Tornado test for Chargers

IT’S do or die for the Hobart Lady Chargers tonight when they host intrastate rivals the Launceston Tornadoes at the DEC.

The Chargers gained the right to host the elimination final after turning their season around and jumping above Launceston on the ladder in the last match of the homeand-away season.

The Chargers had won six of their first 14 games and coach Dwain Davie credits his players for changing the team’s form.

“After the mid-season break we reassessed and had some real hard discussions about where we want to be as a team and the issues we were facing,” Davie said.

Even though Hobart finished above Launceston on the ladder Davie doesn’t believe that makes his side the favourite to win.

“Realistically the ‘Torns are still the top women’s team in the state,” Davie said.

“We have been chasing them all year on the ladder.

“We are probably the underdogs still and that’s how we are approaching it.”

The Chargers go into the final unchanged from the side that beat Frankston last Saturday and Davie considers the depth in his side as its greatest asset.

“The strength for us is that we have a full team that can all come out and contribute,”

Davie said.

Davie acknowledges that the Tornadoes’ top talent is the biggest threat to the Chargers.

“Again they are a team that has some good depth and they have some serious weapons to deal with,” Davie said.

“I think Lauren [Mansfield] being an Opals player means she is on the top of our list. Tayler Roberts has probably had the best season of her career in the SEABL and WNBL and Ellie Collins has been good coming off the bench.”

The team that wins the final will go through to play the loser of the Dandenong and Bendigo final and the loser of the intrastate final will have its SEABL season ended.