Cover Image: Shaun Sharp
Writers: Ian Harkin, Jenny Sinclair
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Tobey Keddy and Georgia Doyle preview the grand final and discuss last week’s preliminary final and the ANZ Premiership decider.
West Coast Fever (1) v Melbourne Vixens (4)
Rod Laver Arena
Saturday, August 2, 7:30pm AEST
Expected line-ups
Fever:
GS – Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard
GA – Shanice Beckford
WA – Alice Teague-Neeld
C – Jordan Cransberg
WD – Jess Anstiss
GD – Sunday Aryang
GK – Kadie-Ann Dehaney
Bench:
Zoe Cransberg
Olivia Wilkinson
Fran Williams
Vixens:
GS – Sophie Garbin
GA – Kiera Austin
WA – Zara Walters
C – Kate Moloney
WD – Kate Eddy
GD – Jo Weston
GK – Rudi Ellis
Bench:
Maggie Caris
Lily Graham
Tara Watson
Head to head this season
Played 2 – Fever 2, Vixens 0
Round 3: Fever 67 def Vixens 57 (John Cain Arena)
Shooting – Vixens 48/65 (74%), Fever 66/72 (92%)
Super shots – Vixens 9/18 (50%), Fever 1/2 (50%)
Gains – Vixens 11, Fever 17
General play turnovers – Vixens 18, Fever 17
Round 14: Fever 71 def Vixens 60 (RAC Arena)
Shooting – Fever 69/75 (92%), Vixens 52/63 (83%)
Super shots – Fever 2/8 (25%), Vixens 8/17 (47%)
Gains – Fever 15, Vixens 6
General play turnovers – Fever 16, Vixens 21
Fever’ 2025 Record: Played 15, Won 13, Lost 2
Average points for: 69.7
Average points against: 61.6
Vixens’ 2025 Record: Played 16, Won 10, Lost 6
Average points for: 61.3
Average points against: 61.3
A happy Fever team after their major semi final win. Image: Clinton Bradbury/Bradbury Photography
Overview
The stage is set for the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final. It will be a great story, no matter the result, because both teams had very inauspicious starts; in fact they were second last and last after the opening round. Not many would have predicted a Fever v Vixens grand final at that stage. Fever started with two heavy losses, then in round three, they welcomed back champion goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard for the first clash with Vixens. They won that match and haven’t looked back since. A record-breaking 13 straight wins have come (including another win over Vixens), and they go into the decider as clear favourites.
For Vixens, that round three loss to Fever was just part of an inconsistent start to the season. After six rounds, they had just two wins and a place in the grand final looked a long way off reality. Then Simone Mckinnis announced she was stepping away from the role of Vixens’ head coach at season’s end. It was as if a weight was lifted off the team at that point. They have played with more freedom ever since, resulting in eight wins from 10 games. And they have also played with great heart, exemplified by their dramatic comeback win in the preliminary final. Form says they shouldn’t beat Fever, but after the last few weeks, who would say they can’t?
This will be the fourth grand final for both teams, with each having one Suncorp Super Netball title from three attempts. The match will take place in front of a sold out crowd of 14,000+ at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. It will be interesting to see how much support each team has. Normally, you would expect the Vixens to have overwhelming home town support, but grand finals are a different case now with the venue locked in well in advance. The Fever fans are very loyal, and their team has looked likely to be in the decider for quite a while. While the crowd should be predominantly supporting Vixens, it wouldn’t be a surprise if there was also a sizeable contingent of people who’ve made the trip from the west to see their team play.
The Vixens celebrate their incredible preliminary final win. Image: May Bailey-Ireland | Clusterpix
Strengths of Fever
It would seem too obvious to say that Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard is Fever’s greatest strength, but there’s no denying it. The strength and stability she brings to the attack end, enabling Fever to capitalise on a large percentage of the chances they get, makes them incredibly tough to beat. In the opening two rounds this year, Fever scored just 49 and 54. Since Fowler-Nembhard’s return, their average score is 72.5, and their average margin of victory is 12 goals. She almost never has a poor game. The best that the opposition can hope for is to lessen her impact, but that is easier said than done. She currently sits on 6,968 goals in Super Netball, so she should bring up 7,000 goals in the grand final.
Fever is far from a one woman team however. Fowler-Nembhard is simply the player that impeccably finishes off all of her teammates’ great play. Goal attack Shanice Beckford’s work is underrated, while Olivia Wilkinson offers impact off the bench. In the midcourt, wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld’s brilliant year has seen her rewarded with Diamonds selection. This year, she leads the league in goal assists, feeds with an attempt, and centre pass receives. When these teams met in round in round 14, she put on a show; 32 assists, two gains, four deflections, two pickups, 25 centre pass receives.
Jordan Cransberg has been the big improver of the season. Given the role of starting centre, she has proven to be a great point of difference, often sharing the attacking load with Teague-Neeld and giving defenders even more to think about. And just to complete the attack end, Zoe Cransberg is often called upon to replace twin sister Jordan at centre. You can read Jenny Sinclair’s profile of Jordan and Zoe Cransberg here.
The composure of this group of players has seen Fever lead the league this year in almost every attacking category. They have scored the most goals, had the fewest turnovers, converted a higher percentage of their centre passes, and scored more goals from gains and turnovers per game than any other team. It’s like a well-oiled machine.
Jordan Cransberg has been a big part of Fever’s success this year. Image: Clinton Bradbury/Bradbury Photography
Fever are first quarter specialists. They are used to getting off to a good start. The last time they lost a first quarter was actually against Vixens in round 3. So scoreboard pressure is a huge positive for Fever. With the attack end working so well on most occasions, it often takes other teams completely out of their comfort zone. A great example of this is the number of super shots opposing teams have put up against Fever this year. In the 13 games since Fowler-Nembhard’s return, opponents have put up on average 16 two-point attempts per game, and that is all down to the pressure of being behind on the scoreboard. While those super shots can be successful, there’s also risk involved and turnovers often eventuate. It’s no surprise to see that Fever is clearly the leading team in the competition for defensive rebounds. Individually, Sunday Aryang leads this statistic, while Kadie-Ann Dehaney is fourth, and Fran Williams eighth.
The strength of Fever’s attack end, can sometimes mean their defence is underrated, but fans have seen this season how effective it is. With Aryang, Dehaney, Williams, and captain Jess Anstiss, they have all bases covered. Anstiss is the quiet achiever. She just does her work week after week, making life difficult for opposing wing attacks, and giving her circle defenders the time and opportunity to pounce. Aryang has undoubtedly been one of the stars of the season. She has now surely established herself as Australia’s leading goal defence. In an amazing run of form, she has come up with 26 gains in Fever’s last four matches. Her combination with both Dehaney and Williams has been ruthlessly efficient, exemplified by the fact that Fever has the second most gains on average, but also has the least penalties.
One stat that definitely favours Fever is the fact that six of the eight SSN winners (including the last five) have won the semi final and then had a week’s break going into the big one. This Fever line-up has beaten Vixens twice this year, with a similar margin each time. And on both occasions, they have finished with more gains, less turnovers, and a substantially higher centre pass to goal rate. They know how to beat Vixens, and now just have to do it one more time to take the ultimate prize.
Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard stands up under pressure. Image: Clinton Bradbury/Bradbury Photography
Challenges for Fever
Perhaps Fever’s greatest challenge could be in their mentality. Can they overcome the burden of being overwhelming favourites in this game? It is a fair question. If finals were decided on current form and results, you could hand them the trophy now. But we all know that it doesn’t work that way. Under the pressure of a grand final, anything can happen. And they come up against a Vixens team that is full of confidence, playing as if they have nothing to lose, and riding on the crest of a wave at the moment. Such momentum can be a hard thing to stop.
In the last two seasons, Fever has fallen at the preliminary final stage, both times by just one goal, so does that place extra strain on the group to get it done this time? As a result of missing out on those past two grand finals, there are six players in this Fever line-up who haven’t got on court in a Super Netball grand final before. So this will be a new experience for them. And they will be playing in front of a big crowd. Fever are used to that, but on this occasion, most will be cheering for the opposition.
The players Fever need to stop are undoubtedly Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin. Austin in particular, has the ability to dominate a game and when she does, Vixens lift. Both Austin and Garbin are confidence players and if the crowd gets behind them, they will be hard to stop. Fever’s defence will have to be on their game and not allow the two Vixens shooters to settle.
In the major semi final against Swifts, even though it was a commanding victory, and Fever was under no pressure, it was noticeable that there was a drop off in performance when Jordan Cransberg and Shanice Beckford were replaced. This is surprising as it hasn’t been a big issue in earlier matches. As the margin was so great against Swifts, it wasn’t a worry, but if Dan Ryan has to look to his bench in the grand final, he will certainly be hoping for an improved showing. Beckford and Olivia Wilkinson are also two very different styles of goal attacks. For that reason, sometimes a period of adjustment is needed in the attack end when a change is made.
For 13 matches, it has been a fairly smooth ride for Fever. Ryan has for the most part, had few worries in this stretch of victories. In round four, they came from behind in the last quarter to win against Lightning, and in round 11, they had a tough battle with Thunderbirds before finally prevailing. Those are the only two matches where the result was really in doubt in the last quarter. They haven’t had a close match for more than a month. Are they match hardened enough if this becomes a goal for goal contest?
And what if super shots are required? This has been one of few weaknesses for Fever this season. For the most part, two-pointers haven’t been needed, and as a result, Fever has scored the fewest super shots of any team by quite a margin. But more importantly, they also have the lowest shooting percentage for super shots, again by quite some way. Fever will certainly be hoping this doesn’t come down to a two-point shoot out, because that will be a tough assignment for them.
Can Vixens do it one more time for Simone McKinnis? Image by May Bailey-Ireland | Clusterpix
Strengths of Vixens
Well, who would have thought it? At three quarter time in the preliminary final, even the most ardent Vixens fan would have had huge doubts that they would be playing in the grand final. But here they are. And it’s a recurring story of their season; fighting back after being written off. It might seem simplistic to say that the players are “doing it for Simone”, but there’s no doubt that ever since their coach announced she was stepping away at season’s end, they have played with a nothing-to-lose mentality. And there was no better example than last week. To be 10 goals down and then go out and play your best quarter of netball for the entire season; that is incredible. The resilience that Vixens have shown in the second half of the season, will stand them in good stead. Win or lose, McKinniss bows out with a terrific record. To date, she has coached 211 games for 121 wins and a success rate of 57.3%. The grand final will be her 140th Super Netball game.
Once again, in the preliminary final, when they were needed to perform, Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin lifted to another level. Austin had been quiet for the first three quarters, but she stepped up when it mattered in the last 15 minutes, nailing three crucial super shots. Meanwhile, Garbin put on a tremendous display of strength and positioning at goal shooter with 17/17 in the final quarter, and Swifts had no answer to her. And this is a constant theme. When Vixens win, it almost always coincides with Austin and Garbin playing well. They will certainly have to play at their very best against Fever, but they are capable of doing that. It must be remembered that Austin is also a defensive weapon. Her ability to win ball in the centre third is crucial.
Kate Moloney has played more games (140) in SSN than anyone else. She was enormous last week. 24 assists, 35 feeds, two gains, and four pickups. She did everything but physically carry her team over the line and her reaction at full time was a mixture of relief and exhaustion. She is the heart and soul of the Vixens and as long as she is on court, you know that she will give her all for the team. Her wing attack partner is Zara Walters, and in the absence of Hannah Mundy, she has done a great job. Last week, she was kept quiet early, and replaced, before returning to play a big hand in the win.
Captain Kate Moloney was a well deserved MVP in the Preliminary Final. Image: May Bailey-Ireland | Clusterpix
It’s strange the way things work out. Goal keeper Rudi Ellis was left out of the Diamonds squad two weeks ago, and she has since played probably her two best games of the year, capped off with a terrific display against Grace Nweke last week. She has the toughest job of all this week, up against Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard. She certainly won’t be expected to win that battle, but she doesn’t have to. If she can just get a few small victories along the way, that could be enough to turn the game Vixens’ way. Kate Eddy and Jo Weston weren’t at their absolute best last week, but they still did their job as they do most weeks. Eddy is as tough as they come, and just the sort of player who could lift for the big occasion and put in a match winning performance.
Vixens are a battle hardened team, having played a series of tough matches just to get to this point. Their last five wins have all been by one to three goals. So they know how to tough it out in a tight contest. And if it comes down to super shots, Kiera Austin is as good as anyone, and Lily Graham is also capable. That could be a huge point of difference in Vixens’ favour against a Fever side that has struggled from two-point range all season.
Six members of this year’s starting seven also played in last year’s grand final against Thunderbirds. That was after defeating Fever the week before. So this won’t be a new experience for them. But playing the grand final at home will be. Vixens’ three previous grand final appearances have been in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. A huge home crowd cheering them on, should be a big lift.
Vixens will need to overcome Fever’s defensive pressure. Image: Clinton Bradbury/Bradbury Photography
Challenges for Vixens
Vixens’ biggest challenge is simply the group of players they come up against this week. 13 straight wins demonstrates just how strong this Fever team is, and it will take a huge effort from every single Vixens player to get over the top of them. The two teams have met twice this season, and the margins have been 10 and 11, so that is a fair indication of where the two teams sit so far. In the last 10 matches between these teams, Fever leads 7-3. On the three occasions that Vixens have won , they’ve scored at least 73 goals. That gives an idea of the task ahead of them this week.
The past 13 games has shown what a difference Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard makes to this Fever team. Fever’s lowest score since her return is 67 goals. Vixens have only scored 67 or more five times this season. In her two games against Vixens this year, Fowler-Nembhard has scored 120 goals at a goal a minute. As crazy as it sounds, restricting her to 55 goals would be a win. Rudi Ellis has the almighty job of going up against her this week, but it’s the same old story. What’s needed is great all court defence, slowing down the ball movement into the champion shooter.
There’s no doubt that Fever’s defence will be piling on the pressure in this game from the start, as they know that Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin can both be rattled and put off their game. It’s up to those two players to stand up to the pressure and remain composed as they will need to produce their best or close to it for Vixens to win. Both Garbin and Austin can be guilty of giving away turnovers. Austin has the most turnovers in the competition so far this year, and Garbin isn’t too far behind her. But in recent weeks, they have rediscovered their best form when it’s been needed. And it will certainly be needed this week. If Vixens are to win, it’s likely that both Vixens shooters will have to play close to their best games of the season.
Last week, Kate Moloney did a mountain of work. In the absence of Hannah Mundy, Zara Walters has done a good job at the back end of the season. But in the preliminary final, she was kept quiet for periods. Vixens need her availability in attack to take some of the load off Moloney, as the captain can’t do it all on her own.
In the last game between these two teams, Vixens could only come up with six gains, and four of them went to goal attack Kiera Austin. That is not going to cut it this week. The defence end needs to find a way to come up with more ball. Vixens have the best gain to goal rate in the competition, but they need more of those gains to capitalise on.
There is a huge difference in game time and experience for the substitutes on both teams. The players expected to start on the bench for Fever this week, have totalled 1152 minutes of game time this year. For Vixens, it’s just 225. Last week, Simone McKinnis put Tara Watson on for her debut game in a preliminary final. That was a big call, but she was able to do a job in her 11 minutes on court. Lily Graham has played 115 minutes this year, and Maggie Caris just 99. Will McKinnis feel confident to go to her bench if required in the grand final? This season, Vixens have used all 10 players on just three occasions, as opposed to Fever 12 times.
A big issue for Vixens could be travel. Not this week, but the past three weeks. They’ve just come from three tough away games in Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney. After a hard season with so many high pressure games, fatigue is no doubt a factor at this stage. They need to get themselves up one more time. And they need to keep the score close. That sounds obvious, but it is a big factor. When these teams met in Perth in round 14, Fever won all four quarters, not by huge margins, but enough to keep Vixens at bay. The challenge here is for Vixens to not let Fever get on top of them from the start. They need to play well enough to bring the crowd support into play.
By the numbers
Head to head in SSN: Played 23 – Vixens 11, Fever 10, Drawn 2
At Rod Laver Arena: Played 0
This year:
Shooting – Fever 1013/1131 (89.6%), Vixens 911/1063 (85.7%)
Super shots – Fever 33/87 (37.9%), Vixens 74/130 (56.9%)
Averages per match:
Gains – Fever 12.5 (2nd), Vixens 9.3 (7th)
Intercepts – Fever 4.5 (4th), Vixens 4.4 (6th)
Deflections – Fever 12.9 (5th), Vixens 10.8 (8th)
Defensive rebounds – Fever 4.3 (1st), Vixens 2.4 (5th)
Penalties – Fever 50.6 (1st), Vixens 58.3 (7th)
General play turnovers – Fever 14.9 (1st), Vixens 17.4 (3rd)
Missed goal turnovers – Fever 2.9 (1st), Vixens 4.3 (5th)
Centre pass to goal – Fever 79.7% (1st), Vixens 71.7% (5th)
Gain to goal – Fever 71.3% (2nd), Vixens 71.8% (1st)
Turnover to goal – Fever 74.9% (1st), Vixens 68.9% (4th)
The rivalry
These two teams have a great history in Suncorp Super Netball, playing in many big games. Their records in SSN are actually very similar.
Fever in SSN: Played 140, Won 84, Lost 52, Draws 4
Vixens in SSN: Played 141, Won 86, Lost 52, Draws 3
They have met in two grand finals already, with the record standing at one win each. Who will get their second victory this week?
2020
In 2020, Vixens won in what was a shortened Covid-affected season, with most games played in a hub in Queensland. This meant that they weren’t able to play the grand final at home in Melbourne as would otherwise have been the case. Vixens started the year with three straight wins, and ended the regular season on top of the ladder with 11 wins, 2 losses, and a draw. That draw was against Fever. They defeated Lightning easily in the major semi, then won an absolute thriller against Fever 66-64 in the grand final in Brisbane. Mwai Kumwenda put in an inspired performance and was judged player of the match.
Vixens’ record for the year: Played 16, Won 13, Lost 2, Draws 1
Fever’s record for the year: Played 17, Won 10, Lost 6, Draws 1
Vixens v Fever in 2020: Played 3, Vixens 2, Fever 0, Draws 1
Vixens were winners in 2020! Image: Marcela Massey
Co-captains Liz Watson and Kate Moloney, and match MVP Mwai Kumwenda. Image Marcela Massey
2022
Fever claimed their first title in 2022, the first win for a team from Western Australia in the national league. They started the season with three impressive wins, before Vixens got the better of them in round 4. Fever finished the regular season with 10 wins and four losses, while Vixens finished the year as minor premiers, only losing two games. But it was Fever who dominated the major semi final in Melbourne with a nine goal victory, and then they repeated the dose in the grand final in Perth, winning 70-59. Player of the match was Sasha Glasgow after a tremendous game at goal attack for Fever.
Fever’s record for the year: Played 16, Won 12, Lost 4
Vixens’ record for the year: Played 17, won 13, Lost 4
Fever v Vixens in 2022: Played 3, Fever 2, Vixens 1
Fever celebrates in 2022. Image: Clinton Bradbury/Bradbury Photography
Sasha Glasgow couldn’t quite believe her Grand Final MVP. Image Clinton Bradbury/Bradbury Photography
