Laharum has lost each of its past two grand final appearances, but with reigning premier Edenhope-Apsley all but dismantled, the Demons have set the pace in 2024.
Laharum went undefeated on its way to a minor premiership, and while results such as a three-goal win over Noradjuha-Quantong in round five, a two-goal win against the Saints in round seven and a one-goal thriller against Rupanyup in round 11 show the Demons remain mortal, Panthers coach Jedda Heard admitted it would take a special effort for her side to emerge victorious on Saturday.
“It’s going to take a lot. I think it’s going to be a defender’s game and the team that can apply the most pressure is going to win it,” she said.
Rupanyup enters the grand final after a big elimination final win against Kaniva-Leeor United followed by two games that, collectively, took years off Panther supporters’ lives.
In a semi-final against Kalkee the Panthers won by a single goal, while in the weekend’s preliminary final against Noradjuha-Quantong they required extra time to secure a win.
Heard said her side faced extreme pressure with scores locked at 40 apiece at the end of regulation time, but played superbly in the extra frame.
“It’s exciting, I’ll give it that, but it would be nice if we didn’t wait until after the fourth quarter to kick into gear,” she said.
“I think we just held our heads a bit better than Noradjuha-Quantong did.”
With top-flight goalies at either end of the court – Zanaiya Bergen for Rupanyup and Shannon Couch for Noradjuha-Quantong – the result came largely down to how effectively defenders could slow their opponents.
Yolanda Molineaux was given the difficult task of defending Bergen, and although Molineaux forced several misses, Bergen’s height allowed her to rebound effectively.
Bergen’s final goal of the fourth quarter tied the scores with only seconds remaining, forcing five minutes of extra time each way, during which she continued to use her height to advantage and scored seven of the team’s 11 goals.
McIntyre admitted she would have her hands full guarding Bergen in the grand final.
“I look at Zanaiya and think ‘geez, you’re half my age’, but the benefit that I have is that I’m six-foot-two. Even though you get slower as you get older, you don’t get any shorter. Height doesn’t age,” she said.
“We’ve got the leading goal-scorer and Zanaiya was number two, so it is going to be, as it always is in grand finals, a game of goalies.”
Bergen’s opposite number is Laharum goal shooter Caitlin Jones-Story, the league’s leading goal scorer.
With both teams boasting strong midcourts – Meg Cashin, Ally Hiscock and Gemma Morgan for Rupanyup and Liv Jones-Story, Rylee Hateley and Melanie Russell for Laharum – the pace of the game could be frenetic.
Laharum goal attack Maddie Iredell is a strong foil for Caitlin Jones-Story in attack, giving Rupanyup defenders Heard, Victoria Taylor and Lucy Bussenschutt plenty to handle.
McIntyre said the additions of Bussenschutt and Bianca Drum to the Rupanyup line-up in the second half of the season had boosted the Panthers.
She said both teams had plenty of experience in their line-ups, but Laharum would draw on its wealth of previous grand final experience.
“We’ve played in a lot of finals and we have a lot of experience under pressure, so I 100 per cent know that when it comes to being close – which it probably will be – that experience will be something we really lean on,” McIntyre said.
“Ema Iredell and I have played together for eight years, Caitlin and Maddie have played together for nearly nine years, and Rylee has been in our team for six or seven of those grand finals as well.
“We know it’s whoever performs on the day. Nothing else matters before that and nothing else matters until the end of it. We’re going to go out there, have a crack, leave everything on the court and do our best.”
While Rupanyup lacks the grand final experience of Laharum, Heard said her side had been tempered by its recent nail-biting finals wins.
“I think it does build confidence. The grand final isn’t going to be any different,” she said.
“I think we’re prepared in a way for the pressure. If we’d had an easy couple of wins, I don’t think we’d be as prepared as we are mentally now going into the grand final.”
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