From finals longshots to champions: Why Vixens' win was a triumph for Australian netball
Melbourne finished fourth on the ladder and were underdog finalists, but they pipped the red-hot favourites 59-58 in front of a boisterous and energetic crowd of 15,013. It was also the farewell moment for Vixens coach Simone McKinnis, who had already announced her resignation after 13 years at the helm.
On Sunday morning at the spiritual home of netball in Melbourne, Royal Park, the Vixens, slightly bleary-eyed, happily signed autographs and posed for photos with their loyal fans.
It was a far cry from earlier in the season, when their campaign was in peril with a 2-4 win-loss record.
Vixens captain Kate Moloney knew the odds were stacked against them, but they never gave up.
'I got told there was a stat that it was a 14 per cent chance we could finish fourth at that stage after around six,' Moloney said on Sunday.
'Pretty incredible that we're able to get on a good run and got ourselves in the top four. And once you're there, anything's possible.
'The group just fought every week. We had challenges week in, week out, to make sure that we could get to this grand final. But I think it really match-hardened us.'
The magnitude of what the Vixens achieved took a moment to dawn on McKinnis.
'I think maybe I was in a little bit of shock because you know it's there in the distance … and you know that that's what you're after, but you're never really thinking about it,' McKinnis said on Sunday.
McMahon, who led the Vixens to the 2009 title, and now serves as netball's high-performance chief in Victoria, said: 'I'm just incredibly proud of this team and what they've been able to achieve this year.
'To have a start like we had, backs against the wall, and be able to fight our way out of that situation and find ourselves holding up the trophy at the end of the season is a great testament to their resilience and just their drive and passion.'
The drama of the finals series and the sold-out grand final crowd was a landmark moment for a sport that was dogged by an ugly pay dispute in 2023, which was eventually resolved when a collective agreement was signed that included players sharing revenue with Netball Australia for the first time.
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And only two months ago, Netball Australia announced it had entered a three-year broadcast deal with Whoopi Goldberg's All Women's Sports Network (AWSN) that will expose Australian netball to more than 65 countries.
'There's been a lot of work done behind the scenes over the last 18 months to two years,' Ellis said.
'I think a lot of the credit has to go to our CEO Stacey West, who came in at a particularly difficult moment for the sport, and she steadied the ship.
'We've got a great story to tell. The story that was told a couple of years ago ... probably wasn't great. That's not to say that everything's perfect [now, but] there is an awful lot of work going on behind the scenes.
'I keep saying to everyone 'let's not carried away, there's still plenty to do in the next 18 months to make sure that we put our game on the best footing possible for the next 10 years'.
'Certainly, it would be nice to ... look at last night and put the line in the sand, and say, 'right now, all eyes towards the future, we are telling a story of optimism and growth and excitement'.'
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As it happened: Norris wins Hungarian GP while Piastri settles for second in dramatic final lap
Go to latest Norris beats Piastri by 0.698 seconds to win Hungarian GP in a nail-bitingly close finale By Hannah Kennelly In the dying seconds of the penultimate lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri lunged his McLaren towards his teammate Lando Norris near Turn 1 to regain the lead of the race. The Australian locked up and Norris – who miraculously kept his tyres alive on a one-stop strategy for 39 laps – powered through to win the race and beat his teammate by 0.698 seconds. Piastri pitted twice and finished second, with Mercedes driver George Russell completing the podium and a frustrated Charles Leclerc in fourth. The McLaren 1-2 finish marks the team's 200th grand prix victory and also narrows the margin between championship leader Piastri and Norris to just nine points. As exhausted but elated Norris claimed his ninth win and declared he 'was dead' in a post-race interview. 'I'm dead. It was tough, it was tough,' Norris said. 'We weren't really planning on the one-stop but after the first lap it was kind of our only option to get back into things' he said. 'The final stint, with Oscar catching, I was pushing flat out.' A gracious Piastri congratulated his teammate and said McLaren had done a great job. 'I don't know if trying to undercut Leclerc was the right call in the end but we can go through that after,' Piastri said when asked about the team's differing tyre strategies. It was a rocky start to the race for Norris, who started third but dropped to fifth after trying to pass his teammate on the opening lap. Piastri spent the first half of the race in pursuit of race-leader Charles Leclerc, however was initially unable to catch him. McLaren chose to pit Piastri in lap 19 in an attempt to undercut Leclerc , however Ferrari executed a two-second stop and Leclerc emerged in front of Piastri. Norris pitted on lap 31 and chose to stay out – taking the lead of the race when the others pitted for a second time. Suddenly, Norris was a contender for the crown and Piastri – thanks to the team's tyre strategy – found himself chasing Leclerc and Norris. Notoriously nicknamed 'Monaco without walls', The Hungaroring has limited overtaking spots and tight turns demanding flawless perfection for every driver at every corner. The circuit's scare overtaking opportunities meant Piastri had to wait for the perfect moment to attack the Ferrari. A frustrated Charles Leclerc was unable to convert his pole position into a podium and issued an ominous and ultimately prophetic plea to his team during the race, telling his race engineer 'we are going to lose this race'. Piastri finally managed to get within DRS range down the main straight and swooped past Leclerc. With less than 20 laps to go, the Australian began hunting his teammate for the lead, while McLaren reminded the pair to race cleanly. Piastri tried numerous times to overtake Norris, but his rival held firm and fast and managed to evade the Australian's lunges and deep-dive near turn 1. After the Belgian Grand Prix last week, Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle declared 'This race confirms, it's Piastri versus Norris for the world championship'. It's clear both Norris and Piastri know that too. During Lap 41 of the Hungarian Grand Prix race, Piastri's race engineer asked if he would prefer to try and undercut Leclerc or defend against Norris and therefore have a better tyre advantage. The Australian instantly chose Norris. An McLaren battle for the driver's championship is inevitable. But the mid-season break is now upon so, so we will need to wait and see. The next race will be the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31. Latest posts 1.44am Norris beats Piastri by 0.698 seconds to win Hungarian GP in a nail-bitingly close finale By Hannah Kennelly In the dying seconds of the penultimate lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri lunged his McLaren towards his teammate Lando Norris near Turn 1 to regain the lead of the race. The Australian locked up and Norris – who miraculously kept his tyres alive on a one-stop strategy for 39 laps – powered through to win the race and beat his teammate by 0.698 seconds. Piastri pitted twice and finished second, with Mercedes driver George Russell completing the podium and a frustrated Charles Leclerc in fourth. The McLaren 1-2 finish marks the team's 200th grand prix victory and also narrows the margin between championship leader Piastri and Norris to just nine points. As exhausted but elated Norris claimed his ninth win and declared he 'was dead' in a post-race interview. 'I'm dead. It was tough, it was tough,' Norris said. 'We weren't really planning on the one-stop but after the first lap it was kind of our only option to get back into things' he said. 'The final stint, with Oscar catching, I was pushing flat out.' A gracious Piastri congratulated his teammate and said McLaren had done a great job. 'I don't know if trying to undercut Leclerc was the right call in the end but we can go through that after,' Piastri said when asked about the team's differing tyre strategies. It was a rocky start to the race for Norris, who started third but dropped to fifth after trying to pass his teammate on the opening lap. Piastri spent the first half of the race in pursuit of race-leader Charles Leclerc, however was initially unable to catch him. McLaren chose to pit Piastri in lap 19 in an attempt to undercut Leclerc , however Ferrari executed a two-second stop and Leclerc emerged in front of Piastri. Norris pitted on lap 31 and chose to stay out – taking the lead of the race when the others pitted for a second time. Suddenly, Norris was a contender for the crown and Piastri – thanks to the team's tyre strategy – found himself chasing Leclerc and Norris. Notoriously nicknamed 'Monaco without walls', The Hungaroring has limited overtaking spots and tight turns demanding flawless perfection for every driver at every corner. The circuit's scare overtaking opportunities meant Piastri had to wait for the perfect moment to attack the Ferrari. A frustrated Charles Leclerc was unable to convert his pole position into a podium and issued an ominous and ultimately prophetic plea to his team during the race, telling his race engineer 'we are going to lose this race'. Piastri finally managed to get within DRS range down the main straight and swooped past Leclerc. With less than 20 laps to go, the Australian began hunting his teammate for the lead, while McLaren reminded the pair to race cleanly. Piastri tried numerous times to overtake Norris, but his rival held firm and fast and managed to evade the Australian's lunges and deep-dive near turn 1. After the Belgian Grand Prix last week, Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle declared 'This race confirms, it's Piastri versus Norris for the world championship'. It's clear both Norris and Piastri know that too. During Lap 41 of the Hungarian Grand Prix race, Piastri's race engineer asked if he would prefer to try and undercut Leclerc or defend against Norris and therefore have a better tyre advantage. The Australian instantly chose Norris. An McLaren battle for the driver's championship is inevitable. But the mid-season break is now upon so, so we will need to wait and see. The next race will be the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31.
