Vixens can clinch minior title

Article from: Daily Telegraph By Samantha Broun - July 03, 2009 12:00am

THE Melbourne Vixens can claim the trans-Tasman netball minor premiership in Melbourne on Saturday but goal keeper Bianca Chatfield says there's no magic in playing the percentages.

The Vixens will need to beat last-placed Central Pulse by at least 28-goals if they are to secure the all-important home semi-final and finish top of the table ahead of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.

The Magic, tied with Vixens on 22 points, are ahead with a superior goal percentage and will be aiming to secure a second-successive win in Australia after breaking the Kiwi duck against the West Coast Fever last week.

Magic meet the guaranteed third-place getters Adelaide Thunderbirds at ETSA Park on Sunday. If Magic beat the T'Birds by a single goal, a 28-goal margin against Pulse will see the Vixens finish the regular season on top.

But Chatfield said the Vixens are not concerned with goal targets and will simply focus on coming away with the two competition points against the Pulse.

"In all honesty, I don't even want to think about it,'' Chatfield said. "Of course it could be a do-able thing, we beat the Tactix by 27 last week, but I think as soon as you start thinking about margins you forget about actually winning.

"That's what our main focus is ... consistency in all four quarters and making sure that we get our targets. We'll be worrying more about that than anything else.''

Bookies are backing the Vixens for an emphatic victory, with TAB Sportsbet giving the Pulse a 28-goal start. The NSW Swifts will have to play their hearts out and find the final quarter form which has eluded them during their disappointing season when they meet fourth placed Southern Steel on Saturday.

The fifth-placed Queensland Firebirds are relying on a Swifts victory against the Steel, who they trail on goal percentage, to guarantee them a place in the ANZ Championship finals.

Megan Dehn will be lining up against her former NSW-side after joining the Steel mid-season when shooter Daneka Wipiiti fell pregnant. Dehn said she expects the Swifts to put up an almighty fight.

"The games that they (NSW) won by one or two last year they are losing by one or two, so I don't think there's a massive difference, there's been a three or four goal turnaround,'' Dehn said.

"Unfortunately that's meant quite a few losses for them, but I'm sure they will be wanting to finish the season on a high note when they come down here.''

Dehn said she and her Steel teammates will be barracking for the sixth-placed Fever to halt the Firebirds charge in Perth.

If the Steel beat the Swifts by one goal, the Firebirds will need to topple the Fever by four to grab the last finals berth. "I think we're going to get together on Monday night and watch the Firebirds game,'' she said.

"I think there will be lots of screaming at the TV hoping that the Fever win.''

The Canterbury Tactix (7th) and Northern Mystics (8th) will be playing for pride on Monday night in Christchurch.
 

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,25728845-5001023,00.html