By Dale Fletcher

Former stars will try and ruin their old teams’ championship dreams this Saturday night when West Adelaide Bearcats take on Forestville Eagles for the Central ABL women’s title at the Dome.

Both teams have players that have tasted success with Saturday night’s opposition in an interesting side note to a game that will be close all the way from the opening tip.

The defending champion Eagles will look to last year’s grand final spark Jess Mahony, to lead Forestville past the Bearcats for a third time in 2010 after succumbing to West in the second semi final 65-53.

Mahony was also one of the main factors behind the Bearcats’ last women’s title in 2007 when she and her opposing point guard Irene Sourlatzis formed a strong back court presence for West.

West’s lynch pin Nikki Martin won a title for Forestville way back in 2005 when she was only a junior. Martin paired with Mia Newley in the winning side, yet on Saturday night they will be the hardest of foes.

The Lightning pair will go head-to-head in a battle royale which will go a long way to deciding the 2010 champion.

Having outstanding seasons in 2010 are the Eagles’ Jess Fergus and West’s Ashlea Vordermaier.

Fergus will undoubtedly have the task of shutting down either Martin or West playing-coach Sam Woosnam while also providing an offensive threat.

Vordermaier has blossomed under the tutelage of Woosnam and is a key factor to the Bearcats’ success. West always seem to win when she plays well.

For West to even make the grand final is a great feat after losing the inside presence of Kerrin Webber and Kate Walsh to pregnancy during the season.

The Bearcats look to be in the better form after struggling through the later part of the minor round.

West stunned Sturt Sabres 66-62 in the qualifying final at Pasadena before going to Wayville a fortnight ago and collecting the first grand final place with victory over the Eagles.

Forestville responded by knocking the Sabres out 53-41 last Saturday and showed that defence does win the big games.

Tip off is at 6.15pm.

Potential grand final match-ups:

Jess Mahony v Irene Sourlatzis: Ironically the staring back court pairing of the last Bearcats women’s title win in 2007 will be pitted against each other.
Mahony single-handedly won the Eagles the title last year when she blanketed Angela Marino.
Sourlatzis has to be a threat offensively and also keep Mahony’s effect to a minimum.

Jamie-Lee Bow v Ashlea Vordermaier: A big match up for both sides. Vordermaier is the big x-factor for West - when she plays well, the Bearcats always get the chocolates. Bow will have to keep Vordermaier off the glass and box out hard to curb her influence.

Alex Duncan v Trudy Holland: West seem to have a slight advantage in this match up with the much improved Holland looking to stamp her authority in the competition.
Duncan will have to keep Holland off the glass and produce a great game at both ends of the floor.

Mia Newley v Nikki Martin: The marquee match up of the grand final, the two Lightning stars will go head-to-head from bragging rights.
Both will play well and probably cancel each other out from a team perspective.
Again ironically Martin and Newley won a title together for Forestville in 2005.

Jess Fergus v Sam Woosnam: The job of stopping the Bearcats player-coach will go to Fergus.
In her break out season, Fergus may more likely be matched up with Holland when the Eagles are in possession but she has to stop Woosnam, who could easily collect a triple double to go with a grand final MVP and another Central ABL title.

Off the bench: Probably where the game will be won or lost with both sides choosing not to run more than eight in their rotation, the sparks off the bench become vital.
Forestville have an ace up their sleeve with former AIS guard Kelsey Ireland to run the point and will rely on some good minutes from Megan Kermond.
West also has depth at the guards with Alice Gee, Meg McLeod and also a back tall in Alana Nairn.