THE Melbourne Vixens had a relatively inconsistent 2018 campaign, but are shaping to be hot favourites heading into the third season of Suncorp Super Netball (SSN). They just missed out on finals last year, finishing fifth on the ladder but claimed some big upset wins, with a victory over the grand finalists and minor premiers, West Coast Fever. This year the Vixens will have to ensure that they are efficient and consistent across the four quarters if they are a chance to take out their first SSN title.
The Vixens maintained a relatively stable line-up over the off-season but will be without star Malawian goal shooter Mwai Kumwenda who ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Round 12 last year. While they have lost her to injury, the Vixens have recruited shooting sensation and Australian Diamond Caitlin Thwaites. After two years with Collingwood and nine years away from the Vixens, Thwaites returns home and offers a great target in the ring with her strong holds, clever movement and impressive accuracy. Melbourne also signed South African goaler, Ine-Mari Venter who could develop into a key player if given enough exposure. The Vixens boast a very different shooting line-up to previous years but with the likes of Liz Watson and Kate Moloney through the midcourt the avenue to goal should be straight forward.
Besides from Venter and Thwaites coming in, the changes have been minimal with the defensive end remaining the same. After missing a couple of rounds last year with a finger injury, Emily Mannix will be wanting to ensure that she is solid in defence after goal keeper Kadie-Ann Dehaney was prominent during her time on the court.
Wing defence, Renae Ingles provides that great drive through the midcourt, while youngster Lara Dunkley has also been elevated from a training partner after Tayla Honey is set to spend some time on the sidelines after suffering an injury. Dunkley provides plenty of speed, dynamism and attack across the court making her a handy inclusion for the Vixens, to give Moloney and Watson a break.
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We also previewed some of the teams in detail in the return episode of the Centre Pass Podcast now hosted by Draft Central. Listen to the link below to hear about the Collingwood Magpies as well as Adelaide Thunderbirds, NSW Swifts and Melbourne Vixens:
Marvelous Mundy on a quest to make her own story
THIS YEAR is shaping up to be a year of change for Melbourne Vixens’ midcourter Hannah Mundy. As someone who has always been better know by and connected to who came before her, 2024 is the chance for Mundy to really make a name for herself. As the daughter of a netball great in Shelley […]
Spoilt for choice, Samason chooses life in NZ after tough 2023
THE relationship between Australian and New Zealand netball has always been idolised in the eyes of international viewers. From 2008 to 2016 there was the ANZ Championships, which saw five Australian and five New Zealand teams compete week in, week out. Each had their respective conference titles, but it was the overall competition that was […]
How to fit three into two – Vixens shooters
THE squads lists for the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball Season have been confirmed, and fans can finally look forward to the season ahead. However, some teams have made some signings that leave questions about the makeup of their starting sevens. One of those is the Melbourne Vixens, specifically the shooting cohort of the Vixens. Last […]
Destined Vixen looks to take passion to the next level
THE Australian Netball Championships. The tournament that many aspiring netballers aim to showcase their athleticism in. When watching the seven day event, there were names people threw around for tournament MVP. Many notable names such as Sophie Fawns, Lucy Austin and Jordan Cransberg. It was Emily Andrew who took home the award. “It was like […]
Dominant defence decisive as Fever live another day
THE West Coast Fever live to fight another day in the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball season, after defeating the Melbourne Vixens 64-57 in the Suncorp Super Netball Minor Semi-Final. In a match that ultimately came down to the final minutes, some stellar defensive performances from the Fever, in particular Courtney Bruce and Sunday Aryang, ultimately […]
GIANTS steal win to send stalwart out on a high
APRIL Brandley will certainly not forget her final Suncorp Super Netball League match in a hurry, as her GIANTS Netball came from behind to defeat the Melbourne Vixens 60-57. After being behind for almost the entire match, the GIANTS took the lead for the first time with 40 seconds left in the match and held […]
Queens of the arm-wrestle win final Melbourne Derby
THE Melbourne Vixens have again proven why they are Queens of the arm-wrestle in 2023, defeating Collingwood 64 goals to 55 in the final ever Melbourne Derby. After Collingwood dominated the first half, the Vixens flipped the switch in the third quarter and pulled off a win that was at times a lot tighter than […]
Firebirds cause upset over Vixens
FIRST Nations Round concluded with the in-form Queensland Firebirds getting a five-goal upset over the Melbourne Vixens who are losing their footing at the wrong time of the season. It was a topsy turvy outing with neither side really getting an upper hand and running away with it out of the blocks. The Firebirds stuck […]
Super Shot shootout sees scorching Swifts succeed
THE NSW Swifts have earned a win over the Melbourne Vixens, winning 70 to 62 in a display that was dominant at times. Despite the final scoreline, things were looking very different in the middle portion of the game as the Swifts put the foot down and dominated. Things only got as close as they […]
