SSN Round 7: Vixens snap Fever’s hot streak as, Giants, Lightning, Thunderbirds win
The Vixens have reaffirmed their premiership credentials defeating the Fever in Perth on Sunday while the Giants claimed their second win of the season as the Lightning continue to dominate QLD.
The Melbourne Vixens have sensationally ended West Coast Fever’s hot run, ruining their six game winning streak in a fierce 76 to 65 top of the table clash. The 11 goal win was built on slick attacking work and dogged defence that Fever had no answers to.
Battered by injuries, the Vixens were forced to rejig their starting line up, with the towering defensive end of Rudi Ellis, Emily Mannix and Jo Weston tasked with shutting down the league’s best attacking combination. The trio performed beyond expectations, forcing the usually reliable Jamaican shooting duo of Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford into a combined 12 turnovers.
Mannix, who is having a career best season, said, “I’ve got my running shoes on against Shanice. I knew it was going to be a bit of a sprint race. But I’m really impressed with how we’ve come out after the disappointing loss last week.”
Head coach Simone McKinnis was full of praise for Mannix’s effort against Beckford.“Emily is one of the fittest in our group, quite easily. She’s the fittest and strongest she’s been in a long time, across preseason she’s been playing goal defence since Jo Weston was out for a while. It was a big task for her tonight, but she wants to take it on and do whatever the team needs her to do which then drives and leads those around her”
Vixens’ captain Kate Moloney was impressed with her team’s defence in particular.
“Our defence end and attackers really stood up today, I’m really proud. Having the three talls down there against someone like Fowler-Nembhard helped us win ball, we challenged out the front so those at the back could then contest”
Vixens’ attacking end turned the tables on their opponents, using their speed to keep the Fever defenders unusually quiet. Rarely holding the ball for more than a second, Vixens’ ball speed had Fever’s head turning and restricted them to 11 gains, compared to their season average of 14.
Things turned from bad to worse for Fever in the third quarter as their disconnect worsened, while Vixens remained as crisp as ever, recording just 13 turnovers for the match. Fever finished off strongly, but it was too little, too late to remain undefeated. Despite the result, the ladder remains unchanged with Fever and Vixens in first and second place.
Match MVP Kiera Austin finished with 24 from 30 goals, including four super shots with only two turnovers plus one intercept. Speaking post match Austin acknowledged the importance of the victory.
“We knew coming over here, with this crowd, it was going to be a hard one. But they are no longer undefeated so that’s another win.”
HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE THE FEVER?
It’s a question every team has been asking, and the Vixens have answered. Their short, sharp attacking play gave the Fever minimal chance to win back ball, while the hustle in defence forced them into uncharacteristic errors. It will now be up to other teams to try and replicate the tactics as they each get another chance to topple Fever in the second half of the season.
FIRST NATIONS FIRST
The inclusion of Gabby Coffey in the match day 10 meant it was the highest amount of representation of First Nations athletes in First Nations Round. A Vixens training partner elevated to replace Kate Eddy, the Wiradjuri woman raised in Alice Springs has been involved with the Vixens since 2021, and played for both the Vixens and Collingwood Magpies.
GIANTS GET SECOND WIN
The Melbourne Mavericks are yet to register a maiden win on their home court as the Giants led from start to finish to prevail in a tense clash 66-59 at John Cain Arena.
The Mavericks came into the encounter having won two of their last three matches and threatened to run over the top in the second half but they never hit the front as the Giants lifted themselves from the bottom of the ladder with their second win of the season.
The Giants had not won a first quarter before Sunday but this time out they won every quarter led by Jamie-Lee Price’s dominance in the centre.
Last week Price became the first player to be sent off for dangerous play in Super Netball, and she responded to making unwanted history with a best on court performance.
She lost none of her defensive edge while she linked up strongly with wing attack Maddie Hay - who returned from injury for her first game of the year - and shooters Jo Harten and Sophie Dwyer.
“We’re always going to appreciate a win when we’ve had such a tough start to the year. I thought we had a really strong four quarters and it goes to show that we can play netball,” Price said.
“For us, it’s sticking to the basics and doing them really well and take the confidence we got from today.
“‘Mads’ has been working really hard and we’ve been playing together for the last couple of the years so that just comes naturally. We’ve been working really hard and we want to win and we want to enjoy netball. I think that really showed today.”
Price sent scares through the Giants camp late following an awkward landing but post-game she said it was only cramping.
Harten was the leading goal scorer for the Giants shooting 33 goals at 88% including her 3000th goal in Super Netball as they made the most of the Mavericks’ ill discipline with the home side giving up 63 penalties to the Giants’ 42.
Mavericks’ super shot shuffle backfires
Mavericks goal shooter Shimona Jok continued her impressive form as she nailed 40 of her 42 attempts at goals but she was benched for the power five in both the third and fourth quarters.
For much of the second half, the Mavericks appeared as if they might snatch victory with Jok proving to be very threatening in the goal circle.
Coach Tracey Neville swapped the bibs however to try make the most of the super shot with Gabrielle Sinclair replacing Jok to combine with Eleanor Cardwell who shot 13 of 18.
The Mavericks drew level in the third term prior to the change and they got within two in the last as the home crowd got louder and the momentum swung in their favour but the rejig in the goal third only helped to expand the Giants’ lead.
Hay returns from hip injury
The Giants were boosted by the return of Maddie Hay at wing attack from a hip injury that kept her sidelined for nine months.
Following off season surgery, Hay made her comeback for Sutherland Stingrays in Netball NSW’s Premier League only two weeks ago and on Sunday she slotted seamlessly back into the Giants starting seven.
Shooters Harten and Dwyer welcomed Hay’s return with open arms as the wing attack led her side for goal assists and the match for feeds into the goal circle.
LIGHTNING DERBY DOMINANCE CONTINUES
Sunshine Coast Lightning have continued their stunning return to form, notching up consecutive Super Netball wins, this time by 11 points against the Queensland Firebirds.
After recovering from a slow start Lighting weren’t headed for the rest of the game, which they won 76 to 65 to claim their 11th straight Queensland Derby.
As the only two teams with Indigenous people in their permanent roster, it was fitting that the match opened First Nations’ Round. Leesa Mi Mi (Wakka Wakka tribe) was solid in centre for Lightning, while Noongar woman Donnell Wallam was strong under the post for Firebirds, finishing with 46 from 56 at 82 per cent.
Unfortunately, Firebirds couldn’t celebrate with a win for their shooting star.
They eked out a small lead early on, but fell behind in the second quarter, at which point coach Bec Bulley called an unusually animated time out.
She identified the team’s hesitancy in pulling out of physical contests, called for her team to “back themselves” and they responded with a scoring run to narrow the gap to just four.
Wallam played her part to keep Firebirds in touch, sinking some clutch supershots, but her role was made difficult by the form of rising star and match MVP, Ash Ervin., who made the most of regular court time in Courtney Bruce’s absence with a calf injury, Lightning’s 21 year old keeper built across the game and finished with a monster 11 gains.
Lightning coach Belinda Reynolds believed her side’s defensive work was crucial to the win. “It was such a mental game - we knew they were going to connect with Nelly quite early,” she said.
“She’s so prolific.
“I think that Ash really did get on top of her at the end.”
Precision and ball speed was the name of the game for Lightning, with wing attack Liz Watson continuing her rich vein of form. Watson provided silver service to her shooters, nailing 52 feeds into the circle.
With Firebirds stuck in chase mode their penalties blew out, and they ended with 57 compared to Lightning’s modest 35.
BITTER RIVALS
It is little wonder that the battle between the Lightning and Firebirds has become extra heated in recent years.
Of the contracted 11 athletes for the Lightning, eight are former Firebirds or Firebirds training partners.
ACCURACY WOES
With the exception of Wallam, shooting accuracy is a growing concern for the Firebirds.
At one point today, Tippah Dwan was shooting at 50 per cent while Emily Moore, in her second-quarter cameo was nil for two.
Their eleventh player, Ali Miller, is a shooter.
With their season hanging by a thread, is now the time to mix things up in their front end?
FIRST NATIONS
First Nations’ Round opened with a colourful celebration of culture and heritage, with both Firebirds and Lightning having Indigenous athletes on their permanent roster.
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Donnell Wallam (Firebirds) is a proud Noongar woman from Western Australia, while Leesa Mi Mi (Lightning) comes from the Wakka Wakka tribe, with close links to the Goreng Goreng people.
Mi Mi has also previously represented the Indigenous All Stars in Touch Football.
The Firebirds dress was particularly impactful to Wallam, as it featured the kangaroo, part of her family totem.
Originally published as SSN Round 7: Vixens snap Fever’s hot streak as, Giants, Lightning, Thunderbirds win
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