THIS year's semi final return leg could not be more different than two years ago.

Back then, our form in the final weeks of the campaign had been ordinary. We'd got the draw at Hindmarsh and the pressure was building - Victory needed a win to secure an early grand final berth.

On that night it was Adelaide that stole the early momentum. It felt like the whistle had barely left the ref's lips when Travis Dodd popped up to head home a Diego cross. Adelaide had planted one foot in the Grand Final door.

However, as is so often the case when teams take an early lead, the Reds appeared content to sit back and counter, allowing Melbourne to work their way back into the game. Losing the in form Jason Spagnuolo before the game didn't help their cause.

Slowly our passing game gained greater fluency and after a half-time rocket from Ernie, Victory were looking for someone to step up and take charge.

Goalless in his previous four games, Danny Allsopp responded by running at his defensive markers and unleashing a rocket of his own to level the scores.

Ernie rolled the dice in the final ten minutes. Enter Liverpudlian James Robinson. In the dying moments of injury time, Jimmy rose highest at the far post to send a looping header into the back of the net.

The crowd went nuts. But before we could celebrate the historic win, Michael Theoklitos was called on to make a brilliant save to rescue us from heartbreak.

The rest, as they say, is history...

After an impressive victory last week, we'll look to lock in another Grand Final appearance on Saturday night. We're definitely in the box seat and it's ours to lose.

A 2-0 lead is a tricky scoreline and Ernie has to ensure the boys don't switch off early and actually play football.

The talk is encouraging, with Michael Kemp quoted saying: "We are going out there to win the game. We are going out there as if it's 0-0...We are going out there not for a draw or a 1-0 loss, but for a win and nothing less." Very sagacious Matty - I like it.

Now, I don't want to be too confident but if I'm honest, it's a monumental task for Adelaide.

Stats can be a little deceiving (especially come finals) but if you consider that Adelaide have only scored six away goals all year; have played eight finals games without a regulation time win; and have no wins from four starts against Victory this season - then it truly is a mountain to climb. Add to that Melbourne's excellent home form and recent rock solid defence and it becomes an Everest.

But momentum and self belief is a funny thing in football. All it takes is an early goal and then it becomes as much a battle of the minds as it does a game of football.

Tristram is a Victory fan and wishes he could say that a knee injury curtailed his promising football career.