The Picola District Netball League grand final beckons on Saturday, and it’s familiar territory for a Kats side taking on Deniliquin Rovers in the A-grade showdown.
Two years ago, the Rovers broke Katandra hearts in the decider to spark a chain reaction.
Deniliquin has since owned the September stage for two years running, but on Saturday, at Deniliquin Memorial Park, Katandra gets to swing at the champ again.
And their form is peaking.
The Kats spun Katamatite 40-30 in a wet and wild preliminary final to make it seven wins on the spin, and with the wind at their backs, Jo Moroney’s side seems like a team done playing second fiddle.
“The mood has been excellent,” Moroney said.
“Preparations have been pretty low-key just to keep everyone upbeat, injury free and excited about the moment.”
There’s no sugar-coating what they’re up against.
The Rovers are the benchmark, drilled and ruthless, and have only dropped points twice this season by losing to Katamatite and drawing with Katunga.
Carissa Bulmer’s side had the edge over the Kats back when they last met in round 13, but the six-goal margin points out that Deniliquin is not invincible.
When talking about key players, though, few others hold a candle to Deniliquin’s Natalie Sampson.
The imposing goalkeeper was awarded best-on-court merits in the 2024 decider - and, a year earlier, played a fine game in the grand final despite flying back from Bali only hours before the match.
But Katandra has weapons of its own.
Bec Osmond anchors the backline with poise and power, Abbey Monk marshals the midcourt and Bree Dudgeon finishes attacks with a scorer’s calm.
All three will be instrumental on Saturday, as well as the talent that surrounds them.
“I think we have a full team dynamic,” Moroney said.
“We can rely on bench players as well as the depth within the team.
“They’ve gone so far together all these years they’ve come out the other end faster, smarter, more knowledgeable.”
That hard edge might finally match the Rovers’ own.
Going up against recently crowned PDNL coach of the year Bulmer, Moroney will be looking to her leaders to do the nitty-gritty when the whistle blows on Saturday.
Cut off the Rovers’ circle feeds, force turnovers, push the pace.
If Osmond can disrupt Deniliquin’s shooters, if Monk can hit Dudgeon early and often, Katandra can drag the champs out of their comfort zone.
Moroney doesn’t shy from the scale of the job.
“I’m just looking forward to the challenge of competing against that side that has been proven to be the benchmark,” she said.
“But with no expectations, nothing other than playing a great game.”
There’s a quiet belief that has beamed around Katandra this week.
The Kats’ season goals were about toughness and togetherness - and they’ve ticked each box to finish second with an impressive 13-1-2 record.
“It’s been a great year, very successful as far as the group reaching the goals that they set at the start of the year,” Moroney said.
“We wanted to stay injury free, we wanted to stay together as a group and also to just take that one step further, which we've achieved.”
A clean bill of health is something Katandra didn’t have going into the 2023 grand final, as shooter Kendal Judd was scratched out through injury just before the big dance.
This time around, the Kats are all guns blazing and are ready to dethrone Deniliquin Rovers on its own court.
Moroney’s last message to her group is stripped-back and simple.
“Enjoy it, but also believe that it’s about the team,” she said.
The A-grade grand final begins at 1:30pm at Deniliquin Memorial Park on Saturday, September 13.
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