Around this time two years ago, the Gold Coast Titans were launching into their first HART Premier Netball League Sapphire grand final, which resulted in a nine-point loss to the ICare Group Australia Ipswich Jets.
And while redemption may not be the priority when these sides face off in Sunday night’s preliminary final at Nissan Arena, the Titans are more determined than ever to secure a spot in the decider and earn a maiden premiership.
Vice-captain Lily Gray has been a member of the franchise since its inception.
“We’re pretty eager to get that win on Sunday,” the 28-year-old said.
“Both times we’ve played the Jets this season we’ve been in the lead during the game, so it’s about piecing together 60 minutes of netball, and every week we’re getting closer to that.”
Gray said the key to victory lies in committing to what they do well.
“Finals are a different ball game, and we know the pressure will be on, but we’re not interested in the fact they’ve won both regular round games,” she said.
“It’s almost more of a challenge and something that motivates us.”
Gray started at wing attack for the Titans’ thrilling one-point minor semi-final win over Bond University Bull Sharks, in which they overcame a 10-point half-time deficit.
“We just chipped away, it wasn’t one of those games where we scored heaps of two-pointers,” she said.
“We made changes on court which switched the dynamics a bit. It was great as both Shenae (Grant) and I were off, both captains, and the young girls really brought us home. We were so proud of them.”
It made for an interesting week for Gray and housemate Sophie Westover, captain of the Bull Sharks Sapphire side.
“We were happy for each other, to know that both teams deserved to be there,” Gray said.
“Sophie is the best but it’s always funny on game days when we’re playing against each other. We share a bathroom too so we’ve been getting ready together. But she’s amazing and very happy for me.”
Gray said the Titans have kept this week as normal as possible, almost leaning into the hype that finals campaigns attract.
“One of the great things is that our home games on the Gold Coast are really noisy, with a big crowd, so we’re used to it, which is helpful,” she said.
“We’ll all have a chat about any nerves, but we’re such a tight-knit group and everyone’s open about how they’re feeling.”
The winner of Sunday’s preliminary final will meet the Kedron-Wavell Cougars in the September 13 HPNL Sapphire grand final.
Netball Queensland’s NetballQ TV, the home of community netball in Queensland, is delivering live and free coverage of the state’s most exciting grassroots and pathways competitions, including the HART Premier Netball League Sapphire and Ruby Series. Click here to access NetballQ TV as the HPNL finals action continues this weekend!
