Warrnambool Mermaids ready for 2023 Big V one-off grand final game

The statewide basketball competition usually runs a best-of-three grand final series.

But a change to the format means the Mermaids will have just one chance to defend their women's division one crown when they host Bellarine Storm at the Arc on Saturday night.

Primmer said his players would take the right mindset into the grand final which will tip-off at 6.30pm.

"I have been coaching for a long time and it's the first time in the Big V they've done this," he told The Standard.

"It's the same as footy - if you're the best team, you should be winning it, but sometimes it's a little bit like Hamilton in the women's footy (on Sunday).

"They were underdogs all year and then on that one day they put together a blinder and were able to win it.

"You've always got that possibility. I've been on both sides of it, probably last year Sherbrooke looked like they were the team right up to the last eight weeks and we were on song for the last eight weeks."

The Mermaids will embrace the cut-throat nature of a one-off grand final game.

Elise Thurman played in Hamilton's Western Victoria Female Football League grand final win while the likes of Amy Wormald and Louise Brown have experience in one-off netball finals too.

"They've been around and they've played different sports too and they know in netball there's not a best-of-three, so they know the situation and what you've got to do," Primmer said.

"We play well, we shoot the ball well and we defend well, we give ourselves a really good shot of winning it."

Primmer said he expected a tight game against Bellarine, given both sides had dominated the competition at times in 2023.

The Mermaids won the second semi-final by four points after a stirring come-from-behind performance.

"It is going to be a great game. We've had close games with Bellarine all year but we were lucky enough to beat them in the second semi and then they toughed it out against Western Port (in the preliminary final) last Saturday night in an overtime game," he said.

"They're coming and they're going to have a real swing at us and we've just got to be prepared to take whatever they're going to throw at us."

The Mermaids have had two of the past four weeks off after finishing atop the ladder and earning a week off before winning the second semi-final and booking a direct passage to the decider.

"It's what the girls play for and what coaches coach for - to challenge themselves in the best game of the year," Primmer said.

"We're lucky enough to be there."

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