Sport
29 August, 2024
Control will be key for Cannane in Saints, Roos clash | WFNL finals
The two sides last played in round 17 of the regular season.
WFNL Netball
Qualifying Final
Horsham Saints coach Jess Cannane believes the final rounds of the WFNL regular season hold her side in good stead as its premiership defence heats up.
The Saints faced Dimboola and Nhill in the last two rounds and have locked in a qualifying final clash with the Roos at Davis Park on Saturday, August 31.
"The week off would be nice, but also the benefit of exposure to playing more finals games is also a positive," Cannane said.
"A lot of them [the playing group] are really keen to keep playing through finals and are relishing the fact that that we get that opportunity, and we don't have a bit of a break in our run."
Despite comfortably winning its regular season matches against Dimboola, both sides like to play a similar style according to Cannane.
"We try and play a very similar brand of netball in that our mid-court is pretty short [in height], and we try and play this fast-paced game," she said.
"At either end, we've got a couple of tall timbers to look to go into."
The main focus for the Saints will be on maintaining control.
"[We need to be] sticking to our game plan, attacking with control, and really making sure that we are in control of 60 minutes of netball," she said.
:I think when we play that way, and we play our own brand of netball, we're pretty difficult to stop."
Looking at the Roos, Cannane sees a versatile outfit.
"A couple of weeks ago, they threw lots of different combinations at us, with regards to through their mid-court and defence; watching the footage from the weekend [round 18], they looked to do that again," she said.
"They're a team that uses the rolling subs quite a lot, so [we need to be reacting really quickly to any of those changes that they make.
Dimboola's come-from-behind win in round 18 elevated them into third and earned a second chance.
Goal shooter Nicole Polycarpou shot her 400th goal for the season against Minyip Murtoa in her 100th senior match.
Horsham has three junior sides in action in other matches at Davis Park.
The Demons will play Warrack in the 13 and 17 and under matches, while the Demons face Ararat in the 15s.
The Horsham Saints will face the Burras in B Grade, and Stawell in C Reserve.
Horsham and Stawell will feature in C Grade.