MCDFNL - Finals are finally here for Navarre as they prepare to take on Carisbrook at Hedges Oval tomorrow in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League.
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The Grasshoppers will be hoping tomorrow's match is not a repeat of last year, when they defeated Carisbrook in their only home and away match before being beaten in the qualifying final and had to go about making the grand final the hard way.
The 2012 situation is eerily similar - Navarre has played Carisbrook once back in round 12 where they won by 27 points but coach Daniel Parkin is hopeful they can reverse the trend tomorrow.
"We've pretty much got identical teams. It'll pretty much come back to who turns up on the day. Hopefully our guys come up and want to play," Parkin said.
"We want to win and have the week off to rest up."
Navarre can take plenty of heart from last week's effort against Maldon, where they won by 16 points in a tough contest.
Parkin said that if the Grasshoppers can take last week's form into tomorrow's game, it will hold them in good stead.
"We'll try and get on top. They'll persist all day though," he said.
Navarre's defenders will need to be mindful of Carisbrook's forward line, with Nathan Wright (who didn't play in their first round encounter) returning.
Wright booted six goals last week in Carisbrook's 115-point win against Dunolly.
Daniel Fitzell has the tough task of trying to curb Wright's influence, while Sam Robinson will again line up on Jackson Bowen, who he kept to two goals last time the teams met.
However, Parkin said that means nothing in tomorrow's qualifying final.
"They have three danger forwards and if we can nullify them, it'll help us out a long way," he said.
Up the other end, Kris Brennan, Ben Scott and Louis Hannett will need to fire.
That's provided Hannett can return from a hamstring strain that kept him out of last week's match against Maldon.
In good news for the Grasshoppers, defender Alex Reichman (illness) and Steve Benham are set to play tomorrow.
Parkin knows in order to win, Navarre must perform for four quarters and not let Carisbrook get the jump early.