IT'S MINE: Hepburn netball coach Gary Cooke with Springbank netball coach Andrea Griffin ahead of tomorrow's grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK.
WINNING one premiership is hard enough, going back-to-back confirms greatness.
That's the prospect staring Hepburn in the face ahead of tomorrow's Central Highlands Netball League A-grade grand final against Springbank.
The Burras have been a force in the competition for the past three years under coach Gary Cooke, falling at the final hurdle against Dunnstown in 2010 before prevailing in overtime against Waubra last year.
Another standout campaign has seen the Burras beaten just once in 2012 - by the Tigers - and earn their third-straight shot at the title.
Cooke said a second flag would be the "icing on the cake".
"None of us have forgotten what the pain was like from the 2010 grand final and last year we had to fight for it as well," he said.
"We've had a great year, we've been structured with our training and the girls have been really focused.
"The last three years we have peaked at the right time, which is not easy to do."
The excitement of another grand final has been somewhat tarnished by a serious knee injury to star goaler Jane Leinhop.
Leinhop, named as shooter in the league's team of the year, is almost certain to miss tomorrow's clash after a fall in the dying seconds of the weekend's preliminary final win over the Towners.
Finding a replacement under the ring and keeping his team focused are Cooke's toughest challenges.
"It's kind of a last-minute scramble in that sense, but prior to that everything was going to plan," he said.
"There's nine in the squad so someone will have to step up."
After finishing sixth in 2011, Springbank has taken the competition by storm.
Like the Burras, the minor premiers have dropped just one game in a campaign that has seen them barely put a foot wrong.
Coach Andrea Griffin says her team is playing some of its best netball at just the right time.
"We're starting to combine really well towards the end of the season, which is good," Griffin said.
"We started off a bit slow; we had the first-round loss and took a little while to realise how fast these centre court players were and to adjust to things."
Griffin said securing the club's first senior netball premiership since 2008 would be a massive achievement.
"You don't go into a season without hoping to get there and win the flag," Griffin said.
"That's what it's all about at the end of the day. We'll be over the moon if it comes about."
The clash will be the last of six grand finals and will start at 2.30pm at the Eureka Stadium netball court.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Springbank
GK: Emma Simpson
GD: Emma Sommerville
WD: Kelly Conroy
C: Kellie Sommerville
WA: Shenae Cunningham
GA: Erin Firns
GS: Leane Birkett
Interchange: Laura Allan
Hepburn
GK: Ebony Place
GD: Sarah Dowell
WD: Lauren Place
C: Nicole Dixon
WA: Deb Hutchinson
GA: Erin Richardson
GS: Kath Kruger
Interchange: Tara Ford, Jane Leinhop
