By Madeline Irwin
It was billed as the blockbuster game this round, the result was anything but between Tarntanya Karntu (Adelaide Thunderbirds) and the Melbourne Vixens.
The home side equalised the ledger by taking out a 19-goal win on Sunday afternoon in front of a sell-out Adelaide Entertainment Centre crowd.
Tarntanya Karntu outclassed the Vixens all over the court, but particularly in the attacking half where the two Aussie Diamonds shooters Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin struggled with the physicality.
The pair only managed 35 goals between them despite having 50 shots put up. The pressure that Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Matilda Garrett and Latanya Wilson put them under was immense, resulting in inaccuracy under the post.
Wilson notched up nine deflections and three intercepts, while Garrett (three deflections) and Sterling-Humphrey (one intercept and five deflections) were responsible for the Vixens shooters’ visible frustration at times, wearing them down across the match.
The lead was within striking distance at quarter time, but was blown out thanks to a damaging 17 to 7 second quarter from the Tarntanya Karntu.
Tarntanya Karntu's defensive pressure was too good, forcing the Vixens to play the ball around before going forwards and when they did go forwards the Tarntanya Karntu were in their way sending the ball back down the other end of the court.
The Vixens struggled to convert off their centre passes with a centre pass to goal rate of only 27 per cent, their opponent's on the other hand converted 82 per cent of theirs during the second term.
General play turnovers and penalties were also a problem for the Vixens, contributing to a 16-goal deficit by half time.
The Vixens started to settle in the third quarter but it was the home side who remained in control.
Elmeré van der Berg was strong in the goal circle accompanied by Georgie Horjus who continued to find plenty of space in the attacking third.
Kate Heffernan and Wilson were strong defensively each with two gains to keep the ball heading into the Tarntanya Karntu goal circle.
By three-quarter time the margin had extended to 20 goals setting the Vixens up with an impossible task to overcome in the final term.
Despite being behind on the scoreboard the Vixens found some of their usual rhythm in the fourth quarter and were able to trim the final margin by one goal down from 20 to 19.
Austin converted three of her six Suncorp Super Shots for the match while Emily Mannix delivered three intercepts to give the side a boost from the defensive end.
While the game is one the Vixens won't want to put on repeat one silver lining was the debut of promising young shooter Mia Lavis who will be better for the exposure to the speed and skill of the league.
Lavis came into the side as a late replacement for Lily Graham who missed the match due to back soreness.
Reflecting on how her side lost the contest, Vixens head coach Di Honey was brutally honest.
"I was probably disappointed that we probably dropped our heads a bit, and conceded in that first half, and that's not what we do and I don't want them to do that obviously," Honey said.
"The Thunderbirds played a very good game, they worked us out, so we've got to get back to the drawing board and address that because we've got a similar team [to face next week] in Mavs that will probably do something similar."
Kate Eddy reflected post-game on their take-ways from the match.
"Defensively we just have to have a crack at the ball and slowing them down, we can't just leave it to our goalkeeper to have a crack at the ball, we have to be a shield for them from goal shooter all the way down the court," Eddy stated.
"Then offensively we help the flow of our attack end from goalkeeper, goal defence, wing defence and centre as well."
Tarntanya Karntu head coach Tania Obst commended her side for their effort against the Vixens.
"We were very good today, from the word go, we came out with a real purpose about what we wanted to put out there, and we were able to gain ball early and score from it, which helps push out the lead but really pleased with our ability to play like we did today."
Sitting on top of the ladder, Tarntanya Karntu fly to Sydney to face the NSW Swifts next weekend while the Vixens will look to rebound against an in-form Melbourne Mavericks next weekend.
