Battle lines are drawn
JACOB GRAMS grade decider. Tonight will be the last senior match for Saints’ Rhylee Pendrigh, who has only missed one grand final in 22 years of hockey. She said the club was keen to get back to winning ways after losing 3-0 to Souths last year.
“We know we’re going in as the underdogs. In saying that, they have all the pressure on them as well.
“You never know what can happen on the day.”
Souths’ Caitlin Whipp – one of six bearing the surname in Agrade finals tonight – said the team wasn’t feeling the pressure despite going into the match with an unbeaten record.
“We have a couple of players leaving to veterans next year and we’re also undefeated this year so we’d like to finish it off this Saturday,” she said.
Her uncle Rod Whipp will lead Souths’ men into battle after a tough semi-final win over Saints. He said it was time to reap the rewards of hard work this season.
“This is a bonus for us and we’ll try to make it count,” Whipp said. “We’ve got a chance.” Stingers captain Rohan Sparkes said being on the wrong side of the ledger in the past two deciders was not in the minds of his players.
“It’s a bit of a different competition this year to the one last year and it’s a different team we play in the final so I don’t think you can really go in with a motivation like that.
“It’s more about the effort the team has put in this year and getting the reward at the end of the season for it.
“All four teams have been pretty close this year so I don’t think winning the minor premiership gives you any advantage. It’s just whoever turns up on the day really.”