GNFLW grand final: Chapman Valley seeks to break grand final curse as Rams look to go back to back in decider

The more things change the more they stay the same as the Rams and Chapman Valley will battle it out once again for the GNWFL title on Saturday. Chapman Valley has dominated the season once again to qualify for their third straight grand final on the back of a 13-1 record. They recorded an average of 56 points a game, more than 14 points better than their nearest rival. They won their past seven games, conceding just 10 goals. Coach Jay Corlett has been impressed with the way the group has recovered from a tumultuous off-season. “From the onset, we were pretty shaky. With the amount of turnover we had in the off-season, we weren’t really sure how we would go,” he said. “But to the girls’ credit, they picked up our game and methods really quickly and put together a really strong season.” The Royals have won the past three minor premierships, going undefeated in the shortened 2020 season and 12-2 last year. However, they haven’t been able to translate that regular season dominance into flag success, losing their past two finals to Brigades and the Rams respectively. “They say you’ve got to lose one to win one; well, I think we’ve lost enough now,” Corlett said. “The learnings we’ve acquired from those defeats should hopefully serve us well in the final.” There’s no question they’ve got match winners across the park, including Tayah Palmer, the newly crowned women’s best and fairest (an award she shared with Towns’ Olivia Bidwell) and the league’s leading goal kicker. “Tayah’s got a really good football brain and has great communication and is well respected by the group,” Corlett said. “But she’s not the only key player. We’ve got a lot of those around the ground.” Lucinda Rouse finished just three goals adrift in the goal-kicking award and their captain, Taylah Broadhurst, is one of the most experienced in the league. The Royals’ last meeting was decided by just a single point and Corlett is confident the squad can get the job done. “We have a couple of players that we’ve circled to keep an eye on but we’re more focused on playing our game,” he said. “If we play and execute our game style, it should be good enough to come home with the win.” The Rams might just be peaking at the right time after beating a top-two side for the first time in their preliminary final. They turned the heat on after a stuttering start to the year, generating big scores, and though they had a tough run home, including losses to Towns and Chapman Valley, they were competitive in both matches. They really clicked into gear in their dispatching of Railways as they held the Blues to just a single goal, while they were winners in an arm wrestle of contrasting styles before finally breaching the staunch Bulldogs’ defence and kicking away to book their spot in the final. Rams coach Josh Wilson is under no illusions of the challenge the Royals pose. “No doubt we’re the underdogs,” he said. “But there’s absolutely no pressure on the girls. We came into the season having lost around 10 of our best players and to be here again, the girls are absolutely pumped. “I always thought we could make the grand final. It was just about getting the group to buy into the game plan and get that belief in themselves.” Wilson said the team got a big boost from their win over the Bulldogs and they had what it took to match the Royals. “We were pretty chuffed to beat Towns and it was definitely a big morale boost after holding out for three quarters then running over the top of them,” he said. “Our girls played pretty well in that last match against Royals and they’ll have to be at their best again but if they can adopt the game plan and just stick with them, we can get the win.” They have excellent players at their disposal: Mikenna Schultz and Asha Poletti are two of the best midfielders in the competition and up forward Selina Kiddle is in hot form, kicking 12 goals in her past four games. “Our gameday planning has really improved. We’ve tried a few different things throughout the season but we’ve really settled on our plans which has allowed players like Selina to shine,” Wilson said. Their ability to stop the firepower of the Royals will be key in what should be an absorbing tactical battle. Bouncedown for the women’s final is scheduled for 1.20pm at Country Builders Stadium.