Melbourne Vixens coach Simone McKinnis says her top-of-the-table team won't be counting the goal differential to see who will host Super Netball's major semi-final.
The Vixens are guaranteed a top-two finish as the Sunshine Coast Lightning (2nd, on goal differential) will play off in the last regular round of the season next week against the third-placed Giants.
Fresh from an emphatic win over Adelaide on Sunday to take an almost unassailable lead on top of the ladder, McKinnis said her side aren't thinking about finals and are simply focused on their next game against second-bottom West Coast Fever.
"We really did just talk about this week, forget everything else, forget finals, forget ladders forget percentages, it's irrelevant, it's just about turning up and playing and finishing out the rounds the way we started and that was just going out there together and playing their best," she said.
"It's not 'block it out', it's about next game being the most important game and that's got to be the focus for us, we've got to finish the rounds and we saw yesterday it's a tough trip (to Perth) the Fever pushed the Pies all the way to the end."
The Vixens regained top spot with an emphatic 71-50 victory over the Adelaide Thunderbirds at Hisense Arena on Sunday.
The 21-goal victory made amends for their loss to the Giants last week and sent them first on 21 points, equal to Sunshine Coast Lightning, but with a handy goal differential (115% v 112%).
Vixens shooter Mwai Kumwenda had a tough challenge against Thunderbirds defender Ama Agbeze but still top scored for the game with 48 goals from 53 attempts at 91 per cent accuracy. Goal partner Tegan Philip scored 23 from 31 and made plenty of impact through the mid court and at goal.
For Adelaide, captain Erin Bell made plenty of long shots in her 26 goals (90 per cent accuracy) and she combined with Sasha Glasgow (16 goals) and Karyn Bailey (six goals), while Vixens defender Emily Mannix was named MVP for her stellar performance.
Adelaide brought a new level of intensity and fervour to the start of the clash and were able to run with the Vixens until halftime when a 34-29 deficit kept them within reach.
The Vixens were a different outfit after the break and outscored their opponents by 16 goals in the second half where a whole court performance saw spectacular turnovers, intercepts and great feeds into goal.
Share
