The first quarter was as tight as expected, despite an early intercept by Liz Watson that set the tone and allowed the Melbourne Vixens to have a two-goal buffer, it was the Swifts that finished the quarter up by three.
It was clear from the get-go that there wasn’t much between these two teams, the physicality and intensity through the mid-court were equally matched, and the play for ball was a fierce competition. What started as the Vixens getting intercepts and deflections led to the Swifts doing the same, keeping themselves in the contest, before pulling away thanks to some sharp shooting from Sophie Fawns who subbed in for Romelda Aiken-George.
Only trailing by one goal, it was Jo Weston who passed the ball in before Helen Housby had reentered the court, resulting in a Swifts ball and a Fawns super shot to finish the quarter.
Despite losing the first quarter, the Vixens remained competitive. Mwai Kumwenda and Kiera Austin combined very well together in the goal circle, Austin venturing out of the circle to allow more space for MJ. Their smart plays resulted in some important scores and maintained that scoreboard pressure. It was towards the end of the first half, however, that the Swifts started to slip away. Their offensive prowess was unwavering and they made the most of the Vixen’s wayward passes, a credit to their defensive pressure. The end of the second quarter was as disappointing as the first for the Vixens. Fawns may have missed the target this time around, but Housby managed to rebound the ball and get a goal of her own.
As the margin grew, the pressure was evident on the Vixens' shooters, both MJ and Austin started to miss shots they would normally put away. The Swifts, on the other hand, maintained their composure and steadily grew their lead. It wasn’t just missed shots for the Vixens, their passes were being picked off left, right, and center – the Swifts' defense packing their offensive third and leaving little space for the Vixens to find an opening.
Despite the score line, the Vixens continued to be the tireless and persistent in their efforts, particularly Kate Moloney, whose active hands and vocal calls could not be faulted.
With the margin blowing out and a defeat on the horizon, Moloney’s disruptive nature was picked up by her teammates, the recently subbed on Olivia Lewis taking a page out of her book. On two separate occasions, she won the ball for her team and provided some much-needed hope. Winning possessions and finally scoring down the other end, allowed the Vixens to bounce back and go on a run of their own. Slowly but surely, they were able to cut the margin down, but a win still seemed out of reach. The combination of the power five and some clutch defensive work meant that there was still a chance. But it wasn’t meant to be, their run was stunted by a Helen Housby goal. Despite their valiant effort to bring back the deficit, it was the Swifts who came out on top by eight goals.
