STRATHFIELDSAYE’S coaches are remaining upbeat despite the Storm’s winless start to the BFNL netball season.

The Storm are the only team in the league without a win at the halfway point of the season and sit on win behind seventh-placed South Bendigo.

But joint coaches Kathryn Gilmore and Amy Davies are backing their side to show continued development and improvement in the weeks ahead.

The Storm face a tough start to the second round against second-placed Eaglehawk, which defeated sixth-placed Maryborough 70-38 last weekend.

Despite a massive turnover of players pre-season and wins failing to come, Gilmore was full of praise for her players’ ability to stick together and remain positive.

“We lost 22 players at the start of the year and some of those losses were only a week or two leading into the season, so it was a struggle early on,” she said.

“A positive was against South Bendigo, we had 12 players step up in a higher grade because we were short on players.

“It feels like a lot of girls are getting the chance to step up and are showing they are capable of playing at higher levels.

“It really is a year of development for our club.”

 Among the encouraging signs for Gilmore and Davies has been the continued solid form of teenagers Alice Layton (goal defence) and goal shooter Olivia Mason, and the efforts at the defensive end of the court from Elyse Morgan and club newcomer Georgia Martin.

“Unfortunately the wins aren’t coming, but the development definitely is,” Gilmore said.

“We’re not going backwards, we’re definitely going forwards I feel from where we were at the start of the year.

“The second half of the year we just want to see improvement.

“Up until three quarter time in most matches we are not doing a bad job, but we are dropping off in that last quarter, so that’s a focus for us, but the attitude of our girls cannot be faulted.”

In other games, Kangaroo Flat and Gisborne will battle for third spot, with both teams entering the clash at Dower Park 4-3, while top-placed Sandhurst (7-0) takes on fifth-placed Golden Square (4-3).

Both the Dragons and Bulldogs are coming off byes.

Maryborough and South Bendigo have byes.