It is do or die this weekend for North Gambier and East Gambier as they go head-to-head to keep their 2023 season alive.
East is yet to defeat North but has been in the contest and in reality, they only have to do it this weekend and they will still be in the premiership race.
For the Bulldogs, much will rely on the influence of circle defenders Morgan Amy and Bo Creek.
The duo will need to work together to deny too much access to North shooter Grace Potts, who has been prolific in 2023 at her new club.
Amy has always thrived on the challenge of taking on the taller shooter – it has been the story of her career – and she will make Potts earn every ball.
Her ability in the air is matched by the athleticism of Creek, who will drop back to assist, as well as looking to pressure the feeds from Macey Griffith and hunt the intercept higher up the netball court.
Much will also depend on Bulldogs wing defender Choe Perryman’s ability to work in tandem with Eliza Cole to shut down the easy ball for North feeders Brianna Walters and Mel Renko.
The East mid court duo will need to be disciplined – contesting delivery but also ensuring they stay in play to apply hands pressure over the ball on every feed.
New recruit Cole has been a revelation for East, especially in the past month, and her battle with Renko will be one of the critical match ups of the contest.
East has a unique shooting circle, not boasting the height of other teams, so testing defenders in a different way to the other shooting combinations.
Renee Henke – who is also coming off a strong month – and Casey Horrigan have developed a strong chemistry and they will use their speed, timing on the move and clever screens to try and find the ball in good shooting positions.
They will rely on the classy feeding of Tarsh McCallum and Cole and the mid court duo will need to work overtime to ensure East protects the ball as players look for a safe passage through the tight defensive efforts of North’s Noni McConnell (pictured left), Mikaila Pitt, Lauran Norman and Stella Mobbs, who will share the defensive duties in the back three roles.
McCallum’s leadership and determination to succeed will be pivotal and she will not just be a key factor in the offensive efforts of East but she rallies the troops to ensure the Bulldogs make ball movement tough for the opposition with tough defensive pressure on the transition ball.
North is clearly the more experienced line-up and Potts will not get any shorter as the match progresses, allowing the Tigers a get-out-of-jail scoring option so North should progress to the September 9 preliminary final.
