What is the secret ingredient to success? For Learmonth it is respect for the game, respect for your opponent, but above all looking after your teammates.
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That is the mantra the Lakies will take into Saturday's CHNL A Grade grand final when they clash with season 2023's boom club Daylesford to decide this season's premiers.
A grand final should be inspiration enough, but if Learmonth does need an extra something, they will only have to look to the sidelines to find it.
Young wing defence Kaitlyn Balazic is the heartbreak story of this year's grand final with coach Jordan O'Keefe confirming she had suffered a ruptured achilles in the dying stages of last week's thrilling win over Rokewood-Corindhap.
![After nine years, the fire still burns for coach Jordan O'Keefe and his Learmonth team. Picture by Adam Trafford After nine years, the fire still burns for coach Jordan O'Keefe and his Learmonth team. Picture by Adam Trafford](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/greg.gliddon/dbe29547-8713-4cde-b015-93198b30fee4.jpg/r0_0_4941_3294_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Balazic has been instrumental in her team's charge this year and has twice been best on court in matches against Daylesford.
"Kaitlyn has had a great season, she polled considerably well in the league best and fairest and it is a season she can be proud of and remember fondly," O'Keefe said.
"She leaves a gap there as our go-to. But also at the same time, we have an extremely versatile team in the centre court.
"Last week we had a wing attack playing defence, we've got a goal keeper in Kirby Knight who's playing her first season there and she's a goal shooter by trade.
"Versatility is our stock in trade, but through discussions last night and this morning, I know how badly they do want it and how much they want to win it for Kaitlyn, given she is unable to play.
"She's a young player, hopefully she gets another chance. Last year was her first season in A Grade, we lost the grand final to Buninyong, this was another opportunity that she'll now miss out on, but we're hopeful there's much more for her in the future."
![Learmonth fans celebrate another preliminary final win. Learmonth fans celebrate another preliminary final win.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/greg.gliddon/c1360cd1-161b-4855-b940-612ece5ab445.jpg/r0_0_5279_3519_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Despite all the on-court wins for the club in recent seasons, it has been five years since the club tasted the ultimate success in senior netball. And before that, it was more than two decades previous.
For Learmonth there's also the added incentive of a perfect season, having gone through to this point undefeated, despite some close escapes, particularly last weekend against the Grasshoppers.
O'Keefe said he believes it is relationships that held the key to his team's success.
"It's the relationships between the players, it's the consistent connection we have through A and B grade, it goes probably a little bit beyond player and coach which is a great feeling," he said.
"We do spend a lot of time together outside of just our training environment and Saturday matches. We play on a Wednesday night, we have the same cluster of players who play with each other across multiple competitions.
"I myself, I still play mixed netball with a lot of those same players and I always have. Once the footy and netball season finishes, we still keep on playing to the end of the year and we start a new year together as well."
He said respect was something he had always seen as a non-negotiable for his team
"I also tap into my time as an umpire as well, it's really important for us towards our expectations of conduct on the court," he said.
"The expectations for the players is that they will always be a team that others enjoy playing against, others respect.
![Learmonth's Kaitlyn Sutton will have a huge job in the centre against Daylesford. Learmonth's Kaitlyn Sutton will have a huge job in the centre against Daylesford.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/greg.gliddon/c3aa038b-c1c1-4176-84d7-c72f19f252d0.jpg/r0_7_3094_2352_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"For me, that's equally important to have those relationships not just with yourselves but with other clubs as well."
The club will field three teams across the grand finals, C Grade versus Buninyong, B Grade versus Clunes and the A Grade versus Daylesford.
"I think it's a greater accomplishment for the club right across the board this year, not just for the teams that are in the grand finals," O'Keefe said.
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"It's the first time we've had every single one of our netball teams make the finals. That was a really outstanding result for the program this year.
"Out of seven teams, six of them finished top four which was amazing for the club.
"Last week, to see the club win the club championship for the first time, it was outstanding, it took everyone by surprise, our math wasn't so good, we had no idea we were going to win it.
"Looking at the whole season, beyond just A Grade, beyond just netball, we've never had such a successful season like this before."
Despite two convincing wins over Daylesford this season to date, O'Keefe is taking nothing for granted this weekend.
![Expect Allana Van Dyken to move into the vacant wing defence position. Expect Allana Van Dyken to move into the vacant wing defence position.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/greg.gliddon/04ca20f6-ff14-4b17-ab5a-dc5b26509f75.jpg/r0_0_3692_2461_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It's about blocking the outside noise for us, it's each game as it comes," he said. "It will be a completely different game to what we've seen previously.
"Having watched them Rokewood-Corindhap in their first two finals, last week's game was completely different to the previous two matches they'd played in the finals. We expect it will be similar.
"Daylesford's line-up has been different both times, so I don't take much away from previous games. I think both team's scoring ability is great, we have very similar passages to goal, very similar scoring power.
"I think the difference with Daylesford this week is it such an historic moment for their club. They have two teams who have made the grand final for the first time, it's great they can celebrate their season.
"But it's just as equally important for us, we are as keen as ever to get this win. I feel our team is closer than previous ones, I hope it's their time, they deserve it. It doesn't make it any less special because we've been there before."
LEARMONTH'S LIKELY STARTING 7
GK - Kirby Knight
GD - Kasey Burton
WD - Allana Van Dyken
C - Kaitlyn Sutton
WA - Shianne Milera
GA - Eleisha Phelps
GS - Claire Blower
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