An A-League Men championship would go a long way towards helping Sydney FC captain Rhyan Grant make up for lost time.
The last time the Sky Blues played in a grand final, Grant was forced to watch from a hotel.
It was 2021 and Grant was in COVID-19 quarantine after returning from World Cup qualifiers in Kuwait with the Socceroos as the Sky Blues suffered a 3-1 loss to Melbourne City.
It was a stark contrast to the previous year, when the right-back scored the match-winning goal against City in extra time to seal the club's fifth championship.
Now wearing the captain's armband, Grant has another chance on the grand final stage and will lead the Sky Blues in Saturday's sold-out decider against Auckland FC at Go Media Stadium.