ANZ Championship - weekend preview round 11

Heading into the business end of the season, results are more important than ever as the top four places still remain up for the taking in the inaugural ANZ Championship.

Round 11 gets under way on Saturday with the LG Northern Mystics taking on the second placed Adelaide Thunderbirds in Auckland’s Trusts Stadium.

The Mystics were so close to upsetting the NSW Swifts on Monday night however the tough extra overtime encounter saw the Mystics fall just short. The Thunderbirds bring solid form in to this game following its impressive win over the SKOPE Canterbury Tactix.

Buoyed by a home crowd the Mystics will provide tough competition and will have the potential to trouble the Thunderbirds outfit. While for the Thunderbirds, a win in this game is crucial to consolidate their place in the top four.

The clash in the mid court will be one to watch as Temepara George and Natalie von Bertouch go into battle. Another match up that will keep everyone on their toes is between two in form players; Mystics defender Leana De Bruin and Thunderbirds shooter Natalie Medhurst. This battle will go a long way in determining the outcome of the match.

A monumental match on Sunday is sure to unfold as the NSW Swifts host the Queensland Firebirds. The Swifts sit in fifth place just outside the top and a result in this match is important to both teams’ finals chances. When these teams met earlier in the season, Firebirds were victorious.

The second game on Sunday will see the SKOPE Canterbury Tactix host the Suzuki Central Pulse in Christchurch. These two sides met in round seven where the Tactix were forced to fight hard for the win. The Pulse pushed them all the way and had multiple chances to take the match however fell short during the crucial stages.

The Tactix will have to be in top performance for the remainder of the season and will have to rely on upsets from the teams above them on the ladder faltering to give them a chance at making the final four.

Monday night netball begins in Dunedin where the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel hosts the West Coast Fever. Both sides will come into this match with very different emotions which should make for an enthralling encounter.

The Steel will be brimming with confidence and no doubt still smiling after their spectacular win over the Melbourne Vixens last weekend.

The Steel produced one of their finest performances of the season to upset the Vixens by one goal and will be looking to continue to build momentum and take the points.

Fever is coming off a frustrated week and will be seeking an outright win this week. Fever has challenged every team in the competition however have been pipped at the post on many occasions.

Caitlin Bassett up against Megan Hutton will be the key match up in this contest.

We will see a capacity crowd at the State Netball Hockey Centre in Melbourne on Monday as the Melbourne Vixens take on top of the table Colourplus Waikato /Bay of Plenty Magic. The Vixens will be hurting after their one goal loss to the Steel which places huge pressure on them as their finals hopes now hang in the balance.

The Magic continue to lead the way and survived a decent effort from the Firebirds to dethrone them but they proved too good showing just why they are the team to beat. This match comes as close as can be to an Australia verses the Silver Ferns battle with a plethora of world class players on display. Some key match up's will see Vixens captain Sharelle McMahon take on Joline Henry who has been a destructive force in the Magic backline.

Young Caitlin Thwaites will be put to the test against Casey Williams while down the other end it's Bianca Chatfield against Irene Van Dyk. Every position on the court will see a duel not to be missed as both teams understand the importance of this game, for the Vixens there is not much more room for error, expect this game to be played as if it was a final.