A LOOK at where your HDFNL club stands at the halfway point of the 2022 A-grade netball season.
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COLBINABBIN
Current position: Fourth (4-5)
Last five games: LLWWW
Record against current top five: 0-5
Best win: While their highest-ranked scalp so far is sixth-placed Huntly, the Grasshoppers' best performance was undoubtedly their one-goal loss to Elmore in round three. It's the closest anyone has come to dethroning the Bloods in the last two seasons.
Key game ahead: Hoping to be finals-bound once again, Colbinabbin would relish a win over a top-three rival. White Hills in round 13 offers a chance.
Potential best and fairest leader: Rarely a week goes by without defender Tanzin Myers rating a mention from the opposition coach. Toughest opposition will come from Ella Kerlin and Zara Myers.
The club says: "Obviously we have lost all of our mature-age, or experienced players from previous years; we're a 23-years young team, with a lot of uni students.
"We're taking our time to gel, but we are getting there.
"It is exciting as the girls show a lot of promise. We want to have a fun and enjoyable season, get to know each other a bit, but we are still looking to make finals.
"We're still yet to hit our stride. We only went down to Elmore by one (goal) - everyone was firing - and since then we've had Olivia McEvoy step away with pregnancy, so it's been adjusting to not having her leadership on court." - coach Lisa Myers
ELMORE
ELMORE
Current position: First (9-0)
Last five games: WWWWW
Record against current top five: 5-0
Best win: A seven-goal win over its nearest ladder rival White Hills in round five at Scott Street.
Key game ahead: White Hills has stamped itself as the most likely threat to the Bloods' undefeated streak. The top pair meet again at Elmore in round 14 (July 9), with both sides hoping to be at full strength.
Potential best and fairest leader: No player causes opposition coaches - and defenders - more match-up headaches than Gabe Richards and the Bloods joint coach is enjoying another stellar season. But so too is midcourter Andrea Wilson.
The club says: "We've played through some adversity, which all clubs have had to do all season, and have dealt each week with whatever has been thrown at us.
"We're getting there, but we haven't had a full team all season.
"We've done our best to set ourselves up for the second half of the season. We're in a good spot.
"We're lucky we've worked ourselves into a position where we can change a few things up and play with some different combos, just in case we need to come finals time. It won't be the first time we've had to do it.
"When we have got those leads that we have, we can start putting people into other positions and start playing a little bit out of where we normally would." - joint coach Gabe Richards
HEATHCOTE
Current position: Eighth (2-6)
Last five games: LLLLLL
Record against current top five: 1-3
Best win: A round three win over LBU gave the Saints a 2-1 start to the season and came against a team which would later find its way into the top five.
Key game ahead: v Huntly this weekend. A big chance for the Saints to snap a five-game winning streak and at the same time make up some quick early ground in the race for the five.
Potential best and fairest leader: Brooke Bolton is the reigning league best and fairest and is having another standout season. At opposite ends of the court, Jennifer Van Neutegem (defence) and Annalyse Carroll shape as the next strongest contenders.
The club says: "I have been really happy with parts of our season and I guess a little bit disappointed with other parts. I think we have a lot more potential than our results have shown and lot more talent than out results have shown.
"We have really struggled to consistently get our full team together, which has hurt us.
"It's meant we have relied on girls from (grades) below, who have done a great job, but when your line-up is changing each week it's hard to get some consistency.
"Technically, we have never had our full team together ever.
I definitely think we'll be able to flip some results around in the second half of the year." - joint coach Brooke Bolton
HUNTLY
Current position: Sixth (3-5)
Last five games: LLLWL
Record against current top five: (0-4)
Best win: v Heathcote (round one) with the Saints coming into the match with momentum from their win the previous week in a standalone contest against North Bendigo.
Key game ahead: v Leitchville Gunbower (round 11). The Hawks desperately need a win this weekend to arrest a three-game winning streak, but the following week's match against the Bombers will be one they'll keen to attain a measure of retribution following an earlier season loss.
Potential best and fairest winner: The experienced Laura Hamilton has been a standout in defence in an up-and-down season for the Hawks, who like all clubs, have endured weekly changes to their line-up. Midcourter Taylor Mann shapes as Hamilton's main contender.
The club says: "The job's on for the rest of the year now. The next three weeks (v Heathcote, v Leitchville-Gunbower, v LBU) will be season-defining.
"That starts hopefully with beating Heathcote and turning the tide against Leitchville-Gunbower, who beat us early in the year.
"The results have been a bit all over the shop across the league, so I really hope we have ironed out everything from the first half of the season and we can start to really focus.
"Like every other team, you never really know what you are lining up against each week. We've had COVID, a flu go through the footy club, gastro and then injury - you wonder what's coming next.
"Hopefully, we enter the second half of the year healthy and we have a game where all of our players are 100 per cent and together at the one time." - coach Emily Eliades
LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER
Current position: Seventh (2-6)
Last five games: WLLLLL
Record against current top five: (0-4)
Best win: v Huntly (round two). The Bombers got the start to the season they were looking for against one of the previous season's top five teams.
Key game ahead: v Huntly (June 18). By repeating the dose against the Hawks, the Bombers would make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season and get their second half off to a great start.
Potential best and fairest: An even across-the-board season has been highlighted by different Bombers players stepping up each week to lead the effort and show flashes of brilliance. But likely the most consistent of all has been goal keeper Macey Brereton.
The club says: "While we haven't got as many wins as we would have liked, we're actually pleased with how we've been going.
"It's just been about finding that little extra spark that would help us get a win. Hopefully, we have found that (after their round nine win over Heathcote).
"We've always had the belief we've been able to do it, so hopefully we can prove that in the second half of the season.
"We've had a few things that didn't quite go our way - a few injuries, a few out with COVID - and they happened over a few weeks., but I feel like we've worked through that and hopefully the stars will align." - coach Lauren Dehne
LOCKINGTON-BAMAWM UNITED:
Current position: Fifth (3-5)
Last five games: LWWLL
Record against current top five: (1-3)
Best win: A victory against Colbinabbin (round 8) was the Cats' first over the Grasshoppers in at least a decade and first over a top-five team in many years.
Key game ahead: By matching their earlier season wins over Leitchville-Gunbower, North Bendigo and Colbinabbin, LBU can go a long way to breaking its finals drought. A win over the Saints, who the Cats lost to by five goals in round two, would help the cause even further.
Potential best and fairest: You won't hear any of the league's six playing coaches mentioning themselves among the best players each week, nor do they give out votes. But Cats coach and goal shooter Jessie Hardess rates a mention from the opposition most weeks. An open field of contenders must include last season's winner Jesie Milligan and Tracey and Sarah Ogden.
The club says: : "It's been a great season. The girls have really gelled and that has come through on the court and through our results.
"We have a whole A-squad of girls, who just want to be here and that has made all the difference this year. The vibe is amazing.
"We'd love to hang on for fifth or finals, but we know it's anyone's game.
"Underneath Elmore and White Hills, it's just anyone's. Anyone in the league at the moment could be playing finals, or sitting fourth and fifth.
"If anyone's going to challenge those top two, I feel it will be Mounts, but it's so even stevens from third onward, you just don't know what might happen." - coach Jessie Hardess
MOUNT PLEASANT
Current position: Third (5-3)
Last five games: WLWWW
Record against current top five: (2-2)
Best win: v Colbinabbin (round nine). The Blues produced arguably their best netball of the season in last week's win over the Grasshoppers who sit one rung below them on the ladder.
Key game ahead: v White Hills (June 18). The Blues look to have established themselves as a clear 'third best' team in the league to this point of the season. A top-two scalp would turn plenty of heads.
Potential best and fairest: Goal shooter Liv Slattery has emerged as one of the HDFNL's recruits of the season and has been instrumental in the Blues' largely consistent form. Albeit, she did miss a pair of games to start the season. Midcourter Maeve Tupper has stood out most weeks and would no doubt be snaring her share of votes.
The club says: "We've been very happy with the first half of the year. We've had a couple of down days here and there, but most of the time we've been able to kick into gear and come out the other side with a win.
"And it's been a huge team effort; There have been no real standouts throughout the year, everyone has just played their role and they are playing for each other, which is great.
"Hopefully we have set ourselves up for a top-three spot before finals.
"If we can keep the form going from last week (v Colbinabbin) there's no reason why we can't get that second chance." - coach Carine Comer
NORTH BENDIGO
Current position: Ninth (2-6)
Last five games: WLLWL
Record against current top five: 1-3
Best win: v Mount Pleasant (round eight). A five-goal win over the Blues at Atkins Street showed exactly what the Bulldogs are capable of on their day
Key game ahead: With back-to-back clashes against Elmore and White Hills to follow, this weekend's clash against Colbinabbin is a must win if the Bulldogs are to remain in finals contention..
Potential best and fairest leader: Goal shooter Imogen Davies took out the honours last year and there's no reason why she can't go back-to-back.
WHITE HILLS
Current position: Second (7-1)
Last five games: WWWLW
Record against current top five: (3-1)
Best win: A 22-goal round four win against old foe Colbinabbin came a week after the Grasshoppers had finished within one goal of undefeated Elmore.
Key game ahead: v Elmore (July 19). The Demons thrive on top competition and this is their chance to test themselves against the only team they are yet to beat.
Potential best and fairest leader: A lottery, with the club's best on court awards being shared among a host of different players each week. But recruits Zoe Kennedy and Tegan Elliston should figure prominently.
The club says: "Obviously dropping only the one game to Elmore, we've really exceeded my expectations with such a new side.
"Had you have told me at the start of the season we'd be 7-1 at halfway, I would have said 'are you sure'.
"We've probably only got about half the girls back from last year, so we're super-rapt with how we've gone.
"But we start afresh now, looking for some big improvement in the second half of the season. I feel we are getting better and better.
"At the start of the year we had a few COVID cases and illnesses and it took us until round four or five to get that A-grade team settled, so it's only now we are starting to play some of our better netball." - coach Lauren Bowles
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