FOR nearly a decade, Anthony Cowan plied his trade for the Macleay Valley Mustangs.
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This Sunday, Cowan will be public enemy number one as he plots the hosts' downfall when Port City travel up the Pacific Highway to Verge Street Oval.
It will be a family reunion of sorts, but there will be no room for sentimentality as the Breakers look to join Wauchope in the Group 3 grand final next Sunday.
"I've got mates, brothers and nephews playing for the (Mustangs), but once you cross that white line you're enemies and I'm there for the Breakers," Cowan said.
"It's going to be a challenge, but I'm looking forward to playing against the lads. It's going to be a fun, exciting game."
I've got mates, brothers and nephews playing for the (Mustangs), but once you cross that white line you're enemies and I'm there for the Breakers.
- Port City Breakers halfback Ant Cowan
Cowan has nothing negative to say about Macleay Valley - he knows better than most they were a club on their knees 12 months ago before their 2019 revival.
"The club could have been dead and buried," he said.
"Now you've got people like Russell Lardner, Richard Roberts and Chris Piper who have gone back to the club where they have picked up some young fellas and formed a good side."
While Cowan had plenty of respect for the minor premiers he also felt they had received their fair share of luck throughout the season.
"They're minor premiers for a reason, but I think they've got the bounce of the ball in the games they've won," he said.
"They're a team that can be beaten, but this is a knockout stage and hopefully we can knock them over in front of their home crowd."
The Breakers will benefit from Cowan's cool head when the game is on the line such was the case when he calmly potted a 25-metre penalty goal after the siren last week.
"I didn't even look at Kempy; I knew I had to go for the two because it was do or die so I sucked in the big ones, but I wasn't nervous," he said.
It levelled the scores at 24-all before Port City emerged 30-24 victors over Wingham following extra-time.
"I love the big games; I've been there before and played a lot of rep footy so I know what it's like to calm the nerves," Cowan said.
"The wind was playing havoc that day; it was blowing a gale.
I love the big games; I've been there before and played a lot of rep footy so I know what it's like to calm the nerves.
- Ant Cowan
"I took a couple of minutes so the wind died down, then I lined him up and it went straight through the sticks which was a relief."
Port City have shown glimpses of their best form in almost every game this season, but are yet to do it for longer than a 30-minute period in any game.
Cowan knows they can only improve.
"We're peaking at the right time of the season and can only get better," he said.
"We've got a lot of experienced heads in Dumas up front with AD, Josh Hyde and Boof and I play off the back of them."
Cowan knows it will be a tough ask for Port City to win their third-straight elimination final, but remained quietly confident of getting the job done.
"We've got nothing to lose and neither do they," he said.
First grade kicks off at 3pm.
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