THERE are no second chances left for Irymple as they take on Ouyen United in Sunday’s A Grade semi-final match.
After an unexpected 25-goal loss to Mildura in last week’s qualifying final, the Swallows will need to regroup to continue their finals campaign.
Swallows’ coach Sherrie Geister said the focus for her team will be to stick to their own game, “rather than getting sucked into different styles of play from different teams”.
“I think if we just put last week’s game behind us, that’s probably the best thing we can do, and just focus on the task ahead,” she said.
“I think we’ve had a really successful year overall, but finals are a different ball game.
“We’ve sort of had that all year – we could be brilliant one week, and then the next we sort of just fade out. So hopefully this week is our brilliant week.”
Conversely, the Kangas are full of confidence after their win against South Mildura in the elimination final last week.
Kangas coach Kyra Nathan believes a key component of their success so far has been the combinations formed with 15-year-old Maggie Smith, who will return to their line-up once again this weekend in the goal circle.
“It did take us a little while to get that combination going, just because we hadn’t played with her for quite a few weeks,” Nathan said of Smith.
“But I thought once we settled in and got that feeding right, then we were away.
“We know the style that we want to play, and (Maggie) just slots right in, so it’s pretty exciting to have her back in the side.”
There is set to be a number of key match-ups across the court, with the Swallows basketballer-turned-netballer Vanessa Power likely to go head-to-head against Kangas’ seasoned defender Casey Crothers.
Nathan herself will also have her work cut out for her, most probably fronting up against Swallows’ midcourter Shakara Delcastegne in the centre.
The winner of the match will play the loser of Saturday’s game between Wentworth and Mildura in next week’s preliminary final.
