Such is the way of the club – one of the smaller in the league – which often lacks the numbers to field netball teams in all grades.
They rely heavily on their juniors progressing through the ranks and this year’s A Grade team is brimming with local talent. That talent now faces a monumental task of tackling the classy Saints who, after not dropping a game this season, are favourites to win back-to-back premierships.
“We know they’re a slick side, a well-oiled machine, and they’re with 30-odd straight wins,” Toet said.
“We know our score-lines, what they were during the year and what it was in the semi-final, but just as we’ve done all year, we want to better our past performance, so we’re going to go into that final with absolutely nothing to lose, and show up and give it our all.
“They move the ball very quickly, they move it very decisively, so we need to be accountable, and we’ve got to make use of turnovers that we can create and that we do create – that’s part of our game plan, that’s no secret.”
After bowing out in the previous three preliminary finals, the Roos had set themselves a goal of making a grand final. Toet said to reverse the previous preliminary final losses was ‘a dream come true for us’.
“A lot of these girls haven’t even played in a grand final,” she said.
“Grand finals don’t come along often for us smaller clubs.”
After an emotional lead-up to the preliminary final following the death of former player Zanaiya Bergen in a car crash on Thursday night, the Roos regrouped but were slow to start in the first quarter against the Demons, who jumped out of the blocks early to lead 6-1.
Dimboola clawed its way back into the match, trailing 7-10 at quarter-time, before coming out in the second quarter to outscore the Demons 17-5.
“That set us up and gave us a buffer because I think there was only a goal difference in the second half, so everyone just came to play, backed each other, and that second quarter really showed that,” Toet said.
“There were so many turnovers and tips and conversions, and I think we only had two more attempts than Demons for the whole day.”
Saints captain Ash Grace said her team was coming off a week’s rest after a 78-35 win over Dimboola in the second semi-final.
“We’re feeling good. The team’s coming off a rest, which is nice to get our bodies right and we’re excited to have one more big game,” she said.
Grace said a relatively stable team line-up with a mix of experience and young guns was key to the Saints’ success.
“Even Maddi (Bethune) and Jorja (Clode), they’re not juniors anymore but they’re still very young, and it’s the fifth grand final they’re playing in, so to have that experience at such a young age is pretty amazing. And our midcourt, we’re all pretty experienced now, so we are the glue to keep it together.”
Horsham City Oval
FOOTBALL –
8.30am: Under-14, Nhill v Ararat
10am: Under-17, Ararat v Horsham Demons
12pm: Reserves, Ararat v Horsham Saints
2.40pm: Seniors, Ararat v Nhill
NETBALL –
8.20am: 13-and-under, Horsham
Saints v Minyip-Murtoa
9.25am: 15-and-under, Horsham Demons v Stawell
10.30am: 17-and-under, Horsham Saints v Horsham Demons
11.55am: A Grade, Horsham Saints v Dimboola
1.15pm: B Grade, Horsham Saints v Horsham Demons
2.40pm: C Grade, Horsham Demons v Horsham Saints
3.45pm: C Reserve, Stawell v Horsham Demons
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