By BACT Media Unit – 15 September 2022

Premier League 1 Grand Final action hits Belconnen Basketball Stadium this Saturday – 17 September –  as the best of the best in Canberra compete for the 2022 Champions title.

The Premier 1 Women’s Grand Final will see long-time adversaries, Weston Creek Woden Dodgers taking on the Ginninderra Rats at 5pm. Both teams have been fixtures in the Grand Final for several seasons and will re-acquaint themselves in the big dance once again in 2022.

The two teams have been eye-balling each other all season, with their most recent clash being thew Qualifying Final, where Dodgers proved too strong and were able to book their spot in the Grand Final.  The Rats had to do it the hard way after that loss, playing again a week later against an ANU Owls side on the charge. Ginninderra built a lead early, but a second half Owls comeback sent the game to overtime. Rats proved too clutch in the end, securing the two-point victory and progressing through to the Grand Final.

Led by young gun Ali Francis, the Rats have a well-rounded team with plenty of scoring options. They were the only team to beat the Dodgers twice this season, which will give them plenty of confidence that they can get the job done in the biggest game of the season.

Dodgers were the top-of-the-table team in 2022, winning 14 of 17 games this season and beating their Grand Final opponents, the Rats, in week 1 of the Finals. They got the bye last week so their fresh legs could prove the difference in this one. The Dodgers have four Canberra Nationals players and their star-power has proven almost impossible to stop this season. Can Abby Solway, Kris Langhorn, Jasmyn Boutzos and Claudea Waihape-Andrews get their side over the line once again?

Meanwhile, the Premier 1 Men’s Grand Final sees the Tuggeranong Vikings and Weston Creek Woden Dodgers go at it at 7pm. With the two best sides all season shaping up against each other in the “one that matters”, this will be a matchup for the ages.

Vikings haven’t lost a game yet this year. Their side is stacked with past and present Canberra Gunners stars who’ve dominated all season. The Vikings have cracked triple figures in 10 games, and the high scoring from players like Glenn Morison and Will Mayfield has been a major reason for their success. This Vikings side will be looking to cap off a perfect season with the title on the weekend.

However, Dodgers have proven to be a hard team to put away this season, winning plenty of close games in 2022. They are loaded with three-point shooters who can stretch the floor including Henry Wallace, a young star on the rise, and are led around the court by the tenacious Pietro Badalassi. Dodgers beat Norths last week to advance to the Grand Final and will be hoping they can carry over the momentum of that win into this one when they take on the best team in the competition.

It will be an action-packed Saturday night as the Premier League 1 champions for both women and men are decided. It’s one versus two on the table in both competitions…who will be crowned the winners in 2022?

Make sure you head to Belconnen Basketball Stadium this Saturday for what will be a HUGE day of Premier League action.