LAST time they met, Dennington trialled some different combinations against top team Merrivale.
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The Dogs will now get the chance to show the fruits of their studies when the two top teams of the home-and-away season go head-to-head in Saturday’s second semi-final at Allansford Recreation Reserve.
Dennington veteran Lani Keane is expecting another great contest – though hoping for a different result – after her team fell three goals short of the Tigers in round 11.
“When we played them, we swapped our team around a fair bit – (coach) Katie (Burt) wanted to try some different moves,” she said.
“I think she’s pretty sure who matches up well on who, but we don’t really know the team as it’s going to start until Saturday.”
Keane – who was a member of the Dogs’ 2015 premiership team alongside Burt, Kristie Bolden and Sarah Madden – has played a swing role herself this season.
The Warrnambool and District league’s first netball life member has predominantly called defence home, but has also reprised her goaling career at various stages and proved a valuable option for the Dogs.
Her team is down to just seven A graders with Krystal Day still in a cast after breaking her wrist five weeks ago, but is able to shift players around the court and has two 17 and under players waiting on the bench if needed.
“Ella Grundy and Caitlin Doukas, they’ll slip into the wings or centre, and Ella can play defence and Caitlin in goals,” Keane said.
“We’ve got options there if we need them.”
The options might come in handy against a Merrivale outfit that has experimented with different combinations and positions this season in a bid to give it alternatives come finals.
Tigers coach Jacqui McDonald said her side knew what its starting seven would look like for the semi-final after watching last week’s qualifying final between Dennington and Nirranda.
In a battle between the two versatile top teams, the match could well be decided by strategy as much as by skill.
Keane said the Dogs took great confidence out of beating Nirranda – a team that defeated the reigning premier twice during the regular season – under the pressure of finals.
“We were rapt that we got the win,” she said.
“It’s just a very close competition at the moment with the top five.”
The loser of Saturday’s match will have one more chance to book a spot in the decider, facing the winner of Sunday’s first semi-final in the preliminary final.