Grand Final Preview

West Coast Fever vs Melbourne Vixens

Sunday 3 July, 7pm AEST

RAC Arena | Whadjuk Noongar Country

HOW TO WATCH

Can’t make it to the game? Tune in live on Foxtel or Kayo Sports (Australia), Spark Sport (New Zealand) or NetballAustralia.TV (everywhere else).

WHAT TO EXPECT

It’s all on the line when we hit the court at RAC Arena on Sunday in our Grand Final clash against West Coast Fever. Playing the Fever in the major semi final two weeks ago, we’re eager to make amends and put out a solid four quarter performance to bring home the championship.

After the heroics of last Saturday, Emily Mannix will be eager to replicate her performance to nullify Fever powerhouse Jhaniele Fowler and get plenty of hands to ball. She will need support from partner in crime Jo Weston who is likely to come up against Sasha Glasgow.

Missing last week due to health and safety protocols, Kiera Austin is set to return to the side and will look to bring the defensive intensity and cool, calm and collected mindset in attack she’s displayed all season. Young gun Rahni Samason is another livewire for us in attack, proving she can shoot from anywhere. Samason and Austin will need to combat the ball-winning ability of Sunday Aryang and Stacey Francis-Bayman.

Liz Watson and Kate Moloney will need to back up their strong preliminary final performance and bring their trademark composure and crafty court play. Fever’s depth through the midcourt will present a strong challenge, with Verity Simmons, Alice Teague-Neeld and Jess Anstiss all able to have an impact. With Kate Eddy and dynamic midcourter Hannah Mundy at our disposal we have proven that we have plenty of tricks up our sleeve, but will need to dig deep to combat their speed through the centre third.

ONE TO WATCH

The battle under the post will be a thriller with Mwai Kumwenda and Courtney Bruce set to lock horns once again. Kumwenda shot the match-winner against the GIANTS and will need to hold her nerve when she comes up against the highly physical Bruce. A dominant force in the air and lethal under the post, Kumwenda will be drawing on her experience and composure from the first whistle.

HEAR FROM THE COACH

“I think you can see from our reaction after the preliminary final, how much it means to us to be playing in another Grand Final. I’m excited and looking forward to getting on the road again because it’s been a few weeks and we do like travelling and we do like being together,” said head coach Simone McKinnis.

McKinnis emphasised the importance of drawing upon the finals experience from the leaders across the group to help guide them when out on court against the Fever.

“We do have experience as a group from having played in finals before and that’s important. We’ve also had a year where we’ve had to find our way to win games in difficult circumstances, as it was in the preliminary final, and I think that shows a lot of heart and team strength and connection.”

“But we’re playing against a team that are hungry for their first championship and in front of their home crowd. It’s a super challenging task heading over there but I think that if we go there making sure we’ve done the prep we needed to do, we can be confident and have belief in ourselves,” she said.

Catch the full press conference with Simone McKinnis and co-captains Liz Watson and Kate Moloney here.