WOORINEN
COACHES – Jaimee Beasy, Tayla Bennett and Tessa Demaria
KEY PLAYER
Lily Den Houting
While Tayla Bennett and Tessa Demaria are among perhaps Woorinen’s most impactful players, they aren’t as important as Lily Den Houting to the Tigers’ structure.
Den Houting will have a key role in trying to nullify Zoe Morris and Summer Blachford in the Saints’ goal ring alongside sister Courtney Lolicato.
While Den Houting may have been undersized against Blachford last Saturday, she was still able to impact with her ability to red the play and intercept coming out of the Tigers’ defensive post.
With Tessa Demaria seen as another option to play in defence, Den Houting’s ability to run and impact through the midcourt could be equally important on offence for the yellow and black army.
THE BURNING QUESTION
How do Woorinen best utilise Tessa Demaria?
Having been considered one of the Central Murray’s best players for over a decade, Demaria will once again be a key player for Woorinen’s chances of progressing through to the semi-finals.
Has had an injury interrupted season, but has rotated between defence and the centre third in her six matches this season and played both roles against the Saints last Saturday.
Woorinen look far more dangerous with Demaria in the centre, but it could be that her extra height and defensive capabilities could be needed to combat Summer Blachford and Zoe Morris in the ring.
TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG
COACH – Mel Wait
KEY PLAYER
Zoe Morris
Morris is no stranger to finals netball, having been a key member of Swan Hill’s run to last year’s grand final.
Has helped transform Tooleybuc-Manangatang’s attacking third in her 11 A Grade games this season.
Has scored 288 goals for the Saints, but it’s been her combination alongside Summer Blachford that has been the real difference, with the twin towers attack proving hard to stop since coming together against Woorinen back in round 7.
THE BURNING QUESTION
How important is Olivia Fowler’s return for the Saints defence?
Although Fowler will need to pass an overnight fitness test at training after injuring her ankle against Koondrook-Barham in round 17, her impending inclusion could be the difference between winning and losing for the Saints.
Emma Templeton was exceptional at goal defence last Saturday, but with Tayla Bennett missing for the Tigers, her match-up against back up goalie Eva Bolton was ideal for Templeton.
Tooleybuc-Manangatang will have no such luxury on Sunday, with Bennett’s return expected to push Willow Conlan back out to goal attack, which means the taller and stronger Fowler’s return is a must if the Saints want to be any chance of restricting the Tigers to a gettable score.
KEY MATCH-UP
Tayla Bennett v Taylah Morris
With 500 goals from 14 A Grade matches, Bennett’s return has helped rejuvenate the Tigers this season.
Having missed last Saturday’s two-goal loss to Tooleybuc-Manangatang, Woorinen’s goal shooter is expected to have a big impact on the outcome of Sunday’s match.
Taylah Morris has been one of the Saints’ most improved players in 2025 however and after staying fit and healthy all season, has put herself in the conversation as one of the leading goal keepers in the Central Murray.
If Morris can produce her absolute best against Bennett, and keep her to 25 goals or less, the Saints will be in with a huge chance of victory.
MATCH PREVIEW
FOR the second time in two weeks, Tooleybuc-Manangatang will be need to beat Woorinen in order to continue their chase from finals glory.
Needing to beat the Tigers in the final home-and-away game of the season last Saturday, the Saints secured a two-goal win to progress to Sunday’s elimination final.
That result also consigned Woorinen to playing knockout netball for the remainder of the season, with no margin for error now for the 12 win, four loss Tigers.
Despite last weekend’s loss, Woorinen will still go in as favourites on Sunday thanks to the return of goal shooter Tayla Bennett, who missed the Tigers’ defeat to the Saints six days ago.
Bennett has been one of the Central Murray’s leading scorers this season, with 500 goals from 14 games in her comeback after missing the entire 2024 season, and has been one of the key factors in her team’s return to finals.
Woorinen’s climb up the Central Murray ladder hasn’t been as dramatic as Tooleybuc-Manangatang’s however, with the Saints set to return to the finals for the first time since 2019.
It has been a long rebuild for the red, white and black, with an investment in youth now beginning to pay dividends for Tooleybuc-Manangatang coach Mel Wait, who is expecting another tough contest on Sunday.
“I think it’s going to be a very different game to last week (against Woorinen), Wait told The Guardian this week.
“They will have a different setup, but we will bring in a different team as well for them to try and match up onto.
“We’re really going to have to work hard to stop delivery to the circle, because once they get within range, it’s going to be tricky to stop them.
“In saying that, they also have a short range, but we’re going to have to work hard to defend before it gets into the circle.
“I think our style of game is really effective and I think playing safe netball and is going to be really important for us.
“We know they have an explosive defence and they’re very physical, so making sure that we’re playing that short netball and not taking unnecessary risks will be the key.
“We just have to keep possession and try and score, especially with Zoe (Morris) playing really good netball along with Summer (Blachford), who did quite a good job for a majority of the game last weekend.”
While Bennett will be a key inclusion for Woorinen, so too will young defender Olivia Fowler, who will potentially return after missing the final home-and-away match with an ankle injury.
While Fowler will need to pass an overnight fitness test to take her place in the team, one player who is certain to return is Amy Standen, with the experienced midcourter set to slot into wing defence.
Standen will be a key inclusion and should help complement Jayda Plant and Emily Siely through the middle third.
For Wait, the Saints’ big focus will need to be on stopping the Tigers’ ability to score, with Bennett and Willow Conlan proving themselves to be one of the Central Murray’s most potent attacking combinations.
“I think their big strength is that those goalers can really have an impact on the game because they haven’t got just one strong goalie, they have two,” Wait said.
“They can both have an impact on the game, so we can’t really pay attention to one or the other and we will have to make sure we shut both of them down.
“Tessa Demaria will be the other player we’ll need to watch, whether she plays in defence or in the midcourt.
“Wherever she plays she has a big impact on the game, so trying to nullify her will be important as well.”
The Tigers will have just as many concerns with quelling Tooleybuc-Manangatang’s main weapons, with the Saints perhaps having a slight edge in the midcourt.
Plant is sure to be a key player for Woorinen to nullify with her ability to intercept through the centre third, along with her quick and accurate passing, while Siely has helped transform the Saints’ attack with her clean passing into the ring.
If Plant and Siely are able to control possession, and upset could well be on the cards despite their being very little separating the two clubs last weekend.
Tip – Tooleybuc-Manangatang to win by one goal.
