TRYING to put a formline through this week's Darwin Buffettes-Nightcliff Women's Premier League grand final is a tough assignment.
The Buffettes and Tigers have never met in a WPL premiership decider in the 17-year history of the women's competition.
Grand final experience belongs to the Buffettes, who have appeared in six end of season finales and won one, the 18-point win over Waratah in 2017.
This year they took the short route to the grand final when they overpowered a hesitant Nightcliff in the major semi-final.
The Buffettes again got tremendous service from Gwynne medallist Molly Althouse in the ruck and occasionally up forward, while Tayla Hart-Aluni on a wing and skipper Kylie Duggan round the ball were big contributors.
First year Buffettes coach Melinda Taylor baulked at suggestions her side would go into the grand final as favourites, despite beating Nightcliff twice during the season.
"I don't think we should be favourites, to be honest,'' Taylor said. "Nightcliff had the form all year and big finals matches are different, especially grand finals.
"They finished over the top of Waratah in the preliminary final and have a lot of good players.''
Taylor was full of praise for Althouse's performance in the major semi-final and in winning the league's best and fairest award.
"I don't think many people realise that Molly missed two games through Covid and we had the washout against St Mary's and the forfeit against Palmerston.
"So to poll enough votes to win the medal in the games she did play was phenomenal.''
Taylor has her players primed for a big performance since the disappointment of last year's decider when another Gwynne medallist, Jasmyn Hewett, steered PINT to a breakthrough flag.
"We've got some girls who didn't play in last year's match and some of us (Taylor included) who didn't make it to the grand final, but I'm coaching now so it's a bit different,'' she laughed.
Nightcliff showed a lot of courage and determination when coming from behind to beat Waratah in the preliminary final.
But beating a confident Buffettes side in their first grand final appearance will require the maximum effort from every player in a yellow and black jumper.
That means players like Eliza Morrison, Andi Moliere, the Hatzismalis sisters (Sophie and Olivia) and the talented Cassie McWilliam will have to play big games again.
The Shannon Millar coached Tigers have gone from winning two games in a season to grand finalists in four years.
"Obviously as a club it's an amazing effort to make a grand final for the first time and we're all very excited and proud of what the girls have achieved,'' Millar said.
"This season has been a turning point for the Tiger women with our reserves side also in a grand final and it shows we're heading in the right direction, which is great.''
Millar expects the best side on the day to hold the premiership cup at the final siren, with the formline caught between Nightcliff's two losses (both to the Buffettes) and Darwin's finals experience.
"As to who is the grand final favourite? I think it's a coin toss, to be honest,'' she said.
