Fever dominate Vixens

By Charlie McKay

A rejuvenated West Coast Fever outfit produced a dominant performance on Melbourne soil, taking down the Vixens 67-57 to claim their first win of 2025.

Fans packed out John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon as arch rivals Vixens and Fever went head-to-head in a high-stakes Round 3 clash.

The stage was set for a nail-biting contest, with four of the last six matches between these clubs being decided by a single goal.

West Coast Fever star Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard made her long-awaited return to the court to the delight of the netball community.

The powerhouse shooter and five-time league MVP injected much-needed firepower to a struggling Fever outfit.

Fever’s squad depth was tested as Zoe Cransberg and Caitlyn Brown came into the line up in place of injured defenders Ruth and Sunday Aryang.

In her 50th cap, Vixens defender and former Fever player Rudi Ellis faced the formidable task of containing her old clubmate in Fowler-Nembhard.

It was a tennis match early, with both teams conceding a handful of uncharacteristic turnovers.

The tug of war persisted and neither team could gain momentum despite flashes of defensive brilliance from both.

The Vixens won the first quarter for the first time in 2025, taking a narrow 15-14 lead into the opening break.

But Fever regrouped and came out firing in the second term, breaking the game open to steal a healthy buffer.  

The Vixens doubled Fever’s general play turnovers in the second, and they struggled to find rhythm in attack.

Sophie Garbin was benched in response, and Lily Graham came on with immediate impact for the Vixens.

The crowd lifted as Graham shot 3/3 super shots to keep the Vixens in touch.

But it wasn’t enough to halt a humming Fever outfit, and the away team took a 35-29 lead into half time.

Maggie Caris was injected at goal keeper in the third quarter to challenge Fowler-Nembhard, while Jo Weston was pushed out to wing defence for long arms over the feed.

But Fever kept composure, applying scoreboard pressure and forcing the Vixens into unsuccessful super shot attempts. 

The home team looked deflated and out of answers, heading into the final break trailing 41-51. 

In the fourth, Vixens head coach Simone McKinnis re-injected Garbin to spark some energy in attack, but Fever's defenders continued to command the ball. 

Fever kept ticking over the score despite a late Vixens surge, holding their nerve to close out the game 67-57. 

The Vixens departed from their usual clinical brand of netball, conceding easy turnovers and lacking cohesion down the court.

McKinnis wanted more from her charges.

"I thought we were patchy, and we couldn't back up a good patch."

Fever led centre pass conversion rate and goal to gain rate, which proved the difference.

In defence, Fever dominated the rebound stat (12-4) and unnerved the Vixens shooters.

Fever head coach Dan Ryan was thrilled with his team's performance.

"The players really stood up today, it was great to watch."

They've proven they are still premiership contenders and will take confidence into next week's home game against the Lightning.