Jhaniele Fowler earned a rare early mark to freshen up for a tilt at the Suncorp Super Netball minor premiership in West Coast Fever's 75-55 demolition of the Collingwood Magpies at Brisbane's Nissan Arena.
It was netball's equivalent of the mercy rule as the world's premier goalshooter cruised to the bench halfway through the final quarter with 62 goals from 66 shots.
Fowler was on target to break her own single game league record of 70 goals but a spell will do her no harm after the Fever joined the Giants and the Lightning at the top of the table on 32 premiership points.
Their superior percentage means first place is the Fever's to lose and they can seal the deal on Saturday against the Giants at the Sunshine Coast.
Outstanding defender Sunday Aryang was one of just two Fever players to contribute a full 60 minutes, adding seven gains in a dynamic performance.
"The minor premiership's really important and it's knowing that we've worked really hard to get ourselves in this position," Aryang said.
With the contest over before halftime, Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich had the luxury of resting her frontliners and tinkering with combinations in the second half.
Big guns Verity Charles, Courtney Bruce, Jess Anstiss and Alice Teague-Neeld all found their way to the bench after playing leading hands in setting up the win.
Goalkeeper Olivia Lewis earned a deflection with her first touch in an encouraging audition ahead of the finals.
A back injury to star midcourter Ash Brazill meant Collingwood was always going to be up against it.
Without even a mathematical chance of reaching the finals, there was little in the emotional furnace to power what could have been a spoiling victory against the finals-bound Fever.
Captain Geva Mentor said the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions placed on players had taken an exhausting toll as her outfit faces a quarantine period before returning to Melbourne.
"To put out a performance like that is not good enough," she said.
"Even if we're missing Braz on court … it's taken a toll. This season's been probably worse than last year.
"It's been exhausting, it's been draining."
Coach Nicole Richardson implored her players to find some energy but they were done after a 19-goal first quarter from West Coast's Fowler.
Richardson rotated her midcourt and handed some rare minutes to goaler Kalifa McCollin and defender Jacqui Newton without any impact against the Fever machine.
