Friendships will be put to one side when Catherine McAuley College and Bendigo Senior Secondary College clash in Wednesday's School Sport Victoria Premier League grand final.
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The first all-Bendigo Premier League final has been the talk of both schools for the past week and a big crowd is expected to flock to the QEO to watch the rivals go head-to-head.
"We're very excited,'' CMC coach Lee Coghlan said.
"It's fantastic for both schools and everyone involved. To know that by tomorrow afternoon one of the Bendigo schools will be the premier is fantastic.
"Our boys can't wait for the game. Having not lost a game through the competition we're really keen to finish the job and win the final."
CMC defeated BSSC by 15 points in their preliminary match earlier this month.
BSSC bounced back to defeat Box Hill by 47 points in last week's semi-finals, while CMC belted Warrnambool by 71 points in the other semi-final.
"We can't be complacent,'' Coghlan said.
"We want to have the same mentality that we've had all year and make sure we're ready to play.
"These boys have been playing school footy together from Year 7 all the way through and they know each other well.
"The Year 12 boys, in particular, are leading from the front."
CMC welcomes back key forward Sean O'Farrell and small forward Mitch Rovers from injuries, while CMC have regained midfielders Kyle Stevens and Luke Padgham.
CMC couldn't consider ruckman Aaron Gundry (illness), while BSSC's Zane Keighran is in the Vic Country squad for Friday's national under-18 championship clash with WA.
BSSC coach Rick Coburn said his side had learned plenty from its loss to CMC.
"McAuley College's outside speed and good inside 50 entries hurt BSSC in the first half,'' Coburn said.
"In the second half, BSSC won more of the ball, but didn't have a good structure inside 50 and couldn't capitalise on the scoreboard.
"Winning a few more contests, getting our outside structures set up better and being more efficient inside 50 are a few areas we'll be working on."
Coburn coaches players from both teams in his role with the Bendigo Pioneers at TAC Cup level.
"There's been a lot of banter going on (at Pioneers training) and 90 per cent of the boys are great mates off the field,'' Coburn said.
"There'll be no love lost once the ball is bounced, they'll go hell for leather and it should be a great game of footy."
The winner of the Premier League grand final advances to the final four of the prestigious Herald-Sun Shield competition.
Wednesday’s game starts at 12.30pm.
Catherine McAuley College
B: Brody Brown, Harrison Fiske-Kealy, Harrison Goode
Hb: Zack Shelton, Kyle Symons, Benjamin Worme
C: Harry McCormick, Hunter Lawrence, Flynn Perez
Hf: Angus Dickson, William Wallace, Peter Coghlan
F: Mitchell Rovers, Sean O’Farrell, James Mittell
Foll: Connor Sexton, Daniel Clohesy, Callum McCarty
Inter: Harrison Burke, Will Tobin, Nicholas Keogh, Alexander Welch, Sam Welch, Noah Walsh
Bendigo Senior Secondary College
B: Kyle Stevens, Josh Grace, Charlie Mathieson
Hb: James Schischka, Nathan McHugh, Deklan Loveridge
C: Alex Smith-Ralph, Leyton Chisholm, Phil Moi Moi
Hf: Zack Bulger, Braydon Vaz, Nathan Murley
F: Mitch Goodwin, Daine Grace, Caleb Fisher
Foll: Mitch Christensen, Liam Marciano, Lucas Cacciavello
Inter: Jack Thompson, Riley Matricardi, Luke Padgham, Justin Slater, Alex Jenkyn, Hakeem Johnson, Will Allen