This year's revamped Western Premier League has shone a light on the quality of footballers in the region but few location have been highlighted as much as Dubbo.
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Dubbo was the only western town or city to field multiple sides in this year's league and two of those - Macquarie United and the Bulls - will meet in the weekend's grand final.
And while the coaches of the two finalists have differing views on who should win the decider, they're in agreement when it comes to the standard of the game in Dubbo.
"I think it's a credit to Dubbo in general," Bulls coach Jason Schink said.
"We had three in the competition while places like Bathurst and Orange, which have the same or bigger populations, only had one.
"It's a big ting for us to have three teams in the competition and two of those made the grand final so it says a lot."
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Crain echoed that statement ahead of the derby decider battle.
While Crain said ideally he would like the season to be played without finals and have a first past the post system that rewards the best club across the whole year he thinks the right two sides are meeting in the final.
"It shows the strength of Dubbo football," he said.
"For us to finish first and second and only have one point between us ... for us and Bulls to play is a fitting end to a really good season."
There had been plenty of hype around Dubbo's third side, Orana Spurs, prior to the season kicking off but inconsistent performances resulted in them finishing the year in sixth.
"Spurs have some great players," Schink added.
"If Dubbo only had one or two sides they (other sides) wouldn't come close."
Part of the reason Dubbo clubs have performed so well, according to Crain, is more players stay locally after finishing in the junior grades given the challenge of travelling from the western area to train or play in the city.
But the quality of coaching has also played a part.
"There's a good structure and coaches across the juniors which feed into the seniors," Crain said.
"There's a lot of people involved with the NPL or Premier League previously and good coaches help all players."
Crain and Schink are two coaches who have long been involved in the game in Dubbo.
And now, heading into another grand final, they and their squads are full of confidence.
Schink stated earlier in the week his side was "in a good spot" while Crain said the feeling is similar in his.
"There's a really positive feeling in the squad and the boys have total faith and confidence in their ability," he said.
"We're going to be competitive and the squad is aware of that. There's 90 minutes to go, hopefully no more, and we'll be ready.
The grand final is scheduled to be played at Apex Oval at 8pm on Saturday evening.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
