Clare McMeniman of the Firebirds (L) battles with Alice Teague-Neeld of the Vixens at Sydney Olympic Park. Source: Mark Evans / News Corp Australia
MELBOURNE Vixens coach Simone McKinnis is confident her team has plenty of improvement ahead after the defending champions dropped their final hit-out of the trans-Tasman pre-season tournament yesterday.
The Vixens finished with a 4-1 record from the three-day summer shootout after losing their final match 49-46 against the NSW Swifts at Sydney Olympic Park.
The loss followed victories over Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, the Tactix, Northern Mystics and Queensland Firebirds over the weekend.
After the Vixens' final result, the West Coast Fever emerged as the only undefeated team of the tournament.
The Vixens led the Swifts 18-13 at quarter-time and three goals at half-time, but the injection of Susan Pettitt (Pratley) into the game in the second half helped drive the NSW team.
Regardless, McKinnis was pleased with what she had seen from her team at the tournament and, especially, the exposure she was able to give her young players.
The Vixens gave plenty of court time to rookies Alice Teague-Neeld, Chloe Watson and Emily Mannix at the summer shootout.
"I really am happy. It's a huge experience for the new girls and the younger ones, it's huge exposure and experience for them, which is really important for us,'' McKinnis said.
"I thought across the weekend we did some unreal stuff and at times we struggled in different areas. But in terms of where we're at, we identified what we need to work on.
"I just think that we are going to get better and better, I just feel that. Sometimes when you see the play, you think it's spot on, but I just know that we can get better at it.''
The Vixens will continue the build-up to their season opener against Central Pulse on March 1 at Margaret Court Arena when they head to Wellington next week for two more practice matches against the Pulse. "That's one of the things we need is that practice against New Zealand (style of play), but also it's an opportunity to have that weekend away,'' McKinnis said.
"A weekend away where you have got time to just spend together and really clarify and nail down, this is what we're about, this is what we're doing, this is how we're going to do it.
"So in some ways it's a little bit about a camp for us as well.'' Vixens goal attack Tegan Caldwell was rested from the pre-season event in Sydney as she recovered from an injured ankle, but she expects to be fit to take the court next week in New Zealand.
"It's progressing really well, they're really happy with it, but we obviously didn't want to push it and have issues with it during the season,'' Caldwell said.
"We'll rest it as long as possible, but hopefully I'll be in for Wellington next weekend."
The Swifts have recruited strongly over the off-season, with star defender Julie Corletto and England midcourter Jade Clarke joining their line-up. Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield said she expected the Swifts to be the main threats to her team's title defence this season.
"It's hard to look past the Swifts. They have got a great line-up and so much Diamonds experience in that team,'' Chatfield said.
"I think from an Australian point of view they will be strong, Queensland haven't changed that much either and they have been consistently very good over the last couple of years.
"When you look at the New Zealand teams ... I think Mystics have got a very good line-up.
"If Mystics can get it together, them and Swifts have the best lists on paper.''
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