Season 2025 stats wrap: Goalers

By Amelia Barnes

Unit performance

The strength of the Melbourne Vixens’ 2025 shooting lineup – made up of Australian Diamonds Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin, and young gun Lily Graham – is reflected in the statistics, which show the Vixens as one of the hardest teams to shut down.

Across the 2025 season, they forced the most penalties against them in the league and had the 2nd fewest intercepts made against them – an indication of their smart and clinical play.

The Vixens’ super shot strategy also contributed to crucial wins across the season, especially in the finals. Across the season the team had the 2nd best super shot accuracy in the league at 56.6%.

Kiera Austin

Kiera Austin had another strong season in the navy dress, ranking 2nd in the league for centre pass receives (312), 4th for goal assists (268), and 8th for total Nissan Net Points (1089).

She also achieved some career-best personal stats, including her most goal assists in a season, and highest super shot accuracy (61.3%).

The ability to contribute defensively is a trademark of Austin’s game, and this year she set a new season record for the most deflections resulting in a gain made by a goaler (13) – outperforming multiple starting circle defenders to rank 6th overall for this stat. No other dedicated attackers ranked in the top 15. 

Austin also holds the SSN record for the most gains in a season by a goaler (22), which she equalled this year, and she had several standout individual games in 2025, including Round 11, where she achieved the highest NNP score (123) for a goal attack this season.

Her performances were critical in the finals, which included 100% super shot accuracy and 0 general play turnovers in the semi final, and 80% super shot accuracy in the preliminary final.

Austin made 34 feeds in the grand final (her most feeds in a game since joining the Vixens) and was awarded the official player of the match.

Sophie Garbin

Sophie Garbin was ever reliable in 2025, ranking 4th in the league for total points scored (620 – the most in Garbin’s career to date) at 90% accuracy (3rd highest in the league).

The predominant goal shooter was strong under the post, sinking 616 1-point goals across the season (49 more than her previous best, achieved last season) to equal the Vixens’ SSN franchise record set by Mwai Kumwenda in 2022.

Garbin came in 3rd in the 2025 Sharelle McMahon Medal (Vixens MVP) count, and she was awarded Player of the Finals by the club, having shot 188 goals at 94% accuracy across the three nail-biting finals matches.

Garbin’s 17-from-17 in the final quarter of the preliminary final against the NSW Swifts was crucial to the side’s historic comeback.

Lily Graham

In her second season of SSN, Lily Graham solidified her role in the Vixens shooting circle. 

The versatile goaler made 7 appearances (115 minutes) across the season, often requiring the 19-year-old to sink goals under pressure.

Graham upped her overall season shooting accuracy to 73.4%, including 90.6% from 1-point range.

She scored at least one super shot every time she stepped on court, including 5 at 71% accuracy in Round 1, and 4 at 66.6% accuracy in Round 6.

All statistics courtesy of Champion Data.