THE recent announcement surrounding the retirement of Melbourne Vixens shooting sensations Caitlin Thwaites and Tegan Philip is set to leave a major hole in the Vixens frontline in season 2021. Philip is the most capped Vixens player with 131 games to her name and has been a focal point in their line-up for the past 10 years while Thwaites oozes nothing but class, consistency and slotted seamlessly back into the side after rejoining them in 2019. Although still a while off when it comes to the 2021 signing period, Draft Central weighs up a couple of potential options to replace the duo. Keep in mind that this is purely hypothetical given clubs are yet to finalise their squad for next season.

Tippah Dwan
Bursting onto the scene in 2020 for the Queensland Firebirds it is fair to say that Tippah Dwan could draw a wealth of attention from the Melbourne Vixens, who will be looking to fill the void left by Thwaites and Philip. Dwan quickly became a fan favourite with her hard drives, speed, confidence and dynamism across the court. Playing in her first season of Super Netball, the young goal attack has not looked out of place, taking every opportunity that has come her way and absorbing the physical nature of the competition. She has steadily grown, with her long range shooting a focal point of her game play while her fancy footwork allows her to edge closer to the post. Dwan is a real playmaker out the front, often setting up clever attacking forays and is heavily involved in weaving the ball down the court thanks to her spatial awareness. She is used to playing a more feeding style of role but has showcased that she can step up to the scoring plate when required.

Georgie Horjus
at the ripe young age of 18, Georgie Horjus – much like Dwan – has taken the competition by storm with her sheer dominance not only in the goal circle but across the attacking third. Able to play out in wing attack as well as goal shooter, Horjus adds an element of versatility, something that the Vixens could be looking to add to their squad next season. The young goaler has proven time and time again that she does not get overawed and despite her short stature uses her speed to evade her opponents and have a commanding influence. Horjus is incredibly savvy, able to work herself into the game and use her strengths to exploit her opponents across the court. Her skill to dart across the court and innate timing is a key aspect of her game play such is her impressive accuracy. She has proven more than once that she is composed under pressure and has the nous to adapt on the fly while her deft passes into the goal circle are impressive.

Gabby Sinclair
A typical playmaker and accustomed to the goal attack position, Collingwood Magpies goaler Gabby Sinclair is yet to be offered a contract in the black and white and could be a perfect fit for her cross-town rivals. Sinclair is a smooth moving goaler with great spatial awareness and could set up a wealth of plays out the front for the likes of Mwai Kumwenda under the post. Although she does not put up a wealth of shots it is her general movement out the front, hard drives and confidence to sink them from range that makes her a readymade prospect for the Vixens. Her timing along the baseline is a key component of her game play while her change of direction on the fly is another dominant trait. Sinclair has really stepped up in 2020 with her composure and nous to sense the moment and stand up whether it be with a super shot or a clever drive into space.

Sasha Glasgow
Going down with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury late in the 2019 SSN season, Sasha Glasgow has been on the path to recovery. The goal shooter has spent time out in goal attack in patches throughout the condensed 2020 season, linking with the likes of holding shooter, Lenize Potgieter when on court. Not consistently getting court time for the Thunderbirds, Glasgow could be an ideal candidate for the Vixens given she is readymade and able to stand up to the rigour of SSN with her accuracy to post and composure under pressure. Glasgow is deceptively strong given her light frame and is a menace in the air thanks to her read of the play. Another key attribute of her game is her rebounding ability, as she can effectively track the ball and follow up her shot. Although more accustomed to the goal shooter position, Glasgow has been working on her tank to make her a more feasible option out in goal attack, often letting pinpoint passes do the talking.

Sacha McDonald
Coming up through the Victorian pathways, youngster Sacha McDonald is an exciting prospect. Still very raw given her lack of Suncorp Super Netball experience McDonald is familiar with the Vixens environment given she is a training partner. McDonald has had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business such as Thwaites and Philip and has the potential to be a star but questions surround whether or not she is ready to get the starting bib. Playing out in goal attack she is also able to swing into that goal shooter position, proving that she has plenty of netball smarts and the skillset to do so. A premiership player with Victorian Fury in the Australian Netball League (ANL) in 2019, McDonald is no stranger to the big stage and is able to find the post with great ease thanks to her classy footwork, 1-2 plays and silky movement something the Vixens will relish.

Kalifa McCollin
On an international front the likes of the dynamic Kalifa McCollin could slot in seamlessly to the Vixens frontend. Playing with the Southern Steel in the 2020 ANZ Premiership season, McCollin proved that she was more than capable of adapting to the goal shooter or goal attack position and excited many fans with her flair. The Trinidad and Tobago product offers plenty of speed, able to light up the court and turn on the afterburners when driving into the circle. Although on the shorter side, her foot speed, fancy footwork and zippy style of play could be a great addition to the Vixens. She can switch between modes with great ease able to slow down the pace of the game and settle the frontend to weave the ball into the circle or sense the moment to capitalise and use her speed. Her accuracy to post is also another prominent feature in her game, finishing the ANZ Premiership season with 262 goals from 313 attempts at 84 per cent in shortened quarters.