the game starts if you sit there doing nothing.

I’ll have some lunch about midday, normally a couple of chicken and salad rolls. I tend to eat more the day before a game than I do on match day. The last thing you want to feel when you’re going out to play is heavy. It’s about finding the balance of getting enough nutrition and energy without feeling too full. The guys have different routines. Some will load up with food and then others, like Jason Porplyzia, will generally just have salad. Everyone does what works best for them.

Away trips used to throw me a bit when I was really young. You’d head interstate and the food at the team hotel would be completely different to what you were used to. The boys call it the ‘buffet trap’ – you can make the mistake of going back for more and more because the food is just sitting there in front of you. It can be a danger, especially for younger players, on an away trip. You have to be disciplined and make sure you only eat what you would if you were at home.

 Richard Douglas avoids the 'buffet trap' on an away trip this season

I’ll relax right up until I need to go to the game. If it was a night game, I’d have a sleep for about an hour during the day. Before I leave home, I always have a cold shower. I only live five minutes from AAMI Stadium, so I don’t have time to listen to certain music or have a specific routine. We get to the ground about two hours before we play, so you don’t want to pump yourself up too much then. It’s more about being relaxed.

Mackay gets his ankle strapped pre-game

Once you arrive at the ground, it’s a gradual build up until about 40 minutes before the game when we really get going. As soon as I get to the ground, I get strapped and do quite a bit of mobility work. I’ll head into the gym and grab the foam roller and stretch. I like to loosen up straight away. From there, I’ll have a massage and quick five-minute kick with one of the boys before our formal warm-up starts. Right up until the team warm-up, it’s individual preparation.

Mackay stretches in the gymnasium pre-game

I think Daniel Talia gets there about four hours before the game. He spends so much time stretching and working with the physios. His attention to detail is remarkable. Then there are guys like Patrick Dangerfield, who has the headphones on the whole time he’s here – you won’t get a word out of him. At the other end of the scale, are guys like Tom Lynch and Bernie Vince. Lynchy and Bernie are just their normal selves, laughing and telling jokes right up until the team warm-up.

From there, everyone is together and we start to really switch on for the game. The warm-up is a long process these days. We go out onto the ground and get a feel for the conditions, do all the activation work we need to do and then come back into the rooms. When we’re inside, we do a short and sharp hands circuit and a few bumps and tackles to get everyone going.

It’s about a 45-minute process from the time we start the formal warm-up to when we’re ready to go. It’s all about making sure that we’re ready to go from the first bounce and don’t take 10 minutes to get into the game.

Mackay and Douglas put the finishing touches on their pre-game warm-up

I don’t have any superstitions once I’m out on the ground, I know Rory Sloane likes to jump up and touch the roller door before the players’ race and Brent Reilly runs around the banner. But just before I run out I always splash my face with cold water. It’s something I’ve done since I was about 15-years-old. I was playing a game in Under-15s and I had a shocking first half. At half-time, my old man came into the rooms and said, ‘You look half asleep. Why don’t you go and dip your head in some cold water or something and wake yourself up?’ I did that and came out and played well in the second half. Since that day, I’ve always splashed my face before running out. It’s a bit stupid, but it’s something I’ve done for a long time and will probably do forever.

For a lot of guys, the build-up to a game is the most difficult part and I’m one of those. But once the ball is about to be bounced, I love it. I wish you could just fast-forward to that moment. By that time, you’re so ready and focused nothing else really matters. It’s why you play footy, for that feeling when you’re about to start a big game.

They don’t get too much bigger in the home and away season than a Showdown. It just means that little bit more and is a bit more special than any minor-round game. This week is no different. It’s the last Showdown game at AAMI Stadium and both teams have a lot on the line. It’s going to be huge and it’s exciting to be a part of.

It’s a lot better when you win and a lot harder when you lose. I know our members and supporters feel the same, so we’ve got to make sure we win! See you at the game …

D-Mac