Where and When: Saturday, May 14 at 7:00pm at Ken Rosewall Arena
Where to Watch: Foxtel + Kayo Sports (Australia), Spark Sport (New Zealand) or NetballAustralia.Tv (International)
Tickets: Be there at Ken Rosewall Arena to #StandUnited with the GIANTS as they take on the Melbourne Vixens. Tickets are available via Ticketek and this week start from as little as $10! Use code: GIATMET22E to access this weekend's special pricing.
Last Time They Met: The GIANTS and the Vixens last met in Melbourne in round three this year. It was the return game for three of the GIANTS who missed the round two match due to COVID. It was tightly contested first and third quarter, but five goals the difference in the second and six in the fourth, allowing the Vixens to out-run the GIANTS take a 12-goal victory. The Vixens shooters had an accurate outing, with a combined average of 89.5 per cent, while defensively as a team they recorded 20 gains.
What it means for the GIANTS: The GIANTS were disappointed to drop last weekend’s round eight game given the form and momentum they had been carrying. With the ladder so tight, every win and every goal is crucial to shaping their spot on the ladder. Saturday’s game will be the GIANTS’ last game at home before an extended road trip with the following two games on the road in Tasmania and Western Australia.
Where’s the opposition at: Amidst the tight ladder in season 2022, the Vixens sit comfortably in second position, on equal points with the first-placed West Coast Fever. They come off a hard-fought victory against the Queensland Firebirds, which was the result of a strong second-half performance. The Vixens have dropped just two games so far this season, going down to the Magpies and the Lightning, who both currently sit outside the top four.
The Name: Rhani Samason. The Vixens’ strong, impact player in Rhani Samason has been sidelined the last two weeks managing a knee injury. Whilst not in the starting seven of late, Samason has the ability to come on and change the game with her powerful play, smart movement and accurate shooting. She didn’t take the court the last time the two sides met, but she proved to be a difficult opponent when the GIANTS hosted the Vixens for some games during the pre-season.
The Number: 4 – just four points (one win) separates the Firebirds and GIANTS on 16 points in third and fourth position on the ladder and the entire bottom half of the ladder with fifth through to eighth all on the same number of wins.
The News: Saturday’s game forms part of the second instalment of mid-week games and three games in eight days for the GIANTS. The mid-week games are a feature within the 2022 fixture to allow the competition to completed in time for the Commonwealth Games which is set to be held in Birmingham in July and August this year.
