PINT and Nightcliff eyeing their first WPL grand final when they meet in the preliminary final

The WPL preliminary final offers a history making grand final berth for the winner, but heartbreak for the loser

PINT's Cassie Henderson is grabbed by Nightcliff ruck Olivia Hatzismalis in their Round 13 match. Picture: Chris Kent

PINT is in danger of a confidence shattering straight sets exit from the Women’s Premier League finals.

That is the challenge facing Rick Nolan’s Queenants when they meet a confident Nightcliff in today’s preliminary final at TIO Stadium.

Unbeaten after 16 rounds and seemingly in control of the second semi-final against the Darwin Buffettes until a last half fadeout, the green and gold stripes are in trouble.

Nolan, a three-time premiership coach with the St Mary’s men’s side, knows his players will have to improve by at least 20 per cent to beat the confident Tigers.

Nightcliff looked like a genuine premiership contender when it demolished St Mary’s in the knockout semi-final.

Midfielder Eliza Morrison, big marking spearhead Mickayla Ward and the Hotzismalis sisters, Sophie and Olivia, were big factors in the 55-point win.

For Nolan, the week’s preparation has focused on four quarters of football on order to win the club’s first women’s final and qualify for a grand final matchup with the Darwin Buffettes.

“We’ve got to learn how to stop an opposition side’s momentum and the best way to do that is to kick a goal,’’ he said.

“We were good in the first half and dropped away against the Buffettes, so we’ve got a big game on our hands against Nightcliff who knocked off the reigning premier two weeks ago and did a very effective job on St Mary’s last week.’’

The WPL grand final has traditionally been played a week before their male counterparts, a trend league officials turned into one day in March this season by linking them with the men.

Last time they met: PINT 11.7 (73) d Nightcliff 2.6 (18). Round 13