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The NSW Swifts have claimed their sixth successive win, while the Melbourne Vixens have slumped to their third straight defeat.

The NSW Swifts have continued their recent good form, winning their sixth straight game of the trans-Tasman Championships with a 49-43 win over the Vixens in Melbourne.

After six victories to open the season, the Vixens have now hit a mid-season slump losing their past three.

Next up is the daunting prospect of playing the competition-leading Adelaide Thunderbirds, a match captain Bianca Chatfield has labelled "crucial" to the Vixens' chances of making the finals.

"I thought this week was do or die, so next week you can times by two," she said.

"It is crucial for us. In my memory of our season so far, the Thunderbirds (clash) was the best game we have played. We need to get out that video and watch when we had that spark and fire."

In an anomaly of the draw, the Swifts have now beaten the Vixens twice in just three weeks.

After losing their opening two games, the Swifts have now pushed their way into the top four.

They were led brilliantly by goal shooter Susan Pratley, who scored 32 from 37 attempts.

Pratley believes confidence is finally building in the team after massive changes from last season.

"I think it was just a case of getting used to each other, we are a whole new team, we have five new players and new coaching staff, it was just that gelling and getting the confidence," she said.

"We now have that, we have belief and confidence in each to get that ball."

The Swifts defensive unit of Sonia Mkoloma and Mo'onia Gerrard was able to push the Vixens out of their comfort zones and force the Melbourne goalers into long range shots and mistakes.

The Vixens swapped their trio of shooters, Kate Beveridge, Tegan Caldwell and Karyn Howarth around all day but could not find a winning combination.

Vixens assistant coach Eloise Southby-Halbish said her goalers had been "really out-muscled" but had to learn to live with the pressure of elite netball.

"Our goalers need to step up over the next few weeks and take that physicality and that pressure. I didn't think they did that well today," she said.

Southby-Halbish said the Vixens were now making basic errors that had not been evident in the opening weeks of the season.

"It's not that we can't contest against the opposition that we have played, it has been bad passes, drop balls, knocked off the ball.

"If you go in hard you have to make sure that nobody gets in your way, and they know that. The girls will absolutely be gutted today."