Netball: More to come in 2010, say victorious Vixens

Bianca Chatfield (L), Natasha Chokljat (C) and Sharelle McMahon of the Vixens celebrate winning the ANZ Championship final against the Thunderbirds. Photo / Getty Images

MELBOURNE - The Melbourne Vixens are confident they won't have a similar downward spiral to the NSW Swifts following their transtasman netball championship success yesterday.

The Vixens' eight-goal grand final win over Adelaide Thunderbirds at Hisense Arena gave them both minor premiership and ANZ Championship.

Star goal attack Sharelle McMahon spearheaded the Vixens to a 54-46 win, a victory built on an outstanding second-quarter performance.

McMahon shot seven of nine and fellow shooter Caitlin Thwaites seven from eight for the second quarter as Melbourne outscored Adelaide 14-6 to take an eight-goal lead into halftime.

From then, no amount of pre-match hypnosis - part of Adelaide's preparation all season - was going to swing the pendulum back their way.

The minor premiers kept their lead between seven and 13 goals throughout and never looked in danger.

McMahon, who shot 23 of 28 goal attempts at 82 per cent, and Thwaites (31/39 at 79 per cent) held firm throughout, backed by superb Vixens' defence and energy from their mid-court.

With hopes of retaining most of the same squad for next year, the Vixens are confident they can build on their success rather than stumble like the Swifts did in 2009.

Following their success in the inaugural transtasman championship, the Swifts missed the playoffs entirely this year.

Melbourne bounced back from disappointment in season one, when they limped into fourth place and went out in the first week of the finals.

But coach Julie Hoornweg said she had enormous faith in her players to be able to provide a similar benchmark in 2010 as they have throughout this season.

"These athletes are too polished, too professional and go about their jobs so well that it (a championship hangover) won't happen," Hoornweg said.

"They're just too clever and too talented and there to support each other. It just won't happen."

What is likely to happen is the Vixens will have to work hard to retain the young talent they have developed and which currently resides on their bench as back-up to stars like Sharelle McMahon.

High on the shopping list for rivals will be young goal shooter Ashlee Howard, who has impressed when given the chance but sits below McMahon and Caitlin Thwaites in the Vixens' pecking order.

Co-captains McMahon and Bianca Chatfield described the Vixens' championship win as a relief, believing they would have wasted a golden opportunity had they not been able to deliver the goods on grand final day with the talent they had.

"We have such high expectations and excellence within our team, we want to reach our targets," Chatfield.

"Moreso, it's probably personal pressure we put on ourselves but once we knew we were getting ourselves into that game, it didn't become a problem.

With the ANZ Championship now finished, netball's attention will turn to September's test series between Australia and New Zealand.

- AAP