Strong run home
Edenhope-apsley has turned its season around since a winless start hurried memories of another year without a finals appearance.
The Saints are certainly playing finals this year and finished one win off a top-two double chance after clearing their last hurdle of the year at Laharum in round 15.
Finishing sixth when the 2021 season wound up, the climb to third was impressive this year – even if the side was inconsistent in the early part of the season before settling into a winning rhythm.
The Saints lost to now fifth-placed Jeparit-rainbow in round two by 12 goals – a far cry from their 27-goal win in the round-13 rematch against the Storm.
They also lost to now fourth-placed Noradjuha-quantong in round three by 12 goals, before an eight-goal loss to minor premiers Kalkee.
A win against Natimuk started the Saints’ winning streak that lasted for the rest of season and included a clutch one-goal victory against Laharum in round seven.
While the Saints’ back end of the year contained very few top-end-of-the-ladder challenges, except for that crucial Laharum match in the penultimate home-and-away round, and included another Taylors Lake and Rupanyup forfeit points haul, Edenhope-apsley could only beat who it was scheduled to play – and it did.
However, the Saints’ netball leaders will hope the inconsistency that dotted their early season does not return if they meet the Kees or Bombers this series.
This is important given these will be sides the Saints have not competitively assessed in nearly five months.
The Saints play Kaniva-leeor United in the first elimination final at Edenhope on Saturday and should start as confident favourites against the Cougars, who sneaked into the top six at the final moment.
Last time the Saints and the Cougars met, the Saints were 46 goals the better during a round 14 match at Edenhope.
But looking too far ahead can often be a trap for talented sports teams as they eye the bigger challenge down the road and forget about the weekend ahead.
With goal-attack Sacha Mcdonald joining the Saints on the eve of this finals series, the Saints get even more firepower around the ring and throughout the front half.
Mcdonald, along with Emily Burgess, should keep the opposition’s best defenders busy all day, with both players having the ability to make sure the game is played on their terms.
If a win against the Cougars goes as planned, the Saints could meet either the Bombers or the Storm during week two, where the Saints have their chance to right their early-round wrongs.
Even a week-two finals exit should be considered a successful year for the Saints, but you get the idea they are after more than that in 2022.