By Stephanie Smarrelli
It’s the highlight of the fixture every season.
The Grand Final rematch.
And in 2026 it’s the West Coast Fever vs Melbourne Vixens.
The sides traded blows throughout the 2025 decider, but the Vixens never really looked like they were going to let the game slip.
But 2026 is a clean slate.
And the green machine will be ready for revenge.
Bolstered by the return of 2022 Grand Final MVP Sasha Glasgow, Fever’s ability to inflict damage in the goal circle will only grow.
The combination between Glasgow and Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard has proven to be unstoppable in the past.
And the Vixens will be wary of it when they meet in Round 7.
It was only a few years ago the duo broke the hearts of the Vixens in the 2022 Grand Final.
Glasgow was named as the Player of the Match against the Vixens in the 2022 Grand Final.Fever claiming their first premiership by a comfortable 11 goals.
But the Vixens will have an edge in defence with Emily Mannix expected to return to the fray following the birth of her daughter.
And their defensive end will carry plenty of confidence into the game after their last meeting.
In last year’s decider it was the Vixens’ defensive pressure that separated the two sides.
Jo Weston was prolific alongside Kate Eddy and Rudi Ellis. The trio’s hands over pressure formidable from the get-go forcing Fever to crumble under pressure.
Fever’s defensive end will need to fire in Round 7, and they’ll have to do it without star Sunday Aryang who has been sidelined by an ACL injury.
Pressure will be on her younger sister Ruth should she return by Round 7. The young gun rehabbing an Achilles injury that kept her out for most of 2025.
Leaving international stars Fran Williams and Kadie-Ann Dehaney to do the heavy lifting tasked with halting Vixens duo Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin.
But Austin was a standout on Grand Final day, the agile goal attack claimed the Player of the Match honours and will be critical to the Vixens again in 2026.
Like Glasgow, Austin is a gamechanger and when she’s got her eyes on the prize, she’s unstoppable.
The Vixens defence end were pivotal on Grand Final Day.The two goal attacks and their opponents will no doubt play a key role in who takes the win in Round 7.
But the midcourt battles will also be exhilarating.
Kate Moloney will lead the charge for the Vixens putting her body on the line for every possession while Jess Anstiss will control proceedings for Fever.
Alice Teague-Neeld had one of her best seasons in 2025 and was rewarded with an Origin Diamonds debut many thought she’d never get.
But she held her own on the world stage and will come into the new season having taken her game to a new level.
And with the Commonwealth Games around the corner, expect her to attack the Vixens in Round 7 with everything she’s got.
Likewise, Hannah Mundy will be chasing the dream; a premiership player with the Vixens having played 25 minutes of the Grand Final after returning from injury.
Expect her to come out with a point to prove against Fever when the sides meet again having been robbed of the opportunity to play the Grand Final from start to finish.
She debuted for the Diamonds in the back half of 2025 and will also be looking to nab a plane ticket to Glasgow and what better way to get the attention of the selectors than a strong performance up against the calibre of Fever?
While 2025 Grand Final went the way of the Vixens, every other time they met it was Fever who came out on top and convincingly.
It really is anyone’s game, but over in Perth Fever will have the home crowd edge they were missing the last time they met.
