Bound 4 Bendigo wrap
Over 3200 fans packed Red Energy Arena for the Melbourne Vixens’ Bound 4 Bendigo pre-season event on Thursday evening, thanks to the support of the Victorian Government and the City of Greater Bendigo.
The Vixens hosted New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership side the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, with a curtain raiser between Bendigo Football Netball League sides Sandhurst and Kangaroo Flat.
RESULTS
Sandhurst 33 – 29 Kangaroo Flat [WATCH THE REPLAY]
Melbourne Vixens 65 – 49 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic [WATCH THE REPLAY]
WHAT WE SAW
Bendigo Football Netball League sides Sandhurst and Kangaroo Flat battled it out in a curtain raiser match, with Victorian Netball League talent on display across the court.
Sandhurst built a five-goal lead by the first break and maintained the margin across the match, claiming a four-goal win against last year's runners up.
Vixens coach Simone McKinnis started the match with a fresh defensive lineup, with Zara Walters in wing defence, Kate Eddy in goal defence against Magic captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Jo Weston back in goal keeper.
Both sides took some time to settle before the Vixens put their foot down, delivering a 21-goal first quarter off the back of three clean intercepts from Eddy in quick succession late in the term.
Kiera Austin was in form, her slick passing creating space for Hannah Mundy to hit circle edge, and her signature composure to post on full display while Sophie Garbin kept Magic's Erena Mikaere busy.
Coach McKinnis threw plenty of changes into the mix, her full squad of 10 taking the court in various combinations.
Lily Graham's mobility and quick changes of direction kept her defenders' heads turning, and temporary replacement player Maggie Caris impressed the crowd with her arms-over pressure and elevation, playing across goal defence and goal keeper.
Rudi Ellis took on the height of Magic's shooting circle with her own efforts in the air, pulling in crucial rebounds and forcing long feeds, and the Vixens' 20-goal final quarter delivered a final margin of 16 goals (65–49).
The Magic treated their opposition and the Bendigo crowd post-match, delighting fans with a ceremonial Māori performance before both teams spent time meeting fans on court.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Vixens will host their annual Fan Day on Sunday 23 March at Federation Square, before their final pre-season match against the Northern Mystics on Friday 28 March at the State Netball Centre in Parkville.
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We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of all the lands and waters where netball is played throughout Victoria and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We also wish to recognise the tremendous contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to sport, and in particular netball in Victoria. We are committed to a journey of Reconciliation, working to break down barriers and ensuring equal opportunities for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across our state.
Netball Victoria is a proudly diverse and inclusive organisation, that actively celebrates LGBT+ diversity, inclusion and pride within the sport of netball throughout Victoria.
The Melbourne Vixens compete in Australia’s premier netball league, Suncorp Super Netball.
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