Super Netball grand final LIVE: Melbourne Vixens take on West Coast Fever We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later. DismissSkip to sections navigationSkip to contentSkip to footer Our network Open NavigationMenu Brisbane Times Brisbane Times Search Site Show subsections Western Australia Show subsections Bulls N' Bears The economy Banking & finance Small business Show subsections North America Middle East South America Show subsections Western Australia Show subsections Show subsections Rugby union Show subsections Tips & advice Show subsections Art & design Live reviews Show subsections Health & wellness Life & relationships Show subsections Destination guides Inspiration Reviews & advice Travel news Good Weekend Sunday Life Show subsections Super & retirement Planning & budgeting Environment Show subsections Conservation Climate change Sustainability Show subsections Video games The Sydney Morning Herald Brisbane Times The Australian Financial Review Commercial Real Estate Advertisement Super Netball Super Netball grand final LIVE: Melbourne Vixens take on West Coast Fever By Hannah Kennelly Updated August 2, 2025 — 7.14pmfirst published at 6.52pm Log in, register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size 7.06pmReader poll: Who will win tonight’s final? 6.56pmEmma and Danielle are sisters, but they’re backing rival teams 6.40pmWelcome Hide key posts Go to latest Pinned post from 7.06pm Reader poll: Who will win tonight’s final? By Hannah Kennelly Latest posts Latest posts Grand final attracts a sold-out crowd; Vixens win centre pass By Hannah Kennelly Centre pass is at 7.30pm tonight folks, but Rod Laver Arena is already pulsing with energy. Melbourne Vixens are buoyed by a home crowd advantage tonight, however there are plenty of Fever fans in the house. More than 14,000 fans are set to fill Rod Laver Arena. The record is 13,908 for the 2022 decider between the Vixens and Fever at Perth’s RAC Arena. The Vixens have also won the first centre pass for tonight! Stay with us and we will bring you all the action. Reader poll: Who will win tonight’s final? By Hannah Kennelly Emma and Danielle are sisters, but they’re backing rival teams By Hannah Kennelly The gates to Rod Laver are open and fans are excitedly streaming in, proudly waving their merch and flags. Sisters Emma and Danielle Bourke at the Super Netball grand final on Saturday night. Credit: Hannah Kennelly Emma and Danielle Bourke might be sisters, but tonight they are on opposite sides of the court. Danielle is an avid Vixens supporter but her sister Emma is barracking for Fever tonight, dressed head to toe in fluorescent green. The duo have grown up playing and coaching netball and are gearing up for a brilliant grand final – even though they want different outcomes. Emma is adamant Fever will be victorious tonight, aided by formidable shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard. But Danielle thinks Melbourne will be able to win by at least five goals. Both were impressed by the Vixens’ efforts in the preliminary final, which saw the team miraculously recover from a three-quarter time deficit and mount an 11-goal comeback to book a ticket to the grand final. “Honestly as a Fever fan, Vixens absolutely deserve to be in this grand final thanks to that prelim,” Emma said. “Tonight is going to be a good one.” Advertisement The last hurrah: Can the Vixens repeat their prelim glory? By Hannah Kennelly If you wind the clock back a few months, very few people would have imagined the Vixens to be in tonight’s grand final. The Vixens suffered a rocky start to the season, with only two wins on the board after the first six rounds. McKinnis – who’s been at the helm for 13 years – stunned the netball world in May by announcing that she would resign at the end of the season, and now admits that her own issues were affecting the team. Melbourne Vixens captain Kate Moloney and coach Simone McKinnis.Credit: Eddie Jim “To be honest those weeks, I don’t think I was at my best because of everything going on in the background,” McKinnis told this masthead. “The girls were playing how I was feeling.” Her decision to step down after 13 years at the helm proved a turning point for the Vixens, McKinnis says it allowed the team to focus, and they won eight of their next 10 games to reach back-to-back grand finals. However, they almost didn’t make it. The Vixens were in a dire position against the NSW Swifts in the preliminary finals last week, down 51-41 at the last break. A stirring three-quarter time speech from McKinnis triggered an extraordinary 11-goal comeback with goal shooter Sophie Garbin sealing the team’s victory with a goal in the final seven seconds of the quarter. Read more about the story behind her speech here. By Hannah Kennelly Good evening and thanks for joining us for the Super Netball grand final. My name is Hannah Kennelly and I’ll be steering tonight’s coverage. It’s Melbourne Vixens against West Coast Fever tonight. Will Fever – who are riding a record high of 13-consecutive wins – ultimately triumph tonight? Or can the Vixens secure a fairytale finish and send their retiring coach Simone McKinnis out on a high? Stay tuned. Most Viewed in Sport Advertisement Back to top Brisbane Times Brisbane Times The Sydney Morning Herald The Australian Financial Review Classifieds Commercial Real Estate Brisbane Times Contact & support Advertise with us Newsletters Accessibility guide Photo sales Content licensing Work with us Terms of use Privacy policy Press Council Charter of Editorial Independence AI Editorial Guidelines Products & Services Subscription packages Subscriber FAQs Copyright © 2025