Sport
19 September, 2024
The Rats are raring to go in third-straight WFNL senior grand final
Ararat has three wins over the Thunder by a combined 96 points.
Rats co-coach Tom Williamson said his side is in a good mindset ahead of their third-straight WFNL seniors grand final on Saturday, September 21.
Ararat won through to the decider after a 34-point victory against Southern Mallee in the second qualifying final.
"There's no better way to go into a grand final than go straight in and, I guess, do it a little bit easier than what the other side will," Williamson said.
"We'll get basically our full list back and get a good opportunity to have a good crack at going back-to-back."
It is this list that Williamson believes has been the key to sustained performance.
"I think it's been a reason for our success is the ability to keep this core list together," he said.
"Our Senior list has only got four changes or thereabouts from last year, which is a credit and strength we have [as a club].
"We're such a close group; this group's been together for multiple years, and I can recall even playing under-13s with five or six of these guys coming through."
The Rats' season started on Good Friday, and Williamson is pleased with how the group has peaked at the right time.
"We've had injuries, but I felt like the group as a whole, we were learning so much along the way," he said.
"Tom [Mills] and I were educating the team on how we want to go about things.
"We've got to a point now where we can hit our straps at the right time."
As a result, Williamson sees the squad's confidence heading into the last game of the season.
"We've got a group of confident blokes, and there's absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be heading into this game," he said.
"It's something we'll obviously speak about leading into the game, and no doubt we'll be firing and ready to go."
For coaching partner and 'best mate' Tom Mills, stopping the Thunder's drive out of the middle will be key on Saturday afternoon.
"[In the preliminary final] they moved the ball well and have a skilful side," Mills said.
"Their centre bounce work is very good."
The Rats will look back at its second qualifying final match-up for more vision, but according to Mills, the main focus is on themselves.
"It's getting down to the point now where you have just got to back yourself in at this stage," he said.
For Ararat, that means making sure its pressure is at a high level.
"When our pressure's right up there, our game shows when we get the ball on the outside that we've got a bit more time from the hard work we're putting in the inside of the contest," Mills said.
This will also impact how the football goes into the Rats' defensive 50.
"You always look team defence; you look for the midfielders to slow the movement going in," he said.
"But we will have our match-ups lined up for a few of their blokes and try and shut them down that way.
"You can't help good ball going in a lot of the time, so we really try and put pressure on that ball going in."
Looking at the season as a whole, Williamson has enjoyed the role as a senior coach and having Mills by his side every step of the way.
He also credited the work of the support staff as the pair are focused out on the ground.
"I think everyone's pretty well aware that you can't be a good playing coach without good support on the bench," Mill said.
"We've had that through Ryan Bates and Alister Williamson.
"Then we had our runners, Rob Armstrong and Scott Turner; he just absolutely loves it and gives so much time to the group."