2025 coach's preview – shooter edition

By Amelia Barnes

The Melbourne Vixens will put forward an unchanged but more versatile and confident shooting lineup in 2025 with a full pre-season and permanent contract under young GA/GS Lily Graham’s belt.

Initially due to take up her first Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) training partner contract in 2024 (when the goaler had barely broken into the top division of the Victorian state league), Graham was signed as a permanent replacement player one month out from last year’s SSN season when longtime Vixen Mwai Kumwenda announced her pregnancy. 

Graham debuted for the Vixens in Round 3, going on to play 86 minutes throughout her rookie season. She is expected to play a much bigger role in 2025 as the Vixens look to increase their versatility.

“That's been a real focus for us across the pre-season, building her game up and her confidence because you need three shooters across this competition,” said Melbourne Vixens head coach Simone McKinnis.

Graham has impressed throughout pre-season with her super shot accuracy, natural agility, and improved ability to come around defenders’ bodies.

Standing at 183cm tall, the 19-year-old offers a different playing style to fellow goalers Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin, being equally proficient at goal attack or in goal shooter as part of a moving circle.

“It's a real positive for us because she does offer something different. She has different timing, she's a great mover, and importantly, she loves to go to the post,” said McKinnis. “She's not a holding shooter like Sophie, although she can do both.”

Austin and Garbin will resume their shooting partnership for the second year in Vixens colours. Both goalers finished 2024 in career-best form, with Garbin taking out the Liz Ellis Diamond award (recognising the most outstanding Australian player across the international and SSN season), and Austin being named in the SSN Team of the Year at goal attack.

McKinnis has been experimenting with Austin and Garbin’s positions during pre-season by trialling more periods with Garbin in goal attack, and Austin in goal shooter – again to bolster the Vixens’ versatility to suit different opposition.

“It's a really nice change up for us, actually. Sophie, she's taller and stronger – she has a different game at [goal] attack and she’s a mover back in the circle. It just can change things for us,” said McKinnis.

“You need to have that flexibility and adaptable game. We don't have just the one ‘big tall shooter,’ sort of thing. They bring different strengths in whatever role they're playing, and we've got to maximise those.”

The ability for all three goalers to perform in any shooting position throughout a game will bolster the Vixens’ attack line in 2025.

“An area for improvement for us is that variety, and having that third shooter who can come on at any time to be able to mix it up… I think that can be a real strength of ours,” said McKinnis.

“Having that depth is important, and the flexibility, and that is probably where we can improve more – just those rolling subs and utilising all the changes and the variations that we have.”

With the super shot now in play for its sixth season, McKinnis said the team is feeling more comfortable than ever to go to post in the final five minutes of each quarter.

The club has increased its super shots for three consecutive years, shooting 106 from 188 (56.4% accuracy) in 2024, compared to 72 from 132 (54.5% accuracy) in 2023; and 65 from 131 in 2022 (49.6% accuracy).

New training partner and goal attack Mia Lavis is also a confident long-range shooter, sinking critical goals in close pre-season matches.

“We use the pre-season to just put up as many super shots as we can because that's the best way to practise in match situations. It's got to be a part of your game,” said McKinnis.

“I back our shooters and I think certainly a strength of ours will be the super shot.”

Expect Austin to step up on court in her new capacity as the Vixens’ vice captain in her fourth year at the Melbourne club.

“Kip is very game smart, but it's just that calmness and that composure out there on court and off which is valuable for us,” said McKinnis. “She is really supportive of her teammates and the young ones, and supportive of everybody's growth and development.”

After a heartbreaking two-point loss in the 2024 grand final, McKinnis is confident she has the shooting circle to help secure a 2025 premiership. 

She added, “We did play some really good netball in that final and we took a lot from it. It’s not just the pain of losing that drives you for the next season, it’s that belief as well.”

The Vixens begin their 2025 SSN campaign with an away grand final rematch against the Adelaide Thunderbirds on Saturday 5 April, 5pm AEDT.

See the Vixens at home in Round 2 against GIANTS Netball on Sunday 13 April, 4pm AEST at John Cain Arena. Book tickets via Ticketek