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 did thanks to a Vixens final quarter comeback.

Thanks to a clever defensive intercept, the Vixens were the first to pinch a goal off the opposition centre pass and converted their following centre pass to take an early lead.

That was all that split the teams for almost half the quarter before the Swifts managed to peg one back, but they were unable to consolidate as the Vixens quickly retook the lead.

However with Helen Housby finding her range from distance even before the Power Five, the Vixens could hardly rest on their laurels.

That proved to be the case about halfway through the Power Five when not Housby but Sophie Fawns converted a Super Shot to tie things up. However Kiera Austin countered with a Super Shot of her own off the very next centre pass, before Fawns again countered with another Super Shot off the following centre pass after that.

With Fawns’ third successful Super Shot coming on the buzzer, the Swifts took a three goal lead into the first change.

The Vixens did not take long to eliminate the quarter time deficit, scoring the first three goals of the second term to see it gone inside the first two minutes of the term.

It then went goal-for-goal for a significant part of the quarter before the Swifts re-established their quarter time lead. However that lead was quick lived because quicker than you could say ‘Jumping Jo Weston’, the lead was back in the Vixens’ hands.

However, as had been the case all game so far, the lead changed hands again quicker than Maddy Proud down a netball court.

The Swifts used the Power Five well to establish a handy buffer that was big for the game up until that point, and their lead sat at seven goals at the main break as a result. 

The visitors continued to maintain dominance early in the third term, and quickly grew their lead to double digits. Nothing was going right for the Vixens as the Swifts really showed why they are such a contender this season. The Vixens certainly were trying the Super Shots to get back in the game, but they just were not sinking.

It was a nine goal margin at the beginning of the Power Five, but by the time the three quarter time siren went it was out to 16 goals.

The Vixens certainly swung the changes at three quarter time, and those changes saw them stage quite the comeback. Unfortunately for the Vixens, the deficit still proved to be too great to overcome as the Swifts emerged victorious.

Fawns ultimately finished with seven Super Shots for the Swifts, while Sarah Klau (12 deflections, four gains, one intercept, one rebound) also starred.

Meanwhile for the Vixens Austin finished with six Super Shots of her own, while Liz Watson (35 feeds, 24 assists, one gain, one intercept) was a woman on a mission at times.  

MELBOURNE VIXENS     15 | 17 | 11 | 19 (62)
NSW SWIFTS                     18 | 21 | 20 | 11 (70)

STARTING SEVENS

Melbourne Vixens

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

NSW Swifts

GS: Romelda Aiken-George
GA: Helen Housby
WA: Maddy Proud
C: Paige Hadley
WD: Tayla Fraser
GD: Maddy Turner
GK: Sarah Klau