By Jonty Ralphsmith
Casey’s senior women’s and men’s side have both qualified for finals and will enter with a degree of confidence after strong late season form.
Casey’s Vic League 1 women finished sixth and will play in a do-or-die final against Geelong on Saturday following a 2-0 loss to the undefeated Toorak East Malvern on Saturday.
While they emerged without any points, it was a promising result for a Cannons side which rested key players Emma Harris and Jenna McLaughlin and rested striker Mikayla McDonald in the second half.
“It was a good tune up for finals,” coach Andrew Harris said of the intensity of the game.
“We were able to look a week ahead and start practising things we will put into place against Geelong this week.”
Casey has lost its two regular season matches against Geelong, 4-1 and 2-0, but believes it dominated the first half in both those matches which is filling the club with confidence ahead of the weekend.
“They’re a really attacking team and it’s going to be all about taking our chances when we have the best of our play and if we do that, I see it as a 50-50 game,” Harris said.
“We’ve really improved in the second half of the season and being able to rest a couple of players last week means we’re going in full strength.
“Across the last three weeks we have had a few team building training sessions which the girls have taken a lot out of.
“I think we’re going in mentally fresh which is just as important as being physically well.”
The men, meanwhile, will play Knox in an elimination final after finishing third in the Vic League 2 competition.
A 1-1 draw with top-placed Craigieburn to finish the season will have the Cannons going in optimistically, but their two home and away clashes have yielded a 3-2 loss and 4-4 draw.
