Tasmanian Tigers coach Jude Coleman on injuries to Elyse Villani and Molly Strano heading into WNCL final

Tasmanian Tigers coach Jude Coleman is confident at least one of her two star players will return from injury for the WNCL final but admits it’s been ‘stressful’ to navigate.

Tasmanian Tigers coach Jude Coleman admits having two of her senior players under injury clouds heading into the WNCL final has added more stress to her week but is confident at least one of them will be available for Saturday.

The reigning two-time champions will be gunning for an elusive three-peat when they host Queensland at Bellerive Oval this weekend with extra attention on the squad given captain Elyse Villani and senior spinner Molly Strano have both missed games late in the season due to injury.

The likely return of captain Elyse Villani will be a major one for the Tigers. (Photo by Simon Sturzaker/Getty Images)

Already missing Amy Smith, Julia Cavanough and Rachel Trenaman, the Tigers have been without Strano for the final three games of the season with a broken hand while Villani missed the final game of the regular season against Victoria due to a shoulder complaint.

While Coleman admits Strano’s availability for the final won’t be determined until later in the week, she is confident she will have one of Australia’s most highly respected players and leaders back at her disposal against the Fire.

“She (Villani) has progressed really nicely and had a full training session on Monday,” Coleman said.

“Fingers crossed it (shoulder) doesn’t flare up again but all going to plan she will be available.

“We are hoping we will know a little bit more (about Strano’s availability) on Thursday. She had a bowl on Monday night but we haven’t tested her in the field or anything so we are still a fair way off knowing if she will be available.”

With Strano confirming to The Mercury on Monday that she would do everything right to give herself the best chance to play, Coleman said it would be a discussion between Strano and the coaching and medical staff as to if she returns.

Jude Coleman has led the Tigers back to a WNCL final in her first full season in charge – she took the reigns midway through last season. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“There are some aspects that we will say to the medical staff ‘we need Molly to be able to do this’, and then it’s up to her weather she thinks she can do that,” Coleman explained.

“But it’s one of those injuries where if she gets a knock and it stops her from being able to bowl then that affects our whole bowling line up, so we will want to be pretty certain that she can get through the whole innings.”

With the Tigers winning games without a full choice squad to pick from right across season 2023-24, Coleman said she was confident in every player’s ability to perform but did admit having both Villani and Strano at less than 100 per cent in the lead-up to a grand final had brought her some added stress.

“It adds to the stress but I do feel completely confident in the squad that we have together,” she said.

“The girls showed that they can still perform without them but I’m not going to lie, it does make it a little bit more stressful.”