The Hornets fell short of the Mermaids by 17 points on Saturday, but playing coach Sharon Fedke knows her team has what it takes to progress to the grand final.

She is expecting a closer match on Saturday, particularly as the teams played out a thriller in their first encounter for the season on December 1.

Warrnambool won the game by one point after holding off a fast-finishing Hornets outfit, which scored 20 points to the Mermaids’ 15 in the final term.

“We were coming back and we were probably unlucky not to win that one,” Fedke said.

The Hornets went into Saturday’s match undermanned but will have a full squad to choose from – including gun Chloe Bibby, who played in the Melbourne Classic at the weekend.

Fedke said the Hornets worked on defence throughout the week after being exposed in that area on Saturday.

“We have to play a consistent, defensive game,” she said. “They’ve got a bit of height, so we need to stop them from the inside.”

Fedke said the Hornets would also need to limit the impact of standouts Anya Hamill and Kat Aitkin, who might be unavailable after suffering a leg injury during the weekend’s double-header.

“When Chloe’s available she’s our top scorer, but generally it’s a good team effort across the board,” she said.

“Everyone needs to be a scoring option, so we’re not singling out one person.”

Fedke said the Hornets had a good mix of youth and experience.

“Everyone contributes something to the team, whether it’s the younger ones who give us plenty of run or the older heads who bring experience,” she said.

“We’re looking forward to the game – hopefully we can come away with a win.”