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TEGAN Caldwell and Karyn Bailey admit they've come a long way in three years as an attacking combination and they are focused on sealing their partnership with a title win for Melbourne Vixens in Sunday's grand final.
Goal attack Caldwell and goal shooter Bailey have both enjoyed career-best seasons for the Vixens, but it's their union in the goal circle that has continued to flourish to help guide the team to a second grand final in three years.
``It's certainly a partnership that has gone from strength to strength each year,'' Bailey, 27, said.
``I think previously we both got on court and thought how we could play well and we probably didn't necessarily think how we could play well together as a team, but that's something that has come together extremely well in the last couple of years.
``I know with (Tegan) being a bit of a shorter goaler that I need to protect my little one in the circle and she knows that I'm not the fastest goaler either so she does a lot of running around out there while I get to play a little bit further back in the circle.
``We look after each other and we play to each other's strengths and weaknesses. That's one of those things you do as a team.''
Caldwell and Bailey were both a part of the Vixens' line-up that lost the 2012 trans-Tasman title decider to the Magic in their first year together.
It was Bailey's rookie year with the Vixens, while Caldwell was thrust into the starting goal attack's position midway through the 2011 season after champion goaler Sharelle McMahon badly injured her Achilles.
Then Vixens coach Julie Hoornweg conceded after the 2012 title loss to the Magic that the inexperience of the team's attack end, with the pair both playing in their first final series, had showed on the grand final stage.
Caldwell, whose brilliant season this year was rewarded with Australian selection for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, said that experience had helped shape her as a player and she wasn't going to let history repeat in Sunday's grand final against Queensland Firebirds.
``It's obviously an experience that I had and that I don't want to have again so I will be doing everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen again,'' Caldwell, 25, said.
``It's not something that I'll dwell on, but it's there, it happened and I want to learn from that.''
Certainly, Caldwell and Bailey showed no signs of finals nerves in the Vixens' major semi-final win against the Firebirds last week with the pair standing up under pressure against a defence led by Australian captain Laura Geitz.
``We are prepared for it this year, we have definitely matured all over the court now and we have got that experience,'' the 193cm Bailey said.
``It's completely different to what it was two years ago. Two years ago, I was a nervous wreck before the game whereas the semi-final we played I was in the change room going, `Let's go, let's finish this off'.''
Caldwell said the pair now shared a really ''strong connection'' on court and believed their strength as a combination lay in their ability to mix up their play.
``We can have a moving circle or she could be holding and I could be moving around her, we are very dynamic like that,'' Caldwell said.
``I think that can throw the defenders.''
Bailey, however, saw their strength as their ability to both turn and shoot, saying opposition defences could not afford to leave Caldwell roaming the circle.
``I think our strength is that either of us will turn and put the ball up,'' Bailey said.
``Sometimes in a team you will have a really tall shooter and the defenders will double defend them and let that goal attack run around.
``The beauty with Tegan is that you can't afford to do that. She is a deadeye shooter and she will put that ball up anywhere in the circle and if you leave her out there to do that.''
Caldwell's long-range shooting ability is one part of her game that has developed this season and she said there would be no hesitation if she was in the position to shoot the match-winning goal on Sunday.
``If I get the ball I will shoot that goal,'' Caldwell said.
``Wherever I get the ball I know that I want to be able to turn and put it in and know that the team have confidence in my shot.''
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