Vixens, Collingwood shaping up for ‘fierce’ Melbourne derby in Super Netball

Sports fans won’t want to miss netball’s fiercest rivalry playing out on John Cain Arena this weekend. Here’s why you should snare a ticket.

Collingwood co-captain Ash Brazill and Vixens co-captain Kate Moloney outside John Cain Arena ahead of the Super Netball Melbourne derby. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Victorians are being urged to pack out John Cain Arena to witness one of the biggest rivalries in Melbourne sport this weekend.

Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan wants to see a sold-out 10,000-strong crowd at Super Netball’s Melbourne derby between the Magpies and Vixens on March 26, noting the contest deserves to be spoken about in the same vein as Collingwood vs. Carlton in the AFL.

Ahead of speaking at the global SportNXT summit in Melbourne, Ms Ryan said there was “a really great tension around who is the Victorian team”.

“That fuels a lot of fire between the two,” she said.

“You’ve got one team (the Vixens) that has been around since the creation of the competition, and the newcomers (Collingwood).”

Brazill, pictured with Moloney, says every Melbourne derby “seems to get bigger than the last”. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan wants to see a sold-out John Cain Arena this Sunday. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images for FOX Sports

Fanning the flames was the fact that, like in the AFL, everybody wants to beat “powerhouse club Collingwood” and that the 2023 Super Netball grand final was already locked in to be played in Melbourne, she said.

This, in addition to vying for spots in the Diamonds squad for the 2023 Netball World Cup in South Africa, would give the players added motivation to shine on the court.

“There’s a lot on the line for both the Vixens and Collingwood this season,” Ryan said.

“If you want to watch the pinnacle of netball, understand and appreciate how competitive and elite our game is, there’s no better way than coming to watch these highly competitive teams who have a lot to prove.”

Collingwood co-captain Ash Brazill said she was excited to see “the Magpie army come out in force” for what was sure to be “a fierce and tough contest”.

“Every derby game seems to get bigger than the last. It’s fantastic for the sport,” she said.

Melbourne Vixens co-captain Kate Moloney urged Melburnians “to get to the game this weekend to cheer us and experience Super Netball”.

“We love taking on the Pies in front of a packed John Cain Arena,” she said.

“We know Melburnians love their sport – live netball is fast, it’s tough, it’s exciting, and as athletes, there’s nothing like playing in front of a massive crowd of our Vixens fans.”

Liz Watson of the Vixens and Renae Ingles of the Magpies compete during the 2022 derby. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Collingwood kicked off its 2023 season with an eight-point win over NSW Swifts last weekend, while the Vixens lost by one point to the team that bested them in the 2022 grand final, West Coast Fever.

Ryan will also join 50 leading Australian and international sporting figures as a speaker at the SportNXT summit in Melbourne from March 28-30.

She said she would relish the opportunity to have “deeper conversations about challenges and opportunities” facing the sports industry, including as a panellist alongside VRC chairman Neil Wilson, AusCycling boss Marne Fechner and NRL strategist Andrew Every.

The quartet will identify “where growth resources and investments (should) be focused to deliver the biggest bang for buck”.