While Bulldogs finished third at the end of the regular season, there is confidence that the squad can claim a second title in three years.

Bulldogs coach Michael Germech said there’s room for improvement, after last weeks 32-30 preliminary final win over Collegians Mystified. 

“We didn’t play as well as we like to,” he said.

“We’re playing a lot of friends on Saturday and with the State Cup the following weekend, so this grand final is an anti-climax.

“They’ve [Panthers] got an awesome attack end between Jess [Matthews] Carina [Floyd and Claire [Woolmington], they’re really high quality at that end. That’s their greatest assest.

“We’ve got to be pretty careful to make sure they give an opportunity to take the ball of them, we take it. That’s pretty much the bottom line for us. 

“I think we’ll be able to score enough goals but shutting them down and their shooting will be the biggest challenge.” 

Germech is confident his team’s defence, which is the best in the league, can handle Panthers A.

“It’s just a matter of being really sharp on our rebounds, looking after our passes when we get the ball off them and making the most of it at the other end,” he said.

“I don’t think we’ll take the season games to heart because I don’t think had a full team either time [when we played Panthers A].”

Germech is expecting a close game, considering only four points seperated the top three teams (Panthers, Collegians and Bulldogs). 

He believes that his squad has the right mix to get a result on Saturday and will be starting with his strongest seven, free of injury. 

When both teams last played each other, Panthers claimed a 47-37 win. 

Panthers play Bulldogs at 3pm, at John Matthews Netball Court 1.