Super Netball Preliminary Final Wrap

Ellie Wilmore

Vixens vs Swifts

The Swifts have officially been taken down by the Vixens, ruining any chance of the Swifts making it to the Grand Final against the West Coast Fever! With just a one point difference, it was incredibly clear that both teams desperately wanted the chance to participate in the greatly-anticipated Grand Final. And yet, the Vixens did seal their victory, scoring the winning point with just seven seconds left, leaving the Swifts with barely any time to respond. That being said, there were a few incredibly impressive passes from the Swifts' team, and they did nearly score in the final second, but the shot missed, leaving the Vixens victorious. The final score was 66-65, and you could hear the screams of the Vixens' fans the moment the game concluded, and the happiness on the Vixens' faces made it clear that the team was proud of their efforts, and pumped up, ready for their next match in the Grand Final. 

The journey for the Swifts is also commendable, however. They were in first place for a while on the ladder, joint with the West Coast Fever- matching the amount of consecutive games won until they both reached 9 . That was in Round 12, when the Swifts took a blow, losing to the Mavericks. After a long-lasting streak of victories, their losses slowly grew, again in Round 13, and nearly losing to the Firebirds in Round 14. They still proved formidable, but not unbeatable. This leads to the Preliminary Finals, and the Vixens have led them to the end of the road of this season of Suncorp Super Netball, ending their path to the Grand Final right before getting there. The Vixens have overcome a very powerful team, and have given themselves the opportunity to go for gold and participate in the Grand Final. 

Kate Moloney, the Vixens' Player of the Match who also plays Centre and Wing Defence and additionally is the Captain of the Vixens, had much to say about the incredible win this week. “I’m exhausted, but I’m so bloody proud!” It was mentioned that in the third quarter they were down by 10 goals, but pushed through in the last quarter, getting them to victory. Upon reflecting on what exactly pushed the team throughout the game, Moloney spoke about their journey throughout this season. “We’ve had a tough start to the season, and we’ve just worked so hard over the last six, seven, eight, nine weeks. For 15 minutes there at three-quarter time, I thought this might be our coach’s last game and we wanted to give everything because she deserves that. We fought bloody hard ‘til the last whistle and I’m so proud!” Simone McKinnis’ stepping down at the end of the season has caused the Vixens to want to extend their time together, making it through every barrier to prolong their season as much as possible. This is what powers the Vixens toward victory: team spirit, and an amazing coach to fight for.

Upcoming Games

The final game of the season takes place this week, the Fever going up against the Vixens on the 2nd of August at 7:30pm, at the Rod Laver Arena. 

All times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Next week is the Grand Final! Fans are on their toes, scrambling to get tickets and get ready for the most anticipated game of the whole season. The two most powerful teams of the season are going up against each other, securing victory to push them consistently towards this final match! It’s the West Coast Fever going up against the Melbourne Vixens, and the Grand Final is sure to be exciting, all this built up excitement will have been worth it to see these two teams go head to head in a satisfyingly fierce competition.