By Stephanie Smarrelli
With six rounds left, we’re nearing the final stretch.
A win or a loss this weekend could make or break the season’s final standings.
It’s starting to look too little too late for the bottom three sides but there’s still a glimmer of hope for the Vixens
Up top, the battle for second to fourth has been a rollercoaster but the ladder leaders continue to hold strong.
It’s the Swifts everyone’s chasing.
They handled the pressure well in Round 8, edging out the reigning premiers in a tight contest.
It wasn’t flawless, but they got the job done, draining the clock to seal the win.
But the challenge ramps up this weekend against Fever.
Fever have their sights set defeating the ladder leaders this week.
It’s the 1 vs 2 battle we’ve been dying to see.
And there’s no doubt Dan Ryan and co will have done their homework.
Missing out on the big dance by one-goal in the prelim final the last two years, they know they’ll likely have to defeat the Swifts during finals to claim the title.
Round 9 is their dress rehearsal, a chance to test how their best stacks up against the team to beat.
Last time these two met, it was Round 1 and a very different Fever outfit.
Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard was missing from the squad and the Swifts took full advantage.
Sarah Klau had a field day against a shooting circle and feeders finding their rhythm.
But this time? Different story.
Fever have not lost a match since Round 2.Fowler-Nembhard is back firing and Fever’s Round 8 outing was their most complete performance yet.
They’ve now racked up six wins and are building serious momentum.
This weekend, expect fireworks across the court.
Nweke vs Dehaney, Fowler-Nembhard vs Klau, Housby vs Williams/Aryang, Simmons vs Anstiss, Teague-Neeld vs Lambden you won't want to look away.
The Swifts have been slick all year, the Grace Nweke and Helen Housby combo is lighting up the stat and they’re the league’s cleanest team averaging the least number of turnovers.
It’ll be on Fever’s defenders to disrupt the flow, bring chaos to the attacking third, and force errors.
Klau was immense against Fever in Round 1.The Thunderbirds did that well last week with the Swifts having a higher number of unforced turnovers than their opponents for the first time this season.
The opportunities were there for the Thunderbirds they just didn’t make the most of them, a lesson that will be in the back of the Fever player’s minds.
REST OF THE ROUND
While the Swifts and Fever headline the action, the rest of the weekend is stacked with unmissable matches.
Opening the round, it’s Firebirds vs Lightning.
Lightning are looking comfy in the top four but the Firebirds will be keen to spoil the party.
Lightning have jumped into third on the ladder following Round 7.On the flipside the Firebirds season is looking grim, their loss last week puts them in the same category as the GIANTS with a less than one per cent chance of playing finals.
On Sunday, the Vixens take on the Mavericks in a must-win clash.
The Vixens are chasing their third straight win while the Mavs are desperate to avoid a three-game losing streak.
There’s much more than Melbourne bragging rights on the line.
The Vixens are the best chance for a bottom four team to sneak into finals and to do so they’ll need to keep their winning momentum rolling.
Then wrapping up the round, it’s the Thunderbirds hosting the GIANTS.
The Thunderbirds have fallen to fourth on the ladder.The reigning premier’s home court hasn’t been the stronghold it once was with two losses there already this year, the GIANTS will be looking to add to that.
They shocked the TBirds in Round 4, recording their only win of the season by a goal.
Since then, despite some injury setbacks they’ve shown signs of life.
Their youth are stepping up and knowing they’ve beaten the Thunderbirds before could give them the spark they need to do it again.
The TBirds are just holding onto their spot in the top four, they’ve got the Vixens breathing down their necks and need to win to stay in the game.
