Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Melbourne Vixens have the chance to win back-to-back Super Netball titles, moving into the grand final after a thumping 62-51 victory over West Coast Fever in their preliminary final.
The rousing win at John Cain Arena means the reigning champions take on the Adelaide Thunderbirds at the same venue next Saturday night.
It will be the Vixens’ third successive grand final – beating the Fever in 2025, after losing to the Thunderbirds the previous year.
The Vixens entered Saturday night’s grand final qualifier on the back of four straight losses, including a 64-55 defeat by the Fever in round 14, and a 13-goal major semi-final loss to Adelaide.
But they snapped that streak in style, steaming to a 17-11 lead after the first quarter, setting the tempo with a blistering mid-court attack.
Kiera Austin had been below her best in recent weeks, but the superstar goal attack looked sharp from the opening whistle.
She and fellow Diamonds goaler Sophie Garbin combined brilliantly in the circle, with Fever coach Dan Ryan making a number of changes to his defence to try to cap the pair.
Named player of the match, Austin finished with 24 goals from 26 attempts, while Garbin was equally as effective with 35 from 40.
“It’s epic. I don’t think it’s really hit us yet. Today was really about getting our performance right,” Austin said.
“We’d love to have another crack at the Thunderbirds.”
Down the other end of the court, Vixens defenders Rudi Ellis and Jo Weston unsettled Fever shooter Romelda Aiken-George, pressuring the veteran into a number of errors.
With the margin out to 11 goals midway through the second half, Ryan called a time-out to lay down the law to his troops, saying: “Sharpen up – do you want it or not?”
He got a response, with a Sasha Glasgow two-point shot closing the lead to seven, but the Vixens then got four of the next five goals, including a lay-up by Garbin in the final second for a 33-24 halftime lead.
The Fever matched the hosts early in the third term, but the Vixens again kicked away, with Lily Graham replacing Garbin during the Super Shot period to add to the misery with a two-point shot. That put the Melbourne outfit up 51-34 heading into the final quarter.
West Coast came again, but the margin proved too big to overhaul, with Ryan suffering his third preliminary-final loss as Fever head coach.
While Aiken-George added to her many records, scoring her 10,000th national league career goal, she was limited to 36 goals from 42 attempts.
