4m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:40am
Housby super shot
The first two-point goal of the game comes through the hands of the competition’s leading super shot scorer.
SCORE: Swifts lead 29-27
5m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:39am
Swifts tactical timeout
Another Rudi Ellis intercept as the Swifts force the ball long into Nweke has seen Swifts coach Briony Akle call her second timeout for the game. Each team can take two per half. So there’ll be no more timeouts in the three and a half minutes left before half-time. It’s rare to see teams take every single one of their allocated timeouts, so that just speaks to the pressure of this game. Akle wants her attacking unit to go back to short, sharp passes in thier goal third and work it patiently to the shooter:
“They want us to go wide or long, so chip away.”
SCORE: Swifts lead 26-24
10m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:35am
Vixens tactical timeout
This will be the Vixens second timeout for the game and they’ve both come in this second quarter. McKinnis speaking with young Zara Walters said “it’s okay,” reassuring her about some of the mistakes she’s made so far in the goal third. Walters was getting smothered by Sharni Lambden and has had a big responsibility in the middle since Hannah Mundy’s injury. As a result Tara Watson is going to pop on in wing attack and make her debut. What a game to do it! We’re 30 seconds out from the next super shot period. The Swifts are leading this period 14-6.
SCORE: Swifts lead 25-20
11m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:33am
Offensive contact on Austin
The Swifts have converted a mistake from Kiera Austin. Who forced her way into the top of the circle. Pushing her back into Maddy Turner, the umpire was all over it.
SCORE: Swifts lead 21-20
15m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:30am
Vixens tactical timeout
Simone McKinnis wanted a moment to reset her defence. She wants Ellis to keep an eye on the pocket balls from the Swifts midcourt and hunt fearlessly. She also gave some positive feedback to Eddy about the wing defence’s willingness to pick up goal attack Housby even if it’s not her direct opponent in order to help apply pressure.
SCORE: 18-all
17m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:27am
Garbin’s foot out of court
The Vixens were looking stagnant in attack. The Swifts have upped their defensive pressure. Klau got a touch on the ball as the Vixens sent it into the pocket and then Walters was almost called for a held ball as she threw the ball in, desperately searching for a teammate to pass to. Then Garbin put a foot out of court as she tried to take a feed on the baseline. The Swifts use the throw in to go full court in transition. With their next centre pass they level the score.
SCORE: 17-17
21m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:23am
Swifts convert first
Housby was asked to fire up and attack fearlessly by her coach at the quarter break and she’s done that to start this second quarter. Scoring first with a drive to the baseline.
SCORE: Vixens lead 15-13
25m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:20amQT: Vixens lead 15-12
An intercept from Sharni Lambden in the oppositon’s pocket has helped the Swifts edge one back before the first break. Although it feels like the Vixens have been the better side in this opening quarter, they’ve not been immune to mistakes. Swifts are forcing them wide in attack and they’ve lost punch up the middle. The cross-court balls are playing into the Swifts hands and keeping them in the contest. There’s been five lead changes in 15 minutes. Crazy swings in momentum.
26m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:18am
Nweke’s costly misses
There were back-to-back misses from Nweke under the post, allowing the away side to extend their lead. Another thing letting the Swifts down is the passing from Housby. She’s forcing the feed high and long into the circle with flat feet. Making the trajectory of the ball really obvious to the Vixens. Rudi Ellis is holding that front space on Nweke and cutting off the pass to win the early battle. Ellis has four gains already in the opening quarter. Wow!
SCORE: Vixens lead 15-11
30m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:15am
Swifts tactical timeout
Briony Akle has called the first tactical timeout of the game. She’s demanded Helen Housby to get into the game, asking both her goal attack and new wing attack on court Grace Whyte to pass and cut. Not sit parallel and find some depth in the goal third. Instead of chucking that long feed in, she wants her attackers to be more dynamic in attack and find one more pass to get closer to the circle edge before feeding Grace Nweke.
“One more pass and then we’re in.”
SCORE: Vixens lead 13-10
32m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:12am
First sub of the game
With three and a half minutes till the first break, Grace Whyte enters the game at wing attack replacing Verity Simmons.
34m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:11amVixens hit the lead before super shot period
A bad pass from the Swifts put their goal shooter under too much pressure. Nweke tried to keep the long feed in play, but threw it straight to Jo Weston as she fell over the baseline. It’s allowed the Vixens to convert the opportunity and hit the lead before the first super shot period.
SCORE: Vixens lead 10-9
36m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:09am
Swifts back in front
Walters gave a long pass from the tranverse line, trying to cut out the mess and set up Garbin quickly in the circle. But Garbin lets the ball slip through her fingers and the handling error sees the Swifts level the score and convert their next centre pass to take the lead.
SCORE: Swifts lead 9-8
38m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:07am
Moloney intercept
This is going to be a back and forth battle. The Vixens have clawed their way back into the contest, capitalising on missed shot from Nweke and a bad ball into the goal third was picked off by Vixens captain Kate Moloney. They’ve now scored five straight. The momentum continues to swing as we tick towards the midway point of the first quarter.
SCORE: Vixens lead 7-5
40m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:04am
Swifts make up for first mistake
The Swifts respond quickly, converting a mistake from the Vixens with a player’s foot out of court. They levelled the score 1-all and then converted their next centre pass to take the lead for the first time. A missed shot from Vixens goal attack Kiera Austin under the post gifted them another opportunity and with another centre pass up their sleeve they’ve now scored four straight to swing momentum.
SCORE: Swifts lead 4-1
43m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 4:01amSwifts can’t convert first centre pass
The Vixens have score first by disrupting the Swifts opening centre pass. Not the start Briony Akle would have been hoping for.
SCORE: Vixens lead 1-0
50m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 3:55am
Vixens favourites with the fans
A lot of love for the away team so far on the blog. Can they go from fourth place to upset third (TBirds) and second (Swifts) in order to reach the grand final?
53m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 3:51am
Rudi Ellis needs to stay off the body
Looking forward to a great game today! A bit shocking how Rudi and Keddy didn’t get the call up for the diamonds, but they will have to be clinical in defence today (especially against stars in Nweke and Housby)!
– Soph
Absolutely, here’s what Vixens head coach Simone McKinnis told the host broadcaster about Rudi Ellis’ tough task defending New Zealand’s best shooter and Super Netball’s second leading goal scorer (741 goals) Grace Nweke today:
“I think she’s got to be prepared to take risks, be courageous, see what’s outside [the circle], stay off the body. To do that she’ll need support from out the front. It’s a huge challenge. The biggest thing is not getting caught up in the balls that do go over [her head].”
57m agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 3:48am
Kate Eddy could be crucial to a Vixens win
I’m so excited to see how this Klau-Garbin matchup goes! 2 diamonds stars, and hoping Vix can be clinical to post with good form like last week. Also hoping we see more Kate Eddy gains (disappointing that she wasn’t called up for Diamonds selection…) GOOOO VIXENS!!!
– Emily
Both Kate Eddy and Rudi Ellis showed the Diamonds what they’ll be missing in last week’s game, didn’t they Emily! Kate Eddy has been on fire this season. Such a workhorse in defence. She’ll likely be crucial for them today.
1h agoSun 27 Jul 2025 at 3:41am
Coaches have their say
NSW Swifts head coach Briony Akle was interviewed on the host broadcast and spoke about where her team went wrong in the major semifinal against the Fever:
“It was absolutely our start and we couldn’t get our heads back in the game. Getting that confident start [today] and letting that ball go sets the confidence for the rest of the game.”
Followed by Melbourne Vixens head coach Simone McKinnis in what could be her final game in charge. Speaking with Fox Netball she said she was proud of the Vixens’ teamwork in the minor semifinal:
“It’s a really intimidating environment [in Adelaide], they attacked it, they were fearless and worked hard together … Kiera Austin thrives on this sort of contest and I think her and Sophie Garbin have been getting stronger and stronger as the season has gone on.”