History will be made this Sunday at Nissan Arena as the Bull Sharks’ Sapphire squad play in their first Premier Netball League grand final.
It’s a remarkable feat for only the squad’s third season in the competition, but it was the plan all along.
Head of Netball Kim Boland and coach Bec Stower had marked a grand final appearance in their third season as their mission statement when they re-entered the competition in 2023.
Standing in the way of the silverware are the Cougars – the most successful club in Sapphire history. The Bull Sharks had a shock loss to them in the major semi-final, but Stower says the key in the decider is to focus on the netball that got us to the grand final.
Netball GF Preview: Cougars
Bull Sharks v Cougars at Nissan Arena at 6pm.
The opposition and the rivalry
Cougars have a long history of success across every format this competition has taken over the years and are the most successful club in Sapphire history. They consistently attract marquee players transitioning between Premier League and Super Netball. In our three years in the Sapphire Series, we’ve won and lost against them – it’s always a contest.
The Challenge
Our challenge last week was to recover from the loss to Cougars in the major semi final and front up against Thunder. That was no small task – we were deflated and frustrated. But this group is special. Instead of complaining or retreating, they came together, found solutions, and fought hard. Their resilience showed against Thunder, and it was inspiring.
How to beat them
This Grand Final will be decided by what we do, not what Cougars do. We need to stay in control of our game plan and execute both technically and tactically. Last time we went off script, and the result reflected it. This week is about discipline, trust, and sticking to our strengths.
Shuffling the magnets
We’ll be without Sasha-May Flegler and Kirra Tappenden at training this week as they’re at the Australian U19 camp, but we’ll have our full team available for the Grand Final.
Ones to watch
At this stage of the season, every player is critical. As we’ve seen in the last few games, it takes a full squad switched on, focused, and ready to rumble
The focus
Our focus is on us – being proud and grateful for this moment. We’ve already achieved one goal by making the grand final. Now, it’s about stepping boldly into this opportunity.
The final word
Be Bold. Be Bond.
With Bec Stower