Source : ABC NEWS
Melbourne Vixens head coach Di Honey has three different goal keepers in her team and we’re not sure which of them start the match against Elmeré van der Berg.
Jo Weston – The Diamonds star is more of a goal defence, but Honey has turned to Weston to play GK a couple of times this season with varying success. As a dogged ball chaser and one-on-one Australian style tagger, you know what to expect from Weston. At 188cm tall, she is extremely consistent and intimidating to face because she is so relentless. When she’s popped up unexpectedly at GK this season, she’s had Kate Eddy play with her inside the circle at GD. Although Honey started this combination in the major semifinal its effectiveness waned by the second quarter and would have probably been better as an impact switch later on.
Rudi Ellis – Ellis is the tallest, standing at 190cm. She is typically the Vixens starting GK but only played seven minutes of the major semifinal for tactical reasons, entering the game in the third quarter. In the preliminary final, Ellis resumed her starting GK role and all that time spent sitting on the bench the previous week riled her up. With a point to prove, she helped her team get out to an early lead and tallied three gains, five deflections, one intercept and one rebound in 50 minutes of game time. She would have been our Player of the Match.
Em Mannix – Mannix is a veteran of the team and stands at 188cm tall. She made her Vixens debut in 2015 and played the 2024 grand final against the Thunderbirds in Adelaide while 17 weeks pregnant. Her daughter Mabel was born with the cord wrapped around her neck which led to some health complications and Mannix decided to take the entire 2025 season off to focus on her child. Making a comeback this year, Mannix has had limited game time across her 14 match appearances and been more of an impact player. But she’s still getting results and could be a surprise starter for Vixens if Honey wants to catch the Thunderbirds off guard.
