HORSHAM will be aiming to win its 12th flag from the past 13 years, while Horsham Saints will try to avenge its losses from the two previous deciders when the two sides meet in the Wimmera league big dance on Saturday.
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The two sides have played each other four times over the course of the 2015 season – including once in finals – with the Saints triumphing on all occasions.
The lead-up to the weekend’s grand final at Warracknabeal is similar to 2014, when the Saints held sway against the Demons until being beaten in the decider.
Saints coach Shayne Breuer told the Mail-Times ahead of Saturday his side had made good use of its week off and was raring to face the Demons.
“We’ve trained fairly hard. We’ve had a couple of big sessions to replicate games as much as we could with the guys that we had,” he said.
“But then the guys who needed to get the rehab and prepare themselves have been able to do that.
“I think it worked our really well because we had quite a few guys who were sore from the Horsham game – and prior – so a bit of time off has been been really good.”
Breuer said there were a handful of players carrying niggles but the majority were likely to take their place in Saturday’s side.
Breuer admitted it would be tough to stop the Demon juggernaut and said his whole side would need to contribute.
“They’ve got a bit of everything. They’re hard at it, they’ve got some really good runners and some good talls,” he said.
“We really just need to bring our best football to the table and everyone’s got to be accountable.”
Horsham co-coach Brad Hartigan spoke to the Mail-Times with the premiership cup within sight, and he said it did spur him and his Demons on.
“It does. It would be nice to add another one to the collection,” he said.
“Everyone’s excited – as you would be – and we’re looking forward to it.”
Hartigan said the Demons would go in without any major injury concerns, with Luke Carr having recovered from a shoulder scare from the weekend to take his place in the side.
“Everyone’s pretty well. A couple of niggly things but everyone should pull up fine,” he said.
The Saints’ outside run remains an area of primary focus for the Demons.
“We’ve got to shut that down. It’s pretty good and when you turn the footy over they hurt you on the rebound,” Hartigan said.
“A couple of times we’ve played them they’ve really hurt us on the outside.
“If we can win the footy on the inside and not turn it over going forward, it probably stops a lot of their run on the outside.”
