The relationship between Milawa and Greta on the A grade netball court is carved into the mythos of the O&K, and this weekend, another chapter of the famed rivalry will be written.

From grand final showdowns to one-point thrillers, the theatre which is produced whenever the Blues and Demons meet is the stuff of legend – if you’re heading out to Hansonville to see Greta host Milawa, strap in.

After a sub-standard season last year, Greta are seemingly back to their best, sitting second on the ladder having only dropped the one game so far to frontrunners Whorouly.

Conversely, the Demons are a game behind the top five, having endured back-to-back losses against the ever-strong Tarrawingee and Bonnie Doon.

Milawa A grade coach Kerrie Gray said they had been retooling the senior set-up, with an eye to the progression and development of the next generation of Demons.

“Our focus has shifted a little this year with a new playing group, and there have been plenty of positives on and off the court,” she said.

“We’ve placed a real emphasis on youth across our senior grades, and that’s been really exciting to watch develop.

“We’ve got really strong depth through our midcourt and defensive end, which has been a real positive for us.

“We are rebuilding our goal circle across all senior grades, and that naturally takes time.

“The girls are doing a great job, we’re learning plenty every week, and I think we’re continuing to improve as the season progresses.”

It’s not uncommon for younger-skewing sides to drop their heads after a few poor results, but Gray said the maturity and mental strength which has been on display in recent weeks is an enormous positive.

“I think it’s a real test of character - it’s easy to be up and about when things are going well, but you really want to see players stand up on the tougher days too,” she said.

“That’s where the real learning happens.

“We’ve put a lot of energy and effort into training to keep players engaged, learning and making sure we roll into each game looking to better our last performance.

“The youth coming through the club also bring really good energy, and that naturally lifts the whole group.

“We’ve also had fantastic support this season, both on and off the court, and I think the energy around the club at the moment has been really positive.

“There’s a strong willingness from everyone to keep building and improving together.”

As much as is said and written of the historic rivalry, Gray said the main focus each and every week was playing good netball, no matter who the Demons were sharing the court with.

“It will definitely be a tough challenge this week,” she said.

“Historically it’s been a strong rivalry, but with the amount of change we’ve had this season, I think this current group probably doesn’t carry that as strongly as teams in the past may have.

“Greta are playing some good netball this season and will be another tough challenge for us, but to be honest, we haven’t focused too heavily on the opposition so far this year.

“Our main priority has been concentrating on what we can control and continuing to improve our own game first and foremost.”

The Demons head to Greta to take on the Blues this Saturday 16 May, with A grade netball from 2.30pm.

In other round eight O&K matchups, Benalla All Blacks is at home to North Wangaratta, Bright makes the long trek down to Bonnie Doon, the Bats host the Hoppers, and Tarrawingee takes on King Valley.