MATCH INFORMATION
Who: Melbourne Mavericks v West Coast Fever
When: Saturday 14 June
Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Time: 5pm AEST
Tickets: Via Ticketek
The Melbourne Mavericks return to John Cain Arena this Saturday for a blockbuster Round 10 clash against the in-form West Coast Fever.
When the two sides last met in Round 5, the Fever proved too strong on their home court, running out 78–61 winners in Perth. It was the Fever’s third straight win over the Mavs, with previous margins of seven, 19 and 17 goals highlighting their dominance in the head-to-head contests.
The Mavs will be looking to bounce back after a tough 66–57 loss to the Melbourne Vixens in Round 9. That result leaves them sixth on the ladder with a 2–7 record, and desperate to reignite their season with a statement performance in front of their home fans.
The Fever, meanwhile, are flying. Their 79–68 win over the ladder-leading NSW Swifts last week was their seventh straight victory, lifting them into second place in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) standings with a 7–2 record. They now sit just one win behind the Swifts and a match clear of the Sunshine Coast Lightning in third.
Led by the unstoppable Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard - who is averaging 61.2 goals per game and rapidly closing in on the league’s top scorer, Grace Nweke, despite having played two less games - the Fever boast the best attacking record in the competition, averaging 68.8 goals per match.
The Mavs will need a big defensive effort to contain the Fever’s firepower, but they’ll take confidence from their only previous Round 10 appearance - a 73–61 win over the Queensland Firebirds in 2024. Defender, Kim Brown, will also be looking to build on her milestone 100th SSN match she celebrated last week against the Vixens.
The Fever have won just three of their eight previous Round 10 matches, but they’ve claimed victory in their last two. The Mavs will be hoping to break the Fever’s streak and claim their first win over the West Coast powerhouse in what promises to be a fiery and physical contest.
Mavs head coach, Tracey Neville, said her team would learn from the lessons the Fever taught them when they last met in Round 5.
“Obviously, against Fever [in round 5]…in the first half, we really struggled to win ball. [So, this time] we've got to try and put pressure on early, and I think we did that beautifully [against the Vixens],” Neville said.
“We know they’re going to go early,” Neville continued, talking of Fever’s offence. “I think we were clinical with them, and we just let the game blow out, so I think for us, it's about keeping in the contest from the start, and the start is of huge importance against Fever.”
With finals hopes on the line and pride at stake, this is a must-watch clash.
