Darley earned the week off and secured their place directly in the grand final after finishing on top of the ladder. North Ballarat, meanwhile, had to take the longer road, facing Lake Wendouree in a do-or-die preliminary final and producing a convincing win to keep their season alive.

That result has now set up a grand final meeting with Darley, who have already demonstrated why they finished on top of the ladder.

For Darley, the challenge now is to back up their dominant semi final performance and complete their season with the ultimate reward.

Their attacking end will again be a major focus, with Olivia Cawthray at GS and Akira McCormack at GA providing two key scoring options. McCormack's return to the line-up in the semi final gave Darley another dimension in attack, with their combination proving difficult for any defender to contain.

Through the midcourt, Lucy Taylor, Montana Holmes and Jaimee Smith will be critical to Darley's ability to move the ball cleanly and maintain pressure. At the defensive end, Anna Lawley and Matilda Elliot will face the enormous task of trying to restrict a North Ballarat attack that has been in outstanding form.

North Ballarat will enter the Grand Final full of confidence after their preliminary victory. Their attacking combination of Maddy Selmon and Poppy Douglass was particularly effective, with Selmon’s shooting accuracy above 90%

Selmon's shooting form will undoubtedly be one of the major talking points heading into the Grand Final. Darley will need to find a way to make possession difficult for North Ballarat and limit the opportunities reaching their star goal shooter.

Alongside Selmon and Douglass, Georgia Bodey provides an important link through WA, while Lilly Francis will be central to North Ballarat's ability to control the tempo through centre. Brydi Hutchinson and Milly Simpson will also have a significant role to play in the midcourt battle, while Maggie Smith provides the defensive presence at GK.

The defensive contest will be particularly intriguing. North Ballarat's defensive pressure was a major factor in their final, with Smith making an immediate impact and the defensive combination working hard to disrupt the opposition attack.

That pressure will now be tested against a Darley attack that showed just how damaging it can be when given clean ball and time to settle.

The Midcourt Battle

The battle through the centre third could prove decisive.

Darley's Lucy Taylor, Montana Holmes and Jaimee Smith will go head-to-head with Georgia Bodey, Lilly Francis and Brydi Hutchinson. Both midcourts will be looking to generate clean attacking ball while also applying enough pressure to force turnovers.

The team that can win possession and transition it into the attacking circle efficiently could gain a significant advantage.

The Shooting Battle

At either end, there is plenty of talent.

Darley's Olivia Cawthray and Akira McCormack will need to deal with the pressure created by North Ballarat's defensive unit, while North's Maddy Selmon and Poppy Douglass will face a Darley defence determined to make every possession count.

Selmon enters the grand final after producing one of the standout individual shooting performances of the finals, but Darley will be looking to ensure North Ballarat cannot simply rely on easy feeds into the circle.

What to Watch

• Maddy Selmon's shooting form
• The battle between the two midcourts and which side can control possession.
• Darley's attacking combination of Olivia Cawthray and Akira McCormack.
• North Ballarat's defensive pressure and whether they can disrupt Darley's attacking flow.
• How both teams use their bench options as the intensity and physical demands of the Grand Final increase.
• Shooting accuracy under pressure, particularly in the crucial final quarter.

The Grand Final Story

Darley have already shown during the finals that they can produce a sustained, high-pressure performance, while North Ballarat have demonstrated their ability to respond and keep their season alive when the stakes are at their highest.

The grand final presents a completely different challenge.

Darley enter the Grand Final with plenty of confidence after a strong finals campaign and the benefit of a week off.

Finishing on top of the ladder, they have shown throughout the season that they have the ability to control games and perform under pressure.

North Ballarat will also head into the decider full of confidence, having built strong momentum through their finals campaign.

Their attacking end has been in excellent form, while their defensive pressure and ability to create turnovers will be key strengths heading into the biggest game of the season.

With the season coming down to one game, every possession, turnover and missed opportunity will matter.

Darley v North Ballarat has all the ingredients of a Grand Final worth watching, with two sides bringing contrasting strengths and plenty of attacking talent to the biggest stage of the season.

Darley Team List

GS – Olivia Cawthray

GA – Akira McCormack

WA – Lucy Taylor

C – Montana Holmes

WD – Jaimee Smith

GD – Anna Lawley

GK  - Matilda Elliot

Sub – Shannon Blackman

Sub – Ailish McCormack

North Ballarat Team List

GK - Amy Wirth

GD - Milly Simpson

WD - Brydi Hutchinson

C - Maddie Fitzpatrick

WA - Kelsie Rainbow

GA - Poppy Douglass

GS - Maddy Selmon

SUB - Georgia Bodey

SUB - Maggie Smith

SUB - Lilly Francis