NEWBRIDGE'S Rachel Pettifer will have little time for pre-match jitters and nerves before Saturday's LVFNL A-grade netball grand final.
While her team-mates and Mitiamo opponents will have a long wait until 3pm, the Maroons' star midcourter will be kept busy coaching the club's B-grade team in a grand final at Calivil.
It's a situation that rests comfortably with Pettifer and one made easier with the potential to end the day with two premiership medals around her neck.
"Coaching the B-grade doesn't really give you much time to think about the A-grade match, and I've loved that all year," she said.
"It's finish one game and straight onto the next.
"I don't even get to do the warm-up fully with A-grade, but I'm glad I don't have those nerves beforehand. It's straight off the coaching bench and onto the A-grade court."
Unlike the A-grade team she plays in, Pettifer's B-grade team will head into their grand final, also against Mitiamo, as favourites.
The Maroons split their two regular season encounters, but defeated the Superoos 42-34 in their semi-final encounter a fortnight ago.
"That's a bit of a positive for us, but it's grand final day - anything's possible," she said.
"Everyone's excited - we have a lot of versatility in the team, which is comforting to know we have players who can play anywhere and that whatever happens, we have all bases covered."
The Maroons will be led on court by Lauren Knight, an A-grade player in 2018, and the league best and fairest winner in B-grade this season.
Runner-up in the league medal count Tahnee Cannan will play for Mitiamo, who will be coached by Jess Pay (fourth in the league best and fairest).
It will be an exciting day on many fronts for Newbridge, which will have three teams involved in grand finals, including C-reserve.
Pettifer, who likely split time on Saturday between wing attack and centre, will be one of three Maroons A-grade players attempting a second premiership win, after the club's 48-year drought-breaking success in 2016.
Current A-grade coach Jane Reid and 2017 joint league best and fairest Megan Jennings were also part of the 2016 flag win.
Pettifer, who coached the A-grade team to a fifth-placed finish in 2018, but relinquished the reins at the end of last season, praised the 'brilliant' job done by the first-year Maroons coach.
"I have always looked up to Jane as a player; I first played with her at Newbridge in 2015," Pettifer said of the star goal shooter, who returned to Riverside Oval this season following time off for the birth of her and husband Anthony's daughter Eleanor and a short stint at HDFNL club North Bendigo.
"She is a beautiful mentor and has an amazing amount of respect for her team-mates and they have a lot of respect for her.
"For someone who has to contend with coaching and playing, she is doing an amazing job. She has got two best on courts in the last two finals, it's not a bad record.
"We were so excited when we learned she was coming back (to Newbridge) - last season we lacked that height, so it's been nice having her back as our dominant goaler.,
"We don't want her leaving again."
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