The Swifts' bid to reach a 14th Grand Final in 29 years has fallen short by the slimmest of margins after Melbourne Vixens pulled off a stunning comeback to secure a one-goal victory in the Suncorp Super Netball Preliminary Final.
Despite trailing by 10 goals late in the third quarter, the Vixens held their nerve and mounted a spirited fightback, sealing a dramatic 61–60 win in a thriller at Qudos Bank Arena and book a date with West Coast Fever in the decider.
It means the Swifts' wait for an eighth Premiership will have to wait for another season at least, however, Briony Akle's team did respond in a big way after last week's humbling loss to the Fever in the Major Semi Final.
The Vixens were the first to strike on the board, but it was the Swifts - with a strong rebound from Sarah Klau - who sparked a 5-2 run in the opening minutes. The visitors soon settled, levelling the scores by the 10-minute mark as they began to expose cracks in the Swifts’ second-phase play.
Paige Hadley’s return provided a welcome boost for the home side, offering much-needed leadership, but NSW struggled to convert attacking opportunities.
As the Vixens pushed out to a four-goal lead heading into the final minutes of Q1, Akle called a tactical timeout, urging Helen Housby to lift and challenged her frontline to break open the Vixens’ defensive wall for Grace Nweke.
A couple of misses from Nweke allowed the Vixens to capitalise, giving the visitors a 17-14 advantage at quarter time.
The Swifts came out with renewed energy in the second quarter, shifting momentum and quickly levelling the scores. Klau continued to cause headaches for former Swifts teammate Sophie Garbin under the post, while Sharni Lambden turned up the pressure in midcourt, effectively shutting down Zara Walters.
The Swifts’ sudden dominance forced the Vixens into an early tactical timeout, but it did little to halt the surge as the home side stormed ahead with a six-goal run, taking a five-goal lead midway through the term. Despite Hadley appearing uncomfortable on her return from injury, her presence was vital in steering the NSW attack.
Lambden’s relentless pressure eventually saw the Vixens make a change, with debutant Tara Watson entering the game to replace Walters. The visitors' timeout finally paid off as they responded with a four-goal streak of their own to cut the margin back to two.
Kiera Austin landed the first super shot of the match, only for Housby to respond in kind. A scrappy finish rounded out a high-intensity term, with the Swifts taking a narrow 34-32 lead into half-time.
The home side carried their momentum into the second half with a confident start, stretching their lead as Klau continued to dominate her match-up against Garbin, who found herself out-positioned and exposed under the post.
Rudi Ellis starred at the back for the Vixens, racking up five gains, two intercepts and four deflections in a standout defensive performance. In an effort to shift momentum, the Vixens swapped Jo Weston and Kate Eddy.
But the Swifts kept their foot on the pedal, pulling nine goals clear heading into the Power Five. Vixens introduced Lily Graham in a bid to find some spark from long range, but continued to be denied second chances, with Maddy Turner collecting three rebounds.
Despite their efforts, the visitors couldn’t close the gap, with the Swifts taking a 51-41 lead into the final quarter.
The Swifts continued to show grit in the final quarter, with Hadley delivering a massive performance despite visibly struggling.
Despite goals flowing for the Vixens, the Swifts responded each time, keeping the margin steady. But as the clock ticked down, the Vixens found their rhythm and turnovers came their way.
Grace Whyte misjudged a pass to Nweke and both Lambden and Hadley spilled possession meaning the Vixens had three opportunities to whittle down the home side's lead.
Garbin lifted and when Keira Austin scored back-to-back super shots the Victorians had remarkably levelled the scores.
In a composed final passage, they drained the clock and shot a goal to lead by one. The Swifts only had six seconds to respond and the ball was rushed to Housby who shot from range win the game, but the ball hit the rim. It was that close, but it meant the Swifts bowed out of the Finals.
