The final charge

We have witnessed thrilling wins as well as confidence-building upsets and dominant displays in just the past two rounds of Wimmera Netball Association action.

So which teams will come out firing after this weekend’s full bye round?

With the competition so close, it is exciting that a top side can be bowled over by anyone at the bottom.

Nhill got the jump on Warrack Eagles at the weekend, leading all day to see them run out with an upset win by 10 goals at home.

Dimboola showed up to play, and that they did as they nudged out Ararat in a close one.

Minyip-murtoa kept the Saints at bay, skipping across the floaty stadium boards and finishing the day ahead by six, while Horsham kept the score board ticking over with a powerful display over Stawell.

As the teams all look to rest, reflect and recharge before they put it all on the line in the race towards finals, here’s a look at how the teams are stacked up heading into the all important final six rounds. Horsham Demons: The reigning premiers and leaders of the pack, not only are they classy at either end, and special in the middle, they run hard all day. If there are players out, there’s always someone to step in and do the job.

The connections they have established have created a winning culture of success at the club and will be hard to crack, but so is the pressure to finish the season undefeated. Minyip-murtoa: The highly fancied Burras have versatility all over the court. It’s a coaches delight and an opposition’s nightmare.

Each player has to continue to step up on every given week, no matter what bib they put on.

If belief comes from within, the Burras should remember how far they have come and how hard they have worked. Not only are they exciting to watch but they have the playing group to ensure their team features deep into September action. Warrack Eagles: Third placed Warrack Eagles statistically maintain the best offensive stats in the league, which is not only pretty impressive but consistently dangerous for opposition teams. However, they must continue to nurture those new attacking combinations for the remainder of the season. If they can do that, they too, will book their ticket late into September, where they could prove to be a major threat. Dimboola: Energetic, experienced and talented, the Roos will, if they can continue to ride with the top sides and stay ahead of the teams below them, cause some damage at the season’s end.

There’s nothing saying they can’t finish third, to receive the double chance and really even up the playing field. Nhill Tigers: If Nhill wants to continue to build and finish in the top five, it has to beat everyone below it and look to upset someone above it, like it did last week against the third-placed Eagles. There’s no time for rest, it has to be business as normal, match play and focusing on the games week to week.

Hands up who would love to see Nhill play in September? Ararat: There’s no doubt the Rats have a tough run home, but I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you create your own luck. Like the other teams, there’s plenty of experience and speed through the middle to allow the Rats to compete with their opposition week in week out.

The race for fifth spot could go any way, it’s best for them to not rely on others for results. Horsham Saints: When you think of the Saints, you’ve got talent. It’s important for the young Saints to continue to mix it with the big teams, to get the court time and to not back down.

The determined Sainters could steal that final spot, as long as they are consistent. If the Saints take a top of the board scalp in the final rounds, I wouldn’t be surprised. Stawell: This side has to know it is a chance, it is just four wins from a top-five finish. But most importantly, there’s a chance to finish off the season in style. What better way to do that than to have an influence on the final ladder proceedings? Round-10 results: Nhill d Warrack Eagles 4434, Dimboola d Ararat 52-46, Minyip-murtoa d Saints 51-45, Demons d Stawell 70-33.