The make up of this weekend’s two preliminary finals is 75 per cent local, with only reigning premiers Deniliquin Rovers representing a distant contender.
Standing in the Rovers’ way of another flag is the minor premiership side Katamatite, which has reaped significant rewards in both top divisions at the club in 2024.
Mathoura will set the initial scene a day prior to that clash, however, as Katunga and Strathmerton do battle over the border for the first spot in next Saturday’s grand final at Rennie.
The all-Victorian affair sees a comparatively fresh Swans side get back to business, having won its qualifying final two weeks ago over Katamatite.
They meet a Bulldogs outfit that has survived cut-throat finals in two consecutive weeks, sending Tocumwal and Katandra — the latter by a single goal — packing in the process.
As winds and storms began to engulf much of the state’s north and west over the course of Sunday afternoon, the unusually low-scoring 25-24 result that Strathmerton scraped through by over the Kats is little surprise.
Bulldogs co-coach Olivia Osborne is undaunted by her well-rested adversaries, though, preferring to be in the thick of it at the pointy end.
“I don’t think we prefer to be fresh. We want to be right in the middle of game play to play our best netball,” Osborne said.
“We lost a bit of form late, so having this run of form through finals has done us some good for our confidence.
“We’re playing well coming into a prelim and I think it will benefit us coming into Saturday without the week off.
‘’To get a one-goal win (over Katandra) after losing by nine earlier in the year brought morale up, but we knew it was going to take everything we had to get the job done.
“We’re now all confident that we’re playing well and we hope we can produce our best as a team this weekend.”
As Osborne points out, Strathmerton does possess an ace up the sleeve in the event of advancing to a grand final — being the only side in the home and away campaign to knock over Katamatite, which could be waiting on that fateful day.
That’s all in the distant past and future according to the Bulldogs boss, though.
“We were the only team who did that, but I think we got them on a lucky day for us,” Osborne said.
“We lost some form ourselves after three key players all had a month off around the back end, so we definitely struggled to come back together and produce.
“Everyone’s fit now, so we’ll be coming in as a healthy side ready to play.
“As long as I’ve been coaching Strathy, I’ve always drilled that it’s all about having fun and getting together with a bunch of women — doing your best, but enjoying country sport together.
“Hopefully we can have some fun winning.”
The Rovers-Tigers clash, set for Sunday afternoon at Yarroweyah, has its own share of intrigue to it — and not just for those barracking.
Osborne was more than happy to weigh in on the other prelim.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Deni puts on a good display against Katty, as they know what finals are all about,” Osborne said.
“Katty will be on the bounce back (after defeat in the qualifying final), but Rovers are a very solid side who obviously won it undefeated last year, so we’ll keep an eye on it if we progress.
“First things first is how we approach our game Saturday.”
It’s a threatening draw for Katamatite in any sense, with a potential grand final berth sure to match the Tigers up with one of the two sides who have had their number.
