Tactix-Mystics clash marks end of road for one of them
Knock-out netball has come a week early for the Northern Mystics and Mainland Tactix.
For one these teams today’s final-round clash in Auckland will be their last act in the ANZ Championship, which is to be disestablished at the end of the year.
The two sides face off for the one remaining spot in the New Zealand conference finals, with the winner to play the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in next week’s elimination final.
With just two wins apiece heading into today’s game, neither side’s record really warrants a spot in the play-offs. In what can only be viewed as an indictment of the conference-style set-up introduced to the competition last season, both sides are still in the hunt to make not only the New Zealand conference finals, but also the transtasman league semifinals.
The Tactix, who have never made the play-offs in nine seasons, will be the people’s favourite to nab the third spot in the conference finals. The first of their two wins came against the Mystics in round four, when they pulled off a shock one-goal victory.
After a disappointing season, the Mystics showed promise them last week, producing arguably their best game of the season against Australian conference leaders the NSW Swifts.
The Mystics pushed, and at times had the better of, the star-studded Swifts. But the visitors surged ahead over the latter stages when injuries and a lack of cover on the bench took its toll on the Mystics.
Coach Debbie Fuller will have to continue to manage the workloads of some of her players, with Kayla Cullen and Holly Fowler not yet considered 60-minute options as they recover from injuries.
There were more injury scares during the week as captain Maria Tutaia sported a moon boot at training, but the star shooter has been declared fit.
However replacement midcourter Elisapeta Toeava, who has impressed for the Mystics after joining the squad mid-season, has not recovered in time and has been ruled out of this afternoon’s match.
The Mystics have called in one of Queensland netball’s rising stars, Abigail Meafou, as midcourt cover.
Brisbane-based Meafou, who is a member of the Australian under19s but holds a New Zealand passport, trained with the Mystics during their bye week last month.
The other big match-up today sees the Southern Steel take on the Swifts in Sydney. The Steel are seeking to complete an unbeaten run through the regular season, while the Swifts will want to lock down top spot in the Australian conference.