Eleven seasons since being drafted to Punt Road, Shane Edwards can't help but daydream of AFL grand final glory for Richmond.
"I'm running around the oval celebrating," he said on Thursday.
"I can't control it. I'm sure everyone dreams about that all the time."
Grounding himself, Edwards maintains he and his Tiger teammates are taking it one game at a time.
On Saturday afternoon, the 28-year-old will run out for the first preliminary final of his 205-game career.
Alongside him will be at least three others from Richmond's bountiful draft class of 2006.
Jack Riewoldt was taken with pick 13 by the Tigers, while Edwards was snapped up with the club's second selection at 26.
Three other 2006 draftees have since made their way to Punt Road and remain important figures at the club.
Bachar Houli, Essendon's No.42 pick, joined the Tigers seven seasons ago.
Carlton's top two selections after first choice Bryce Gibbs - Shaun Hampson and Shaun Grigg - are also now Tigers.
Back-up ruckman Hampson has had an injury-cruelled campaign and is unlikely to earn a senior recall, but the other four are only one win away from what would be their maiden AFL grand final appearances.
Edwards said he wanted to see if the reality matched the dream.
"You can't really control what you dream about. It happens every now and then and you wake up and you say 'no, it's the process'," he said.
"At the club we say 'why not us?'
"We saw last year with the Bulldogs (the premiers) can come from anywhere.
"(Our message) is not necessarily 'this is our time' but there's no reason why it couldn't be."
Helping their cause will be a ferocious MCG crowd, tipped to top 90,000.
All but a few thousand will be Tigers faithful.
"It's priceless," Edwards said of the Richmond support.
The success-starved fans have been in full voice over the past two months as Damien Hardwick's team firmed for the finals.
A fortnight ago, they transformed Geelong's home qualifying final into a virtual away match for the Cats as the Tigers romped to a 51-point win.
The Giants have resorted to training with loud music to try and replicate the MCG roar but Edwards was dubious as to whether it could help.
"You've got a whole army behind you," he said.
"You feel like you've got momentum just by taking a nice mark or doing one nice play. It feels like you've kicked three goals."
Edwards predicted ex-Tiger and "great servant" Brett Deledio, who previously held the mantle as the longest-serving man at Punt Road, would get the treatment from the stands.
"On the weekend he's just another GWS player," he said.
"The Tiger army are pretty ruthless."
RICHMOND'S CLASS OF 2006
Jack Riewoldt - pick 13 - 223 games at Richmond
Shaun Hampson - pick 17 (Carlton) - 35 games at Richmond
Shaun Grigg - pick 19 (Carlton) - 147 games at Richmond
Shane Edwards - pick 26 - 205 games at Richmond
Bachar Houli - pick 42 (Essendon) - 142 games at Richmond
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