Vixens ready for netball derby opener

They may not have the star power of Collingwood but Vixens defender Jo Weston is backing her team to strike the first blow in the battle of Melbourne in the opening round of the Super Netball competition on Saturday.

The freshly-minted Magpies, who boast five Diamonds players, have hogged the limelight in the lead-up to round one of the new Australian league but Weston says the Vixens have the defence to bring them undone on Saturday night at Hisense Arena.

"I'm fortunate to have a very good defensive cohort," Weston said.

"As a group, we've played together for a number of years now at the Vixens - Chloe (Weston), Emily (Mannix) and I have played together since we were 15 - so we really do have a strong history.

"And bringing (Jamaican import) Kadie-Ann Dehaney into the group is so exciting; she's completely different to what anyone has ever seen before."

The Melbourne match follows a Sydney derby between the NSW Swifts and the new Giants side, while the Queensland Firebirds host the third new franchise from the Sunshine Coast.

Adelaide and Perth meet on Sunday to wrap up the first round.

Weston said she expected the standard to be at an all-time high in the new competition, which replaces the trans-Tasman league which included New Zealand teams.

"It's really going to be an elevation of the standard in the level of competition and that's something everyone is excited about," 23-year-old Weston told AAP.

"There are only 10 spots in each team, it's a pretty tight contest to get on a netball team's list."

Following in a decorated line of Vixens-grown Australian defenders, Weston is looking to step up her game again this season and further stamp her own style over the well-worn tracks of Julie Corletto and Bianca Chatfield before her.

Weston expects teams may underestimate the Vixens, who are this season without cross-city defectors Madi Robinson and young gun shooter Alice Teague-Neeld, as well as goal keeper Geva Mentor, who will captain the Sunshine Coast side.

But Weston said they had adapted.

"I like to think we're all constantly changing the way we handle ourselves in matches and have different skills we have in the metaphorical toolkit, so hopefully that will give us the upper hand on Saturday night."