By Stephanie Smarrelli
The West Coast Fever have put an end to the Melbourne Mavericks' season and locked in a spot in the Preliminary Final against the Melbourne Vixens next weekend at John Cain Arena.
Fever defeating the Mavericks by four goals in front of their Green Army at an RAC Arena packed to the brim with 12,332 fans.
The Melbourne Mavericks started strongly, forcing West Coast Fever to work patiently before they could register their opening goal.
Early nerves were evident from both teams as relentless defensive pressure led to hesitant feeding and several disrupted attacking passages.
The Mavericks successfully stifled Fever's second phase play and capitalised on their early opportunities, converting all of their gains into goals in the first quarter to lead by four at the first break.
But Fever emerged from quarter time looking far more settled and quickly began to close the gap.
Fran Williams, alongside Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Jess Anstiss, applied significant defensive pressure to the Mavericks' attack, making ball movement far more difficult than it had been in the opening term.
As the margin narrowed, the Mavericks were composed, Kim Brown produced an important rebound from a missed Fever shot, but the game shifted when Ruth Aryang entered the court.
Aryang had an immediate impact, lifting Fever's defensive intensity and helping her side draw level before edging ahead to take a narrow one-goal lead into halftime.
The Mavericks began the second half in control, opening with a five to three scoring run.
But an Aryang intercept provided Fever with the opportunity to regain momentum and reclaim the lead with another costly Mavericks error soon following allowing Fever to wrestle the lead back.
With momentum beginning to swing, Mavericks' coach Gez Murphy turned to his bench, injecting Sacha McDonald and Charlotte Sexton into the contest.
Trailing by three goals heading into the Power Five, the Mavericks went into overdrive to clog space and slow Fever's attacking movement.
The pressure eventually paid off, with the Mavericks forcing a crucial turnover to reduce the margin. However, defender Fran Williams stood tall, producing a timely intercept to halt the Mavericks' surge.
Sensing their opportunity, Fever lifted another gear, capitalising on their defensive gains and finishing the quarter strongly to take a four-goal lead into the final break.
From there Fever powered home, stepping their defensive pressure up yet again.
In the blink of an eye Fever were able to confidently extend their lead to seven through seasoned-campaigner Romelda Aiken-George.
But the Mavericks refused to go quietly, with Sacha McDonald and Uneeq Palavi landing late Suncorp Super Shots to narrow the final margin, but Fever had done enough.
Alice Teague-Neeld was influential throughout the match and one of the standouts for Fever with 45 feeds and 29 goal assists.
The win ends the Mavericks’ first-ever finals series while keeping Fever’s premiership hopes alive as they continue their push for redemption after last year’s Grand Final heartbreak.
Next weekend, Fever will face the Melbourne Vixens with a place in the Grand Final on the line.
