Round 12 match report | Vixens vs Tarntanya Karntu

The Melbourne Vixens faced a determined Tarntanya Karntu side on Sunday afternoon, going down by 19 goals in front of a sell-out Adelaide Entertainment Centre crowd. While the result wasn’t what the Vixens were after, the afternoon wasn’t without its silver linings, and with finals firmly in sight, coach Di Honey is focused squarely on what comes next.

The Vixens created opportunities, putting up 50 shots across the match, but converting proved difficult against an Adelaide defensive unit that brought relentless physicality. Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin were kept to 42 goals between them, with Shamera Sterling Humphrey, Matilda Garrett and Latanya Wilson combining to apply sustained pressure throughout.

The game was within striking distance at quarter time, but the Vixens found the second quarter particularly difficult, with Adelaide’s fast ball movement proving hard to contain. Adjustments were made, but as Kate Eddy reflected, they came too late to change the result.

The standout moment of the afternoon came when 20-year-old Mia Lavis stepped onto court to make her Super Netball debut. Called up as a late replacement for Lily Graham (back soreness), the dynamic goaler from Howlong, a small border town of around 3,000 people on the NSW-Victoria border, showed composure on the big stage. Lavis joined the Vixens as a training partner in 2025 after a standout junior career that included selection in the Australian 17/U and 19/U pathway squads and a gold medal with the Australian FAST5 team at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games. Comfortable at both goal attack and goal shooter, she is a two-point threat the Vixens are excited about.

THE NUMBERS

50 — Shots created by the Vixens across the match, showing they were generating opportunities all afternoon.

THE COACH SAYS

Di Honey on what the Tarntanya Karntu did well and what the Vixens need to address.

“We were probably slow on the release. We’ve got to give it, you’ve either got to give it, or you’ve got to sell the ball, and I don’t think we were doing either. We didn’t have our staggered options; we were honing into someone who had two on them when there’s got to be someone free.”

Di on Mia Lavis’ debut.

“She’s going to be a really good player in the future. She’s a hard trainer, a smart, clever player, and she’s also dynamic. It was great that she came in and helped us out.”

Di on what the Vixens take from a tough loss heading into finals.

“A decent loss like that, you’ll learn so much from. We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and address that, because we’ve got a similar team next week in the Mavericks that will probably do something similar.”

Kate Eddy on the importance of working as a collective heading into the Derby.

“I think tonight everyone was quite individual and trying really, really hard, but not as a collective. Next week, if we can work together as a team, that will really benefit us.”

NEXT UP

The Vixens return home to take on the Melbourne Mavericks in the Derby next weekend, with plenty of motivation to bounce back ahead of a critical stretch run into finals.

ALL IN. ALL VIXEN.

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