A DOUBLE chance does little to ease the pressure on Irymple and Mildura’s A Grade sides as they open the SFNL finals series on Saturday.
Finishing the home-and-away season in second and third respectively, their qualifying match is not do or die, but a win would help one team’s road to the grand final.
“There is no expectation really at the end of the day – if we go in and lose then we have got an elimination final next week,” Mildura coach Ellie Vincent said.
But that buffer didn’t stop the nerves of finals creeping in.
“Nerves are good, it means that we care and that we’re passionate,” Vincent said.
“We all have that one goal at the very start of the season, so we are just really focusing on that and hopefully putting everything on the line.
“We don’t want to leave anything on the side of the court when we go into finals, like any other team.”
Irymple coach Sherrie Geister shared the same sentiments, saying it was always a different vibe during finals.
“I’d like to say that we carry through with the same mentality (from during the season), but heading into finals, players in particular probably feel a little different when they take the court, there is always that edge to it,” she said.
“This final isn’t do or die – obviously we want the win, and I’m sure there will be some nerves, but I just hope they are all mature enough to play their own games and get through it.”
When the two sides met during the season, they both claimed a win each, proving there is little that separates them.
“I think it just makes it exciting, it means it is anybody’s game really, and whoever comes and prepares to play will get the win at the end of the day,” Geister said.
“My team really want the win, they really want to prove that they have got something to give, so they are quite keen to get out there.”
The winner of Saturday’s match will go on to play minor premiers Wentworth next weekend in a semi-final clash for a spot in the grand final, while the loser will go up against the winner of Sunday’s elimination match between Ouyen United and South Mildura.
