78 Pressure off for Brothers’ ‘underdogs’
THEY may be used to recent premiership success, but for many who take to the turf tonight the grand final experience will be a new one.
Both Brothers and Wests women’s sides have had an injection of youth rejuvenate their A-grade hockey sides, bringing with them energy and enthusiasm that is set to collide in an enthralling title decider.
For Brothers, eight of their 2018 championship-winning outfit left at the conclusion of the successful campaign.
It coincided with a period of regeneration last year, which threatened to flow into their 2020 pursuit.
However, despite winning just two games in the regular season, a key pair’s return from injury at the right time helped inspire an upset victory in last week’s semi-finals.
It has skipper Sara Brice eager for what can be anticipated from the final clash, as they proudly wear the underdog tag in a bid to relieve the burden of expectations.
“I think it kind of works well for us, because it means we can just relax and we don’t feel like we have a huge amount of pressure,” Brice said.
“As people started coming back and clicking together we started stringing wins together and it’s been building for quite a few weeks.
“Having our normal goalie back (Shahna Hamment), that structure starting back and working forwards, not having the same person behind you that you’re used to makes a big difference.
“That carries all the way down the field, so starting with that solid base and working forwards makes a huge difference.
“We had a lot of young girls step up last year and they’ve really stepped into it this year. It was a bit daunting for them last year, but this year they’re really owning it.”
For Wests’ Emma Mcculloch today’s clash will be about putting behind her the heartache of last season.
The team’s captain and her husband, Ashley, had to watch on last year as Commercials claimed the club’s first premiership double since 2007, and that frustration could fuel a determined performance.
Despite losing just two matches in the regular season, Wests were forced to fight tooth and nail for their shot at the silverware, clawing to a 2-2 draw against Parks and getting through on their superior ladder position.
But with a host of their own young guns making an impression, all marshalled by coach-sweeper Courtney Doherty, Mcculloch said they had the tools to rectify what almost cost them in the penultimate fixture.
“It was not so much a wakeup call, we knew we had to play a bit harder. Parks always push us, so we just know we have to control the ball a bit more and make the most of our opportunities,” she said.
“It is quite a familiar feeling for some of us, but we’ve got quite a few younger rookies stepping up so for a lot of our girls it will be a new experience. “They’ve been proving a point.”