ANZ Championship round two. Melbourne Vixens v Adelaide Thunderbirds at Hisense Arena, Melbourne. Adelaide's Leigh Waddington and Melbourne's Johanna Curran. Picture: Walmsley Stuart
COACH Simone McKinnis says the Melbourne Vixens are delivering on her pre-season objective to finish off the oppostion after the team's strong win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds today.
After their 14-goal opening round victory over the Northern Mystics in Auckland last week, the Vixens backed up with a 58-44 win over the Thunderbirds at Hisense Arena to state their championship intentions early.
With veteran goaler Sharelle McMahon sitting out the match with achilles soreness, the Vixens were led by a dominant performance under the ring from goal shooter Karyn Howarth, who nailed 36 goals from 41 attempts in one of her best performances to date.
The Vixens made a habit out of producing come-from-behind wins last season, which ended in grand final defeat, but McKinnis said the team's focus this year was not just on winning, but winning well.
"I was rapt with the win and rapt with the way the girls went about it,'' McKinnis said.
"One of the things that we spoke about at the start of the season ... we had some really close games last season and really came through and won games that you wouldn't thought that they would.
ANZ Championship round two. Melbourne Vixens v Adelaide Thunderbirds at Hisense Arena, Melbourne. Melbourne's Karyn Howarth and Adelaide's Rebecca Bulley. Picture: Walmsley Stuart Source:
"But I wanted to see us being better at pushing out, building momentum and really putting a team out of the contest.
"I think we are starting to see that. I think we are much better at maintaining control and composure and pushing out a win and that's what we want to be able to do."
McKinnis praised the performance of Howarth, who continues to build on her impressive debut trans-Tasman season last year.
Howarth showed great composure against the Thunderbirds defenders, who pulled out the "chairlift" move at the start of the third quarter, to cap off the fine work of Vixens' defenders Geva Mentor and Bianca Chatfield and the supurb feeding from the midcourt.
"I think the difference that you are seeing with Karyn now is that she is so composed,'' McKinnis said.
ANZ Championship round two. Melbourne Vixens v Adelaide Thunderbirds at Hisense Arena, Melbourne. Melbourne's Tegan Caldwell is trailed by Adelaide's Kate Shimmin. Picture: Walmsley Stuart Source:
"She is strong and she is composed and really controlling it for herself out there, which is just really positive.
"She was taking some strong balls, she was taking lots of body and then still doing the job."
McKinnis admitted she was unsure when McMahon, who made her long-awaited return in the second half against the Mystics after two years out of the game, would be cleared to return.
She said the Vixens' medical staff were taking a cautious approach with the 35-year-old.
The Vixens play Canterbury Tactix at home next Monday.
"In terms of how long (she will be out), I don't know,'' McKinnis said.
"We had to back off this week. I'm not sure everybody is really clear (on how long), they will reassess it next week.
"I'm hopeful for her because I know that it's really frustrating for her and I hope that she's available to be part of the team again.''
Tegan Caldwell (22 from 24) was also sharp for the Vixens, while Mentor finished with five intercepts and six deflections for the match as the normally prolific Thunderbirds' goal shooter Carla Borrego was held to 17 goals.
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