The Braves will line-up against Mildura Heat at Bendigo Stadium on Saturday night with the winner progressing to the decider against either Horsham Hornets or Maryborough Blaze.

It’s a similar scenario for the Lady Braves, who will take on Swan Hill Flyers for the right to challenge Horsham or Kyneton Tigers on February 10.

But before they entertain thoughts of a grand final appearance, the Braves men, who ended the regular season in second place at 10-2, will need to atone for a December 9 eight-point loss to the Heat in Mildura.

Star Brave Tanner Rayner was confident on being able to turn the tables.

“I think we have the tools to definitely win and take us to a grand final,” he said.

“(SEABL 2016 championship Brave) Matt Andronicos is a great centre for our team; he blocks shot, he rebounds and he runs, which not many people six foot 10 can really do.

“He stands out a bit for us.”

Rayner leads all Braves players this season with 19.29 points per game and shot 19 last time around against the Heat, who got solid production from Dallas Brown (14.12ppg) and Cameron Kelly 12.25ppg).

Rhys Brown (13.91ppg) has also been in good form for the Braves and is coming off a 26-point effort against Kyneton on January 20.

Meanwhile, a talent-laden lady Braves head into their semi-final as favourites against Swan Hill.

The Lady Braves (10-2) also finished the regular season in second spot and, according to their coach Nick Salm, will be buoyed by a convincing 71-57 win over the Flyers on January 13.

“We did lose to Swan Hill on our home courts earlier in the season, but did knock them off up there a few weeks ago with a fairly dominating performance,” he said.

“They are coached by Sharon Denham, who is a state team coach, so she will have them ready.

“It’s a really tough competition – most of our top-age girls have gone on to play SEABL, so it’s given a lot of the younger kids room to play and really grow.”

The Lady Braves are attempting to qualify for back-to-back grand finals after going through the 2016-17 season undefeated under former coach Megan Moody.

Highlighting the tremendous depth of talent in Bendigo, Salm has used 18 players this season, but only 12 will get to suit-up.

They will be led by SEABL Lady Brave Madeline Sexton (13.5ppg), the blossoming Danielle O’Toole (12.12ppg) and Caitlin McLachlan (9.62ppg), who has rebounded strongly from a horror few seasons with injury.

Salm said the decision to use such a high number of players was deliberate, not forced.

“We have a couple of kids who haven’t played a lot of basketball that we’d try to give them the opportunity,” he said.

“Like Emma Pedretti, who was a junior squad kid who went away from the game but has come back and has worked her backside off.

“And then there are all the under-18 kids who just won a gold medal at the Junior Classic on the weekend, so we have some great depth and have done it deliberately to keep them all involved in the game.”

Saturday night’s games tip-off on court six at 6pm (women) and 8pm (men).

The grand finals will be played in Horsham.