With no football or netball being played tomorrow, what better time for us to run the rule across all 11 clubs in the Central Murray Football Netball League – and take a look at what’s gone right, what’s gone wrong and what’s ahead for the rest of 2023.
1st – Lake Boga
RECORD – 9 wins, 0 losses
PERCENTAGE – 134.12
AFTER a flawless start to the season, Lake Boga have well and truly set the benchmark in the Central Murray Netball 2023 A Grade competition.
It is highly likely the Pies will be one of the teams battling it out on the court come grand final day.
The Pies’ biggest concern now will be the challenge of complacency, needing to ensure they keep up the pressure, particularly against teams like Woorinen, to remain on top of the ladder and earn themselves a direct path into the second semi-final.
2nd – Woorinen
RECORD – 8 wins, 1 loss
PERCENTAGE – 149.28
THE Tigers have put out a near-perfect performance so far this season and are serious contenders to be on the court come grand final day.
Cohesive and put together, the Tigers boast solid connections all the way down the court and are able to convert turnovers into goals with ease.
But with some of their wins only by narrow margins, the Tigers, like the Magpies, need to be wary of teams that will come back in the second half of the season with a vengeance, and can’t afford to take their foot off the pedal.
3rd – Swan Hill
RECORD – 7 wins, 2 losses
PERCENTAGE – 171.72
THE Swans exude a professionalism and interconnectedness on the court that only comes from having played together as a team for several years.
Even among injuries and a slight change in their line-up, the Swans have only gone down to the Magpies and the Tigers so far, and even then only by a small margin each time.
After just missing out on the trophy last season, it is clear that the Swans don’t want to let the opportunity slip through their fingers again and are currently well-placed to make it to the big dance come September.
4th – Kerang
RECORD – 6 wins, 3 losses
PERCENTAGE – 132.33
SPORTING a brand new line-up after some serious recruiting during the off-season, the Blues have been the dark horse of the 2023 competition.
While they stunned spectators with some big wins in the beginning, the inconsistencies that come with being a new team began to really show once they played some of those more experienced sides.
The Blues are still very much in the running to be playing finals, but will need to wary of the teams they will play a second time who are now much more put together than at the start of the season, such as the Mallee Eagles and Balranald.
5th – Balranald
RECORD – 5 wins, 4 losses
PERCENTAGE – 133.03
THE reigning premiers have had a surprisingly slower start to the season than many would have expected, fluctuating in and out of the top five week to week.
While injuries woes did cause a few issues for the Roos early on, the team appear to lack the fierce drive and competitiveness that led them to victory in 2022.
It is currently only percentage keeping the Roos in finals contention, and to keep any hopes of a back-to-back premiership, they can ill-afford any mistakes going forward, especially with the Eagles also desperately vying for an opportunity to play finals.
6th – Mallee Eagles
RECORD – 5 wins, 4 losses
PERCENTAGE – 127.44
IT took the Eagles a bit to find their groove this season, but now that they have, they are very much in the running heading into finals.
Much like Balranald, the Eagles have floated in and out of the top five this season, but a real feather in the their cap was narrowly beating the Roos in round 9, which proves they are definitely in the mix of the top teams in the competition.
While they may struggle to make it all the way to the grand final, the Eagles cannot be ruled out as contenders quite yet.
7th – Tyntynder
RECORD – 4 wins, 6 losses
PERCENTAGE – 80.44
A NEW-look team and inconsistent line-up did not make for a great start to the Bulldogs season this year.
As their line-up has become more regular, the Dogs have elevated somewhat, demonstrating those connections down the court as they become more familiar with each other’s playing styles.
It’s unlikely that the Dogs will be able to get enough wins under their belt to make it to the finals, with second games against the top three sides coming up (Woorinen round 12, Lake Boga round 15, and Swan Hill round 17).
8th – Nyah-Nyah West United
RECORD – 2 wins, 7 losses
PERCENTAGE – 78.90
BEING one of the younger sides in the competition, the Demons, while being somewhat competitive, are still very much in the building phase this season.
Their only two wins this year have been against the two bottom teams in the Raiders and the Kangas, but the Demons did give the Blues a run for their money in round 3, demonstrating their capabilities on the court.
Looking to clashes with Woorinen, Lake Boga and Swan Hill, the Demons have some physically exhausting games ahead, and are very much in doubt to make it to the finals.
9th – Cohuna
RECORD – 2 wins, 7 losses
PERCENTAGE – 78.69
IT hasn’t been the season the Kangas would have hoped for, who are having trouble getting wins on the board.
The Kangas’ attacking-style of netball is very much a patient one, wanting to hold in the ring rather than play a fast-paced game. While this does pay off some of the time, it is difficult for the Kangas to convert in the ring when coming up against some of the league’s stronger defenders.
While finals are not a possibility, the Kangas have the opportunity to improve on the first half of their season.
10th – Tooleybuc-Manangatang
RECORD – 2 wins, 7 losses
PERCENTAGE – 62.52
A MASS exodus from the Tooleybuc-Manangatang line-up and their subsequent struggle to recruit during the off-season has meant a challenging start to the 2023 season.
There’s no chance the Saints will be able to climb the ladder in time to make finals, and will have an unpleasant couple of weeks as they come against Lake Boga, Swan Hill and Kerang all in a row.
The focus now for the Saints will be finding their rhythm as a cohesive team to slim down their deficits as best they can.
11th – Koondrook- Barham
RECORD – 0 wins, 9 losses
PERCENTAGE – 41.89
UNFORTUNATELY for the River Raiders, their 41-point loss to Tooleybuc-Manangatang in round 10 has sealed their fate as this season’s wooden spooners.
It is unlikely that the Raiders will be able to get a win on the board at all in 2023, and they will have an especially tough run at the end of their season, taking on the Mallee Eagles, Woorinen and Lake Boga in their last three games.
The best they can hope for now is to work on reducing their deficits and continue to build connections as a team going forward.
KEY MATCHES TO COME
- Mallee Eagles v Kerang (round 12)
- Woorinen v Balranald (round 14)
- Lake Boga v Balranald (round 16)
- Woorinen v Lake Boga (round 17)
- Kerang v Woorinen (round 18)
