Super Netball grand final live: Adelaide Thunderbirds face Melbourne Vixens in front of sold-out crowd

Australian netball great Norma Plummer has theorised about the reasons behind the Vixens’ slump earlier in the season which saw them lose four games in a row.

At the Super Netball grand final lunch at Centrepiece in Melbourne, Plummer said the Vixens’ slump coincided with the selection process for the Diamonds squad, noting there could have been “nerves around all of that.”

Plummer also pointed out many Vixens’ players’ contracts expire at the end of the year.

The veteran coach said Vixens coach Di Honey had likely reminded key players to remain focused, noting “sometimes you to remind people how good they are.”

Every epic tale needs a bad guy, too. But when the two titans face off in front of a sold-out crowd at John Cain Arena this Saturday night, the true villain won’t actually step on court.

That villain is a mouse.

Last year, the Super Netball final was played in front of a deafening crowd of 15,013 fans at Rod Laver Arena. This year, the Vixens and Thunderbirds will have to settle for a smaller venue, John Cain Arena, due to a schedule clash with Disney on Ice.

Disney booked Rod Laver for July 2-6 for its “Magic in the Stars” tour, meaning nearly 5000 fewer fans will be able to attend the Super Netball grand final this year than last.

The Mouse’s malevolence wasn’t just limited to Victoria.

Disney on Ice also booked out Adelaide Entertainment Centre across the semi-finals weekend from June 19-21, shutting the Thunderbirds out of their regular stadium and forcing them to play at the Adelaide 36ers’ arena, which houses 2000 fewer people.