Finals came two weeks early for Gisborne in the Bendigo Netball League.
The fourth-placed Bulldogs entered the last two rounds facing clashes with third-placed Strathfieldsaye and fifth-placed Kangaroo Flat.
Two wins would have meant finishing third and earning the double chance come finals.
The Bulldogs lost the first of those matches, 41-38, against the Storm. It now means the result of the game against Kangaroo Flat is irrelevant because regardless of who wins this weekend, the Dogs and Kangaroos will face each other again in the first week of finals.
Bulldogs coach Simone Trevillian said before the match against Strathfieldsaye that playing the top sides in the finals lead-up was the perfect warm-up.
“They’re pre-finals and we’re treating them that way,” she said. “It’s quite pleasing to have three games which are like finals and we need to be competitive and positive. ”
Gisborne will enter the finals with a full squad.
“We have different combinations and the capability to match it all over the court with the other sides in the finals,” Trevillian said.
She said having players missing during the season was a benefit come finals. “Our A-reserve players can rotate on the court and we can try different things. It’s important that they’ve got court time in the senior team.”
She said the team needed to stick to its own game plan to match it with the top two sides. Finals experience would also come in handy for the Bulldogs, who made last year’s preliminary.
Golden Square remains undefeated, while Sandhurst has had two losses and a drawn match against the Bulldogs. Kangaroo Flat enters the game against the Bulldogs on the back of a 71-25 win over Kyneton.
