The ANZ Premiership grand final is only days away and the Northern Mystics and Mainland Tactix will be vying for the coveted 2021 premiership trophy. It is not their first rodeo with the Tactix gearing up for their second appearance in as many years while the Mystics have climbed their way back up the ladder and will be eager to put their best foot forward in this contest.

Northern Mystics vs. Mainland Tactix
Sunday, July 8 @3:30pm

After finishing top of the table, the Northern Mystics will be hoping that their extra week off will keep them nice and fresh coming up against a full throttle Mainland Tactix team. The Tactix had to fight their way into the grand final and they did just that with a convincing performance last week and will be hoping to replicate that level of confidence and commitment in their clash against the Mystics. The Mystics have the upper hand winning two out of the three times the two sides have met this season, with the most recent a narrow four-goal win in Round 15 – a feat they will be drawing great inspiration and confidence from.

It will once again be the battle of the towering goal shooters with the Mystics headlined by 19-year-old Grace Nweke. The goal shooter is a lynchpin inside the goal circle with her clever holds and sheer strength in the air to easily rip ball away and create opportunities aplenty inside attack. Her volume to post is undeniable and while she does not need a wealth of shooting support the Mystics have options with Bailey Mes, Filda Vui and Saviour Tui all able to have an influence under the post. Mes is the one the Mystics will look to steady the ship in attack with her wisdom and experience paramount against a highly damaging Tactix defensive combination. Although it took a while for the connection between Jane Watson and Karin Burger to flourish they have well and truly hit their straps now with the pair one of the most effective partnerships in the competition. Burger leads the way for intercepts while Watson tops the tables for deflections highlighting just how much ball the two win back meaning the Mystics will have to be on high alert when delivering into the circle.

One thing the Mystics have up their sleeve is dynamic wing attack Peta Toeava. The fancy-footed midcourter is a real barometer for her side, able to set the court alight with her drive and vision into the circle to deliver ball time and time again into Nweke within the blink of an eye. Charlotte Elley will have her hands full with the wing attack and will need to rely on her strong three-foot marking and smothering style of play if the Tactix are any chance of slowing down the ball entering into the circle. The battle between the two centres will also be one to cast an eye on as Kimiora Poi and Tayla Earle go head-to-head. Both centres are real speedsters that can switch from defence to attack within a heartbeat. Poi will need to up the ante in defence to assist Elley with stopping Toeava while Earle will be hoping to negate the speed of the Tactix centre. The Tactix are brimming with options in wing attack as both Samon Nathan and Erikana Pedersen have proven they are more than capable of coming on and changing things up. Pedersen provides a calm head inside attack while Nathan complements the speed Poi has meaning that Fa’amu Ioane will have to be on her A-game throughout the full 60 minutes and adjust her game accordingly.

With Nweke up one end, the other towering shooter is Ellie Bird with the Mainland Tactix goal shooter elevating her game even further this season. Standing at 196cm the shooter is an intimidating figure under the post who can command the ball with her clever body positioning and smarts. Much like Nweke, Bird is incredibly accurate to post and can post a high volume of goals to keep the scoreboard ticking over – but it is Te Paea Selby-Rickit that the Mystics will need to stop. The Mystics defensive unit of Sulu Fitzpatrick and Kate Burley cannot afford to solely focus on Bird but will need to nullify the work of Selby-Rickit out the front with the goal attack a real crafty player able to dictate the flow inside attack. Lucky enough though, the Mystics are oozing with talent with Ama Agbeze and Phoenix Karaka also viable options down back.

With formidable shooting ends and strong defensive line-ups it will come down to which team is able to treasure possession and think their way through the pressure. The Tactix have conceded the lowest amount of goals all season and will need to replicate that against the Mystics who are renowned for their high totals.