The wise and experienced heads amongst the Melbourne Vixens were required to calm their side in the face of a last-ditch comeback from the Queensland Firebirds in Monday`s ANZ Championship thriller in Brisbane, eventually scoring a 54-51 victory.

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It was the second win from two notched up by the Vixens this season, but they had to rally in the final moments to stave off the Firebirds, who drew equal with three minutes left on the clock.

An elated Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield said afterwards that “every single ball” was contested by both teams, but her side succeeded by remaining strong through all four quarters.  

Coming off a debilitating loss to the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the opening round, the Queensland Firebirds were boosted by the return of their captain and goal defence Peta Stephens from a calf injury. Stephens immediately found herself up against the Vixen’s fleet-footed goal attack Sharelle McMahon, who turned out to be the outstanding player in the Vixen’s camp.

The speed and sharpness of Australian Diamonds stalwart McMahon has obviously not been tapered by last year’s knee surgery, and she was a handful for the Firebirds’ defence from the first whistle. McMahon shared the shooting duties with her goal shoot Caitlin Thwaites, both potting eight from nine in the first quarter.

The Firebirds defence, headed by goal keep Laura Geitz, did not give the Vixen attack any clear channels through to their shooters, but the Melbourne side still managed to get a three-goal edge after 10 minutes.  The Queenslanders, on the other hand, made quick work of getting the ball to their 1.96m shooter, Jamaican international Romelda Aiken.

Down 16-12 at the first quarter break, Firebirds coach Vicki Wilson made a change to her shooting line-up, taking the goal attack bib from Janelle Lawson to slip on Alissa Castrisos, making her first appearance in an ANZ Championship match, and bringing Kierra Trompf on at wing defence.

The shuffle sparked the Firebirds into a revival, scoring the first five goals of the quarter to briefly take the lead – thanks largely to Firebirds centre Lauren Nourse, who kept delivering precise, clean ball into Aiken’s waiting hands.

With Vixen’s centre Natasha Chokljat in solid form and McMahon dashing and darting in and out of the circle, the Vixens held on to a slender 27-26 lead at half-time.

Wilson made another switch, returning Castrisos to the bench and reintroducing Lawson to support Aiken; while Vixens’ coach Julie Hoornweg kept her starting seven on court but played musical spots with her defenders – the most notable change switching Chatfield and Julie Corletto in the goal defence and keeping duties. Chatfield’s move to goal keep appeared to pay off, and at the other end, McMahon and Thwaites converted consistently to make a monumental break.

Aiken, who took the lion’s share of the shooting duties, did not lose her composure under the hoop and kept the Firebirds in touch, going into the final quarter 42-38 in arrears.

The changes kept rolling for the Firebirds: Stephens, nursing her calf, was benched in the final spell, replaced by Clare McMenamin at goal defence, and Castrisos returned for another shot at goal attack. The refreshed pairs of legs gave the Firebirds new speed and self-confidence, and with Aiken’s shooting eye in – and the Vixens’ momentarily taking an eye off the ball – the home side drew back within one with 10 minutes on the clock, to make for an exciting finish.

A time-out allowed the Vixens to regroup and surge out to five goals again, only for the Firebirds to pour on their midcourt defence, force the Melbourne side into errors they couldn’t afford, and draw equal, 50-50, with three minutes to go.

The experienced heads in the Vixens kept their cool when it really mattered to give them the hard-fought win; McMahon ending the match with an impressive 93 percent accuracy, 27 from 29 shots.


Pictured: Sharelle McMahon on her way to a 93 per cent goaling average against the Firebirds in Brisbane  (PHOTO: SMP Images)