Greensborough and VU Western Spurs will battle it out for the Mirvac Division 3 women’s minor premiership in the final round of the home and away season.
Greensborough currently occupy top spot with nine wins, while VU Western Spurs sit in second position with eight wins and a healthier percentage ahead of their clash at 11:30am Sunday at Greensborough War Memorial Park.
The Boro’s season ended last year with an elimination final loss. But since taking over the reins, coach Stewart Lewis believes the club has worked hard to improve their 2019 result.
“We’re a revamped side from last year. The girls had a different coach last year and they felt that they were making up the numbers in the finals race,” Lewis said.
“To take the next step this year, we recruited very well and we all just gelled together. It was about team culture and we’ve taken a step forward.”
VU Western Spurs reached the Division 3 semi final in 2018 and coach Doreen Roberts also believes her side has improved since then.
“We have such a big club, so the talent drops down and we were able to maintain our core group from last year,” Roberts said.
“We have high expectations as a club to be successful and we’re very capable of it.”
The two sides last met in Round 11 at Henry Turner Memorial Reserve, where the Spurs came out on top with a 4.4 (28) to 2.5 (17) victory in slippery conditions.
Lewis believes the result will be different this time and that his side’s home ground advantage will have an impact.
“We’re expecting a good game and the girls have taken it upon themselves to refuse to lose a game at home. That’s the crux of what we’ve talked about – we don’t want to lose at home,” Lewis said.
“Last time we played them, we had four players out and probably two of our best were out and we have them in our side this week.
“I think the Spurs know they’re up against a reasonable side when they play us.”
With changes to both teams’ line-ups from their last match-up, Roberts believes this is a different challenge.
“We played Greensborough a couple times last year and their squad is completely different and so is ours. It will be good for us to play them heading into finals,” Roberts said.
“I’m sure Greensborough have girls that didn’t play when we met a few weeks back and we have about 10 to 12 changes since the last time we played them.
“Our Division 1 and Division 2 sides have a bye this weekend and I could easily play some of them, but that doesn’t benefit us come finals time. We want to have a contest with a team we will hopefully be playing again in three to four weeks’ time.”
The winner of the match not only takes away the minor premiership but is rewarded with a rest in the first week of the finals.
However, Lewis believes that isn’t what is driving his side this week.
“The leadership group are comfortable without a bye. They think when we’ve dropped off training, we’ve had a slow start to the match, so they won’t be looking forward to the bye,” Lewis said.
“The girls know they have the double chance and they’re a solid group and they’re all around each other.”
A win this week would mark a special achievement for VU Western Spurs, with all three teams remarkably topping the ladder, after their Division 1 and Division 2 teams clinched the minor premiership weeks ago.
“We have an amazing culture and it would be a good achievement for the club to have three teams finish on top of their divisions,” Roberts said.
“We’ve only had one bye this season, so people’s bodies are sore and it’s getting to that time of year where people probably need a break.
“An extra break will mean that we can possibly get some girls who are injured back in time for our first final, which will strengthen us.”
