All on the line

THAT’S MINE: Whangara Old Girls goal defence Tania Hill intercepts the ball before it can get to High School Old Girls goal attack Ashleigh Brown. Whangara won this game 50-48. The teams meet again in the netball grand final at the YMCA tomorrow afternoon. Picture by Paul Rickard

Whangara Old Girls and High School Old Girls will produce a spectacle of fast, free-flowing netball in the YMCA tomorrow as they fight for the right to call themselves 2019 Gisborne premier-grade champions.

The Pak’nSave competition finale starts at 1pm, and promises to be a classic between two evenly matched teams.

It will no doubt continue the high standard of exciting play that has made this one of the best playoff seasons the Gisborne Netball Centre has seen in recent times.

“The last time these teams met, Whangara won by just two goals (50-48),” netball commentator Sherrill Beale said.

“Both teams have just had very close wins against YMP Sunshine Brewery to get to this position.”

One goal separated HSOG and YMP on Wednesday night and Whangara beat YMP by only two goals 10 days ago.

“I think this will be another close game to finish our season,” Beale said.

Whangara’s entire team were at the YMCA on Wednesday night to watch YMP and HSOG fight it out.

“I don’t think it mattered for us who went through,” Whangara coach Ronnie Martin said.

“They both have their strengths. It’s not going to be an easy game for either team tomorrow.”

Martin said she wanted her players to keep control of how they played the game.

“It will be important for them to remember what they are there for, the role they are to play in the game.

“Both teams play a similar style of game . . . tight defence, pacy play down the court, and accurate shooting.

“The game plan to win has got to be quite smart. The players have to know it and execute it.”

Martin said her players were excited about tomorrow.

“They’ve been really excited since they won their semifinal against YMP. They’re looking forward to it.”

As a team-bonding exercise the whole Whangara team went in the Gisborne Harrier Club Mud Run last Sunday.

“They had lots of fun,” Martin said.

“That extra bonding will help tomorrow.

“It was very close last time we played High School Old Girls. I expect it will be close again tomorrow.”

HSOG coach Tanya Owen said her players were also excited about tomorrow.

“They are amped for it,” she said.

“We have had the ideal build-up, because you cannot train at the type of intensity that Wednesday night’s match against YMP produced.”

Her team had a recovery session last night as part of their build-up to the grand final.

“We sorted out a game plan last night, too.

“The players are still really buzzing about the result the other night and we want to keep that excitement level going into the final.”

Owen said that the last time they played Whangara her team didn’t have everyone on board.

“Tomorrow we will have,” she said.

HSOG last won the title eight years ago.

“It has been a long time without the High School Old Girls name on the Jan Duncan Memorial Trophy,” Owen said.

“We aim to correct that tomorrow and I have every confidence we can do it.”

This will be the 30th year the memorial trophy has been contested.

The Noogies continued on their winning way in the men’s competition at the YMCA last night. They made it four wins from four in beating LHS 40-24. BDPC had their first win, defeating The Joops 27-19, and Uawa bounced back from their one-goal loss last week to beat Big M 36-16.