Minor premier Shepparton East will get a chance to book a preliminary final spot when it takes on Dookie United in the first qualifying final on Saturday at Rushworth.
East heads in as favourite, however, the Thunder has the experience and talent to cause an upset.
The rivalry between East and Dookie United stretches back to their Picola District Netball League involvement and expect no love to be lost.
The following day, two old KDL rivals will go head-to-head in what shapes up to be a thrilling contest.
Nagambie and Tallygaroopna are busy preparing for a blockbuster final, one that will take place at Merrigum on Sunday afternoon.
The two outfits have been powerhouses in the competition in recent years and it wouldn’t be a finals series without the two butting heads.
“We are really excited for the game. This is obviously what we play for, to be up there at the top battling it out in finals,” Nagambie A-grade coach Katie Sullivan said this week.
“It has been really close all season with these top four sides and we are really looking forward to getting out there on the weekend.”
Two of the most evenly matched teams in the competition, the Lakers and Redlegs could not be split in round 11.
The two sides battled it out and settled for a 43-all draw at Nagambie Recreation Reserve.
Sullivan said her team learnt a lot from that contest and, with a few handy inclusions, will be primed to turn that draw into a victory this time around.
“We know it’s always a close contest against Tally and this weekend won’t be any different,” she said.
“That game earlier in the year was one where we didn’t have Sharni (Lloyd), our main goaler, and had to make a few quick positional adjustments.
“So for us to still come away with a draw, we were actually quite happy. So this time being at full strength, we are very confident we can get the job done.”
A perennial contender during the past decade, Sullivan said her team’s X-factor in this year’s post-season lies in its wealth of experience on the finals stage.
“The intensity will certainly go up a level and one thing that makes me, as a coach, very comfortable leading into the finals is that we have so much experience in our group,” she said.
“It is a different ball game at this time of year and our ability to deal with that pressure and rise to the occasion will make us a very hard team to beat in a finals match.
“My message to the girls is just continue to take the game on, play a fast style of netball and not doubt our ability.”
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