David Leggat: Mystics have the guns for bigtime shootout

Anna Scarlett of the Mystics defends against Juliana Naoupu of the Magic. Photo / Getty Images

The Breakers pushed the door down; now the Mystics get the chance to march in behind them.

With the Warriors perhaps to follow in four months' time, could this be the year of the Kiwi hat-trick in Australasian sports contests? Bit of a stretch?

Okay, but should the Mystics become the first - only - team to beat the all-conquering Queensland Firebirds this season in the ANZ Championship final in Brisbane on Sunday it will give those who get ever so slightly paranoid about these transtasman matters something to cheer.

There is an important distinction, though.

The Breakers and Warriors are New Zealand's sole representatives in their competitions; New Zealand provide half the netball equivalent in a jointly run - as distinct from Australian - operation.

That should mean New Zealand's chance of success is far greater than in the other two sports. Yet so far, in its fourth year, the titles column reads: 0.

The Breakers became the first New Zealand team to win the ANBL late last month and did it leading from the front. If the Mystics do tread in the Breakers' size 14 footprints, they will have done it from a different script.

For starters, they've never made the top-four playoffs in the three previous championship seasons; no team has ever won the title from fourth spot; and no home team in the grand final has been beaten. Indeed, the winning margins of the previous three finals were nine, eight and 10 goals respectively. Not even close.

The Firebirds will start seriously short-priced favourites, with good reason.

If there is one quality the Mystics must have - allied to playing out of their skins and being tactically smart - it is to play without fear.

There's a reason they're in the final, and they need the players with big-game wisdom - hustling midcourt captain Temepara George, cool-headed shooter Maria Tutaia, defenders Anna Scarlett and Joline Henry and former Australian international Megan Dehn - to stand tall. If they don't, the Mystics will sink.

Time for some positive pills. There are reasons to suggest the Mystics, serial underachievers until now, have a decent chance of upsetting all sorts of lines in the stats column.

In assessing a team's title-winning potential, look at its spine. In netball's case, the keys are the players under both hoops wearing GK and GS and the centre, who oversees the midcourt operation.

Sure, decent wing and goal attacks and defence are important, but if that line down the court is not right you've got big problems.

In Latu - going at a championship best 93.1 per cent shooting success rate - George and tall, lean Scarlett, the Mystics have the line to do the business. George is second in the championship in goal assists, with 184. Scarlett's 89 deflections are equal top with her Firebirds opposite, Laura Geitz.

And if it's scrambling abilities you value, the Mystics' 183 loose ball pickups are easily top.

Few give the Mystics much chance, and if deep down in their private thoughts they don't really believe they can, they might as well stay home.

A motivational tool? Win and they'll pip the perennial playoff contenders, the Magic, to be New Zealand's first winners of the game's hardest competition. That should do nicely.