By Alexander Dabb
It might be billed as the most unpredictable Suncorp Super Netball season yet following plenty of change in the off season, but some things remain the same.
The Melbourne Vixens have picked up in 2026 right where they left off, with the reigning premiers earning a measured 60 to 49 Round 1 victory over the Queensland Firebirds at Nissan Arena on Sunday.
With the most settled lineup in the competition, with the biggest change being Di Honey stepping up to take on the role of head coach in place of Simone McKinnis, the Vixens took to the court against a Firebirds side that was more of an unknown quantity.
All eyes were on the Firebirds’ three big Kiwi imports, with Silver Ferns trio Maddy Gordon, Kelly Jackson and Te Paea Selby-Rickit providing international experience across all three lines, and all having immediate impact as the contest got underway.
Mary Cholhok was on fire early, her height worrying Vixen Rudi Ellis in defence, with the Ugandan international sinking five of the Firebirds’ first six goals to open up a three-goal lead after five minutes, most of which was down to brilliant work in the midcourt from Gordon, Macy Gardner and Imogen Allison, who heaped the pressure on the Vixens at every opportunity.
Despite coughing up possession early and still trailing by three at 12-9, the reigning premier never looked worried, and slowly but surely worked their way back into the game through tireless work from Hannah Mundy and skipper Kate Moloney in the middle third.
Vixens captain Kate Moloney was supreme at centre.
The duo provided quality feeds to Diamonds shooting pair Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin, the latter sinking a Suncorp Super Shot amid a run of six of the last ten goals for the term to take a 15-14 lead into the huddle.
While the Vixens may have started slowly in the first, there was no repeat dose in the second, widening the gap to five in the first five minutes of the quarter, forcing Firebirds coach Kiri Wills to take a time out and inject Emily Moore into the shooting circle at the expense of Selby-Rickit.
It was goal-for-goal for much of the term from there, and while the Firebirds rallied after a Moore Super Shot to close within three, the Vixens were able to eke the advantage back out to 30-25 at the half.
The Firebirds came out firing after the main break, bringing the same sort of pressure as they did in the first term, drawing to within three, but every time the Vixens were challenged they managed to pull away again, reinstating the five-goal advantage before establishing a game-high seven-goal lead following another Austin Super Shot to force yet another time out from the Firebirds.
Moore once again found herself on court in the Power Five alongside Selby-Rickit as the Firebirds looked to take advantage of the two-point shots, which they did initially to close within four following Moore’s accurate attempt, but Austin continued to fire back at the other end, draining a long-range attempt of her own to give the Vixens a 45-39 lead at the final change.
Kiera Austin was brilliant under the ring for the Vixens.
The Vixens put the foot down to start the final quarter, adding five of the first six goals to their tally as the lead stretched to double digits, ballooning as high as 12 at one point to essentially put the game to bed, however the Firebirds were desperate until the final whistle, throwing plenty of positional changes at the reigning premier in the dying stages in an attempt to claw back some of the deficit.
It mattered little though as the Vixens held on for an 11-goal victory led by Moloney, who earned player of the match status after a 25 feed, 11 goal assist and four gain showing, racking up 95 net points as the highest player on court by some way.
Austin proved damaging inside the circle, converting 27 of 29 attempts, while Ellis earned 49.5 net points in a five deflection, two rebound display, despite giving up more than 20 penalties in an extremely physical battle with Cholhok.
There was still plenty to like for the Firebirds too, despite the double digit defeat, with Gordon finishing with 68.5 net points as the third highest ranked player on court in her first outing for the club, showing her class not throwing a single intercept throughout the contest, while Cholhok dominated up front, sinking 34 of the team’s 49 points.
Both sides will hit the road in Round 2 next weekend, with the Firebirds hoping to make amends when they face the Sunshine Coast Lightning at UniSC Arena on Saturday evening, while the Vixens will look to keep the perfect record intact against the GIANTS at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon.
