Netball: The Vixens have never won the Super Netball title and are tightening up as the finals near

On the eve of the finals minor premiers the Vixens were given a Sunday scare and need to sharpen up in their pursuit of a maiden Super Netball title.

Vixens veteran Caitlin Thwaites says her team’s loss to the Firebirds may be the “kick up the bum” her team needs as it strives for a maiden Super Netball premiership.

The competition’s top four is set in stone heading into this weekend’s final round of fixtures, but the finalists have everything to play for, with second spot – and the double-chance that goes with it – still not settled and three clubs jockeying for it.

The Vixens had already sealed the minor premiership heading into the weekend’s penultimate round but suffered just their second loss of the season, going down to the Queensland Firebirds in a timely reminder they have become this season’s hunted.

“Maybe it is the little kick up the bum that we need and thank you Firebirds for giving that to us,” goaler Thwaites said after Sunday’s clash in Cairns.

“You never want to have a loss which causes you to keep learning and keep fixing things up, but if that’s what it takes for us to fix those things, well, thanks very much because we are going to fix them and we’ll come out next week stronger.”

That was HUGE!

You can watch the result of this game defining moment on the Netball Live app.#SSNVixensFirebirds pic.twitter.com/wICQPDd7o8

— Suncorp Super Netball (@SuperNetball) September 20, 2020

The Vixens face the Sunshine Coast Lightning in a match that will end the regular season on Sunday.

The Lightning are second on the ladder and can cement that spot with a win against the Vixens at the University of Sunshine Coast in a match that could be a preview of the major semi-final.

But both the West Coast Fever and defending premiers NSW Swifts have a chance of leapfrogging the Lightning into second depending on results from fixtures in Brisbane on Saturday.

The Swifts kept their top-two chances alive when they clawed their way past the Adelaide Thunderbirds at the weekend but need to beat NSW rivals the Giants and have both West Coast Fever and the Lightning lose to vault into second place.

Coach Briony Akle admitted their weekend victory was “ugly”, but after three consecutive losses it stopped the rot.

“The fact that West Coast Fever beat the Giants earlier in the day meant we were already qualified for finals no matter the result of the game but we needed that win for our own confidence,” she said

“Going for back-to-back titles is a massive task, but now we’re in a place to have a shot at it.”

The Fever head into the pointy end of the season with great momentum, having not lost since Round 6 and will push their way into provisional second place if they beat the Thunderbirds on Saturday.

A Swifts or Fever win would put the pressure on the Lightning heading into the final match.

Originally published as Netball: The Vixens have never won the Super Netball title and are tightening up as the finals near