Super Netball: Vixens coach Simone McKinnis says Grand Final win isn’t about showing her worth
After being overlooked for the Diamonds coaching job, Vixens mentor Simone McKinnis says a title win on Sunday isn’t about proving her worth.
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It’s the tasty subplot to a what looms as a blockbuster Super Netball Grand Final.
But Melbourne Vixens coach Simone McKinnis insists she has nothing to prove in the decider when she goes up against rival mentor, West Coast Fever’s Stacey Marinkovich, who edged her out for the Diamonds coaching job.
Plenty tipped McKinnis and some felt she was hard done by not being named as Lisa Alexander’s replacement when Netball Australia announced Marinkovich as new Diamonds coach in August.
A Diamonds great, McKinnis guided the Vixens to a title in 2014, while Marinkovich did not represent Australia and is yet to coach a club to domestic glory.
However, McKinnis said she needed no extra motivation to get the better of Marinkovich in Sunday’s decider in Brisbane with a title for the Vixens the only target.
“Stacey’s the Diamonds coach, and well earned – quality coach and quality person,” McKinnis said on Thursday standing just metres from Marinkovich.
“Once that process was done, my focus was absolutely with the Vixens. That’s all irrelevant to me now.”
We are chasing that premiership pic.twitter.com/KNRJC2jpxr
— West Coast Fever (@WestCoastFever) October 15, 2020
For her part, Marinkovich said she didn’t need the Super Netball title on her coaching CV to justify her Diamonds’ appointment.
“To be honest, it’s two different areas,” Marinkovich said.
“For me, you want to have the two best teams (in the final), and I think you’ve got the two best in-form teams out there.
“The way in which their coached means there’s tactics and strategies, and you’ve got to be at your very best on that day.
“It’s going to be a great showpiece for the sport. For us, we want definitely want to put everything we can into the 60 minutes, and come away with out first premiership for WA.”
The Vixens, who won the minor premiership, are the fresher of the teams, having had last weekend off after defeating Sunshine Coast Lightning in the major semi-final on October 3.
But they have been spending all that time off in a Queensland hub, having now been in the Sunshine State for over 100 days.
The Fever have had to survive two sudden-death playoff matches to reach the final, but thrashed the Sunshine Coast Lightning last week to make the decider.
ðŸ˜ðŸ˜¬ðŸ¤ž https://t.co/RCaRPKWASs
— Melbourne Vixens (@MelbourneVixens) October 15, 2020
Despite the final being played at a neutral venue, the Fever are bound to have some support due to Marinkovich being a Queenslander.
“I’ve got all my family here so it’s really special in that regard,” she said.
“I am privileged to have family beside the court, where for the Melbourne players and our players, they don’t have their loved ones right there.
“I just think, along with the Vixens, were extremely privileged to be playing, to get to the last round, it’s been a battle, it’s been intense, you’ve seen a season like no other and to be able to go into a grand final now you want to leave no stone unturned because you fought so hard for so long.”
The Vixens are hopeful wing defence Kate Eddy can recover from a foot injury in time for the Sunday’s final.
“It’s progressing really well. Signs are really positive and we’re giving her every opportunity to be right,” McKinnis said.
Originally published as Super Netball: Vixens coach Simone McKinnis says Grand Final win isn’t about showing her worth