Melbourne Vixens in a fight for the top four

MELBOURNE Vixens coach Julie Hoornweg says pressure from a competition hunting her side was behind the standard sliding.

Geva Mentor

MELBOURNE Vixens coach Julie Hoornweg says her team struggled to cope with the pressure of being competition leaders as the side fights to retain a top-four spot.

After a dominant start to the season with six straight wins, the Vixens have slipped to third behind Northern Mystics and Adelaide Thunderbirds after three consecutive losses.

The alarming mid-season form slump has resulted in the Vixens' championship odds blowing out to $5, behind Mystics, Thunderbirds and NSW Swifts ($4.50) after being as short as $2.50.

The Vixens will start as outsiders in tomorrow's must-win clash against second-placed Thunderbirds for the first time since Round 1 against defending champions Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane.

Hoornweg has consistently blamed poor ball use and a rising error rate for the team's losses to the Swifts and the Mystics in the past three weeks.

But she says pressure from a competition hunting the Vixens was behind the standard sliding.

"We were at the top of the ladder and playing well, so people have come out and put a lot of physical pressure on us and we haven't coped with that as well as we should have," Hoornweg said.

"It's tough out there getting knocked and being worn every step you take. That's what it's like in the top level in netball.

"When you're on top of the ladder or you're playing well, people take note of that and so they put that extra pressure on you.

"I think everyone that we have played has played some of their best netball for the year against us, so we need to keep responding.

"It's difficult week in, week out, but that's what good teams are made of."

The Vixens can draw some confidence from their 14-goal win over the Thunderbirds in Adelaide in Round 3, but Hoornweg was aware there had been a "big change from week three to week nine".

But she was backing the talent in her team, and those in the shooting circle shared by Tegan Caldwell, Kate Beveridge and Karyn Howarth, to come to the fore.

"It's a critical game for us," Hoornweg said.

"We are both fighting for our positions in the top four.

"But there's too much talent in this team to keep it down too long."