Could the Vixens be the NNL’s Dark Horse?
They might be the youngest team in the NNL and it could be the key to their success
“Great potential” are the two words for the Vixens today as they finalised (well, almost) their team for the 2017 season. Overshadowed by the Magpies announcement days prior, the Melbourne based team has found itself subtly dropping a lineup that is filled to the brim with exciting talent.
Putting aside the immense competition announced so far, the more you look at this fresh faced, athletic squad — helped, greatly, by the return of veteran attacker, Tegan Philip — the more you sort of fall in love with them, or, perhaps, their potential.
After the almost Swift-like departure of Madi Robinson, Karyn Bailey, Geva Mentor, Kim Commane and Kelsey Browne, the Vixens seemed quick to lock up as many of their young stars as possible. Namely, Diamonds backup centre, Liz Watson, defensive stalwart, Jo Weston, and midcourt whiz, Kate Moloney.
Watson and Moloney’s retention, along with new signing, Khao Watts, provide a vital, and extremely fast, midcourt link to an offense and defense with the combined wingspan of an aircraft carrier.
Emma Ryde will be one to watch. Her size under the post was unbelievably helpful when Bailey suffered recurring knee issues last year, but, despite that, matched less with Bailey when it came to providing space for the Vixens attack to spread the opposition’s defense in the circle.
The above is a problem potentially solved when you add Malawian shooting star, Mwai Kumwenda, into the mix. After an average year over at the Tactix, the shooter is looking to set the record straight on her capabilities. She’s a fun addition to the team because she has the agile feet and wingspan to allow for the possibility of stretching the opposition’s defenses.
In addition to that, retaining Emma Ryde is another key for the Vixens offense. Ryde’s biggest strength lies in her holding under the post and her height, and while she still is a bit raw and her shooting stroke lacks finesse, she is still extremely effectively against defenders who can’t match height.
Defensively, things are looking really solid for the Vixens, too. Jo Weston, alongside newly departed Geva Mentor, proved herself a Diamond defender last year with a defensive showcase that saw her bully and confuse the attacking space on almost every possession.
And Emily Mannix, in her brief moments last season, had flashes of defensive brilliance that were reminiscent of Silver Fern defensive stopper, Anna Harrison. She’s a player that was capable of combing both crazy length and court vision to upset any offensive drives her opponents were executing. Admittedly, she struggled on the penalty count, but expect Coach McKinnis to explore positional switches over the course of the season to see where Mannix really fits.
Coach McKinnis has a lot on her plate this season and it’s all very promising. Obviously, the Vixens suffered a significant loss with their respective player departures but it’s made up with a view to the future and a trust in its developing youth.
We’ll have this updated once we get confirmation of the 10th player.
Teamlist: Mwai Kumwenda, Emily Mannix, Kate Moloney, Tegan Philip, Emma Ryde, Chloe Watson, Liz Watson, Khao Watts and Jo Weston.
