HOW is your BFNL netball team tracking at the halfway point of the regular season?
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CASTLEMAINE
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The Magpies secured their biggest and most important victory pre-round one just by being able to fill four senior teams and a 17-and-under combination, following a mass-exodus of players in the off-season. Further positives flowed when they were able to defeat Kyneton early in the season to record their first win in more than two years. Coach Deb Symes has done a wonderful job in keeping her team focused and will look to oversee improvement in the second round of matches.
Current position: Ninth (1-8)
Last five games: LLLLL
Record against current top five: 0-5
Best win: A round four win over Kyneton snapped a 42 game losing streak, dating back to round 13 in 2014.
Key game ahead: v Kyneton (July 15). A victory here would give the rebuilding Magpies a clean-sweep over their closest rival.
EAGLEHAWK
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A change of coach to Mali Roberts and a fruitful recruiting drive has worked wonders at Canterbury Park, with the Hawks starting the second half of the year on the cusp of the top three. The Hawks are the only team to hold a win over Sandhurst, and have since won four of five games to stamp themselves as one of the league's in-form teams. Rounds 13 and 14 will be crucial to the Hawks' season with games scheduled against top-two Golden Square and Sandhurst. Recruits Ashley and Abbey Ryan and Zoe Davies have been key acquisitions.
Current position: Fourth (6-3)
Last five games: WLWWW
Record against current top five: 1-4
Best win: A 48-45 win in round five over then league leaders Sandhurst turned plenty of heads.
Key game ahead: v Kangaroo Flat (July 1). The Hawks were left disappointed when overtaken in the dying seconds in round two against the Roos. A win at Dower Park would be a stepping stone to a potential top three finish.
GISBORNE
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Few teams have been as consistent as the Bulldogs, whose two losses came in matches that were alive into the final minute, including a two goal loss at Golden Square. A draw against Sandhurst last week showed exactly just how tough the Bulldogs will be to topple, as a team with some key inclusions, including goal shooter Ella Bertachinni and Keara Fitzgerald (up from under-17s), continues to gel. Add Maddy Stewart, Rachel McKenzie and Tarryn Rymer to the mix, and the Bulldogs have a team capable of going all the way to a premiership.
Current position: Third (6-2-1)
Last five games: LWWWD
Record against current top five: 1-2-1
Best win: A draw against Sandhurst arguably rates as the Bulldogs' best effort, but given we are after wins, a round six victory against Eaglehawk was their first and only against a current top five team.
Key game ahead: v Golden Square (July 29). The fast-finishing Bulldogs finished only two goals shy of the league leaders in round five and would be confident of turning the tables at home.
GOLDEN SQUARE
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The Bulldogs, under new coach Allira Holmes, have barely put a foot wrong. Their sole loss against Sandhurst came without their star goal shooter Gabe Richards in the line-up, while they have accounted for all three other current top-five teams. The Bulldogs' next four rounds includes games against top three contenders Kangaroo Flat, Sandhurst and Eaglehawk in what will be a key month. Newcomer Kelly Wilson has made an excellent transition to netball, while the defence featuring Holmes, Meg Gilbert and Lucy Morcom continues to make life difficult for even the best of teams.
Current position: Top (8-1)
Last five games: WWWWW
Record against current top five: 4-1
Best win: A seven goal victory in round one over the reigning premiers showed the Bulldogs would again be a force to be reckoned with.
Key game ahead: v Sandhurst (July 15). A win over the Dragons would give Golden Square at least one win over each of its nine rivals.
KANGAROO FLAT
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Tough to know what to make of the Roos, who - at their best - are still one of the league's premier teams, but have been prone to lapses. Fighting wins over Eaglehawk and Gisborne and a close call against top side Golden Square in round one, have been matched by a heavy defeat against Sandhurst and a pair of disappointing losses to teams below them on the ladder. The next three weeks against Golden Square, Gisborne and Eaglehawk will likely tell the story of where their season is headed. Count on the Roos to respond strongly after last week's loss to South Bendigo.
Current position: Fifth (5-4)
Last five games: WWWLL
Record against current top five: (2-2)
Best win: A four goal win over Gisborne in round three was against a quality opponent, whose form has only got better since that day.
Key game ahead: v Golden Square (June 24). It's not time to panic, but a pair of losses has put the reigning premiers' spot in the five under threat. They need a win to get the season back on track - there's no time like the present to do that.
KYNETON
The Tigers season has panned out pretty much as expected after the loss of so many players and indeed teams (the Tigers have only A-grade and B-reserve teams). When the Tigers played South Bendigo on May 20, Tayla Callaway was the only current Tiger from last season's A-grade line-up. The return in recent weeks of star shooter Michelle Fletcher has brought immediate improvement to a predominantly young team.
Current position: Tenth (0-9)
Last five games: LLLLL
Record against current top five: 0-5
Best win: Yet to come.
Key game ahead: v Castlemaine (July 15). Without a win, this appears the Tigers' best shot at breaking through, against a Magpies team which will be pulling out all the stops to prevent that from happening.
MARYBOROUGH
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The Magpies were flying high early at 3-1 and with a win over reigning premiers Kangaroo Flat under their belt. Since then they have lost five straight games to be in eighth spot, three games in arrears of the fifth-placed Roos. Scoring has not been a problem for the Magpies, with recent club-200 gamer Jordan Macilwain helping propel them to the tag as the highest scoring team outside the five. They will target games against South Bendigo and Strathfieldsaye as results they can reverse on the road to improvement.
Current position: Eighth (3-6)
Last five games: LLLLLL
Record against current top five: (1-4)
Best win: A win over Kangaroo Flat in round four was the Magpies' undoubted highlight so far.
Key game ahead: v South Bendigo (July 15). Tempting to nominate this weekend's match against Castlemaine, as after five straight losses, the Magpies just need a win. But a victory over the Bloods would have more merit and could potentially lead to bigger things for an obviously talented team.
SANDHURST
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The Dragons have stamped themselves as genuine premiership contender, with a largely dominant first half of the season. The are getting the job done at both ends of the court, with the league's second highest scoring offence and a defence which has conceded the fewest amount of goals (282). Of course these are complemented by a class midcourt powered by Meg Williams and Brooke Bolton. Opposition coaches report Heather Oliver has taken her game to another level and is justifiably one of the early favourites for the Betty Thompson Medal.
Current position: Second (7-1-1)
Last five games: LWWWD
Record against current top five: (2-1-1)
Best win: The Dragons made a huge statement with a 53-27 victory over Golden Square in round three.
Key game ahead: v Eaglehawk (July 29). The Dragons will be hellbent on exacting revenge for a three goal loss to the Hawks in round five.
SOUTH BENDIGO
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A win last weekend over the reigning premiers has ignited the Bloods' season, putting them within one win of fifth place. If not for a one goal loss to Strathfieldsaye (round eight), they would now be on level terms with Kangaroo Flat. It's a massive two weeks ahead with games against Eaglehawk and Gisborne. A win in one would set them up nicely for a possible finals tilt. Brooke Lawry and Lorrae Closter have been standout recruits for a rejuvenated South.
Current position: Seventh (4-5)
Last five games: WLLLW
Record against current top five: 1-4
Best win: Last weekend’s win over Kangaroo Flat has given the Bloods belief they can match it with some of the leading contenders.
Key game ahead: v Eaglehawk (June 24). With an impressive victory over the reigning premiers under their belt, the Bloods will be keen to follow up with another impressive performance.
STRATHFIELDSAYE
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The Storm were handed the toughest draw to start the season, with games against last season's second, third and fourth-placed teams (Golden Square, Sandhurst and Gisborne) and expected big improvers Eaglehawk in the first four weeks They went 0-4 through their patch, but recovered to post four wins in their next five matches to sit one game outside the five. It will be testing times ahead for the Storm with those same four teams up next, but with Brianna Dalrymple-Monro, Claudia Powell and Claire Gibbs among others in form, they will be confident of better results second time round.
Current position: Sixth (4-5)
Last five games: WWLWW
Record against current top five: 0-5
Best win: A one-point win over South Bendigo was full of determination and may yet prove costly to the Bloods' finals hopes.
Key game ahead: More like crucial 'games'. If the Storm are to force their way into finals, they will need to beat one or two of the current top five teams. They play four of them in a row.