Hills Solicitors are hoping it’s a case of fourth time lucky while Lantry Plumbing are hoping it’s a case of back-to-back success.
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Either way Saturday’s showdown brings together this season’s best two teams from the Maitland A-grade netball competition.
Once again Hills Solicitors and Lantry Plumbing have negotiated their way through the year and will renew their rivalry when they go head-to-head in the grand final at Maitland Park.
And if last year’s decider is anything to go by, a last-minute thriller with 17 lead changes and only one goal separating the sides at full-time, then the 2014 replay promises to be another cracker.
Last time around it was Lantry Plumbing who prevailed with six seconds remaining but Hills Solicitors are desperate to avoid that sinking feeling again.
Hills Solicitors have lost the last three grand finals, by a collective margin of only four goals, despite being minor premiers on each occasion and having dropped only a handful of games since 2011.
“They say bad things come in threes so I hope this is our year,” Hills Solicitors skipper Mel Morris said.
“It’s not third time lucky, hopefully it’s fourth time lucky for us.”
Hills Solicitors finished top of the charts once more this year and have beaten Lantry Plumbing at each meeting this season.
It began with a narrow 42-40 victory in round four, continued with a convincing 47-31 triumph in round 11 and was completed three weeks ago 40-30 in the major semi-final.
This recent record and last week’s tough preliminary final
contest against The George Tavern has Lantry Plumbing skipper Kellyann Grayson concerned about the upcoming clash against the favourites.
“Even though we won it last year I think we still go in as underdogs,” Grayson said.
“Hills are a really good team, we haven’t beaten them this year and we were just happy to make the grand final after last week.”
Lantry Plumbing only pulled away from The George Tavern in the second half, turning a one goal advantage at the main break into a 10-point win.
This has given the Rugby Blacks outfit a chance to become the first team since China Dolls almost a decade ago (2004-2005) to successfully defend their major premiership outright and Grayson reckons consistency will be key.
“Hills have been so consistent the last four years and we have to do that on Saturday,” Grayson said.
“We can’t afford to miss a beat on Saturday at any stage in the game, there’s no time for that.”
Morris said it would be vital for her squad to stay relaxed in order to claim that elusive grand final victory.
“We just need to be relaxed going out onto the court,” Morris said. “We need to stick to what we normally do, stick to how we play and have fun.”
Hills Solicitors will be without last year’s player of the final Alana Bellamy, who will be attending her brother’s wedding, but will otherwise be unchanged from last start.
Tara Pluck and Michelle Cairns are the new faces this season.
Lantry Plumbing are still without Caroline Bieman-King and Karlee Grayson, who are overseas, but remain unchanged from last start with Kaitlyne Watson (back) the sole injury concern.
The A-grade grand final is on court five at 2.30pm.