Ainslie Tricolours coach Chris Rourke has guided his side to three premierships but a fourth flag this year would be unequivocally the sweetest.

Ainslie are eyeing back-to-back flags and a date with the Eastlake Demons is all that stands between the Tricolours and another grand final appearance.

Rourke says Ainslie have been plagued by "the dreaded injury curse" but he's desperate to go one step closer towards feeding his premiership addiction at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval on Sunday.

The Belconnen Magpies await the winner of the preliminary final and the allure of another premiership medal is the driving force behind Ainslie's charge.

"That's what it's all about," Rourke said.

"I'm in my 11th year here and the great thing about this club is it always has success. The problem is you win one, you just want to keep winning them.

"They make you very hungry and you're bitterly disappointed if you don't. But at the moment we're a fair way off winning a premiership.

"Just to make the grand final and get over Eastlake this week would be really good."

Rourke joined Ainslie in 2007 and had to replace 48 players that had left the club over the off-season.

It was a mammoth task no coach would want, but it was the catalyst for a decade of success and a career spanning over 200 games.

Ainslie went on to win premierships under Rourke's watch in 2010, 2011 (NEAFL Eastern Conference) and 2016.

"That's what happens in footy, it goes around in circles," Rourke said.

"We've worked really hard to establish ourselves as having a good culture and having a strong footy team. It's taken a lot of work by a lot of people so we're lucky.

"Our boards have been terrific supporters of mine, our players have been pretty diligent in the way they've stuck by the club and hopefully we can get to another one.

"But we've got to get over Eastlake this week. They're young, they're exciting and they're very hungry. We'll have to be on our guard."

The competition has been a four-horse race all season with Gungahlin finishing winless and Tuggeranong winning three games.

But Ainslie's achievements under Rourke and the resurgence of the Demons are proof things can be turned around in a flash, with Eastlake going from also-rans to a grand final play-off in 12 months.

"To Eastlake's credit, they've turned it around," Rourke said.

"There's the blueprint, you only have to look at Eastlake and the way they've turned it around within a season. You'd think Gungahlin and Tuggeranong can turn it around pretty quick too."

Ainslie walk a fine line with the competition's points cap but Rourke says more than half of his first grade side are club juniors, who he dubs "the lifeblood of the club".

Rourke calls club junior Nick Paine "a finals player" and booted 10 goals when the Tricolours thrashed Eastlake by 84 points a fortnight ago.

AFL CANBERRA PRELIMINARY FINAL

Sunday: Ainslie Tricolours v Eastlake Demons at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval. Match starts at 2:30pm.