Mitchell Johnson: Different mindsets of Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers reflect States’ sporting cultures

Some rivalries are loud. Some are manufactured. Some are driven by hype and headlines. Perth Scorchers versus Sydney Sixers isn’t like that. It’s built on repetition. On pressure. Over years of meeting each other when something real is on the line. Finals. Knockouts. Big moments. Seasons that come down to one evening. And once again, here they are. Another Big Bash final. Another Perth–Sydney showdown. Another chapter in the most consistent rivalry the competition has produced. When you step back and look at the history of the BBL, two teams sit above the rest. The Scorchers and Sixers. More finals. More titles. More seasons where they’ve set the standard for everyone else. Between them, they’ve dominated this competition. And yet, their paths to this final are very different. In the lead-up to this final, there’s been plenty of talk about Sydney’s travel schedule. Skipper Moises Henriques mentioned it after their loss to Perth in The Qualifier this week. Tight turnarounds. Long flights. Limited recovery time was also brought up after Friday night’s Challenger win against the defending champs Hobart Hurricanes. And to be fair, it hasn’t been ideal. Anyone who’s lived that life understands how draining it can be. But it’s also a familiar story. We’ve heard it for years. Especially from the Eastern States. Meanwhile, the Scorchers have been crossing the country for as long as this competition has existed. Different time zones. Late arrivals. Short recoveries. And they’ve just got on with it. Perth had to play virtually an entire season on the road during COVID. And they won the championship. No noise. No excuses. That mentality has become part of the Scorchers’ DNA. Travel isn’t an obstacle. It’s just part of the job. Nothing changes. Standards don’t drop. Expectations don’t shift. And that difference in mindset is one of the quiet foundations of this rivalry. The Scorchers have won five titles. More than anyone. Making finals has become normal. Expected. Routine. Yet somehow, they rarely attract the same hype that follows the Sydney teams, especially the Sixers. The headlines. The narratives. The media attention. It usually drifts east. That’s not bitterness. It’s just reality. And it adds another edge to these contests. Not just two teams competing, but two sporting cultures colliding. From a player’s perspective, finals cricket strips everything back. It comes down to one game. You can have the best season of your life and lose. You can dominate for two months and fall short. You can tick every box and still walk away empty-handed. Individually, you could make the BBL team of the year, but it all counts for nothing if you don’t turn up and perform on the most important day for these cricketers. That’s the brutal truth of elite sport. Your skills don’t disappear in a final. Your technique doesn’t vanish. Your talent doesn’t suddenly evaporate. What gets tested is your mind. Preparation. Composure. Belief. Adaptability. Can you stay calm when the plan fails? Can you reset after a bad over? Can you think clearly when the pressure is screaming in your ears? That’s what decides finals. There will be moments in this game when players are uncomfortable. When things don’t work. When momentum swings. When doubt creeps in. It always happens. The best teams don’t panic. They adjust. They problem-solve. They trust each other. As an athlete, you almost learn to welcome those moments. You want to be tested. You want to see what you’re made of when nothing feels easy. Because by the time you reach a final, everything else is done. Form doesn’t matter. Fixtures don’t matter. Travel doesn’t matter. All that matters is who handles the heat better. Since moving to Western Australia, I’ve seen first-hand how this State approaches sport. Hard-working. Balanced. No fuss. Turn up. Do the work. Go home. Look after your family. Come back tomorrow. Do it again. No theatre. No entitlement. No egos. The Scorchers reflect that culture. They don’t chase headlines. They don’t rely on superstar branding. They build teams around trust, unity, and shared standards. Players play for each other. They play for the fans. They play for the jersey. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s been built over years. And it shows in moments like this. Make no mistake, the Sixers are quality. They’re experienced, they have Aussie big guns. They know how to win and they’ll compete until the last ball. But in a final, I back the team that knows exactly who it is. The team that doesn’t get distracted by noise. The team that trusts its system when the pressure rises. That’s the Scorchers. And yes, I’m biased. This is my adopted home. My State. My city. I’ve seen how this franchise operates. I’ve watched them build something real. Not flashy. Not loud. Just strong. As I write this, I can feel it again. That familiar mix of nerves and excitement. The buzz of a finals crowd. The weight of expectation. You never forget it. This is why players grind through pre-season, why they train in winter and sacrifice comfort and time with family. For one night. One chance. One opportunity. A sea of orange will fill the stands. The noise will be deafening and the pressure will be real. And if Perth gets it right? It’s number six. Let’s make it happen.