Melbourne Vixens determined for strong finish to season

VIXENS captain Bianca Chatfield says her team won't let early thoughts of post-season action sabotage a strong finish to the season.

Bianca Chatfield

MELBOURNE Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield says a three-year absence from the trans-Tasman finals has the team determined not to let early thoughts of post-season action sabotage a strong finish to the season.

After winning the ANZ Championship in 2009, the Vixens have failed to make the top four in the past two seasons, but are well-poised to challenge this year.

With three rounds left, the Vixens are second on the ladder behind New Zealand's Northern Mystics, but remain championship favourites ($3.25) with TAB Sportsbet.

Chatfield said the Vixens' priority was finishing the season with strong performances against the West Coast Fever today, and the Central Pulse and Southern Steel in New Zealand.

"I think this time of year you can get a bit caught up in watching the ladder and seeing who fits where," Chatfield said.

"Honestly, we are just focusing on the three games that we have to play because we need to win those to put ourselves in a good position.

"We have got to focus on our Fever game first and get across that one before we think about any advantages in the finals.

"It's been three years since we played finals and that's a long time."

There were worrying signs when the Vixens slumped to three straight losses mid-season, but the team snapped that streak with a strong win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds in round 10.

Chatfield was confident the Thunderbirds' result, which featured a third-quarter comeback, had sparked the team back into action.

"We just need to find that energy and intensity that we played with in the second half against the Thunderbirds," she said.

"Now we know we can produce it to get that win on the board, that's going to be a really vital ingredient going forward into these last three games."

Chatfield said the Vixens felt refreshed and ready to attack their final three games of the season after the bye last week.

"This week during court work, our entire team was out on court," she said.

"Once you get into the middle of the season, you don't usually have everyone out there all of the time.

"It just shows the break has helped everyone recover from little niggles or the pressures the season has placed on your body."