Round 3 match report | Vixens Academy vs Firebirds Futures

Head coach Wendy Jacobsen continued to play multiple combinations in this game responding to opposition matchups and individual athlete performances.

Q1| Vixens Academy 16 – 15 Queensland Firebirds Futures
Both teams started the same starting sevens as Round 2 except for changes to their respective goal attacks: Georgia Moody for Vixens Academy, and Emily Moore for Queensland Firebirds Futures (with regular goal attack Kirra Tappenden in front at wing attack), and Bella Hodgson returning to the starting lineup for Vixens Academy at goal shooter.

Both teams settled quickly until Vixens Academy pushed out to a 3-goal lead led by the work of Maggie Caris and Ruby Turner at the back, and the crafty new shooting circle of Moody and Hodgson in front. A full defensive effort saw Vixens Academy score multiple pickups and shut off connections to Queensland Firebirds’ 2026 11th-player Elsa Sif Sandholt at goal shooter, forcing an early change of Jayden Molo into wing attack. Queensland Firebirds Futures brought the margin back to 1 at quarter time with the hands over pressure of circle defenders Gemma Hutchings and recent SSN debutante Lily Gribble causing three held balls to Hodgson and Moody throughout the first quarter.

Q2 | Vixens Academy 29 – 31 Queensland Firebirds Futures
Both sides made just one change at quarter time, with Ruby Pekin-Schlicht coming into goal defence for Vixens Academy, and Victorian pathway product Leila Simpson making her season debut for Queensland Firebirds Futures at wing attack after moving to Queensland earlier this year. Simpson proved effective in finding Sif Sandholt to start the quarter, despite the efforts of Vixens Academy wing defence Tayah Brown on first phase defence. With Queensland Firebirds Futures up by 5, Vixens Academy head coach Wendy Jacobsen made the game changing move of 18-year-old Sahara Ball into goal attack for her first minutes since a quick Round 1 debut. Vixens Academy’s circle defenders also picked up their game, with Pekin-Schlicht especially putting her body on the line to pull in balls and stop any movement into the super shot zone.

Q3 | Vixens Academy 50 – 43 Queensland Firebirds Futures
It was a huge quarter for Vixens Academy who started the quarter quickly falling behind by 4 but ended up by 7.

Both sides made major multiple changes to start the second half with Casey Dunstan coming on at centre, Mia Lavis in goal attack, and Ally O’Connor moving from centre to wing defence for Vixens Academy. Queensland Firebirds Futures brought on Queensland Firebirds’ training partner Lillyana Rennie into goal keeper for her first minutes of the season, and Victorian-born Maddi Ridley into wing defence for her first game since recovering from a second ACL injury. Kirra Tappenden was meanwhile brought back on at goal attack, and Queensland Firebirds training partners Sasha Flegler and Jessie Laga’aia were shuffled into centre and wing attack respectively.

The introduction of Lavis was impactful, as was the injection of debutante Gabby Dwyer, who earned a squad call up this week based on her recent Victorian Netball League (VNL) performances. Hodgson mixed up her game nicely with holds and drives along the baseline. Vixens Academy worked cohesively to put their foot down in the power five with Lavis scoring three super shots, Ball coming back on at goal shooter, and Turner at wing defence to close out a dominant championship quarter.

Q4 | Vixens Academy 61 – 52 Queensland Firebirds Futures
Vixens Academy brought captain O’Connor back into centre for the final period, while Queensland Firebirds Futures shuffled Ridley into centre, Hutchings back into goal defence, and Flegler to wing defence.

Vixens Academy picked up where they left off, pushing the margin to 10, before a 3-goal run by Queensland Firebirds Futures. Jacobsen continued to ring in the changes at the right time, rotating all the circle defenders throughout the last quarter, while allowing Zali Anderson to run out the match at wing attack for her composure and tenacity. It was a low scoring quarter for both sides but Vixens Academy maintained their lead while keeping their undefeated streak alive.

THE COACH & CAPTAIN SAY
Vixens Academy head coach Wendy Jacobsen was pleased with new squad member Gabby Dwyer’s SN Reserves debut in this match. “She has been performing outstanding in the VNL – I do watch that week in, week out – and we had a couple [of athletes] come into training on Friday night and she earned the right to have an opportunity and boy she made a great impact.”

Likewise, the team’s youngest player Sahara Ball had a strong match playing across goal attack and shooter. Jacobsen said the ability to mix up the injection of Ball, Moody, Lavis, and Hodgson is a strength of this side. “I think that they are four very different types of goalers and depending on what we're coming up against, sometimes with their style of play, we can implement someone else and then that can break the game open.”

Jacobsen said the long pre-season afforded to Vixens Academy by Netball Victoria has allowed combinations to build, which is now being reflected on the ladder.

Captain Ally O’Connor sang the praises of Ruby Turner in this match. “She came on and had a lot of impact… [She had] high hands, she went for the ball, and she had really good attack down the line as well.”

NEXT UP
Vixens Academy take on Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts in an away game on Sunday 17 May at 10am at UniSC Arena.

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