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\u201cWe always knew we were good enough to be in this league and that was something we really focused on early on, that mindset of believing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that we\u2019ve beaten a few top teams and started to play a really good brand of netball, the belief has just gotten stronger and stronger each week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am so proud of us, and I can\u2019t wait for Wednesday night. It\u2019s super-exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Strikers will enter finals in excellent form, on the back of five wins from their last six matches. The only blemish was a tight three-goal loss to Melbourne University Lightning a fortnight ago.<\/p>\n
That loss, which followed a convincing win three days earlier against Western Warriors, might well prove to be a blessing in disguise.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe it was the loss we needed to come together again and reset; and to set the standards a bit higher at training and expect a little bit more from each other,\u201d Sartori said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery game you play, you have to work for it. The wins aren\u2019t going to come unless you work for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, it (the loss) happened, but it didn\u2019t change where we finished on the ladder.<\/p>\n
\u201cCasey will be tough, no doubt about it, but I do think we can get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n
A two-time premiership player with Kangaroo Flat in her home league \u2013 the BFNL \u2013 and also a two-time league best and fairest, Sartori harbors a deep appreciation for just how tough it is to reach finals at VNL level.<\/p>\n
In a lengthy career that has featured stops at Ballarat Sovereigns, Boroondara Express, Geelong Cougars and now Bendigo, she has only participated in finals twice.<\/p>\n
That has only strengthened her resolve to make the first one as a Striker count.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are ever so hard to come by in this league,\u201d Sartori said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou kind of have to win early on in your season to set yourself up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you lose a couple of games that you should win at the back end, it can really knock you out of contention pretty quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sartori, who boldly predicted the Strikers to reach finals in 2025 on the day of her appointment as captain in February, said making good on the vow was \u2018incredible\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a real testament to everyone involved at our club, be they at coaching level, or playing level, or the board level,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has just put so much time and effort to get us where we are.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs players we have worked very hard and I feel we have connected a lot more this year, which has helped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe connection off the court has gotten a lot stronger, so that has helped on the court.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am really proud of us, and I am really proud of Zoe (vice-captain Zoe Davies) and of (23-and-under leaders) Shae (Clifford) and Elsie (Boyer) for leading our teams to finals.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 23s have done a great job. From only four wins last year to finals last year, it\u2019s been an amazing turnaround.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HAVING already carved out a slice of history by reaching VNL finals for the first time, Bendigo Strikers captain Chelsea Sartori believes Wednesday night\u2019s championship elimination final against Casey Demons is an opportunity for the club to start work on an exciting new chapter. The inspirational midcourter says she could not be prouder of the […]<\/p>\n