Three things we learned: Preliminary Final

By Matt Fotia 

By the skin of their teeth. 

The Melbourne Vixens held off the fast-finishing West Coast Fever to make their third Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final in five years. 

The one goal win earned the Vixens a shot at redemption on Saturday against a well-rested Thunderbirds outfit, armed with a renewed sense of belief and a handful of new lessons. 

Here’s three things we learned from another blockbuster Preliminary Final. 

SIMONE’S STILL GOT IT 

In the current sporting landscape coaches come and coaches go. 

Simone McKinnis has defied that trend, masterminding her way through to the Grand Final in her 13th season at the helm of the Melbourne Vixens. 

McKinnis took over in 2012 and the Vixens have missed the finals on just three occasions since, winning two premierships, making five Grand Finals and a pair of Preliminary Finals to boot. 

Her coaching prowess was on show Saturday night for all to see.  

Coming off the back of a record low performance against the Thunderbirds in the Major Semi Final, the Vixens looked back to their slick best in attack, with Diamonds pairing Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin playing with a renewed sense of confidence. 

At the other end McKinnis pulled the right levers at the right time. 

She gave the starting spot to Rudi Ellis in goalkeeper, who used her extra height and reach to worry Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, before injecting crowd favourite Emily Mannix into the game after half time to give the Fever star something different to combat. 

The Vixens are undoubtedly the underdogs this week, but McKinnis has seen it, and done it, all before and could be the Vixen’s, not so, secret weapon. 

TRIED AND TESTED FOR A REASON 

Mainly through necessity, the Vixens have played Jo Weston in wing defence for a large chunk of the SSN season. 

It’s had plenty of upside, with the move allowing both Emily Mannix and Rudi Ellis to be on court and give the Vixens plenty of wingspan in defence, but as the year as gone on that move has become less and less effective. 

With Kate Eddy returning to full fitness, Weston was swung back into goal defence from the first whistle on Saturday and showed why she’s one of the world’s best. 

Using her trademark niggle and physicality, Weston wore down the undersized Shanice Beckford and provided her fellow circle defender with ample assistance when it came to combating Fowler-Nembhard. 

Eddy more than played her part as well. 

Back in wing defence for the full 60, she more than quelled the influence of Alice Teague-Neeld, and had three gains, two intercepts and plenty of little wins in an impressive performance that forced Fever coach Dan Ryan to move the magnets on more than one occasion. 

IT’S NEVER OVER 

Sophie Garbin slotted her 38th goal of the evening with four minutes left, the Melbourne Vixens led by 12 goals and were almost in the promised land of ‘party time’. 

But we all know that’s not how it works in SSN, especially in finals. 

The Vixens rolled back into a more conservative brand in this period, trying to take time away from the Fever but their keepings off style invited the Fever defence onto them and the momentum quickly changed hands. 

The Fever took eight of the next nine shots and nailed six super shots, with Teague-Neeld moving into goal attack to support Fowler-Nembhard, and closed the gap to just one goal when the final siren went. 

No doubt next time the Vixens will go down a more ruthless path to victory.