In fact, they’ve only had a full side for two of their games.
And, unfortunately, the results have followed that trend. After 13 rounds, the Bombers have clinched just two wins and two draws.
Which means they are out of the finals race – but not, according to coach Sarah Kent, totally despondent.
“On paper it’s certainly been a disappointing season, and to say we are discouraged by where we’ve finished is an understatement,” Sarah said.
“But sometimes I only had three A-Graders playing a game, and that filters down through the whole club.
“At the start of the season we lost to the Bears by just two – that team is not the same one that lost to Shepparton 38-23 a few weeks ago.”
She’s right. The Bombers have been plagued by injury and absence amid what Kent called a “rebuild” season.
Lauren Clymo was a standout performer for the Bombers but battled ongoing problems from a dislocated kneecap, which kept her out of a number of games.
And Ellie Groves continued to deal with chronic knee issues, with her ability to play assessed on a week to week basis.
“Those are just two of many who were out for significant parts of the season due to injury, and we had some girls away travelling as well,” Sarah said.
“We knew a rebuild was on the cards and its clear the potential was there, but this season we have just had to be realistic.”
While the wins weren’t always found on the court, the senior side has been successful in building a culture of comradery.
“This year was about making the club really socially orientated and involving local girls. That seamless teamwork comes after a group has been playing together for a long time, and we are working towards that now,” she said.
“Going forward, it’s going to be important to focus on our talented young guns coming up through the ranks, flooding these juniors through and having the guidance of the senior players.”
There are still a few games to go and the Bombers will be going out with a bang.
It’s looking like the side will be back to full strength for the first time since their season began to take on Rochester this weekend.
“We still want to finish the season off hard,” Kent said.
“All in all, considering how disappointed we all are, I’m hoping that it motivates them to finish off on a high note and go forward with confidence.”