Defending trans-Tasman netball league champions Queensland Firebirds carried on from where they left off last year, overwhelming the Melbourne Vixens 50-30 to win the pre-season tournament in New Zealand.
The Firebirds were unbeaten in 2011, and continued their dominant form in the ANZ Championship preliminary tournament, which featured all 10 franchises, over the weekend in Tauranga.
Their closest game came on Saturday, when the West Coast Fever, under new coach Norma Plummer, held them to a 36-36 draw.
Composed throughout in Sunday’s final, the Firebirds were the better team across the court.
In contrast, the Vixens stuttered and struggled for consistency throughout. The well-drilled Queenslanders inched ahead in the first quarter, building momentum as they took a handy 14-8 lead into the first break.
That momentum was maintained in a dour second quarter, with Vixens unable to break the shackles at either end of the court.
Key Firebirds target Romelda Aiken received quality service under the hoop from Natalie Medhurst and Lauren Nourse, the towering Jamaican constantly dominating her defenders.
The Firebirds’ defensive trio of Keirra Trompf, Amy Steel and Laura Geitz had the wood on their opposites, bustling the Vixens’ attackers in creating a stream of turnover ball.
Handling lapses and missed goals did not help the Vixens as Firebirds headed into halftime 23-15 ahead.
The Firebirds maintained pressure until the final whistle, piling on the goals in a strong last stanza after leading 34-23 at three-quarter time.
In the play-off for third and fourth, Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic downed last year’s beaten finalists Northern Mystics 51-36. Silver Ferns captain Casey Williams’ return from injury and combination at the back with Leana de Bruin was a real feature in the win.
The Fever beat Central Pulse 54-39 in the play-off for fifth and sixth, while Adelaide Thunderbirds downed NSW Swifts 42-34 to take seventh place.
The play-off for ninth and 10th was won 49-42 by Canterbury Tactix over Southern Steel.
