A strong contingent from Rochester Netball Club and members of Hocking’s Rochester Secondary College Year 12 class will be at the grand final.
Hocking, 18, has been a star with her Victorian Netball League team, City West Falcons, playing the mid-week competiton in tandem her weekend duties for Rochester A-grade.
She joined the Falcons last season as a scholarship player and has been a key to the team winning 13 games this season to sit second at the end of the home-and-away series.
City West Falcons is the most successful VNL franchise in history, having claimed 14 titles across the three competitions since the VNL’s inception in 2009.
While Hocking plays at Under-19 level, the club also has Division one and Championship teams — all involved in the finals.
On Wednesday Hocking and the Falcons will face the Southern Saints in the Under-19 grand final, top team Melbourne University Lightning (15-3 win/loss during the home and away season) having gone out in straight sets.
The Southern Saints have come from fourth to qualify for the final, but have not beat the Falcons this season.
The Falcons won their way through to the grand final with a four goal win in the first round of finals against the top team.
Hocking and the Falcons have beaten the Saints 50-35 and 57-39 this season.
In the championship grand final the Falcons top team will also compete in the grand final against the Southern Saints.
Hocking, who has played all season at goal attack has only missed one of the 18 rounds, with the flu.
She pays alongside two other Goulburn Valley league players, Shepparton United’s Sophie Garner and Elsie Boyer from Tatura.
Hocking is the goaling circle playmaker for her team, 12cm shorter than her 185cm goaling partner.
She said having some support in the crowd would make the night more enjoyable, her Year 12 PE schoolmates — guided by teacher Chris Sanders — analysing the match as a class project.
“The class is going to the MCG before the game,” she said.
Hocking’s outstanding season has been rewarded with an invitation to attend the VNL best and fairest event.