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He said so at least a dozen times yesterday and it was good to hear. He might be within a dozen days of his 29th birthday, a veteran of 46 Test matches, a very senior player in no danger of not being selected and a favourite of the fans, but it's still a nervous wait for the announcement and not something to be taken for granted.
No-one gets blase when the series is this big. Not when it's the Ashes.
"Yeah, it's nice to have it out of the way," the bush-bred fast bowler _ the only homegrown Victorian in the squad _ said as he prepared to head for Brisbane to join fellow quicks Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson in a training camp.
In this era of the quick men coming and going like Bourke Street trams _ whether they're being rotated, they're injured or they're struggling for traction at the top level _ Siddle is a reassuring sight: he's always up for the fight.
He has played all five Tests in each of the past three series against England and hasn't missed a match since he was controversially left out of the decisive encounter against South Africa in Perth almost a year ago.
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"Hopefully this is no different _ that's the plan, definitely," he said.
Having bowled fast and well for Victoria in the Ryobi Cup and two Shield games, he says: "I've done everything I can. The preparation has been nice, the body feels good, the rhythm is good. It's so close now and everybody just wants to get up there."
Siddle is one of a handful of Australians who have played in the three recent losing Ashes series and it rankles _ painfully. "It's not a good record to have, not something to look back on when you're retired," he said.
"We know the last series was close enough but it was still 3-0. So there is a lot to turn around."
Most believe Australia's best hope of doing that rests with the pace attack.
Johnson and his admirers have been firing early psychological shots, saying he has never bowled faster _ or been more likely to break a few bones.
This, says Siddle, is ... yes, exciting.
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"It's nice to hear him confident about how he's travelling," he said.
"That's the good thing for the team and the supporters _ how confident he is, how well he's bowling.
"Like a few of us he has played a lot of matches against these guys and lost, so there is a lot of revenge we want to get.
"He is going to play a massive part. We'll see a new Mitchell Johnson this series, don't worry."
Siddle says he, Harris and Johnson are close mates who have fun on the field but are not shy about delivering home truths to each other if things start going pear-shaped.
"That will be the strength of this bowling attack _ we can be honest with each other and that will bring out the best in us."
Playing at home among friends and in conditions that suit will be an advantage, he says, as will the short gap between series.
"We can have a crack straight away and forget the pain of England. That's the exciting part about it."
RON.REED@NEWS.COM.AU
TWITTER: @REEDRW
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