“We Were Robbed!” – Fever Captain Jess Anstiss Rages Over Vixens’ Home Grand Final Advantage After Heartbreaking One-Point Loss
In a Super Netball Grand Final that will be talked about for years, the West Coast Fever fell agonisingly short in a 64–63 thriller against the Melbourne Vixens at John Cain Arena on Sunday — and Fever captain Jess Anstiss didn’t hold back in the aftermath.
Standing in front of reporters, still visibly emotional, Anstiss blasted what she described as a “clear and unfair advantage” given to the Vixens by playing the title decider on their home court.
> “We were robbed. There’s no other way to put it,” Anstiss said. “To have the biggest game of the season in their backyard, with 10,000 of their fans screaming for every Vixens goal… that’s not a level playing field.”
The match itself was a showcase of elite netball at its highest intensity. Fever led by as many as five goals in the third quarter, with Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard dominating in the circle, but the Vixens clawed back in the final minutes. A controversial obstruction call with 18 seconds left handed Melbourne the winning goal, sparking wild celebrations from the home crowd.
Anstiss, however, was far from joining in the jubilation. She argued that Netball Australia’s decision to award hosting rights to the higher-seeded team was “short-sighted” and “damaging for the integrity of the competition.”
> “Grand finals should be neutral, just like in other major sports,” she said. “We trained all year, we fought through travel, injuries, and adversity, only to have our fate decided in a venue where everything — crowd noise, atmosphere, even court familiarity — was against us.”
The Fever skipper’s comments quickly lit up social media, with fans divided. Some agreed with Anstiss, saying the league should adopt a neutral Grand Final venue to ensure fairness. Others claimed the Fever simply “couldn’t handle the pressure” and needed to focus on their own execution.
Vixens captain Kate Moloney responded diplomatically, saying, “It’s part of the sport — you earn the right to host by finishing higher. We respect Jess and her passion, but we played the game in front of us.”
For now, the Fever are left to ponder what might have been. As Anstiss put it:
“We’ll come back stronger. But the league needs to fix this — because no team should ever walk away from a Grand Final feeling robbed.”