Vaulted into the Western Bulldogs captaincy, softly spoken defender Easton Wood will be a picture of calm as the side prepare for Saturdays AFL grand final.Thats the aim, at least, for one of the few Bulldogs who have previously experienced going deep into a finals campaign.I think my role, and for any players whove been there before, the whole thing is as much as you can, (keep it) business as usual and show that youre still enjoying things, Wood told AAP.Just be as genuine and normal as you can be, and be that steadying and calming influence.After debuting in 2009, Wood had his first taste of finals footy the following year at age 21 after midfielder Shaun Higgins was ruled out with a thyroid problem.The Bulldogs won their semi-final against Sydney but went down to St Kilda the following week and didnt make it back to the finals for another five years.My first two finals, I was so young, Wood said.Ive actually got a very poor memory of both the games I played then. It really seems like a blur.I think one of the first things I noticed back then as a young player was how difficult it was to hear on the ground. Obviously, thats something Im pretty used to now ... therell be 100,000 screaming fans and itll just be one of those things you embrace.After an injury-plagued start to his career, 27-year-old Wood has found continuity in recent years and stepped up his role as a backline general in the absence of injured captain Bob Murphy.Wood was sensational in the Bulldogs preliminary final win over Greater Wester Sydney, gathering intercept marks and lighting up Spotless Stadium with a massive hanger over the Giants Rhys Palmer.But he reckons it was no different to the pressure acts performed by each of his teammates at different times in the season.You take your moments and execute what youre here to do, Wood said.Our strength has been what our 22 players have been able to contribute each week. Every single player has been able to have a moment - multiple moments - and stand up and play crucial parts as to why we are where we are.Donte Jackson Panthers Jersey . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. Cam Newton Womens Jersey . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panthers-greg-olsen-blue-jersey/ . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. Christian Miller Youth Jersey . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. Ryan Kalil Jersey . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup.Chris Clarke, a 26-year-old British sprinter, failed to qualify for his countrys national team and didnt get to go to the 2016 Olympics. But his Rio dreams were far from over.Clarke said he couldnt wallow in self-pity for long. So he teamed up with Libby Clegg, a visually impaired sprinter and the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic silver medalist in the 100-meter T12 division (the divisions are based on the runners level of visual impairment) and switched his focus to becoming her guide runner.Visually impaired sprinters race with a guide, who is attached to them with a band at the wrist or hand. The guides role is to provide everything a runner with vision has, from informing the runner how far they are on the track, to where they are in comparison to other racers or what they must do to win. Needless to say, the guides role is a crucial one.Clegg and Clarke both train at Loughborough High Performance Athletic Center in the U.K. and have known each other for six years. But it wasnt until February that Clegg asked Clarke whether he would be interested in becoming her new guide. She had recently parted ways with guide Mikhail Huggins and had lost funding from the British government after a series of injuries, so it was a time of transition for Clegg. She needed someone she could trust completely to be her eyes on the track.It turned out to one of the best decisions either of them had ever made. The lightning-quick duo won gold in the 100-meter and 200-meter races in the T11 category this month in the Paralympic Games.But their journey wasnt as easy as the end results might indicate.Guide runners are connected to their Paralympian by a band at their hands, and they essentially must become mirror images of each other. That meant Clarke had to undergo a number of adjustments. From the positioning of his legs off the blocks to losing the freedom of one hand to the length of his stride, everything felt foreign to the seasoned sprinter.?Ive been conditioned all these years to run out of the blocks a certain way and how to run a certain way, Clarke said by phone from his home in England. Getting the timing of it was tough, too, because I cant just burst out of the blocks like I normally do. It just took time to learn how to be respondent to how she comes out of the blocks and how quick she is. And it was tough with my stride; at first it felt like I was barely lifting my knees up.Clarke also initially struggled guiding Clegg through the bend in the 200 meter. Im slightly twisted, her hand goes toward the inside of the track, so that takes my hand back and Im always twisting, he said.It took almost two months of training together for it to feel natural to Clarke, who was a bronze medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2010 Indoor World Championships. Still, Clarke said their first race together, at an open meet at Loughborough, was awful. Clocking in at 13.05 in the 100 meters, the pair knew they had a lot of work to do to reach the podium in Rio.In addition to his own training, Clarke began working with Clegg two to three times a week. And after he failed to qualify for the Olympics, they started training every day.It helped me get over it, he saaid.dddddddddddd?I just went right back to training with Libby, and it gave me something to focus on. It kept me happy. I just wanted to help her with her goals.The pairing started to feel increasingly comfortable, and Clarke improved his in-race communication with Clegg -- a foreign concept for an able-bodied sprinter, but necessary for athletes without vision to know where they are and what they need to do.Soon after, Clegg was reclassified to T11 from T12 because of her deteriorating vision. The change required her to wear a blindfold to prevent her from using her little remaining sight. It was a big adjustment, one she called terrifying. Even so, in their first race in the T11 division, at the IPC Grand Prix in July, the pair not only won the 200 meters but broke a world record with a time of 24.44 seconds. Clegg was then named to her third British Paralympic team, and the pair began preparing for Rio.While everything seemed to be going their way, their time in Brazil was anything but smooth initially. In the semifinal run of the 100 meters, they appeared to set a world-record time of 11.91 seconds. But they were later disqualified after a fellow runner alleged Clarke had illegally pulled Clegg during the race. They immediately appealed but were forced to wait out their fate for several hours.?I felt horrible, Clarke said. Libby was just like, Dont worry about it. Whatever happens, happens. She was really nice about it, but I was a total wreck for that hour or two.Ultimately, the decision was reversed and they were reinstated. With something to prove, Clegg and Clarke won the final later that same day and took home their first gold medal.Just days later, they would go on to win the gold in the 200 meters -- again, not without controversy. This time, however, they werent involved. Crowd favorite Terezinha Guilhermina of Brazil and her guide Rafael Lazarini were disqualified for a false start.Although Clarke has competed at world championships, European championships and several other elite races, he calls his Paralympic experience the coolest thing hes ever done. And most importantly, he values the chance to help a friend achieve her dreams. It felt so good, he said.Ive known Libby for a long time, and Ive known the last year hasnt been that great for her. It was just rewarding to see hard work pay off. It was an amazing feeling to be a part of that and to help her achieve what she wanted to achieve.After returning to London to a heros welcome at Heathrow Airport, where hundreds of people were waiting to greet them on Sept. 20, Clarke is now just trying to catch up on sleep. The pair has briefly discussed attempting to do it all again for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, where Clarke hopes to compete in the Olympics, as well, but nothing is certain. They plan to compete together in next summers world championships in London.That would be an awesome chance for Libby to compete here at home, he said. Ill try to go on this journey as long as shell have me. And hopefully she wont upgrade me in a year or two! ' ' '