Netball: Key encounter for Mystics and Tactix

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 are in a head-to-head battle for the one remaining spot in the New Zealand conference finals, with the winner to face 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 not only still in the hunt to make 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 the Canterbury side pulled off a shock one-goal victory.

After a disappointing season, the Mystics showed promising signs that things were coming together for 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 line-up. But the visitors surged ahead over the latter stages of the match 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 players this weekend, with Kayla Cullen and Holly Fowler not yet considered 60-minute options as they recover from foot injuries.

There were further injury scares during the week as captain Maria Tutaia sported a moon boot at training, but the star shooter has been declared fit for this afternoon's match. Replacement midcourter Elisapeta Toeava, who has impressed for the Mystics after joining the squad mid-season, has not recovered in time however, and had 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 for the match. Brisbane-based Meafou, who is a member of the Australian under-19 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, the unopposed leaders of the New Zealand conference, 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 on the Australian conference ladder.

Dana Johannsen

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