Bec 1Round 1: Melbourne Vixens vs Magic
March 20th 2010 02:59
The last game of the first round is sure to be the match up of the round. Reigning premiers, the Melbourne Vixens start their 2010 campaign against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, the only team to defeat the Melbourne side last year.
The ANZ Championship flag will also be launched prior to this game.
No doubt, this will be the first time fans, outside of the team launch, will also see the new Melbourne Vixens mascot.
However, this will be interesting game, with the VIxens the only team in the championship to maintain its starting seven.
Magic have seen some major changes during the off-season including Jodi Brown (Tactix 2009), Kahurangi Waititi (Pulse 2008 and Tactix 2009), Peta Scholz, Amy Christophers and Tanya Lund joining the team but at the expense of highly talented players Joline Henry and Maria Tutaia who will play for the Northern Mystics and Leana de Bruin, the Southern Steel.
Despite these huge losses, Magic have been able to retain one of the world's best shooters Irene van Dyk, top defender Casey Williams and midcourter Laura Langman. Other players to wear the Magic colours again this year include Frances Solia and Jodi Tod.
But they will need to gel together as a team from the first whistle if they are to overcome the mighty Vixens. This is a hard task considering the number of changes.
However, they do have on their side, the quallity players on the Vixens championship winning side that are recovering from injuries.
During the off-season, both captain Sharelle McMahon and Julie Corletto underwent surgery. Both players are critical to the Vixens' success but are lacking match-play due to their injuries.
They only have inexperienced players on the bench that could replace them if need be.
But with highly talented players like Vixens co-captain Bianca Chatfield, Natasha Chokljat, Caitlin Thwaites, and Renae Hallinan, who made her debut for the Australian Diamonds last year and was named Australia's international player of the year at the 2009 netball awards following an outstanding season, the Vixens will still be hard to beat.
I think the Vixens will win in a close game.
The ANZ Championship flag will also be launched prior to this game.
No doubt, this will be the first time fans, outside of the team launch, will also see the new Melbourne Vixens mascot.
However, this will be interesting game, with the VIxens the only team in the championship to maintain its starting seven.
Magic have seen some major changes during the off-season including Jodi Brown (Tactix 2009), Kahurangi Waititi (Pulse 2008 and Tactix 2009), Peta Scholz, Amy Christophers and Tanya Lund joining the team but at the expense of highly talented players Joline Henry and Maria Tutaia who will play for the Northern Mystics and Leana de Bruin, the Southern Steel.
But they will need to gel together as a team from the first whistle if they are to overcome the mighty Vixens. This is a hard task considering the number of changes.
However, they do have on their side, the quallity players on the Vixens championship winning side that are recovering from injuries.
During the off-season, both captain Sharelle McMahon and Julie Corletto underwent surgery. Both players are critical to the Vixens' success but are lacking match-play due to their injuries.
They only have inexperienced players on the bench that could replace them if need be.
But with highly talented players like Vixens co-captain Bianca Chatfield, Natasha Chokljat, Caitlin Thwaites, and Renae Hallinan, who made her debut for the Australian Diamonds last year and was named Australia's international player of the year at the 2009 netball awards following an outstanding season, the Vixens will still be hard to beat.
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