The North Coast Bulldogs are on the cusp of glory as they prepare to face the Western Rams in the 2024 Women's Country Championships grand final in Woy Woy.
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The Bulldogs' spot in the grand final was secured by back-to-back wins against the Northern Rivers Titans and the Northern Tigers.
Carissa Skrinnikoff, a player for both North Coast and Wauchope Blues, said it was "surreal" to make the grand final.
"It's a great competition to be a part of, and we're really happy to have made it so far and to be on the verge of a grand final victory," she said.
With the big decider looming large, Skrinnikoff said she was confident in the team's ability to overcome the formidable challenge posed by the Rams.
"They're a very strong team, but we have a lot of confidence in our team to get the win," she said. "I don't think there's much that they can bring to the table that we can't beat."
Skrinnikoff said the competitive spirit will define the grand final.
"I think at the end of the day it will just come down to who wants it more."
Fellow North Coast and Wauchope Blues player, Rachel Bradley, said the country championships has been an educational experience.
"It's been an amazing opportunity for us to play such a high standard of footy, and it has been a really great test for us," she said.
"We've been learning new skills every training session, and we've become more confident with every game.
"It's also been encouraging to play in front of a bigger crowd every time as well."
North Coast Bulldogs program manager Paul Walsh said the team has the chance to make North Coast history on the weekend.
"We haven't been able to win a title in any other division, so this is our chance to put North Coast in the trophy cabinet," he said.
Walsh said he was proud of the team's progress since last year
"Last year, we didn't win a game so to be able to turn it around and make the grand final within a year is really impressive," he said.
"We're all incredibly proud of the team, and it's been encouraging to see them grow as players within a representative competition.
"We're pretty excited and confident that we can get the job done on the weekend."
North Coast Bulldogs Senior Women's team:
1. Ava Glassie 2. Annika Franklin 3. Tiarna Dunn 4. Georgia Dent 5. Natalya Franklin 6. Nakita Binge 7. Holly Auld 8. Zoie Shreiweis 9. Belinda Andersen 10. Carissa Skrinnikoff 11. Rachel Bradley 12. Natalie Smith 13. Tina McRae 14. Naomi George 15. Chloe Simiana 16. Abby Baker 17. Kali Taylor 18. Tilly Hunter
