Ballard won the league’s best and fairest award and top goal scorer honour.

Ratcliffe said his side, which finished atop the ladder, needed to contain Ballard if it was to triumph. 

“It’ll be a very hard game. Submariners have developed a great passing game and a great possession game,” he said.

“They get a lot of direction and structure from Rosie (Ballard). She adds a lot to their team. 

“Our biggest challenge will be trying to mitigate her influence in the game. 

“If we can keep her influence limited, we’ll go a long way to achieving back-to-back (premierships). 

“If we don’t respect her, they could quite easily sneak under our guard.”

Ratcliffe said Saints would take a full-strength side into the grand final, with Victorian representatives Madi Ratcliffe and Hannah Russell — both teenagers — keys. 

“If we stick to our game plan of what we’ve been working on for the last two years, we’re a reasonable chance,” he said.

“The thing I’ll really stress to the girls before the game is patience … be patient. You can’t win a grand final in the first five minutes but you can lose one.”

Submariners are happy to take the underdog tag into the decider.

Subbies player Karen Benson said Saints played a “well-controlled, weave- and-possession” game.

“We are mostly a team of mums. We have 39 kids between the 20 of us,” she said. “We pride ourselves on being a good group of friends and love playing hockey. We are thrilled to be there (in the grand final).   It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Strikers are aiming for back-to-back men’s premierships when they play Pirates today.

Strikers’ David Kane, who will play despite a hamstring complaint, said his team’s versatility was its strength.

“The midfield to backline (stand out) and we have a pretty good goalie (Xarn O’Bryan) too, who makes good saves,” he said.

“And we always get the fast break and pin it in our forward line. We are pretty persistent up there.”

Storm and Mariners meet in the under 17 grand final.

Meanwhile, Warrnambool District Hockey Association has awarded its 2014 best and fairest winners.

Matt Hoy won the men’s award from David Kane, while Kyle Eccles took out the top goal scorer honour.

Rosie Ballard claimed the women’s top honour and goal scorer award.

Merran Fyfe was best and fairest runner-up.

The under 17 boys’ winner was Xarn O’Bryan from Chase Anderson and Stewart Manderson, who took out the goal scoring award. Sienna Crabbmor won the under 17 girls’ award from top goal scorer Kelsey Ratcliffe. 

justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au