Source : ABC NEWS
The new Vixens head coach
After spending a decade as the assistant under Simone McKinnis, new head coach Di Honey has taken the reins of the Vixens and been pretty successful in her first Super Netball season in the top job.
Considering the club’s playing roster stayed the same after winning a premiership last year and her long tenure there already, many questioned what she would bring to the role. Would the tactics be any different under her guidance?
Earlier on in the season, we saw some bold substitutions and a tweaking of strategy that caught the opposition off guard. But as their form as waned in the back end of the regular rounds, Honey has been unable to will her team over the line, and her changes have felt more reactive.
In the major semifinal her tactics also came under the microscope. She was brave enough to start Jo Weston at goal keeper and Kate Eddy at goal defence. This duo worked really well as an unexpected switch in the earlier rounds and saw the Vixens win the opening quarter 14-12.
But by the second period its effectiveness was starting to wane and pundits suggested she showed her hand too early and should have stuck with them as more of an impact change later on in the game instead of a starting combination.
So, will Honey turn to this duo in the circle again? Or will she leave them to play in their regular positions?
It will also be interesting to see if she’s come up with any more surprises to rock the opposition in the past week.
Does she have what it takes to be the head coach of a grand final team?
A new shooting combo at Fever
The key to this team’s success over the years has largely been their 198cm tall Jamaican target in the goal circle.
Goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard led the Fever to the grand final last year after making a comeback in the third round from a heartbreaking pregnancy loss.
This season, she was ruled out entirely after falling pregnant another time and has since given birth to a beautiful baby boy named Joshua.
Fellow Sunshine Girl Romelda Aiken-George had retired after the 2025 season but was coaxed out of retirement by Fowler-Nembhard to take her place as the spearhead of their attack.
This is now the fourth club she’s played for in the national netball league, having previously represented the Firebirds, Swifts and Thunderbirds. Despite wearing new colours, Aiken-George has been reliable as ever and extremely reliable under the post.
The other new element to the Fever’s shooting circle, year to year anyway, is Sasha Glasgow at goal attack.
Glasgow was part of the green team that won the Super Netball title back in 2022 but spent a few years with the Mavericks before returning to Perth for 2026.
As far as we know, the Glasgow / Aiken-George pairing is an entirely new combination but has been building nicely. Without the years of experience playing together, there have been moments where they haven’t been able to connect the way they would like.
Glasgow has also had to be reminded by coach Dan Ryan on occasion to get more involved in play. The side will need both of them to work well individually and in tandem tonight if they’re going to reach the decider.
