July 26, 2025 • 7 mins
The Northern Mystics are backing themselves to combat a Mainland Tactix outfit flushed with fresh confidence in this afternoon's ANZ Premiership grand final in Auckland.
The Tactix dominated the second half of the elimination final against the Pulse in Christchurch, fight back from six goals down in the second quarter.
Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
EDB Masship Netball Final four o'clock this afternoon, live commentary
over on Gold Sport. From four o'clock, the two time
defending champion Mystics will host.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Let's salute favorite and why not? And what a performance
from the Mystics. They march into the Grand Final once
again and set it rumpting on their home court and
they will host the decider in two.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Weeks time, and that is this afternoon. They're up against
the Tactics at Trust's Arena in Auckland. Let's bring in
Mystics Captain Mikaela sokolch Beats and Makaula. What a season
nine wins, just the one defeat clean number one? How
did you achieve such remarkable consistency this year?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Yeah, I'm great, Christian. I was smiling when you said,
like two time champion, it's actually nice to hear that.
I forget sometimes that that's the position, right. I think
the team did it through just using our entire group,
like at times we were forced to because of injuries,
but I think as well the coaches gave people opportunities
because of what they were doing at training, and I
(01:15):
think the fact that you can turn to your bench
and know that there's someone ready to go on it
just puts a really nice quiet confidence in the group.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Of course, after the loss of Grace Wiki, I think
a lot of people thought, right, the mystics aren't going
to be the same side. They've lost their major threat
in the shooting circle. How did you adapt so well
to life without Grace?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
It's a good question, Like, she was awesome, she is awesome.
We were sad to see her go, but knew that
that was mean she needed to do for her stuff.
But then we also got a shoulder like to now
an Australian international, somebody who absolutely didn't dominate a goal circle.
We had Fielder and Hannah and even Peter step up
in that goal attack role, and then Sophia come on.
(01:58):
I just think we did it in a real collective
way and everyone knew what their job was and how
we had to adjust our game plan to work with
the people we now had.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Did you consciously before the season started work on a
different way of playing, I guess and you'll be able
to confirm this that when Grace Week is in the
shooting circle. There's a temptation just to try and find
her every time. Did you have to consciously come up
with a different kind of game.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Plan, Yeah, you do.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
When you've got to shoot who's like six foot three
thoot four and who can jump a massive vertical jump,
that is a huge advantage, right, and just Peter could
feed her beautifully. So yeah, we definitely had to change
up the way we had to play. But I think
that has just added to the strength of everybody's like
skills there, and I think, yeah, we were very conscious
(02:45):
on how we were going to try and develop our
skills so we could slay a different brand and netball.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
So just one defeat that was to the tactics. Of course,
so you play in the final. I know you never
like to lose matches, But in hindsight, was it a
good thing to remove any possibility of complacency for the final?
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, where we didn't turn up in that game at all.
I've said in a couple other interhos we were we
weren't good, and we were so disappointed with ourselves. It
definitely made us look at ourselves quite hard. We reflected
a lot throughout that week and that is something that
we've been holding on to a little bit. Okay, what
did we doing that? How did we go and that?
(03:23):
Why did things break down? So yeah, definitely something that
I think the mystics needed to just keep our focus
really sharp.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Last year you won it from third, you had to
come through away games in the playoffs. You beat the
Tactics and the Polls both away. How different a scenario
is it this year with just the one playoff game
the grand final on your home court.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Yeah, it's different. It's a lot different. We did it
this way the year before and won it, and then
last year we had to do all the elimination final
and that. It's different when you've got two weeks to
sit on the factor in the final, it's different in
terms of people talk about it. For two weeks. You
get a weekend off playing, so you get a little
(04:06):
bit a different sort of routine.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I think there's pros and cons to each way about it.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
How did you spend your weekend off and in fact,
I guess the last two weeks since you last played
to make sure you get that balance right between refreshing
but also staying switched on.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Yeah, it's hard one nay and It's one of those
things that's kind of like, damned if you do, damned
if you don't. It's going to be positive and negatives
kind of however you do it. We played a game
last Friday and then we did our own conditioning on Saturday.
We did try to give the bodies a little bit
of reprieve earlier on in the two weeks, just to recover,
(04:44):
but then this week we have been honing in and
everything has been tough.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
So you are the two time defending champions now. The
steal won two straight in twenty seventeen and eighteen. The
Pulseter that in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty, no one's
ever won at three on the bounce. How determined ay
to become the first team to do that.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
We are determined. It's actually not think we've spoken a
lot about until yesterd and our team meeting, and yeah,
we were like, man, that would be that would be
epic and that would be cool. But we also know
that the tactics are in a bit of a different position,
is there haven't won, so they're really gunning for it.
You know, it's there for the taking, But then it's
our too, So I think both teams have a very
(05:23):
similar fight in them, but for different reasons.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And as you say, you know you did it in
two different ways the last couple of seasons and two
very different grand finals as well, and they will buy
the last year and they had a very comfortable victory
of the year before. So there's two different ways that
might go on the weekend or somewhere in between. But
are there things that that are common to all grand
finals that that you have to do particularly well?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah, I think like you've got to turn up Like
Finals Network is so different to regular games. It sounds
really weird because you're playing the same people. You're like,
why would it be you want to win every game
but Final Network. If you watched the Tactics Pulls game Man,
that was a game of two halves and it was tart.
I was watching, thinking, well, this is brutal. The Tactics
(06:07):
had three losses in the second half, that's unheard of
the Nipbull. That just shows that they stepped up and
they were ready for the challenge.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
And for you it's a distant memory now, I know,
but you had that terrible time of things with your
achilles in successive years. I think you had all the
bad luck of a whole career sort of rolled into
a couple of years. How do you reflect back on
that time now?
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Yeah, honestly, it just makes me grateful that people still
believed I could do my job. There was definitely times
I thought that no one was going to want me
again because I'd look at me as this injury prone girl.
And the fact that I've been able to come back
and prove the people that I actually am strong and
my body is fighting, but then also have people that
have believed in me as Yeah, definitely made just grateful
(06:52):
to be here.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Do you let yourself think about lifting up that trophy
again on Sunday early evening?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
No, honestly, no, I don't want to think about it
just yet. I just want to think about what I
need to do in the game, and yeah, I don't
want to get too caught up in the outcome just yet.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Fair enough, fair enough, So thanks MICHAELA all the best,
Mikaela Sokolch Beason Captain of the Mystics.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Let's get you in for more from Weekend Sport with
Jason Fine. Listen live to news Talks it B weekends
from midday or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio,
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
EDB Masship Netball Final four o'clock this afternoon, live commentary
over on Gold Sport. From four o'clock, the two time
defending champion Mystics will host.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Let's salute favorite and why not? And what a performance
from the Mystics. They march into the Grand Final once
again and set it rumpting on their home court and
they will host the decider in two.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Weeks time, and that is this afternoon. They're up against
the Tactics at Trust's Arena in Auckland. Let's bring in
Mystics Captain Mikaela sokolch Beats and Makaula. What a season
nine wins, just the one defeat clean number one? How
did you achieve such remarkable consistency this year?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Yeah, I'm great, Christian. I was smiling when you said,
like two time champion, it's actually nice to hear that.
I forget sometimes that that's the position, right. I think
the team did it through just using our entire group,
like at times we were forced to because of injuries,
but I think as well the coaches gave people opportunities
because of what they were doing at training, and I
(01:15):
think the fact that you can turn to your bench
and know that there's someone ready to go on it
just puts a really nice quiet confidence in the group.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Of course, after the loss of Grace Wiki, I think
a lot of people thought, right, the mystics aren't going
to be the same side. They've lost their major threat
in the shooting circle. How did you adapt so well
to life without Grace?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
It's a good question, Like, she was awesome, she is awesome.
We were sad to see her go, but knew that
that was mean she needed to do for her stuff.
But then we also got a shoulder like to now
an Australian international, somebody who absolutely didn't dominate a goal circle.
We had Fielder and Hannah and even Peter step up
in that goal attack role, and then Sophia come on.
(01:58):
I just think we did it in a real collective
way and everyone knew what their job was and how
we had to adjust our game plan to work with
the people we now had.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Did you consciously before the season started work on a
different way of playing, I guess and you'll be able
to confirm this that when Grace Week is in the
shooting circle. There's a temptation just to try and find
her every time. Did you have to consciously come up
with a different kind of game.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Plan, Yeah, you do.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
When you've got to shoot who's like six foot three
thoot four and who can jump a massive vertical jump,
that is a huge advantage, right, and just Peter could
feed her beautifully. So yeah, we definitely had to change
up the way we had to play. But I think
that has just added to the strength of everybody's like
skills there, and I think, yeah, we were very conscious
(02:45):
on how we were going to try and develop our
skills so we could slay a different brand and netball.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
So just one defeat that was to the tactics. Of course,
so you play in the final. I know you never
like to lose matches, But in hindsight, was it a
good thing to remove any possibility of complacency for the final?
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, where we didn't turn up in that game at all.
I've said in a couple other interhos we were we
weren't good, and we were so disappointed with ourselves. It
definitely made us look at ourselves quite hard. We reflected
a lot throughout that week and that is something that
we've been holding on to a little bit. Okay, what
did we doing that? How did we go and that?
(03:23):
Why did things break down? So yeah, definitely something that
I think the mystics needed to just keep our focus
really sharp.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Last year you won it from third, you had to
come through away games in the playoffs. You beat the
Tactics and the Polls both away. How different a scenario
is it this year with just the one playoff game
the grand final on your home court.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Yeah, it's different. It's a lot different. We did it
this way the year before and won it, and then
last year we had to do all the elimination final
and that. It's different when you've got two weeks to
sit on the factor in the final, it's different in
terms of people talk about it. For two weeks. You
get a weekend off playing, so you get a little
(04:06):
bit a different sort of routine.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I think there's pros and cons to each way about it.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
How did you spend your weekend off and in fact,
I guess the last two weeks since you last played
to make sure you get that balance right between refreshing
but also staying switched on.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Yeah, it's hard one nay and It's one of those
things that's kind of like, damned if you do, damned
if you don't. It's going to be positive and negatives
kind of however you do it. We played a game
last Friday and then we did our own conditioning on Saturday.
We did try to give the bodies a little bit
of reprieve earlier on in the two weeks, just to recover,
(04:44):
but then this week we have been honing in and
everything has been tough.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
So you are the two time defending champions now. The
steal won two straight in twenty seventeen and eighteen. The
Pulseter that in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty, no one's
ever won at three on the bounce. How determined ay
to become the first team to do that.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
We are determined. It's actually not think we've spoken a
lot about until yesterd and our team meeting, and yeah,
we were like, man, that would be that would be
epic and that would be cool. But we also know
that the tactics are in a bit of a different position,
is there haven't won, so they're really gunning for it.
You know, it's there for the taking, But then it's
our too, So I think both teams have a very
(05:23):
similar fight in them, but for different reasons.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And as you say, you know you did it in
two different ways the last couple of seasons and two
very different grand finals as well, and they will buy
the last year and they had a very comfortable victory
of the year before. So there's two different ways that
might go on the weekend or somewhere in between. But
are there things that that are common to all grand
finals that that you have to do particularly well?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah, I think like you've got to turn up Like
Finals Network is so different to regular games. It sounds
really weird because you're playing the same people. You're like,
why would it be you want to win every game
but Final Network. If you watched the Tactics Pulls game Man,
that was a game of two halves and it was tart.
I was watching, thinking, well, this is brutal. The Tactics
(06:07):
had three losses in the second half, that's unheard of
the Nipbull. That just shows that they stepped up and
they were ready for the challenge.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
And for you it's a distant memory now, I know,
but you had that terrible time of things with your
achilles in successive years. I think you had all the
bad luck of a whole career sort of rolled into
a couple of years. How do you reflect back on
that time now?
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Yeah, honestly, it just makes me grateful that people still
believed I could do my job. There was definitely times
I thought that no one was going to want me
again because I'd look at me as this injury prone girl.
And the fact that I've been able to come back
and prove the people that I actually am strong and
my body is fighting, but then also have people that
have believed in me as Yeah, definitely made just grateful
(06:52):
to be here.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Do you let yourself think about lifting up that trophy
again on Sunday early evening?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
No, honestly, no, I don't want to think about it
just yet. I just want to think about what I
need to do in the game, and yeah, I don't
want to get too caught up in the outcome just yet.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Fair enough, fair enough, So thanks MICHAELA all the best,
Mikaela Sokolch Beason Captain of the Mystics.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Let's get you in for more from Weekend Sport with
Jason Fine. Listen live to news Talks it B weekends
from midday or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio,
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