Finishing the home and away season on the same amount of wins and entering the finals series as the third and fourth seeds, it seemed we were always destined to see these teams meet in a do-or-die clash in September.
And the stakes on Sunday afternoon at Mulwala’s Hardinge Street Oval could not be much higher, with the winner booking a place in the preliminary final and the loser set for an early holiday.
Adding to the intrigue of this semi-final bout, both teams come in on the back of standout performances in last weekend’s elimination finals.
The Purples accounted for a brave Mulwala on Saturday and the Magpies toppled Tongala by one goal in a heart-stopper on Sunday.
Looking to continue its momentum from last weekend’s thrilling triumph, Moama coach Lisa Drysdale said her team was well-placed to give the Purples a good shake.
“We have worked hard all year and know we deserve to still be there battling it out in the finals race,” Drysdale said.
“It is good for the girls to have the belief that in those close games we can finish off, we fell short in close ones twice this year against Deniliquin and Nathalia and I think the experience from the Tonny game will help us in a similar situation this weekend.
“We are preparing for another ripping contest and are confident we have what it takes to come away with another finals victory.”
Nathalia coach Blaise Mortimer said her girls were also riding a high after their strong win last weekend and were excited by the rise in competition Moama would present.
“We are definitely feeling pumped, it was awesome to get that first finals win last week, especially given our A-grade hasn’t played finals since 2007, so the girls are filled with confidence,” Mortimer said.
“But we know it won’t be easy against Moama this weekend, they have had some really tight, close contests recently and will fight for it, and it will be a great test for us.
“We certainly don’t come into the game complacent, but will be backing our game plan to get the job done.”
The third meeting between the teams this season, the minds of Nathalia and Moama supporters will instantly go back to an epic 30-30 draw in round 17.
A match which showcased how evenly matched these two teams are, Mortimer said her squad took a lot out of that match which it would bring into this weekend’s clash.
“We definitely learnt a lot from that (match in round 17), it was a tough afternoon with the conditions being wet, which changes our netball a bit and we fought right until the end,” she said.
“We have been working on what we needed to work on since that game and seeing that we did just play them a few weeks ago it does help in us knowing what to expect.”
For Moama, the draw signified the growth of the team during the season, as it turned around a 15-goal loss to the Purples in round two.
Drysdale said her team could take a lot of confidence from the way it played three weeks ago.
“We did match up fairly well against them (in round 17), everywhere down the court there are great combinations that balance out well with each other,” she said.
“I think it will be who gains possession and control of the ball the most, and if we can settle the play that will put us in good stead come crunch time.”
Both teams are set to sport similar line-ups to last weekend, with no fresh injuries emerging from their elimination final wins.
On Saturday afternoon, top two teams Deniliquin and Rumbalara, will battle it out for a spot in the grand final at Finley Recreation Reserve.
The Rams have been the team to beat all season, winning all 18 of their home and away season games to come into the finals series as the overwhelming premiership favourite.
But you can never underestimate the power of Rumba, who will be desperate to avenge a pair of losses to Deniliquin during the season.
Semi-final fixture
First semi-final, Finley Recreation Reserve, Saturday
Seniors: Cobram v Mulwala (2pm)
A-grade: Deniliquin v Rumbalara (1.30pm)
Second semi-final, Hardinge Street Oval (Mulwala), Sunday
Seniors: Tongala v Moama (2pm)
A-grade: Nathalia v Moama (1.30pm)
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