By Stephanie Smarrelli
Kiera Austin knows the Melbourne Vixens have a tough task ahead of them this weekend if they want to become the first Vixens team to lift back-to-back premiership trophies.
They may have lost to the Adelaide Thunderbirds by 14 goals a few weeks ago, but Austin believes the Vixens have regained their confidence and that their drive to win is unwavering.
"Everyone will go out there with hunger and desire given we lost to them in the 2024 Grand Final by a toothpick,” Austin said.
"There's a lot of hungry girls wanting to have a big Grand Final win against the TBirds.
“Back then we were a different team and the girls we have now have more experience and more confidence on the court.
“We were really in it the whole game, it's probably a minute of the game where you have a lapse of concentration and that's enough to lose you a grand final.”
Despite that motivation, Austin believes the Vixens’ culture away from the court is one of their biggest strengths they’ll lean on this weekend.
“We're a really close-knit bunch, we've gone through the highs and lows of sport together for a few years,” she said.
“You really saw that last year where we were having quite a hard year as a team but to band together and get that win in the Grand Final was epic.
“You draw upon those moments when you get into finals campaigns, you really do want to play for each other when you get out there.
The Vixens won the premiership in 2025.
“You never know how long you're going to be in one team for, I'm assuming there'll be quite a bit of change at the end of the year with everyone off contract, so a key is to be really present in the moment.”
Reflecting on the Major Semi Final loss to the Thunderbirds and the team’s dip in form late in the home-and-away season, Austin says the Vixens are focusing on the positives.
“You learn the most from the losses,” she said.
“You have to move on from a game like that really quickly, we let them have a sniff and that's when they ran away with it.
“You have to play real consistent, disciplined netball for 60 minutes against them.
"They're a team for the generation; everyone will always reflect back on this generation of Thunderbirds.
“We’ll take our first half against them in the Major Semi Final and look at how we can keep doing that for the full 60 minutes.”
With five grand final appearances in seven seasons, Austin says the Vixens as a club are well equipped to staying grounded during Grand Final week.
“It's so lovely to see the amount of support,” she said.
“But within the group, it feels like a regular training week.
“In those last few days, it hits as the intensity ramps up but you have to treat it like any other week and business as usual.
“We've had enough experience as a team to know that when that first whistle goes it's hell for leather and then you can settle into routine."
Austin recognises the talent in the TBirds' team.
With last year’s Grand Final still fresh in their minds, Austin believes back-to-back premierships would mean a lot but there’s more driving the team than that.
“No Vixens side has ever done that before,” she said.
“There's been a lot of change in the background, we've had Simone move away and Di move in but there’s been a few other staffing changes, so it feels like a different environment this year.
“We owe it to this environment to win a grand final; while going back-to-back would be epic it's not our biggest driver at all.”
Speaking on the pressure of big games, Austin says she tries not to dwell on the mistakes while she’s out on court.
"I'm just thinking about what the next thing is,” she said.
“It's such a fast game, I don't think people realise until you get the chance to play at this level how quick a moment is.
“The teams and players that do really well can move on to the next moment really quickly and sometimes I'm good at it, sometimes I'm not great at it.
“If I make a mistake there’s an opportunity to win ball back and I do love to defend a little bit.
“I'm an attacker with a defender's heart... my sister's a defender so maybe I play for her out there.”
Leading the league for Suncorp Super Shots, Austin says deciding whether to take a long-range shot come down to a few different factors.
“It’s a tricky one,” she said.
Austin's excited by the opportunity to win back-to-back titles but it's not the team's only motivation.
“With a penalty setup, there's a bit more clarity and calmness around it, so I feel a bit more comfortable going to post.
“But if I get into that Super Shot region with a sense of calm and I’m able to turn and it's not a chaotic catch where I’m fumbling around to get set up then it's a pretty good time to go to post, but it's a risk because I probably won't get the rebound against a Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Latanya Wilson or Matilda Garrett.
“I have to turn with confidence, it's something not to shy away from and it's part of our game which can give you a leg up in a final.”
Austin knows much of the challenge this weekend will come from the Thunderbirds’ defence.
The goaler regards the Thunderbirds’ defensive unit as one of the world’s best, saying it’s difficult to play against them especially when they’re lifting each other up to defend in the goal circle.
“It is really hard, I'd love people to come and have a go at it,” she joked.
“They're very good at what they do, and they've worked hard to be the best defensive unit in the world so it's a challenge.
“But as athletes you don't want to just play and win, you want to be challenged, and you want to win against really challenging teams.
“If they do get that good setup, it's probably a wiser decision not to continue with the shot and seek an alternative route to the goal.”
Despite the challenge, Austin has full confidence in her connections with Sophie Garbin and Lily Graham which have continued to grow this season.
“We're all really comfortable to give each other feedback,” she said.
“Lil also gives us feedback which is exactly what you want to see in a young player because sometimes you can play a million games of netball but someone else might see it in a different lens, and that might be the one idea or structure that really works.
Austin's been impressed by the confidence of teammate Lily Graham.
“It's been really great to have Lil developing alongside us, she's such a confident young player. I wish I was as confident as her when I was her age.
"I also love playing with Sophie, she's rock solid and comes to training really excited about the game and wanting to perform not just for the team but for everyone around us.”
Regardless of the result this weekend, Austin says she's proud of what the group has achieved this season.
"There's a lot that happens behind the scenes that people don't get to see,” she said.
“I'm proud of the growth in our junior players coming on the court and playing their role, being more confident and comfortable to share their thoughts and opinions.
“I'm getting towards the end of playing and when I was younger that was one of the scariest things to do but to create an environment where people feel like they can be themselves and speak up, people aren’t always privy to that kind of stuff.
“It is a really special group, even seeing Mannix come back and having her daughter Mabel see her mum be an absolute superstar.
“There's so many little things I can look back on and be really proud of, you never know how long you're going to be in a team for so you have to really cherish every moment.”
Tune into the 2026 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final live and on demand on Kayo Freebies, Foxtel and BINGE.
