Semi Final Match Report | Thunderbirds vs Vixens

Simone McKinnis enlisted her entire team of 10 in a physical top of the table battle, exposing all of her charges to finals netball ahead of their preliminary final next week.

Q1 | Thunderbirds 19–13 Vixens

Nerves plagued both sides early, but it was the Thunderbirds who settled into the opening quarter after a strong start in attack. While Rudi Ellis (1 deflection) worked to nullify Romelda Aiken-George with her positioning, the connection between Lauren Frew and Georgie Horjus was difficult to disrupt. The under-pressure Vixens attack persisted in their sharp and flat ball movement to open up the circle, with three timely super shots from Kiera Austin (12 goals, 63%) closing the deficit.

Q2 | Thunderbirds 38–22 Vixens

McKinnis made wholesale changes in the second quarter, injecting Kate Eddy at wing defence to support Jo Weston and Emily Mannix in the circle, while testing a number of attacking combinations – including Sophie Garbin at goal attack – to combat the heavily contested passes down court. Settling in at home, the Thunderbirds remained in control in each section of the court to extend their lead.

Q3 | Thunderbirds 54–32 Vixens

With the half-time break giving a chance to reassess, the Vixens fell back on their most-used lineup throughout the season, save for Lily Graham (9 goals, 69%) entering at goal shooter to settle herself in to finals netball. Kate Moloney and Hannah Mundy continued to sight Graham at circle edge, backing the youngster while the margin grew.

Q4 | Thunderbirds 68–43 Vixens

The young guns took over the attack in the final 15 minutes, with speedsters Zara Walters (1 intercept) and Mundy (1 intercept, 25 feeds) combining to keep the quarter score margin within three goals. Weston (1 intercept, 2 deflections) remained a reliable option at the back, owning the transverse line to help the Vixens attack out of trouble, while Eddy and Moloney were workhorses in the defeat.

THE NUMBERS

• 51: Hannah Mundy was a solid performer despite the loss, leading her team with 51 Nissan Net Points, an intercept, a pickup and 25 feeds – a promising sign for the preliminary final next week.
• 5: Five different players collected an intercept each across the match – an indicator of a team hungry to win ball, but next week the key will be treasuring these gains and executing a controlled attacking game.

THE COACH SAYS

Head coach Simone McKinnis was disappointed with her side’s performance in their 25-goal loss.

“It’s just really disappointing. It’s one of our worst performances, but the Thunderbirds were very good right from the word go. They had a super game and have earned the right to be in a grand final. So, disappointing from our side, but we have a second chance and we’ve got to make the most of that now,” she said.

McKinnis was clear on the changes required ahead to next week’s preliminary final.

“It’s about hitting the court with that confidence and belief and in some ways, we hit the court with some hesitancy – you hesitate and the game’s taken out of your hands. So it’s going back to what we know and what works for us and our game and that connection as a team, and going for it. You’ve just got to go for it.”

NEXT UP

Finishing second on the ladder earned the Vixens a second chance at qualifying for the Grand Final. They’ll return home to host the preliminary final at John Cain Arena next Saturday 27 July, facing the winner of tomorrow’s minor semi final between West Coast Fever and Sunshine Coast Lightning.