Hancocks receive 'good news' at best time

Hancocks A-Grade women's coach Mark Eleison was celebrating a psychological win before his team even started their grand final warm-up.

Loyal Hancocks dual-registered players like Kelly McNamara are right to play in this weekend's Ipswich grand final. Picture: Cordell Richardson

HOCKEY: Hancocks A-Grade women's coach Mark Eleison was celebrating a psychological win before his team even started their grand final warm-up.

He was confident of fielding a full strength side with no major dual registration issues this season.

Preparing to tackle the might of Wests in this afternoon's grand final, Eleison was encouraged having regular Brisbane competition players like captain Sara Rogers, Layla Eleison and Kelly McNamara available.

"It's taken the last couple of games just to get a full squad for the whole year,'' Eleison said. "It's good news going in.

"We've got all the girls available.''

McNamara is the only regular Hancocks' A-Grader who needs to return from an earlier final for UQ in Brisbane.

For Eleison, the key to Hancocks upstaging Wests was replicating their performance before the finals. Hancocks became the only team from the Ipswich and Toowoomba competitions to end Wests' winning run in their recent 3-2 victory.

"They (Wests) are a quality side. They have set the benchmark all year,'' Eleison said.

"We have had a win over them in the last round game so we know the goal is there and it can be achieved.

"It's up to the girls now to go back to how we played that game and reflect on that and see if we can duplicate it.''

Coaching the team in a third consecutive grand final, Eleison shares his players' ups and downs.

"I just want to see the girls do well. They put the effort in,'' he said. "Every year they go out there and do what they've got to do.

"If they get everything right and play as a team, I think we'll do really well. It's just about getting the reward for the effort.''

Eleison said the positive for his side this season was producing consistent hockey.

"The girls have got the talent,'' he said.

"The girls know what's got to get done. They've been there, done that.''