Mi Mi has already secured consecutive premierships (2021, 2022) with Liz White’s Cougars yet this year’s decider against the TAE Aerospace Ipswich Jets comes with an added layer of responsibility for the 22-year-old midcourter.
“It’s different being that athlete, that player that’s the experienced one,” Mi Mi said.
“That will be new to me. Being the one the girls look to when it does come to those hard times in the game will be daunting but I'm willing to take it on and do it for the girls, and the girls will do it for me.”
The dynamic attacker has enjoyed a timely return to HSS level following an impressive run of performances as a Queensland Firebirds replacement player in this year’s Suncorp Super Netball season.
“I’ve had to adjust to the speed of the game, having to wait for a bit more, but the enjoyment is still there,” Mi Mi said of her HSS return.
“I’m really enjoying the connections that myself, Riz (Rylee Burns) and Liv (Olivia Dijkstra) still have. I’ve come back from the best league in the world, got on the court and I still love being there.”
As last year’s HART Sapphire Series MVP, Mi Mi’s experience is invaluable in captaining a 2023 Cougars side featuring only two other returning starting seven players.
“Previous years, I think they don’t matter,” Mi Mi said of the Cougars’ rich vein of consecutive premiership successes.
“To be in the grand final is amazing. At the start of the season we weren’t picked to make the grand final, and I wasn’t there for six weeks, so the girls and myself, we just worked so hard.”
Regular season results depict a slight dominance by the Jets, who defeated the Cougars by less than seven goals on both occasions.
“We lost to the Titans twice in the round games and beat them by 18 on Sunday (preliminary final), so the girls definitely learn from our losses, and the sense of grand final and environment plays a factor on the day,” Mi Mi said.
“Our starts haven’t been very good and that’s what was different last Sunday, we were ready to go from the get go. I think that’s what we have to have this weekend, a good start and then it lets everything flow.”
Jets defender Chloe Litherland will be doing everything within her control to see the Cougars don’t gain that early advantage.
Despite sporting a decent black eye decorated with seven stitches from a recent QAFLW head collision, Litherland is fresh from a week’s respite following the Jets’ major semi-final victory.
“We had a whole week to prepare, reset and figure out what we need to do,” Litherland said.
“It was good to refresh and everyone is super excited.”
The Jets’ preparation featured a practice match against the Queensland men’s team, as well as watching the HSS preliminary final.
“I think the Cougars were always a finals team,” Litherland said.
“They have that experience within the players and coaching staff. I thought the game was going to be a little closer but some of their players really stood up.”
The Jets however remain confident of holding the HSS shield high on Sunday night, even though captain Hulita Veve is away leading Tonga at the Netball World Cup in South Africa.
“We’ve done it throughout the season when she (Veve) has been away so that was a blessing in disguise for us,” Litherland said.
“Paula (Stuart) builds our culture at the Jets so there’s not one person who has had to take on the pressure, especially this season.”
Stuart is also no stranger to finals netball, falling short to the Cougars in the previous two grand finals as coach of the QUT Wildcats.
It’s a history her Jets players are well aware of.
“A couple of us last year were with QUT and we obviously lost by one so there’s a little bit of redemption,” Litherland said.
“There’s always a bit of ‘playing for Paula’ because of how much she backs us and cares about us as people. It’s also for H (Veve), we want to say thanks to her for what she’s done but, yeah, we’d definitely love to get it across the line for Paula.”
The HART Sapphire Series grand final starts at 6pm, with tickets to the Nissan Arena clash on sale NOW.
All the action from Sunday’s grand finals day will be live streamed on KommunityTV from 4pm, when the Queensland Ruby Series decider between the Carina Leagues Club Tigers and the Gold Coast Titans gets underway.
For all HART Sapphire Series information, please click HERE.
For all Queensland Ruby Series information, please click HERE.
