By Matt Fotia
After three and half gruelling months, we’ve finally arrived at the business end of the SSN season.
It’s time to let the emotions take over and let even more of those raw, unfiltered views spill out.
Thursday Takes forges on, with a look at the clubs still in the race for the 2025 premiership.
Check it out below.
FEVER
Stick to the formula.
The week off can be a double-edged sword.
Yes, the player’s bodies will appreciate the slight break (teams always train to keep some sense of continuity) and they can put their feet up and disconnect from the sport if they’re that way inclined.
But there is also the tendency to let the mind drift too far forwards and get caught up in all the possibilities that next week holds.
What if I lose form? Will I be able to maintain my standards? Are they in better form than us?
One thought that will no doubt have drifted through the minds of the Fever players and staff this week, will be about the possibility of the Vixens having a home court advantage, despite finishing fourth, and whether or not those extra supporters can drive them over the line.
They mustn’t get caught up in that discussion, regardless of how often the local media, and their fans want them to.
The Fever are one game away from a well deserved premiership.All they have to do is stick to the formula that has served them so well these past few months.
Currently on a 13-game winning streak, this Fever machine is nigh on unstoppable at their ruthless, methodical best, and should not be defeated based on where the game is played.
If they can stay within themselves, continue to focus on nailing their own personal processes and not get caught up in any outside discourse (justified or not), it’s hard to see a world where they aren’t crowned champions for 2025.
VIXENS
Must fight fire with fire.
For the second straight week, this incredible group of athletes defied the odds to keep their unlikely fairytale charge towards the finals alive.
Not content with ending the Thunderbirds threepeat dream, the Vixens completed one of the greatest comebacks in Australian sport on Sunday, coming from 10 goals down at three quarter time to run out one goal winners and book themselves a spot in a second straight Grand Final.
The Vixens took the shackles off the in the final quarter, shooting 25 goals in the final quarter, after managing just 41 in the first three.
The Vixens pulled off the most unlikely comeback to book their spot in Saturday's decider.They did this after strong encouragement from Simone McKinnis to go for any ball they liked the look of, to let go of those risky feeds into the circle and to take on the shots they’d previously decided against.
Sophie Garbin was inspired in the final quarter with 17 goals from 17 attempts, raking in balls from the clutches of her defenders, Kiera Austin was back draining super shots, while Zara Walters (12 feeds), Kate Moloney (11) and Kate Eddy (one feed from wing defence) split open the Swifts defence with aggressive, instinctive passing.
It’s that carefree, aggressive attitude that they must bring on Saturday night if they’re any chance of completing the most unlikely of fairytale arcs.
The obvious focus for the Vixens this week would be to figure out a way to quell the influence of Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and her chief creative outlets, Alice Teague-Neeld and Shanice Beckford.
But let’s be honest, at best you’re going to keep Fowler-Nembhard to just under 60 goals.
So, if the Vixens are to end the Fever’s 13-game winning streak and send long time mentor McKinnis off in the manner she deserves, they must fight fire with fire and take their whirlwind final quarter approach into the decider and find a way to outscore the team from out west.
