GNWFL grand final preview: Towns look to capture first women’s flag while Valley aiming for redemption

Chapman Valley are no strangers to the bright lights while Towns have reached their first grand final and are looking to go the distance, in the 2024 Great Northern Women’s Football League decider. The Bulldogs have dominated the women’s competition this season while Valley proved to be a thorn in their side. The storyline surrounding Towns was the appointment of new player-coach Jessica Giudice-Nairn, who was fresh off a flag with Brigades in 2023 when the side went undefeated. Along with her experience and playing ability, Giudice-Nairn brought with her eight players from the premiership side moving over to the Bulldogs in the offseason. While on the flip side, the Royals have stuck to their guns and continue to be one of the most successful sides in the women’s competition – during the home-and-away season at least. This will be the fifth consecutive grand final for the Valley girls, and the sixth in seven years — they currently have just one flag to their name which they won in 2022. For Towns, player-coach Giudice-Nairn said the excitement was high across the team, especially for the players who had not been in the big dance before. “Obviously a lot of excitement, first time that the Towns women’s team have been in the grand final, so a lot of excitement within the group,” she said. “They’re just so pumped to be in the grand final, they’ve been so close for so long, so to finally get there, they’re just really excited about it.” While on the Valley side, coach Jake Hipper said it was business as usual for them. “The vibes are really good and everybody’s keen,” he said. “The nerves are fine, we’ve just continued doing our business as normal and not try to highlight the grand final as much throughout training.” It’s the fourth matchup between the two sides, with Towns having the advantage two wins to one. The most notable clash came in round 17, when the Bulldogs looked to finish an undefeated year, but Valley handed them their first loss of the season. Towns got one back the very next week for a grand final berth, but Hipper said the side knows what to prepare for. “Feeling confident, we know what we’re up against…we’ve beaten them before, so we just need to rock up and play our part,” he said. The clash will take place at WA Country Builders Stadium, Towns’ home ground. “It’s nice but finals are a different breed so anything can happen,” Giudice-Nairn said. “You just have to go in 100 per cent on grand final day, just leave it all out there on the field and go as hard as you can.” Tuesday saw the women’s best and fairest crowned, with the award being split between Towns’ Dix and Valley’s Andie Payne. According to the coaches, both players are key pieces. “(Dix) is amazing, just seeing her growth over the last few years with her footy, it’s just been really, really good to see,” Giudice-Nairn said. “She’s also become a really good leader now as well, she’s a very important person to the team.” Hipper added about Payne: “It’s been unreal, (Payne) has been a great asset to the club on and off the field.” “It just shows all the hard work she put in preseason has paid off.” The women’s decider is set for Saturday at WA Country Builder’s stadium with bouncedown at 1.10pm.