Pre-season | Riverina roadtrip wrap

Both matches went down to the wire, the hosts prevailing by one goal each time, and the Vixens will take plenty away from their first official pre-season matches as a squad following a period of international duties for Australian Diamonds and Australian 21/U athletes.

Five squad members took the court for the first time in Vixens colours, defenders Maggie Caris and Charlotte Sexton, midcourters Tara Watson and Ruby Shannon, and shooter Mia Lavis impressing in their minutes on court.

GAME 1
Griffith Regional Sports Centre

Q1 GIA 19 | 11 VIX
It was a scrappy contest from the start, both sides blowing out the cobwebs with a few turnovers and missed shots. Rudi Ellis took on GIANTS captain Jo Harten in the circle, her reach over the shot and aerial ability causing headaches as she pulled in rebounds. Hannah Mundy owned circle edge, finding clean connections to Diamonds teammates Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin in the circle. After a low-scoring first 10 minutes, the hosts pushed the margin out to eight in the super shot period off the back of accurate shooting from Harten and Sophie Dwyer.

Q2 GIA 34 | 30 VIX
Coach Simone McKinnis shuffled the lineup, bringing young gun Lily Graham on into GS, Zara Walters into C, and shifting Kate Moloney back to WD to pair with Kate Eddy (GD) across the transverse line. Walters didn’t take a backwards step against GIANTS centre Jamie-Lee Price, in a close-marking battle with both athletes strong onto the ball. Eddy’s closing speed and reach made Dwyer’s life difficult, with Moloney’s dogged efforts earning deflections around circle edge. A flurry of intercepts from Mundy, Austin and Ellis fed Graham’s appetite for the super shot and the margin was back to four by the main break.

Q3 GIA 44 | 43 VIX
Garbin shifted out to GA for a run, her movement and timing creating space with Graham under the post. Squad member Maggie Caris came on in GK and took on Matisse Letherbarrow, her hands-over pressure forcing resets in the GIANTS’ attack. Jo Weston’s tagging efforts caused a couple of turnovers, and while the GIANTS’ pressure caused some congestion, repeat efforts from Walters and Moloney worked to open space. Graham’s movement on the lead cleared the circle for Garbin’s holds, mixing up the structure and getting the pair’s defenders’ heads turning. A smooth super shot from Graham late brought the margin back to one before the final break.

Q4 GIA 59 | 58 VIX
Eddy and Walters upped the pressure in the centre third, while Mundy battled it out with Price in a physical contest. The GIANTS pulled away to a four-goal lead before an intercept from Caris stopped their run. Graham rolled on for the super shot period and created opportunities, but with the game up for grabs the Vixens couldn’t land the final blow and a goal from Letherbarrow in the dying seconds sealed a narrow win for the hosts.

GAME 2
Wagga Wagga Multi-Purpose Stadium

Q1 GIA 19 | 16
The Vixens came out with intent, showing slicker ball movement in attack and clean connections from Walters and Mundy into Austin and Garbin. Caris started the game in GK, her deflections disrupting the GIANTS’ timing and flow in attack, aided by Walters’ defensive efforts in the centre third. Austin’s footwork and timing on the goal line offered her feeders options and Garbin took on Jodi-Ann Ward in the air, but the hosts’ accuracy to post saw them hold a three-goal lead at the first break.

Q2 GIA 41 | 32 VIX
Ellis, Eddy and Graham rolled on to begin the second quarter, Graham’s lateral movement and timing on the lead working well with the midcourt’s ball speed. Charlotte Sexton came on into GD and collected an intercept, while Walters’ dogged efforts to chase down loose balls lifted the team’s energy. Bodies were flying with plenty of off-ball collisions, but the GIANTS stayed composed and capitalised in the super shot period to push the margin out to eight.

Q3 GIA 60 | 49 VIX
Graham moved out into GA for a run while Austin had a rest, and Caris shifted out to GD to take on Harten. Eddy was outstanding, collecting intercepts and working relentlessly on transition. The GIANTS created congestion down court as the visitors trialled new combinations, Moloney offering a steadying presence through the middle and looking comfortable feeding Garbin’s holds despite the best efforts of Erin O’Brien and Ward in the air. The visitors couldn’t eat into the margin with Harten and Letherbarrow confident from the two-point zone.

Q4 GIA 71 | 70 VIX
With an 11-goal margin to chase down, coach McKinnis wasn’t afraid to blood her youngsters and the biggest cheers of the day were reserved for Howlong’s Mia Lavis, whose Wodonga Raiders coaches and teammates were in the crowd cheering her on. Lavis came on with nine minutes to go and impressed, composed shooting from mid-range and working with Graham to form a moving circle. Tara Watson came on into WD and was soon joined by Ruby Shannon in C, both with speed to burn through the middle. The ‘next gen’ Vixens threw everything at the hosts and brought the margin back to just one to the delight of their more experienced teammates on the bench, ultimately falling just short but finishing the trip on a high.

NEXT UP
1–2 March – Ballarat Blitz – BUY TICKETS
20 March – Bound 4 Bendigo – BUY TICKETS