SENIOR WOMEN’S GRAND FINAL PREVIEW
Caroline Springs and Werribee Centrals faced off in the first round of the year, and they’ll meet again in the last game of the year with a premiership cup on the line.
The St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee Senior Women’s top two teams will go head-to-head at Skinner Reserve on Saturday afternoon to decide the 2024 premiers.
For Caroline Springs it will be their fifth straight Grand Final but after only claiming one premiership in their four previous trips to the big dance they have a great opportunity to add this year’s cup to the trophy cabinet.
Werribee Centrals take their place in the season finale for the first time having fallen just short of making the Grand Final in the previous two seasons suffering consecutive Preliminary Final losses.
These two have played three times this year, splitting wins in the home and away season, the Centurions victorious by two-points in the opening round before the Lakers flipped the result to win by 13 points in Round 10.
Their Qualifying Final clash was decided by 15 points with the Lakers taking direct passage through to the Grand Final, while the Centurions went to the Preliminary Final where they defeated Parkside.
Both teams are loaded with talent including the league’s top two goal kickers Larissa Renaut (Werribee Centrals) and Jacinta Kondis (Caroline Springs) along with stars and rising stars in Dijana Vasilevska (Caroline Springs) and Jessica Spall (Werribee Centrals).
The two sides are also superbly led by their captains Caitlin Pretty and Lauren Basto who are not only influential with their leadership but are key players for their respective clubs too.
WHAT THE TEAMS SAY
Caroline Springs Coach – Alex O’Shea
“We’re really excited for the weekend we’re just going to prepare as well as we can this week and hopefully it’s a great game on Saturday. They (Werribee Centrals) are quick, strong and they’ve got a great team culture as well, being a Grand Final, we know they are going to come out give their all and will want to get the win as much as we do. There have been lots of positives to this point, we’ve come a long way as a group getting some wins on the board, but also just the way that we have played together and built our culture within our club.”
Werribee Centrals Ruck – Julia Nash
“It’s very exciting for our club this being our seventh season, the girls have really put in the effort over the past seven years to get to where we are. I think we’re all really excited and just happy we were able to secure our position in the Grand Final. I think we’ve worked hard as a team this year and really built a strong foundation as friends and that’s translated on the field so we’re just really excited to get out there. It’s been very equally matched this year between us and Caroline Springs, we both play really hard-fought football, and we always go out there and leave 100 percent on that field, so I think it’s going to be a tight game.”
2024 HEAD-TO-HEAD
Round 1 – Caroline Springs: 6.1 (37) def by Werribee Centrals 5.9 (39)
Round 10 – Werribee Centrals 3.9 (27) def by Caroline Springs 6.4 (40)
Qualifying Final – Werribee Centrals 5.9 (39) def by Caroline Springs 8.6 (54)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Caroline Springs – Jacinta Kondis
The focal point in attack for the Lakers, Kondis has kicked the second most goals in the league this season (58 majors) and enters the Grand Final in a rich vein of form. Has booted 14 goals across her past two games and starred in the Qualifying Final win with five majors. Kondis has loved lining up against the Centurions in 2024, tallying 10 goals in three games.
Werribee Centrals – Julia Nash
The Werribee Centrals ruck has had another brilliant year in season 2024. The versatile and agile tall is a fierce competitor with her ability in and around the contest crucial for her side. Is not only highly respected amongst her teammates but by opposition across the league and is sure to have a big influence on Saturday’s final result.
St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee Senior Women’s Grand Final
Saturday 31st August, 2:15pm – Skinner Reserve, Braybrook