FURTHER emphasising that last year’s Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) wooden spoon with an understrength side was an outlier, Melbourne Vixens moved their unbeaten start to the season to three with a 12-goal victory over GIANTS Netball. The Vixens – through the exploits of ex-GIANT Kiera Austin – proved too strong for the GIANTS throughout the match, winning three quarters and making the most of a match where a large portion of their opponents had come out of isolation in the lead-up to the match.

Former GIANT and Diamond Austin had received a gradual build-up into the season, but played the most minutes she has all year against her former side, starting in the goal attack bib beside Mwai Kumwenda. The pair scored 16 goals from 19 attempts in the first term – including a Super Shot – whilst the pairing of Jo Harten and Sophie Dwyer scoring 14 of 16, with the former nailing two of three from long-range.

The battle of the centres in the opening term was fascinating with Kate Moloney (six goal assists from 12 feeds and two deflections) taking on her Opals teammate, Jamie-Lee Price (seven goal assists from 11 feeds and one intercept). Whilst Price might have been marginally on top in the midcourt, the Vixens defensive pairing of Jo Weston and Emily Mannix combining for three intercepts and three deflections.

The Vixens dominated the second term to open up a 33-27 lead at the main break. Austin was on fire shooting seven goals at 100 per cent accuracy, as well as three goal assists and one deflection, whilst Kate Eddy (two deflections, one intercept) held up a strong line with Weston and Mannix. Dwyer scored four goals from five attempts and three goal assists, whilst Harten put up six from nine.

Despite going down by five goals in the first half, the GIANTS opted not to make an interchange at the main break. The Vixens scored the first two goals of the third stanza to lead by eight (35-27), before Dwyer and Harten scored six of the next eight goals to cut it back to four. Despite their best efforts though, the accuracy of Kumwenda and Austin was proving a problem, and when Harten had a crucial miss midway through the third term, the Vixens took advtange, scoring five consecutive goals to blown the lead out to nine.

Back-to-back Super Shots from Sophie Dwyer cut the deficit to four heading into the final few minutes, but they also produced three misses from the range showing the consciousness to try and really chew back into the margin. Kumwenda shot two late goals to bring it back to a six-goal Vixens lead at the final break. Eddy (two intercepts, one deflection) and Mannix (one and one) were both superb in defence, whilst Liz Watson back on top in the midcourt with seven goal assists from 11 feeds, teaming up well with Moloney (four from five). Dwyer shot eight goal as 100 per cent to do the bulk of the heavy lifting in the term for the GIANTS, whilst Matilda McDonell tried hard in goal keeper.

Melbourne Vixens put a full stop on their performance in the final term as Kumwenda stepped up to the plate, scoring four of the first six goals in the final term, and she and Dwyer would put up 14 of the first 18 goals to run away with a 16-goal lead. Though the Super Shot yet again reduced the deficit for the GIANTS – Harten put up three and Dwyer scored one – the result looked never in doubt as the Vixens secured the 64-52 victory. The only moves made in the final term was Lauren Moore coming on for April Brandley in goal defence, and Price earning a rest for Amy Sligar to come on.

Austin finished the match with 24 goals from 27 attempts, as well as 14 goal assists from 16 feeds, two rebounds and two deflections. She teamed up well with Kumwenda (37 goals from 41 attempts, two goal assists and two rebounds), whilst Watson and Moloney combined for 40 feeds, with the latter also having three deflections and an intercept to seize control in her matchup with Price. Weston (four rebounds, three intercepts and three deflections), Mannix (three rebounds, two intercepts and five deflections) and Eddy (three intercepts, three deflections) also contributed making it easy to see why the Vixens did not need to make a change to the starting seven.

For the GIANTS, Dwyer scored an accurate 18 goals from 12 attempts, and had eight goal assists from 13 feeds and a rebound. Harten’s numbers of 25 goals from 34 attempts were largely impacted by missed Super Shots, but the Roses international still had six goal assists. Hay (11 goal assists and two deflection) and Price (14 goal assists, two intercepts) both had moments, whilst Amy Parmenter (two intercepts, one deflection) and McDonell (two deflections) did well on the last line.

Melbourne Vixens host West Coast Fever on Tuesday at John Cain Arena in a mid-week round, with the GIANTS Netball also heading back home to clash with Queensland Firebirds on Tuesday night.

MELBOURNE VIXENS 17 | 16 | 13 | 18 (64)
GIANTS NETBALL 16 | 11 | 13 | 12 (52)

STARTING SEVENS:

Melbourne Vixens:

GS: Mwai Kumwenda
GA: Kiera Austin
WA: Liz Watson
C: Kate Moloney
WD: Kate Eddy
GD: Jo Weston
GK: Emily Mannix

GIANTS Netball:

GS: Jo Harten
GA: Sophie Dwyer
WA: Maddie Hay
C: Jamie-Lee Price
WD: Amy Parmenter
GD: April Brandley
GK: Matilda McDonell