That’s Australian Opals coach Brendan Joyce’s warning to the Townsville Fire ahead of Sunday’s WNBL grand final in Townsville.

After belting Bendigo in their semi-final clash, the Fire are hot favourites to defeat the two-time defending champion Spirit in Sunday’s final.

While Joyce admitted the Fire deserve favouritism, he said the Spirit’s championship experience would count for plenty come Sunday.

“The Spirit know what it takes to get it done in these big games,’’ Joyce said on Wednesday.

“This thing isn’t over, I expect this game to go down to the wire.

“Everyone expects Townsville to get the job done on their home court, but I don’t think you can make statements like that when you look at the calibre of Bendigo players and the experience they have of winning the past two championships.

“If I was coaching I’d rather be in Townsville’s position of playing the grand final on their home court, but I don’t think there’s going to be much in it.”

The Spirit proved too strong for the Fire in the past two WNBL grand finals and, according to Joyce, memories of those games could spark Bendigo and haunt Townsville.

“Townsville will say mental demons won’t come into it, but if the game is close down the stretch and they are behind, those thoughts will be there,’’ Joyce said.

“You can’t get away from it until you win it and get that monkey off your back – that’s just the psychology of sport sometimes.”

Joyce said Fire frontcourt star Cayla Francis had the potential to be the difference between the two teams.

Francis was recruited to the Fire this season  and she has had a standout season, averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds per game.

“In the past two grand finals Bendigo were able to wear down Townsville in the bigs department, but the addition of Cayla Francis has made a huge difference to the Fire,’’ Joyce said.

“The Fire are in form and they have the cohesion and they have built a team to basically beat Bendigo. They’ve done the hard yards to earn a home grand final which is a big advantage for them.”

Spirit star Kelsey Griffin has caused the Fire huge problems in the past two grand finals and Joyce rates the WNBA forward as the X factor for Sunday’s final.

“She (Griffin) is such a difficult match-up for Townsville,’’ Joyce said.

“If Townsville put a tall on her she is too mobile for them. If they put someone smaller on her she is too big and strong for them.

“Kelsey is the X factor in regards to the inability for Townsville to match-up on her.

“Kelsey goes to work each time she plays Townsville… she knows that she can get the job done.”