With football and netball put on hold because of the Victorian Government's seven-day "circuit-breaker" lockdown, The News’ sports team has decided to grade each of the 15 football and netball clubs in the Picola and District Football Netball League at the halfway mark of the season.
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Berrigan
Football
Grade: A-
The Saints haven't done much wrong this season, but are coming off losses to Jerilderie and Katunga, which has seen them slip to fourth on the ladder after owning top spot in the early rounds of the season.
Recruit Will Gorman has been key to their success so far this season, having kicked 25 goals from seven matches.
The win over Katamatite in round six was a highlight for Berrigan, which will likely feature heavily in the finals on current form.
Netball
Grade: C
Consistency has been an issue for the Saints’ netball side across the first half of the season, but they have had their moments.
Wins against fellow battlers Yarroweyah and Blighty and a 10-goal loss against the in-form Jerilderie have shown what they are capable of, but the match against Katunga in round eight showed they have plenty of work to do to match it with the best consistently.
Blighty
Football
Grade: D+
Blighty always had an eye for the future when they headed into season 2021 and after a winless start and a percentage of just 13.5 from their first six games, that future focus will be even more in the spotlight when the season recommences post the COVID-19 lockdown.
Kane Morris has been a standout for the Redeyes as he has kicked a third (six of 18) of the team's goals this season.
Netball
Grade: C-
To be fair to the Redeyes’ netball side, they have had a tough draw to start the season, playing matches against Waaia, Deniliquin and Katamatite among the matches they have lost this season.
Their only win came against the winless Yarroweyah and they have a game in hand compared to the two Grasshopper outfits (Yarroweyah and Rennie), which they are sandwiched between on the ladder.
Deniliquin Rovers
Football
Grade: D
After surprising many by making a preliminary final in 2019 and keeping the majority of its 2020 squad in 2021, the Rovers would have been expected to start the season better than they have so far.
A 1-5 record, with a percentage of just under 60 shows their struggles this season in what is an even competition.
Scott Howard (nine goals) and Dylan May (eight) have been shining lights in tough seasons for the Rovers.
Netball
Grade: A
If it wasn't for a loss to the undefeated Katamatite, the Rovers would have a perfect record with a game in hand at the midway point of the season.
Playing coach Britt Kirby has been happy with the even contributions of her squad so far and there is no doubt the Rovers will be a part of finals action in 2021 if they keep their current form going.
Jerilderie
Football
Grade: B
Having already won more games in 2021, than they did for the entirety of 2019, the Demons have shown they can match it with the best teams in the competition.
Sitting in seventh spot, but with the same amount of wins as second, Jerilderie is going to be thereabouts when the whips are cracking.
The best win of its five so far was the round-seven clash against Berrigan, which was undefeated when the match was played.
Netball
Grade: A
The Demons are sitting in second spot with six wins from seven matches, with its only loss coming against fellow top-four side Deniliquin in the last completed round.
Their best win of the season so far was against Waaia in round four, but they will have greater tests in the coming weeks to see where they are truly ranked.
On current form, it is hard to see them not being a genuine contender in 2021.
Katamatite
Football
Grade: A
Like many of the clubs, the Tigers have had to deal with plenty of injuries, including former AFL players Joel Tippett, Sam Wright and Jamie Macmillan, throughout the first half of 2021.
The club's depth has proved critical so far and the early season favourites sit in top position with just the one loss to Berrigan from seven matches.
Brodie McDonald has been a consistent performer for the Tigers, booting 21 goals from his seven matches.
Netball
Grade: A
Undefeated through seven matches deserves the highest ranking on our grading system and the only thing that looked liked stopping the Tigers was the bye they were scheduled to have on Saturday had round nine gone ahead as scheduled.
A 10-goal win over Deniliquin and a nine-goal victory over Waaia have been the team's best results in what is a perfect season so far.
Katandra
Football
Grade: A
The Kats are in third place on the ladder, with five wins to start the season and have shown they are enjoying the return to the Picola and District Football League.
Corey Hickford has been starring up forward, kicking 27 goals at nearly four goals a game, including 13 in one game.
Mitch Black has also scored 16 goals for the season to date.
Netball
Grade: C-
With a return to the Picola and District Netball League, Katandra was expected to be a competitive outfit this season and with a percentage of over 90, you could argue it has been despite only two wins to its name.
After pushing Deniliquin in the first match of the season and blowing Blighty out of the water in round three, the Kats lost four in a row before upsetting Tocumwal in their last start.
Sitting 10th and a win outside the top eight, Katandra may have to be happy with a mid-table finish unless they get a role on post the lockdown-enforced break.
Katunga
Football
Grade: B
The Swans are on a three-game winning streak and have knocked off fellow top eight sides Berrigan and Katandra as part of the five victories they have so far.
The team has been inaccurate at times this season, especially in its wins against the Kats, when the kicked 5.14, and Saints, when they tallied up 8.17, but neither time has it hurt them.
Katunga's percentage of 112.66 is nothing to sneeze at, but it is the lowest of the teams on five wins.
With matches against Deniliquin and Blighty in coming weeks, there may be a chance for them to close the percentage gap on their closest rivals and make a move further up the ladder.
Netball
Grade: B-
While their two losses have come against fellow finalists Waaia and Strathmerton, Katunga have maintained a high position on the table because of their miserly defense.
The Swans have conceded 188 goals, which is the best of the teams that have played seven matches and only second to Deniliquin, which has conceded 20 less goals from one less match in 2021.
The Swans wanted to improve on a preliminary final exit from 2019 and you can expect they will be participating deep in finals again this time around.
Mathoura
Football
Grade: C
Mathoura started the season slowly losing its first two matches, but have levelled the ledger at 3-3 and sit in 10th position.
The Timbercutters have had an even spread of contributors in front of goal this season, with Joshua Flight (13), Izaac Johnson (11) and Darcy Robinson (11) all kicking double figure tallies at the midway point of the season.
Netball
Grade: C-
The Timbercutters were looking to improve on the three-win season they recorded in 2019 but with only one and half wins after round eight, they are on track for a similar effort in 2021.
Mathoura's only win did come against reigning premier Strathmerton, giving them some confidence, as would have the draw against Picola United.
With some winnable games upcoming, the Timbercutters will be hoping to turn their form around in the back half of the season.
Picola United
Football
Grade: D
In the pre-season the aim for the Blues was the same as any other team - aiming for a deep finals run.
But after a 1-6 start, things haven't gone to plan for Darby Walsh's men.
Despite the team's slow start, Taylor Beard is having a terrific season, kicking 20 goals to date.
Netball
Grade: C
Picola United was looking for greater consistency in 2021 compared to their 2019 season, in which they made grand final, and the Blues are still looking for that after seven matches in 2021.
The two losses the Blues have suffered have come against fellow finals contenders Strathmerton and Waaia, but they have done what they have needed to do against the teams around them.
Whether the draw against Mathoura helps or hinders them at the pointy end of the home and away season remains to be seen, but they currently sit in sixth, half a game off third spot.
With that in mind, they are well and truly in the hunt for a top four spot if they can have a strong second half to the season.
Rennie
Football
Grade: C
It was always going to be a tough season for Rennie and seven consecutive losses has proven that to be the case, but they have shown some signs that in the coming years they could become more competitive.
Close losses to Jerilderie and Katunga, both of which who will be battling for finals spots, and Tocumwal, have shown a win may not be too far away for this young group.
Despite the tough situation they are in, Chase Strawhorn has been a shining light, kicking 32 goals.
Netball
Grade: C
The netball squad was planning for 2021 to be a development year considering the impacts the border closures had on the Grasshoppers’ playing numbers, so expectations weren't high for this group heading into this year's season.
An upset win over Tocumwal has been the highlight so far, especially after the Bloods had knocked off Strathmerton two weeks prior.
Strathmerton
Football: B
The reigning premier is in second position, but did drop a match to Mathoura, which it will hope does not hurt in the long run.
Strathmerton has five wins already, two of which have come against fellow five-win teams in Tungamah and Katunga.
Expect them to be fighting for another flag in 2021.
Netball
Grade: C
Strathmerton's assistant coach Amy Carter said recently her team was starting to play its best netball, which is an ominous sign for the rest of the competition.
While they haven't set the competition alight just yet, with shock losses to Tocumwal and Mathoura in recent weeks, the Bulldogs still sit in seventh spot and are in a decent position to propel themselves into a coveted top-four spot by season's end.
Tocumwal
Football
Grade: C-
Tocumwal has done what it could not do in 2019 and that's win a game, but it wasn't at all convincing against Rennie.
The Bloods’ percentage of just 37.47 is the second worst in the competition, so they will want to improve their competitiveness in the second half of the season.
Netball
Grade: C
It's been a topsy turvy start to the year for the Bloods’ netball side with a surprise win over Strathmerton the highlight.
Close losses to Waaia and Tungamah also show they have it what takes to be a finals contender, but they won't want to lose too many other matches to sides below them like they did when they played Rennie in round six and Katandra in its last match.
Tungamah
Football
Grade: A
The Bears’ return to the Picola and District Football League has been a success so far, only dropping the one game to reigning premier Strathmerton.
Tyson McKenzie and Ash Saunders have been two of the Bears best, kicking 19 and 15 goals respectively.
Netball
Grade: C
With a 3-3 record to start their Picola and District Netball League return, the Bears are sitting in eighth spot at the halfway mark.
The Bears have not been able to string multiple wins together so far this year and will need to if they are continue to hold onto a finals spot.
Waaia
Football
Grade: B
The Bombers will be around the mark again this season, but will want to improve on their last start against Tungamah, where they fell 43-points short.
Close wins against Katunga and Jerilderie and a tight loss against Katamatite early in the season shows what they are capable of and a strong second half of the season will most likely see them finish in a promising position on the ladder ahead of the post season.
Netball
Grade: A
Having lost its only two matches to the top two teams, Waaia has started the season well.
Looking to improve on a seventh position from 2019, seems inevitable for this club if they keep their current form in tact.
Yarroweyah
Football
Grade: C
Having won three games to start the season, Yarroweyah is a couple of games outside the eight at the present time.
With finals on the agenda in the pre-season, the Grasshoppers will want to get a hurry on if they wish to reach that target in 2021, especially with the teams already in the eight just as desperate to taste finals action.
Netball
Grade: D
Having not won a game this year, the Grasshoppers will be hoping to get the monkey off the back in the second half of the season.
Their best performance, a 16-goal loss to Blighty, shows that will be easier said that done, but with matches against Rennie and Mathoura to come in the back half they may be able to breakthrough and sing the song at least once in 2021.
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