Inner circle: Everything is sweet at the Mystics

Cut it out! Fake Mystics Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit (left) and Katrina Grant with the real deal, Cathrine Latu (right).

Around the ANZ Championship with Dana Johannsen

Waikato-BoP Magic
The next couple of weeks loom as a defining period for the Magic, who are surprise leaders after three rounds. Having outshone their New Zealand rivals early on, their next big test is will their game plan hold up to the scrutiny of the Australian sides? The Waikato-Bay of Plenty side take on the Vixens in Melbourne this weekend before returning home to face the West Coast Fever in Tauranga in round five. Despite being New Zealand's most successful side on Australian soil, the Magic still have a sketchy track record across the Tasman. But new coach Julie Fitzgerald seems to have the "magic" touch and has instilled a hard-nosed attitude into the group.

Southern Steel
After a physical clash with the Magic on Monday night, claims and counter-claims of unsportsmanlike behaviour have been flying between supporters of the two teams. Steel fans were particularly unhappy when Magic midcourters Courtney Tairi and Jamie-Lee Price appeared to high-five one another after they sent wing defence Wendy Frew sprawling. In response, Magic supporters will point to Rachel Rasmussen's blatant stomp on Jo Harten's foot as an example that the southerners were also guilty of underhanded tactics. It was probably the most brutal Monday night of netball for a while, as the all-New Zealand clash was followed by a particularly willing contest in Adelaide between the Thunderbirds and the Swifts.

Northern Mystics
It's not only on the court that the Mystics are feeling the heat.

Their management has bowed to intense pressure to provide lollies on the media bench after a group of regular attendees started a social media campaign bemoaning the absence of sweets this season. Other franchises were quick to express their shock at the Mystics' hospitality practices, the Steel pointing out their northern rivals were clearly in breach of the official ANZ Championship guidelines, which stipulate working media must be provided with food on game days. The franchise backed down and begrudgingly provided lollies to media personnel last week - although as one photographer noted "only the cheap kind".

• Inner Circle did not lend its considerable weight to the bring back-the-sweeties campaign.

Central Pulse
After the Mystics' poor start to the season, not too many players are lining up to join the Auckland side. But Pulse pranksters Katrina Grant and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit took the opportunity to see how they might look in Mystics colours on last week's trip north. Before leaving Trusts Stadium after their six-goal win over the Mystics, the cheeky defensive duo couldn't resist getting their photo taken with a cardboard cut-out of the home team. Mystics shooter Cathrine Latu, who is known for her quick wit off the netball court, will no doubt be planning a revenge mission when her side plays the return match against the Pulse in May.

Mainland Tactix
It has been a horrid start to the season for the Tactix, and the only thing they seem to be consistent in is making their opposition look good. Playing the Tactix is a ticket to a golden bib award. In their opening-round clash against the Magic, shooter Ellen Halpenny and midcourter Grace Rasmussen came away with the golden bib, having topped the rankings in their positions. Last week, Swifts rookie Brooke Miller was an unlikely name at the top of the midcourt rankings after the NSW side's win in Christchurch.

This week, it is the Fever dominating the points, shooter Caitlin Bassett and energetic defender Eboni Beckford Chambers winning their areas of the court in their 36-goal demolition of the Tactix. Rasmussen managed to prevent a West Coast clean sweep by picking up her second award in the midcourt, just edging out Fever pair Ash Brazill and Chelsea Pitman.

Across the ditch...

Record run
Reigning premiers the Adelaide Thunderbirds stretched hteir winning run to a record 16 games with their heart-stopping one-goal win over the Swifts on Monday night. The pink ladies haven't been beaten since round two last year. In that time they've won four games by just one goal.

Birds on fire
Another team to triumph by one goal last weekend were the Firebirds, who produced a last-gasp win over the Vixens. Like the Thunderbirds, the Queensland side were expected to be significantly weaker this year after losing key players Natalie Medhurst and Chelsea Pitman to the Fever. Yet both sides are looking comfortable. Unfortunately for the New Zealand sides, there doesn't seem to be weak Aussie team.

Down on their knees
The Swifts have been hit by their second serious knee injury in as many weeks. Taylah Davies join Paige Hadley on the wait list for a knee reconstruction after rupturing her ACL in the NSW side's one-goal loss to the Thunderbirds. ACL tears disrupt the careers of around five players a season in the league. For

Golden bib, round 3
Shooter: Caitlin Bassett (Fever) 158 points
Midcourter: Grace Rasmussen (Magic) 88 points
Defender: Eboni Beckford-Chambers (Fever) 83 point