With football and netball put on hold due to the recent lockdown in Victoria, The News’ sports team has decided to rate how Goulburn Valley League sides have performed in 2021.
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Benalla
Football
Grade: C
Inconsistent performances have cost Benalla this year, especially against the likes of Echuca, when it took until late in the second quarter to score and Kyabram, when it didn’t kick a goal after half-time.
If the Saints can limit the lapses they have in games, a strong finish to the season could be on the cards as they look to remain in the top six.
Netball
Grade: C
A young group that started the season slowly, the Saints have improved as the year has gone on.
Before coming up against Seymour in round seven, Benalla was on a three-match winning streak and it will be looking to take confidence from that in the second half of the season.
Echuca
Football
Grade: A
A hiccup in the opening round of the season is the only thing holding the Murray Bombers back from a perfect campaign.
Since that slip against Seymour, Echuca has been in red-hot form with six wins to now sit first on the ladder — although the Lions have played six games.
A highlight was the round three triumph over Kyabram — the side which denied Echuca silverware in 2019.
Sam Willoughby has become one of its gun talents, while Kane Morris and Ruory Kirkby are ever reliable performers.
Could this be the year that the Murray Bombers end their senior premiership drought?
Netball
Grade: A-
Behind the premiership favourite, Shepparton United, Echuca looks to be one of the closest challengers out of the top-four pack.
Boasting a 6-1 record, Echuca looks rock solid in attack.
Belinda Lees and Sherridan Townrow lead an attacking end that has scored 391 goals — only United has more on the board with 403.
Euroa
Football
Grade: A-
The Magpies have shown they have what it takes to be a contender this season and sit fourth on the table with a 5-2 record.
A slight slip against Mooroopna in their last outing was not ideal for Scott Rowan’s men, but they have recorded dominant performances against their fellow challengers in the opening seven rounds.
Injuries have again impacted the Magpies, with star talent Jett Trotter headlining the list.Gun forward Tristan Davies has been a great pick-up and he leads the league’s goal-kicking with 24 majors.
Netball
Grade: C+
Euroa brought in some classy talent in the off-season, but it hasn’t had the start that first-year coach Ellie Warnock would have imagined.
Just one win and a draw for the Magpies which leaves them 10th on the ladder.Perhaps onlookers, us included, got drawn into the talent Euroa brought in over summer —without considering the A-grade outfit finished last in 2019.
Kyabram
Football
Grade: B
They have been the team to beat for the best part of five seasons and were expected to be the benchmark again in 2021.
They haven’t done too much wrong, losing games to the two teams above them on the ladder in Seymour and Echuca, but because of their lofty standards a B-grading seems about right for Brad Edwards’ and Mick Mattingly’s men.
Netball
Grade: D
A lack of availability cost the Bombers early and they haven’t been able to recover as yet, being the only team to not record a win this season.
Their best chance was against Mansfield last start, but they lost that by one goal.
Hopefully, the Bombers have worked on a few things in the bye before the COVID-19 lockdown and the song can be sung before the season’s out.
Mansfield
Football
Grade: B
With many pundits placing the Eagles near the bottom of the Goulburn Valley League football ladder, the fact they are just percentage out of the top six at the half-way mark shows the competition owes them some credit.
The Eagles will be looking to launch their way into finals contention and with some consistent performances in the back half of the year, we have a surprise finalist come the end of the home and away season.
Netball
Grade: C
Having chalked up their first win before the scheduled bye, Mansfield would have wanted to continue that momentum post it, but of course COVID-19 got in the way.
The Eagles are a young group and internal improvement is what they are will be looking for in the latter part of the season.
Mooroopna
Football
Grade: C
The Cats’ biggest win was against Euroa and that occurred before the bye, which was scheduled into the fixture, giving them their third win of the season.
If they can get some momentum when footy returns, you feel they could cause a few problems in the back half of the season.
The Cats, Mansfield and Benalla are probably fighting for one spot come finals times, so this will be an interesting little battle to watch as finals approach.
Netball
Grade: A
They wanted to be challenging at the start of the year and that’s exactly what the Cats are doing.
Sitting in third, with a 6-1 record, the Cats are real chance of playing deep into finals in 2021.
Rochester
Football
Grade: D
Pre-season the Tigers were hoping for a top-three finish, but at the halfway mark that looks a long way from reality.
With two wins from seven matches, Rochester will need to get a roll on just to make finals.
Their best, which we saw in the close loss to Kyabram in round one, is good enough, but unfortunately for Tigers fans, we haven’t seen enough of it.
A positive is their percentage of 96.75, which is slightly better than Shepparton United’s, which sits in fifth spot on the ladder.
Netball
Grade: C
The Tigers were hoping to play finals and, although they are 2-5, they are still a chance as they are only a game outside the six.
In their last start, they got taught a lesson from Shepparton United, showing they are a fair way off the top teams, but as we know everyone has struggled against the Demons this season.
Seymour
Football
Grade: A+
Undefeated and with a game in hand, Seymour couldn’t be better placed at the halfway mark of the season.
While it lost co-captain Kyle Winter-Irving late in the match against Benalla to a serious leg injury, former Richmond defender Alex Rance was set to fill the void if this weekend’s match had gone ahead.
The Lions have definitely been the surprise packets of the season and will definitely be a team to watch in the second half of the season to see how long they can keep the winning feeling going.
Netball
Grade: B
Despite losing their opening match of the season, the Lions have now won five in a row and sit in fourth position.
Despite plenty of changes to their premiership winning team in 2019, the Lions will be thereabouts again this season.
Shepparton
Football
Grade: C-
Having lost several players from their 2019 squad, the question in pre-season was whether the young Bear cubs could fill the void.
Unfortunately for them, the answer has been no to this point of the season, with the club recording just one senior win and currently in pole position for the wooden spoon.
Hopefully for the Bears’ sake, the young players don’t tire in the back half of the year and can be as competitive as possible for the entirety of the home and away season.
Netball
Grade: C
The Bears sit in sixth at present, but have three teams below them within a game, which will want that sixth finals spot.
They lost their first two matches to United and Mooroopna, but the Bears are starting to find their groove as the second half of the season beckons.
Shepparton United
Football
Grade: C
The Demons brought in former Melbourne and Carlton player Brock McLean among a host of inclusions and they would be happy enough with a 4-3 record, which has them sitting in fifth.
Percentage is an issue for United though, as it currently sits at 96.15, 0.6 per cent less than ninth-placed Rochester.
Netball
Grade: A+
Undefeated after seven matches and a percentage of more than 200 shows how dominant United has been this season.
It’s going to take a really good side to knock it off, with its quick ball movement has been a highlight of its unbeaten streak.
Shepparton Swans
FootballGrade: C-
The Swannies have just the one win to their name from seven games, but could easily have two or three in the column.
A lack of experience has hurt the young brigade, but the foundations continue to be laid for years to come which is exciting for supporters.
Injuries to important trio Andrew Riordan, Mitch Bell and forward Michael Cooke have not helped either.
Youngster Zac Alderton has consistently featured in the list of better players.
Netball
Grade: B
The new-look outfit has shown glimpses of what it is able to achieve in 2021.
A 4-3 record from seven rounds, with all their losses coming against the top-three sides in the comp.
Shooter Sophie Atkinson has starred in attack, while talented youngster Niamh Thorn is turning heads in defence.
They have the talent, but now it’s all about making it gel for the rest of the campaign.
Tatura
Football
Grade: C
It is a case of what could have been for the Bulldogs.
If a couple of results had fallen their way they would be locked inside the competition’s top-six.With a 2-5 record, they only find themselves one win behind finals contention, but they need a few upsets to help lift them up the ladder.
Gun on-baller Nick Fothergill continues to take his game to another level, while Tom Sullivan and Sean Martin have been super consistent.
Netball
Grade: B
Tatura has surprised plenty of onlookers.
Many tipped the Bulldogs to be sharing bottom of the ladder duties, however, Georgia Ryan’s charges sit two points outside the top-six in eighth spot.
A superb triumph over Shepparton — where teenage gun Elsie Boyer starred — has been the highlight of the year.
Could the Doggies continue to surprise us and make finals?
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