Warrnambool Mermaids host Bellarine in Big V division one semi-final

With the winner to advance to the Big V division one grand final series, Primmer said little separated his team and Bellarine with the Storm securing two early wins against the Mermaids in the first three rounds of the season. The Mermaids then defeated the Storm on the road in June.

The championship-winning coach, who missed the second and third meetings against Bellarine due to unavailability and injury respectively, is looking forward to a battle between two high-quality teams who led the competition at different points of the year.

"It's probably going to come down to who shoots it well and who defends well and rebounds well, the normal things," Primmer said. "We're going to have to be at our very best if we're to make sure we give ourselves the best chance to win."

The Arc has arguably been a fortress for the Mermaids this year, losing just one game at home - its season-opener against Bellarine which went to overtime. Primmer said his squad was far improved since that round one match against the Storm with several new Mermaids - including Dakota Crichton, Tyleah Barr and Elise Thurman - now fully immersed in the side.

"They had to learn to play with everyone else who had been together for a bit longer," Primmer said.

Further development from the Mermaids' teen cohort - Cigi Lual's outstanding season warranting more court time, Paiyton Noonan's dangerous three-point game and Molly McLaren's strong return after overcoming a back injury - had aided the cause.

"Our whole dynamics of what we did the year before had changed a bit because of personnel," Primmer said.

The coach headed to Geelong with daughter and assistant coach Courtney Thompson Saturday night to get a first-hand look at the Storm in their elimination final win. He said Bellarine "looked impressive" in the 78-44 victory against Mildura Heat, with the match decided midway through the third quarter.

"Bellarine coach Tim Sanderson got a good opportunity to run some of his bench players and rest some of his starters in that last quarter," Primmer said. "When you see it live you get to see a few things they do and hopefully you can work on those things and try and nullify them as much as you can."

Georgia Varley, who is averaging 17.25 points and four assists a game, is one player the Mermaids must take care of, while import B'hrea Griffin, who missed Bellarine's first final with a leg injury, has dangerous intangibles across the court if she suits up against the Mermaids.

Primmer, who labelled Warrnambool's home crowd as the best in the league, is hoping the energy will lift his side. "Hopefully they can spur us on and we can win a game that is going to be real tough," he said.

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