MITIAMO is confident they are peaking at the right time and is primed to end a seven-year LVFNL A-grade premiership drought.
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The Superoos, under coach Kylie Piercy, appear to have relished the break in between matches, after booking their grand final berth a fortnight ago, and will carry plenty of confidence into their clash against Newbridge at Calivil on the back of 11-straight wins.
Star goal attack Laura Hicks, one of three survivors from the Superoos last flag win in 2012, together with Amelia and Sarah Ludeman, believed the Superoos' emergence as grand finalists was reward for a full season's worth of team development and hard work.
"When we started the year we were aiming for top three and to get the double chance, but we have been building all year really. In the last month or so I feel we have really hit our straps," she said.
"We changed a few things half-way through the season, and our last four or five games has given us a real chance to sort out our combinations out.
"Hopefully we have peaked at that right time."
Among the changes pinpointed by Hicks as pivotal to the Superoos' progress were the mid-season inclusion of goal defence Bri Maddern and the move from defence to the goal circle of league best and fairest runner-up Lucy Morcom.
"Lucy was playing very well in defence early on, but once Bri came back, it freed her to come down into goals. It's very nice to have a player like her in goals, who is accurate and tall, and can jump and do almost anything," she said.
"It makes my job very easy if I have Lucy in front of me.
"I think we have been working very well the last few weeks together - it probably took us a couple of weeks to settle and work out each other's games, but it's come together well."
The three-time league medal winner was keen to ensure all three sections of the court for Mitiamo shared the accolades for the team's success.
"Bri Maddern is just a ball winner - she gets plenty of taps and intercepts - and we have the other girls down there (Kiani Stewart and Kelly Pay) who apply the pressure and ensure everything is smooth.
"I reckon the whole court is working well and things are gelling at the right time."
The Superoos will be hoping for a change in grand final fortunes, losing their last three trips to the premiership decider in 2013, '16 against Newbridge, and '17.
Hicks was certain they would need to be at their best against a quality Newbridge team, led by accurate goaler Jane Reid, strong defenders Tracy O'Donnell and Megan Jennings, and classy midcourter Rachel Pettifer.
"We've been in quite a few grand finals since that 2012 one and haven't won one," she said.
"We've managed to stay up there (near the top) and if you keep doing that, you have to win one eventually.
"It's probably different from the other ones, you are playing different sides.
"This one we have a different mindset coming into it; we've had two real high scoring finals, which has built our confidence coming in. In previous years we haven't had those strong finals.
"I'm sure it's given us confidence."
Maroons have 'nothing to lose'
NEWBRIDGE will take a 'nothing to lose' attitude into Saturday's grand final at Calivil.
The Maroons have not beaten Mitiamo in three attempts this season, with their 18-goal loss in a qualifying final three weeks ago the biggest of a trio of defeats.
Coach Jane Reid's side has done a remarkable job to rebound from that loss and string together a pair of impressive finals wins over Calivil United and reigning premiers Bridgewater.
But despite a convincing 24-goal preliminary final win over the Mean Machine, who finished as minor premiers, Newbridge will enter the match as underdogs.
It's a tag, star Maroons midcourter Rachel Pettifer says, sits comfortably with her and her team-mates.
"We are definitely the underdogs, I'm sure everyone's thinks Mitiamo has this one," she said.
"But that just gives us that bit more determination and grit to go out there and take it away.
"We'll certainly bring some confidence with us after the last two wins.
"We've got nothing to lose, so we'll just take each quarter as it comes and give it our all."
Pettifer felt the Maroons had learned plenty from their qualifying loss to the Superoos and believed the 18-goal margin had left them with plenty of incentive to make amends.
"We had a very slow start last time, not to take anything away from Mitiamo, they were on point from 'go', and we weren't," she said.
"That's something we have worked on at training the last few weeks, making sure we are ready to go and turning that into four consistent quarters."
A key in the midcourt, Pettifer is one of three players remaining from the Maroons' last premiership team in 2016, alongside coach Jane Reid and Megan Jennings.
That win broke a 48-year A-grade flag drought for the Maroons.
Jennings and goal keeper Tracy O'Donnell will have two of the biggest assignments, matched against the might of Mitiamo's star goalers Laura Hicks and Lucy Morcom, who have dominated in both of the Superoos' finals wins.
But Pettifer insisted the task of curtailing the powerful combination was not the defenders' alone.
"They have a beautiful line-up in their goal ring, but something we need to do is work on stopping it getting into the ring," she said.
"They are just so tall and athletic and have so much ability, it comes down to the midcourters to help out or defenders.
"Meg and Tracy have teamed-up well this year - the communication in there has been amazing, along with the support of (wing defence) Sarah Moerke and (centre) Tameka Branch."
Jennings, a joint league medallist in 2017, returned to the A-grade side early in the season after undergoing a knee reconstruction last year.
The Maroons' grand final line-up will include two players new to the club this season in Branch and goal attack Alyssa Cole, who played in a HDFNL A-reserve flag with White Hills last season.
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