Super Netball: Vixens seal finals spot in two-point thriller against the Firebirds
Outstanding long-range shooting from the Queensland Firebirds in the final super shot period allowed the visitors to claw their way within one point with just a minute left in the match but the Vixens weathered the storm to clinch a 64-62 win that sealed them third place heading into the final fixture and a guaranteed place in the finals.
In what could have been Simone McKinnis's final match coaching at John Cain Arena - hosting rights for the minor semi-final will be decided in the final round of fixtures - the Vixens raced to a five-goal lead after the first quarter in a performance that seemed to set the tone for a comfortable win.
The Queenslanders were unable to move from the bottom of the ladder but had plenty to play for, with just four players so far contracted for next season and were determined to be disruptors.
They turned the match on its head in a 19-13 second term that handed them a one-point halftime lead and the promise of a grinding match.
The Vixens rebounded again in the third but the game tightened up again when Emily Moore and Abigail Latu-Meafou slotted a combined three super shots in the final term, with the Vixens just getting over the line.
'It was a massive result for us and probably a much better result than how we handled the game last week,' Vixens goaler Kiera Austin said of her side being swamped by the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the final term last week.
'Massive credit to the Firebirds, they came out firing but it was great practice for us to work the ball around in the end and come away with the win.'
DOING IT FOR SIMONE
McKinnis announced weeks ago she will step down from coaching the club at the end of the season and would prefer there's little fuss around her tenure coming to an end.
But the two-time premiership coach admitted there had been nerves and emotion when she arrived at John Cain Arena for what may have been her last game in charge at the venue.
'Surprisingly, I didn't know there was but when I arrived today, there was,' McKinnis said of the emotion that flooded her arriving at a match she knew her family and friends had gathered to watch.
'In the game not so much because I was just like, get the job done.'
Vixens captain Kate Moloney said it was important to win not just for the team but for their coach.
'Simone doesn't like us talking about it too much but it is really important for us - it's important for us as a team to win, we want to be the best team we can,' Moloney said.
'And on a side note to that is we want to send Simone off on the best note we can. She's given so much to our club and hopefully we can keep the winning going.'
CRUCIAL VIXENS WIN
Wins to both the Lightning and Thunderbirds on Saturday put the defending premiers and Sunshine Coast side level on points with the Vixens, who needed to beat the Firebirds to lock up a finals spot.
With the Thunderbirds and Lightning playing each other in the final round, one will knock the other out but the Vixens could still lose third place - and hosting rights in the minor semi-final - unless they are able to upset competition favourites West Coast Fever in Perth in the final round.
'It's a massive game for us and really good prep for us to go into finals,' Austin said of the clash.
'Exciting that that solidified us heading into finals but for us, building on that confidence, trusting each other, letting the ball go, you want to start going on that climb now and I think the girls are putting in some really good efforts, so just keep working along.'
BIRDIES GALLANT IN DEFEAT
The Firebirds extended their unenviable club record run of losses to 11 in a row but there were again promising signs.
Macy Gardner one of just four players signed for next season, was among their best, with 11 goal assists, 20 feeds and two gains in her 50th Super Netball match.
Captain and defender Ruby Bakewell-Doran and imports, defensive midcourter Imogen Allison and shooter Mary Cholhok are the other players whose futures are guaranteed for 2026, while goal attacks Latu-Meafou and Moore did their best in an effort to prove their worth for new contracts.
The Firebirds round out the season with a home match against the NSW Swifts on Sunday.
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