NANGILOC’S A grade team went into this season hoping to reconnect to their sport after two years of interruptions.
Their aim for enjoyment, however, saw them succeed on the court and earn themselves a spot in today’s Grand Final against Bambill.
Nangiloc, who finished the home and away season in second place, totalling 12 wins and three losses, gave their all come semi-finals, defeating unbeaten Werrimull to secure a spot in the premiership game.
The team, which started this year with a fresh side, did not expect to make the grand final and were just aiming to enjoy a full season.
“We started off the season, my goal wasn’t to win a flag, my goal was to just get people to enjoy the game and come back to sport,” playing coach Kathy Carusella said.
“I wasn’t sure how the skill set was (in the new players) but obviously it has worked in our favour.”
Carusella said her team would be giving it their all against the Saints today, fighting it out to win the flag.
“I have got some strategies in place, hoping that that gets us over the line, but we definitely know we have all got to put in 100 per cent to really actually win the flag,” she said.
“It is not going to be easy and we know that.”
Nangiloc have defeated Bambill in every game this season, but Carusella said she thought this weekend’s game would be a tougher competition.
“Their coach is finals ready and I think that she will know how to play the game,” she said.
“It made it evident when (Bambill) beat Werrimull last week that they’re willing to fight for it.”
Bambill playing co-coach Tessa Houkamau said the team were riding the high of last weekend’s win against Werrimull, not letting this season’s losses against Nangiloc hold them back.
The Saints finished the home and away season in third place, totalling eight wins and seven losses, but defeated the first-placed side in last week’s preliminary final.
“We haven’t been able to come close to beating (Werrimull) all year so the girls knew it was all or nothing that weekend and to just give it all we could and that we had nothing to lose,” she said.
“It was a really good way to get into the grand final having that good win, so the girls’ spirits are certainly up from that.”
Houkamau said the team were hoping to defeat Nangiloc for the first time as well.
“(The premiership) is still something that we are going to have to work hard for,” she said,
“(We have) one more training to go to be able to try and work together and give it everything we have got.”
Houkamau said Bambill didn’t have a set team all year and thought it was an achievement to have made it this far.
“The A grade team have had about 14-15 fill-ins throughout the whole year,” she said.
“We haven’t been able to sustain a whole season as one team, due to lots of different things, pregnancy, sickness, COVID, so it has been a bit disjointed, so to come out at the end and be in the grand final has been really, really good.”
