Goal scoring ace in shot at flag

COUNTER ATTACK: Hancocks striker Aimee McDermott slides to stop a Wests opponent during an A-grade clash earlier this season. Hancocks tackle Easts in Sunday night’s preliminary final at the Ipswich Hockey Complex.

Sarah Harvey

HANCOCKS’ leading goal scorer Aimee McDermott is being inspired by a family dream as her team works to end Easts’ late charge in Sunday’s Ipswich A-grade preliminary final.

“It will be a tough one this week too,” McDermott said, preparing for the elimination match at the Ipswich Hockey Complex.

“They (Easts) have trained really hard and they’ve got the young girls quite fit.

“But we’ve got lots of older heads in our team so as long as we can beat them that way, we’ll win.”

McDermott is eagerly awaiting another shot at competition leaders Swifts in the grand final a week later.

With Hancocks being the only team to upset the high-flying Bluebirds this season, McDermott knows her side can win its first grand final since 1979.

Hancocks lost 6-1 to Swifts in last weekend’s qualifying final.

However, McDermott said having skilful centre half Lisa “Bassie” Morgan unavailable disrupted Hancocks’ regular game plan.

“What we’d been training all season for had to change for that game,” McDermott said.

“Hopefully she’ll be back this week and we’ll have our game plan back up again.”

With 22 goals from 20 matches this season, McDermott wants another chance to bolster her tally in the premiership-decider.

“All I want to do is win, ” the centre forward said.

“The game where we did actually roll Swifts this year was a really good game for all us girls.

“So hopefully, if we get through this week, we’ve just got to remember that we can actually beat them.”

McDermott, 27, has extra incentive to reach another final, having missed the second half of last season with stress fractures in her leg.

She was the top goal scorer for all teams in Reserve grade before her setback.

“It was very painful. I had time off doing absolutely nothing,” McDermott said.

Lots of off-season running helped the former Collegians player regain top form. That keeps her family goal alive.

Coming through the ranks with sisters Beth (left half) and fullback Kaylah, Aimee has shared in a number of Reserve grade premierships.

However, an A-grade premiership continues to elude the dedicated Ipswich trio whose grandmother, Heather Scott, was part of that last Hancocks’ victory in 1979.

Aimee hopes adding another family link – Beth’s husband and A-grade player Daniel Mantell as coach – can provide a winning edge this year.

“He’s done great for us,” McDermott said, having worked with Mantell during three Reserve grade premiership successes.

“We’re very lucky to have him. He does a lot of research on the other teams. He always has confidence in us girls.”

Sunday’s preliminary final between Hancocks and Easts is at 5.30pm.

Bellbowrie and Wests meet in tomorrow night’s men’s A-grade battle to decide the grand final challenger for Easts.

FINALS schedule

Tonight: 7pm – A2 Grade men: Wests v Hancocks Blue.

8.30pm – A2 Grade women: Wests v Norths.

Tomorrow: 9am-6.45pm – Junior finals in E, D and C grade boys and girls.

7pm – A Grade men: Bellbowrie v Wests.

Sunday: 12.30pm – R2 Grade women: Swifts v Norths.

2.15pm – Reserve grade women: Swifts v Thistles.

3.45pm – Reserve grade men: Norths v Bellbowrie Gold.

5.30pm – A Grade women: Hancocks v Easts.