Australian netball great Catherine Cox has cast her eye over Sunday's Super Netball grand final, revealing the biggest dangers for both sides in what looms as a mouth-watering contest.
Following a season like no other, where teams were forced to adjust to COVID-19 protocols and play out the season in a Queensland-based hub, minor premiers the Melbourne Vixens will take on the West Coast Fever on Sunday at 1.00pm AEDT, live on Nine.
It's a match that's sure to go down to the wire after the combatants couldn't be separated in a 63-63 draw back in Round 10. The Vixens won their only other encounter of the season, in Round 5.
The Vixens will head into Sunday's match as slight favourites and are coming off a lengthy break after booking their spot in the grand final a fortnight ago with a 16-point win over the Lightning in the major semi-final.
While the Fever, who finished outside of the top-two, were forced to play the extra game and will head into the grand final coming off finals wins against the Swifts and Lightning.
Although the Fever are the underdogs, they boast arguably the most dominant player in the competition, star Jamaican goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler.
Cox told Wide World of Sports the decider could boil down to Fowler and how well the Vixens cope with her attacking weaponry.
"Fowler is such a hard one to sum up because she's awesome every year," Cox said.
"We probably all get sick of saying how amazing she is, but to do it over and over again is quite impressive. I think we take it all for granted now that she's going to be do dominant.
"She's shooting accurately and she's been good at the super shot, which no one expected to happen.
"She probably has the safest hands in the competition.
"There's a lot of tall shooters, but they can't all take a ball as strongly.
"Even when she has two defenders on her, and the ball has been fed to her that's not near the circle or is a terrible pass, she just somehow manages to pull it in.
"Everybody knows she's the danger player.
"For the most part, she's playing with two defenders on her. But that doesn't stop her from raking in the goals. Everyone's game plan is to stop her, but nobody can."
However, the Vixens are undoubtedly the best-equipped team for the task, with the minor premiers' defence allowing a league-low average of 55 points against during the regular season.
Cox said the key to limiting the 31-year-old's presence is to starve her of possession and not allow her teammates to provide easy feeds inside the circle.
The two-time Australian world champion lauded the Vixens for being a "pressure" team, priding themselves on restricting opposition scoring opportunities.
"I think every team will tell you the same thing - if you let the ball get anywhere near Jhaniele, they will find her, and she will shoot and score," Cox said.
"It's a lot about building pressure outside of the circle and getting a turnover before it gets to the circle.
"The Vixens are one of the best in the league. They don't turn a lot of the ball over.
"What they do really well is build that pressure and slow down opportunities for teams to score.
"They find themselves the best in the competition for that.
"No doubt that's what they will do - build a lot of pressure outside of the circle and just try and stop it from getting anywhere near Jhaniele."
But where the game will be "won and lost" was an easy choice for Cox who said the midcourt battle would be decisive.
Led by co-captains Kate Moloney and Liz Watson, the Vixens' midcourt has been one of the standouts in season 2020.
Watson leads all players in goal assists with 329 for the season, while Moloney has notched more Nissan Net Points than any other midcourt player.
"You've got one of the best moving and versatile shooting circles in the Vixens and a really good defensive end for the Fever," Cox added.
"The only weakness I see is in the midcourt.
"I reckon the Vixens' midcourt is stronger and they're in better form than the Fever's midcourt.
"I think that's where the game is going to be won and lost.
"The glaringly obvious [difference] is the midcourt and how strong Liz Watson and Kate Moloney are for the Vixens."
While Cox favours the Vixens' midcourt she acknowledges that Fever veteran Verity Charles shouldn't be counted out having finished the season second on the goal assists leaderboard with 298.
Cox added that she's been impressed with 24-year-old wing attack Emma Cosh who last week earned Player of the Match honours in the Fever's preliminary final win over the Lightning.
"There's a relatively new player in Emma Cosh playing wing attack for the Fever – I reckon that's where the difference will be," she said.
"If the Fever midcourt can have a good game, then I reckon they're on their way."
Catherine Cox's prediction:
"I would've tipped the Vixens well and truly before I saw Emma Cosh perform in her first final last week, and also that of Alice Teague-Neeld in goal attack for the Fever," Cox added.
"Both of them really stood up and surprised me under the pressure of a final when neither of them had played a final before.
"I was really impressed.
"I will still pick the Vixens but I think it will be a lot closer than what I first thought."
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/netball/super-netball-grand-final-preview-how-fever-and-vixens-can-win-catherine-cox/155d5240-5b71-4617-9f16-4f5fcb443350
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