Saturday’s under 17 netball grand final pits upstart underdogs Tarrawingee against reigning premiers Bonnie Doon in what’s sure to be a brilliant display of netball, and there’s a lot on the line. Flagless in the division since 2011, the Bulldogs have had to do it the hard way, qualifying for finals in fourth spot and winning through to the decider from the elimination final. Conversely, minor premiers and back-to-back defending champions Bonnie Doon needed just the one victory to book their golden ticket. Bonnie Doon co-coach Bec Watson said they’d found their strongest mix on the court, now it was all about application on game day. “We don’t want to change up anything from what we’ve been seeing all year,” she said. “Everything’s worked quite well for us so far, so we won’t go making any changes now. “We’ve very lucky to have a strong end of court at both ends, defensively and in our attack end, so we’ll bring our strongest side out which we’re very lucky to have. “Especially for these girls who have been so accomplished over the last couple of years, it’s just employing new things where we can to keep improving their skills. “Obviously they’ve been very successful, so it’s just pushing them where we can.” The Bombers are a deadly threat, especially under the post with under 17 leading goalshooter Keira Thornton, while defender Bella Neale claimed the MVP and runner-up best and fairest gongs at presentation night. However, a good side can be undone by their opponent’s sheer will, momentum, and confidence from playing high-pressure finals – enter Tarrawingee. The ‘Dogs have had to win three matches back-to-back-to-back against the best around, and it would take something very special to deny them now. Coach Emere Te Tai said vibes were sky-high, and her girls were ready for the fight. “It’s pretty awesome, we’ve worked pretty hard to get to this point,” she said. “I feel like we’ve had a very strong last six weeks of netball, and it’s paid off. “They’ve played incredibly, they’ve really gelled as a team and are playing for each other more than the final result - just to get to this point, we’re stoked. “Our shooters - Lillian Hooper, Polly Oats and Carla Contessa – are strong, and also defensively it's going to be a hard day for us, but they’re going to have to step up if they want to bring the cup home.” The under 17 grand final between Bonnie Doon and Tarrawingee is slated for a 10.30am start.
