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- Rebecca Smith shoots for back-to-back flags for Sandhurst
- Gisborne's Ella Bertachinni is no stranger to netball grand final success
- Stewart hoping to add premiership medal to her Betty Thompson
- Dragons eyeing back-to-back 17-and-under flags
- Sandhurst caps BFNL netball dominance with 2017 A-grade premiership win over Golden Square
- Gisborne fights to first A-grade flag
SANDHURST co-coach Tamara Gilchrist says a fast start will be crucial for her side as the Dragons target back-to-back BFNL A-grade netball flags against Gisborne on Saturday.
The Dragons fell behind early in the rivals’ semi-final clash a fortnight ago on their way to a 12 goal loss and will no doubt be keen to weather the early storm this time round at the QEO.
Gilchrist, who is in her second season as joint coach with Heather Oliver, believed the Dragons could ill-afford another tardy start against a ‘super quality’ opposition, but felt they were substantially better placed with a pair of finals game under their belts.
“We started really slow and that was a little bit in reflection to the lead up we had to the finals,” she said.
“Unfortunately the draw didn’t fall our way towards the end of the season – we went three weeks without a game which was really tough.
“To have three weeks, not play a game and go into a tough second semi against Gisborne, who are super quality side ... it’s not the only reason, but it was part of it for us.”
Gilchrist dismissed any notion of added pressure on the Dragons heading into the game as reigning premiers and added her side’s focus was solely on this year’s grand final.
“We’re the old cliché, we just focus on a game at a time, a quarter at a time, all those sorts of things,” she said.
“We’ve never worried about what happened last year, or what might happen in two or three weeks, we’ve have dealt with what we’ve faced at the time and go from there.”
Gisborne has presented Sandhurst with a few headaches in a dominant past two seasons.
In that period the Dragons have won 34 games, lost three and drawn two. Two of the losses and one draw have been against the Bulldogs.
Co-coach Oliver believed it was those past games against Gisborne, which would hold the Dragons in good-stead in the premiership decider.
“We’ll have to bring our A game and we can’t afford another slow start,” she said.
“Last time they just ate us alive and really dominated the game.
“Like us, they have the same core group of players (from last season), which is great to see.
“They know each and other well on and off the court and have great chemistry.
“Maddy (Stewart) can swing from defence to attack and they have a lot of other players, who are versatile.
“Their shooters (Clare Vearing and Ella Bertachinni) are quite tall, which is a contrast to ours, so we will have to work hard to cause them to make mistakes.”
We’ll have to bring our A game and we can’t afford another slow start.
- Heather Oliver
A potentially highly successful day for Sandhurst will start with the 17-and-under clash, also against Gisborne, before a B-grade appearance against Golden Square and then the A-grade.
Gisborne has positioned itself nicely for a crack at a second A-grade premiership, under first-year coach Kim Bailey and have really hit their straps late in the season.
The Bulldogs have built plenty momentum with 10 and 12 goal finals wins against Eaglehawk and Sandhurst, capped by their star Stewart’s Betty Thompson Medal win.
That might yet prove an omen, with Stewart’s team-mate Tiana Newman crowned league best and fairest in the Bulldogs’ only previous premiership year in 2013.
Bailey expected the Dragons to come out firing in their bid for vengeance for their semi-final loss.
“It’s what you’d expect from such a quality team, you know they are not going to lie down,” she said.
“It will be a real fight to the end – and it will be hot, 20 degrees, so fitness will come into it.
“They are strong all over the court and pretty tall over most of it. Their goalers were down a bit last time, but I’m expecting them to be 100 per cent this time.
“It’s going to be crucial to get those turnovers and make sure we convert them. It’s no secret, our aim is to get a good start.”
It’s no secret, our aim is to get a good start.
- Kim Bailey
Bailey will have plenty of experience to call on in the form of dual Betty Thompson Medal winner Newman, VNL pair Bertachinni and Vearing, and of course Stewart, who will lead a young Bulldogs defence featuring teenagers Keara Fitzgerald, 17, and Melinda Luke, 18.
She was hopeful the two-tall goaling set-up would again pay dividends for the Bulldogs.
“Playing out at goal attack, Ella is very agile – for someone her height to be able to do what she does in the midcourt is amazing,” Bailey said.
“With her long arms, we’re always a chance of a few turnovers.
“Her and Clare work well together. Ella just likes that freedom to run; she’s very creative and has played with Clare a lot at VNL level, so they know each other’s game.”
The A-grade grand final starts at 3pm.
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