Wanneroo Wolves coach Ben Ettridge believes his side is the underdog heading into the men's State Basketball League Grand Final against Total Connections Perry Lakes Hawks.

The Wolves advanced to Saturday's title decider at the WA Basketball Centre after a comfortable 2-0 semi-final series win against Cockburn and finished second after the regular season, where they won one more game than the Hawks.

But Ettridge said Perry Lakes' series victory against minor premiers Lakeside in the final four meant it entered the Grand Final as the favourite.

"We're expecting them to come in with their tails in the air, having knocked off everyone's overwhelming favourite in Lakeside in a three-game series," he said.

"Their confidence will be sky high. Their belief in their systems and each other is going to be very high as well. In our eyes, they've taken that favourites mantle from Lakeside.

"The Hawks have been around and they've won championships, they've competed for championships and we're playing on their home court. I think we're the underdog.

"People are forgetting that it's a long time since the Wanneroo Wolves have been in this situation, so it's a new experience for us but something they're used to."

While the Wolves don't have the same SBL finals history as the Hawks, they do boast extensive experience in the likes of NBL duo Greg Hire and Brad Robbins and SBL veterans Doug Gates and Tony Pearman.

Ettridge said Wanneroo would need those experienced players and particularly its Wildcats stars to stand up.

"What they bring to the court is immense. That's what we've relied on in these past series. When the chips are down, they've dug deep and got us across the line," he said.

"Brad's playing with a smile on his face and he likes being around the guys up there. He's still got that hard-nosed edge, but he's really enjoying his time and is playing some great basketball.

"We've seen the evolution of Greg Hire as an elite basketball player throughout the season too."

The first-year coach said Robbins and Hire were both likely to spend time defending star Hawks forward Anthony Lee, who has averaged 28.4 points per game this season, while several other players, including Seb Salinas and Lewis Longthorn, were also likely to spend time on the import.

"You've can't have any mental breakdowns on him, but you also can't become too focused and allow Ben Purser and Andy Burns and Jesse Dixon, who had a great game on the weekend, to take over," Ettridge said.

Ettridge has spent much of his time with the Wolves trying to improve the club's culture and he said those efforts have been a huge part of their on-court success this season.

Wanneroo president Ryan Hunter said the club's efforts to reach out to junior players and supporters this season have been a big success.

"We have been on a path for a number of years now. It is a credit to all involved that we have been able to focus on being surrounded by the right people," he said.

"Rather than try to buy a championship, we want to associate with people who want to play for the club and want to buy into the culture."

Article by Jacob Kagi
Photo by Wayne Wright (Wayne Wright Photography)

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