2025 Super Netball Grand Final: Vixens v Fever

Also from the big sporting weekend two days ago was another National League Grand Final this time in Super Netball at Rod Laver Arena not far from the MCG where Collingwood played against Brisbane at the same time in Aussie Rules Football (AFL).

We’ve already witnessed the Mainland Tactix winning their first ever ANZ Premiership trophy for the Christchurch and Canterbury region the week before v the Northern Mystics in Auckland, New Zealand – and now the domestic netball season ends here for Season 2025 as we can’t wait for the International leg now.

South Africa aka Proteas will be stopping by for three games each first v Silver Ferns late next month and later Diamonds in early October. Ferns will also get an extra few games offshore in November with two v Scotland and three v England not long after the Constellation Cup series.

Also next year’s ANZP will be aired in its entirety by TVNZ since Sky couldn’t fit the bill themselves but this next TV deal only lasts for the year though with all expenses to be covered by Netball New Zealand itself as remains to be been if Sky could still be around to air Silver Ferns Tests after all.

Melbourne Vixens

Congratulations to the Melbourne Vixens who got away with the last gasp win over West Coast Fever by 59-58 that marked a successful sign off by head coach Simone McKennis. She will now be retired with the next one set to take over from next year.

As said, it wasn’t an easy but competitive grand final where Fever got their own building blocks but so does the Vixens.

What worked best one over the other was the Vixens passage of play unlike Fever who hesitated at times and had to gain turnover after turnover led by the experienced skipper at C Kate Moloney. 

Not only she steered the ship right, she also unlocked the areas where Fever couldn’t stop in its tracks, and that got the best out of this ever-strong duo in none other than Sophie Garbin (goal shoot) and Kiera Austin (goal attack).

They’ve both had their best seasons with Garbin already part of the championship-winning circle back in 2019 when she was at the NSW Swifts but former Western Sydney Giants player Kiera Austin deserves this moment actually for the first time in her domestic career at age 27/28.

She’s come from a long, long way who had to sit out a year of Netball a few years ago due to an ACL knee injury.

Since donning for the Melbourne-based side back in 2022, she’s been doing a whole lot better than ever before – not just always shooting up close but also made the most out of two-point Super Shots.

It remains to be seen if she’s able to carry that form consistently now that she has a championship in her honours cabinet unlike last year when Kiera’s Vixens side fell short against the Adelaide T-Birds.

West Coast Fever

Despite the one-goal loss, you can’t go past Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard as the flagship goal shoot for the Fever. It wasn’t the same if you go back from the first few rounds when Jhaniele wasn’t there due to an untimely miscarriage with the loss of her 2nd baby. Since she came back on weeks later during the season, she never looks back by continuing the hard work not just Fever, she also wants to give back to her young family as she credits them for giving her a good stable home in Perth.

She continues to put in that kind of effort as always the other night particularly in the last 15 that could hopefully turn the tide towards the last dying minutes.

However, it’s just the players around her who need to give Jhaniele the best goal shooting supplies in order to be the best against everyone in this competition.

These kind of mistakes & mistimed hot potato passes in between the full 60 championship minutes including after half time from two goals down (31-33) gave the Fever little time to run the Vixens down which is unfortunately too little, too late.