The Queensland Firebirds have returned to the Super Netball top four with a five-goal victory over the West Coast Fever on Saturday night.
The back-to-back Trans-Tasman champions' 55-50 win moves them above the Magpies, who face a tough task away at the table-topping Giants.
Like the first match of the double-header at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, there was a pre-match huddle from both teams protesting the removal of former Australian captain Kathryn Harby-Williams from the Netball Australia board.
Romelda Aiken scored 38 goals from 43 attempts for the Firebirds while Gretel Tippett chipped in with 17 from 20, plus 10 goal assists.
Kayla Stanton scored 38 goals from 47 shots for the Fever.
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The Firebirds established a six-goal lead at the first break and increased the advantage to nine with a quarter remaining, before the Fever closed the gap in the last stanza.
Defeat for the Fever all but ends their faint hopes of reaching the top four, they remain sixth with just two wins from nine games.
Although falling far short of the Australian Netball Players' Association threat of strike action, players from both sides were confident the protest, played out in front of a live national television broadcast, managed to get their message across.
"It was a fantastic way to unite all of the players - that's what it achieved," Firebirds skipper Gabi Simpson said.
Opposing goalshooter Stanton offered similar sentiments.
"It was to signify our support for what's been happening over the last week and (showing) we stand together and we're very united," Stanton said.
