By Caitlin Greenwood
The Melbourne Vixens have powered to a dominant 70-52 win over the Queensland Firebirds at Nissan Arena to jump up the ladder.
Keira Austin got the Vixens on the board first, but it was the Firebirds who grabbed the early break after a short pass error from the visitors. Both sides looked a little flat in attack early on, with neither able to take full control.
Vixens drew level midway through the quarter, helped by a sharp start from wing attack Hannah Mundy. Just as the Firebirds began to build pressure, a footwork call against Lara Dunkley halted their momentum to see the scores level heading into the first break.
The visitors pulled out to a two-goal lead early in the second, forcing the Firebirds to call a tactical timeout. Kate Maloney was everywhere for the Vixens, getting a hand to just about every pass.
Lily Graham entered the game during the power five and wasted no time making an impact. With mistakes beginning to creep in for the Firebirds, Mundy kept things ticking over with 11 assists as the lead stretched to four at halftime.
Mundy in control. The Vixens wing attack racked up 22 assists in a dominant display.The visitors kept control in the third, as the home side struggled to clean up their game. A tactical timeout from Vixens coach Simone McKinnis came with a clear message from captain Maloney: stay composed.
A super shot from Austin quietened the crowd, but Abigail Latu-Meafou answered right back, giving the Firebirds a much-needed lift.
Turnovers told the story, with the home side racking up 15 unforced errors compared to the Vixens’ nine, complete with a clean sheet from Mundy, who remained rock-solid. Latu-Meafou capped off the quarter with a super shot on the buzzer.
The Vixens kept their foot on the pedal in fourth quarter, stretching their lead as the Firebirds struggled to respond. With their attack end looking stagnant and out of options, the home side couldn’t match the visitor's intensity or structure.
It was a dominant finish from the Vixens, who ran away with a convincing 18-goal win.
Mundy capped off a standout performance to earn Player of the Match honours, finishing with 22 assists, 33 feeds, and an intercept in a complete midcourt display.
