Thunderbirds run riot

By Matt Fotia

The Adelaide Thunderbirds have started their 2025 campaign how they finished their 2024 one, by defeating the Melbourne Vixens at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, this time by 13 goals, 66-53.

The much anticipated Grand Final rematch loomed as chance for both the Vixens and the Thunderbirds to send a message to the rest of the competition.

The Vixens wanted to show they could best their long time foe, while the Thunderbirds were out let everyone know that the hunger still burned deep inside them.

The heat was on the from the first whistle, with both sides eager to get stuck into the 2025 season after eight long months between drinks.

It was the visitors who settled into the flow of the game quicker, with their focus on moving the ball through short, sharp passes limiting the influence of the Thunderbirds star-studded defensive trio in the first few minutes. Twice the Vixens opened up a two goal lead and twice the Thunderbirds were able to claw back the margin, most notably due to the efforts of skipper Hannah Petty, before they too settled into the contest. 

Despite the frantic nature of the opening stages, both team's goalers were composed under the post, in particular the 2024 Grand Final MVP Romelda Aiken-George and her teammate Lauren Frew, whose after the siren super shot, derived from the 22nd Vixens penalty of the quarter, helped the hosts open up a 16-13 lead at the first break.

The class of the Thunderbirds defensive system came to the fore in the second quarter, with the reigning champs flexing their collective muscle to pull away from the shell-shocked Vixens.

Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Matilda Garrett, Latanya Wilson and Petty combined for eight gains, five deflections and three intercepts to stop the Vixens in their tracks, before the offensive class of Georgie Horjus, Frew and Aiken-George turned up the heat, as the hosts piled on 21 goals to 10, including a run of 9 straight goals in a five minute period leading into the Power Five.

The Vixens were evidently rattled, calling for two tactical timeouts in the space of 90 seconds as they made multiple changes, swapping skipper Kate Moloney for young gun Zara Walters, and handing Maggie Caris her SSN debut, coming on for goal keeper Rudi Ellis, in an attempt to quell the influence of Aiken-George who had shot a perfect 25 from 25 at the major break. 

The interval did nothing to stop the Thunderbirds momentum as the home side maintained their manic pressure, while the Vixens continued to be sloppy with ball in hand, seemingly unable to find their usually seamless connection in attack.

While the Vixens were sloppy, the Thunderbirds were ruthless, showing no mercy for their rivals, pushing the lead out as far as 20 when Frew drained a super shot late in the quarter, before some back-to-back Vixens goals bought the margin back to 14 goals with one quarter to play.

Both coaches swung the magnets around at the final break, with Tania Obst sending Kayla Graham out into wing attack, shuffling Horjus into goal attack and Lucy Austin into goal shooter, while the Vixens gave Walters a chance in wing defence and Lily Graham a go in goal shooter.

It was Graham who ended up looking the most dangerous goaler for the Vixens for the night.

The agile shooter gave her midcourters a consistent option and was energetic in her movements, finishing the match with 13 goals from 15 attempts, including five super shots.

At the other end, Horjus reminded the competition she can shoot.

The reigning SSN Player of the Year shot two super shots in the final quarter, in combination with Lucy Austin who made the most of her opportunity with 10 goals from 11 attempts, as the hosts skipped away to a convincing round one victory, with plenty of positives.

The Vixens on the other hand head home with plenty of questions to answer.

They do come away from the game with one major positive, they don't have to travel to Adelaide again anytime soon.