CAPTAIN Dylan McNamara is confident Goornong is better equipped to handle the pressure of Saturday’s Northern United Cricket Association grand final compared to a year ago.
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For the second season in a row Goornong will take on Dingee in Saturday’s NUCA grand final at Elmore.
A year ago Dingee cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket win to capture the flag, but McNamara believes that grand final experience of last year will hold the Mountain Goats in good stead on Saturday.
“We’re a whole lot better prepared this year,” McNamara said on Friday.
“Last year was a whole new thing for us… our club hadn’t played finals for seven or eight years, so we’ll be better off for that experience of last year.”
The season has followed a similar path to last year for the Mountain Goats – slow out of the blocks, before hitting their straps late.
The Mountain Goats didn’t win their first game until round seven and at round 11 of 17 were second-last on the ladder.
However, Goornong has won seven of its past eight games – including beating minor premier Raywood in last week’s semi-final – to hit the grand final with plenty of momentum.
Dingee last week defeated Heathcote in their semi-final in what was a victory that had come on the back of four losses in a row for the Blowies heading into the finals.
“Last week was a great win… we had never won at Heathcote, so that was a big challenge in itself,” Dingee captain Darran Lawry said.
“We hadn’t been in great form going into the game, but the boys all stood up and it was a really good team effort that will hold us in good stead for Saturday.”
The Mountain Goats and Blowies have had one win against each other this season.
Saturday’s grand final at Elmore starts at 1pm.
• Season meetings:
Rd 3: Dingee 0-0 dr Goornong 0-0;
Rd 10: Dingee 5-182 (K. Patten 76, J. O’Connell 2-24) d Goornong 73 (T. McNamara 24, D. Whitfield 5-7);
Rd 15: Goornong 9-174 (T. McNamara 49*, S. Lawry 4-26) d Dingee 6-172 (K. Bell 73*, A. Hand 2-17).
• Grand final teams:
DINGEE – Darran Lawry (c), Kyle Patten, Anthony Lawry, Scott Lawry, Ken Bell, Rodney Ellis, Dale Anderson, Brad Wickham, Mark Brayshaw, Jonathan Bryers, Zac Morrison, Daniel Whitfield, Ben Govett.
GOORNONG – Dylan McNamara (c), Jesse O’Connell, Tyler McNamara, Liam Collins, Jamie Daff, Jake Hill, Jeremy Blencowe, Nick Edwards, Charles Trotman, Joe McCormick, Tom Bickley, Ben Bickley, Fraser Cole, Josh Price.
