SOME sportspeople go their entire careers without making a grand final, let alone winning one.

Not, Samuel Kater. He doesn’t know what it feels like to not be in a grand final.

The North Footscray player will be lining up for his 10th straight grand final appearance on Sunday, as his team prepares to take on Parkside.

The 21-year-old began his career at Bairnsdale Football Club in the under 13s, where he played in his first grand final. Ever since then Kater has appeared in the season-decider.

But his junior career at Bairnsdale only yielded one premiership victory from five successive attempts. His senior career was more fruitful, winning the 2006 and 2007 premiership with Bairnsdale, and going down in 2008 before holding the cup aloft again last year.

Kater said one of his career goals was to win more grand finals than he lost, and evening the ledger at 5-all would be a good start.

“I’ve been pretty lucky. I’ve never gone and watched a grand final, I’ve always been playing in it,” he said.

Even in 2007, when Kater spent most of the year playing for Gippsland in the TAC Cup, he looked destined for another grand final appearance.

Gippsland finished top of the table but Kater wasn’t selected for the finals series. He went back to Bairnsdale and won the premiership. Gippsland was knocked out of finals in straight sets.

Kater came to North Footscray after moving to Melbourne and was invited to join the club by his boss Ricky Munn and work colleague Brenden Lucas, who both play for the Devils.

“They basically dragged me along there, and funnily enough I’m in another grand final,” Kater said.

“It’s been a really good year. Throughout the whole year we’ve beaten every team.”

Although Kater has played in nine grand finals, he’s never played with a top five system.

“It’s weird having a week off for finishing on top, playing, then having another week off and then playing, where I’m used to having a top four where the most you’d have is a one-week break,” he said.

“The week off definitely helps because obviously you’re pretty refreshed going in but then it also can be a disadvantage not having the momentum. You’ve just got to make sure trainings are solid.”

The winner of the division two cup will not necessarily be promoted to division one next year, with the possible restructuring of the senior competition leaving several clubs unsure about where they lie in 2011.

But Kater thinks his side would be a worthy inclusion into the top grade.

“I believe we could beat the bottom four sides but probably wouldn’t come close to the top. But if we win and we go up, and if we recruit over the off season, we’re sure we’ll give it a fair crack.”