Vixens battle colds to stay top in netball

The Melbourne Vixens are on an eight-game winning streak and are favourites to claim the Super Netball minor premiership but they reckon the change of seasons has added an extra challenge.

Vixens defender Jo Weston had almost lost her voice on Sunday, struggling with a cold which had affected the entire team.

Weston gave little sign of being off colour in the Vixens' 11-goal, 66-55 win over the Queensland Firebirds on Saturday night. She took five intercepts, six gains and five deflections to be named MVP.

With the game in the bag, the home side did fall away in the last quarter as they battled to maintain their trademark intensity.

"You'll have to excuse my voice, I've had a cold for the past week and during the match I almost lost it, so It's a bit husky," Weston told AAP.

"It's been going around to everyone. I initially got it, spread it to everyone, it got worse and now I've got it back again, it's karma in a sense.

"But it's that time of the year anyway, changing of the seasons."

The ladder-leading Vixens have seven days to recover from the highly-physical Firebirds contest and recuperate from ill health before taking on the high-flying Giants in Canberra next Sunday.

The sides last met in round six, where the Vixens toppled the Giants 59-51 in Melbourne.

"It should be really competitive, they've got a really great shooting circle with (Susan) Pettit and (Jo) Harten and also their defence end is strong as well," Weston said.

"(Sam) Poolman is having a fantastic season, she is becoming a force to be reckoned with down in that circle. "

AAP