After a long and challenging year, it’s time to reap the rewards – win this weekend, and you’re in the grand final. The top two finishers in the O&K’s A grade netball competition, Milawa and Whorouly, will square off again with the winner to sail straight through to the biggest day of the season, while the loser will seek redemption next week. The Dees and Lions have enjoyed two absolute thrilling encounters in the regular season - a high-scoring 45-45 draw in round five and a one-goal stunner in round 12 - and the stage is set for another classic. Whorouly coach Kelly Cousins said her side was eager to get back on the court after watching from the sidelines last week. “It was a great to have the week off and rest the legs before we go into finals, but after watching our other teams compete last week in the first round, the girls are all keen to hit the court,” she said. “The team is buzzing with energy for finals, everyone's pumped, training hard, and ready to get stuck into it.” The two sides match up extremely well on paper. Milawa are out and out the best offensive squad in the entire competition, with their two shooters, Emily Canny and Jami Ussher, in the top 10 goal shooters in A grade. Only one other team has two in the top 10, and it paints the picture of a balanced and prolific attacking end. They also boast a strong midcourt and defensive presence, with the likes of Ellie Hourigan, Micaela Larkings, and Fay Morgan medallist, Tahlia Matthews-Vincent. On the other side of the ledger is the defensive powerhouse, Whorouly. The Lions are the number one defensive side in the competition, having only conceded 560 goals across the entire year – Milawa has conceded almost 100 more. Whorouly build their game from defence and counter punching, and finished with the highest percentage in the league thanks to reliable shooting from Abbey Forrest. Cousins said the clash of Whorouly’s defence and Milawa’s shooting would go a long way in deciding who gets the coveted ticket to the last day of the season. “There are great match-ups everywhere you look on the court,” she said. “I think [Whorouly’s] Ebony Allen and [Milawa’s] Jamie Ussher will be a great head-to-head match-up - Jamie has such great court craft both in and out of the goal circle, but Eb is such a tenacious defender who never stops doing her job for the full 60 minutes. “It will be interesting to watch, but overall, we will look to stay consistent, control the tempo in attack and play our game.” The Demons and Lions will face off at North Wangaratta Recreation Reserve on Saturday. On Sunday, the finals campaign continues for Tarrawingee and Bonnie Doon, who will look to back up their elimination final win last weekend by bagging a semi-final triumph at the Whorouly Recreation Reserve. The Bombers are in form at the right time of the year, able to explode early, with a host of young and upcoming stars through the midcourt, like Rising Star winner Anneliese Byrnes. Tarrawingee have hands down the best shooter in the competition in Kaylee Allan, who took out the shooting award at the league presentation night by 190 goals ahead of the runner up, and their defensive end is controlled by multiple best and fairest winner Tig White. No matter who you support, there’s going to be some high-octane netball across the weekend.
