Kiama Power’s Premier Division men’s team is just one win outside the top four on the AFL South Coast ladder at the midway point of the season - their strongest position in years.

Despite three consecutive losses, early-season victories and two byes have kept them within reach of a finals berth. Power committee member Anthony Grady says the recent defeats haven’t been without their positives.

“The boys played the two best teams in the competition in the last two weeks,” said Grady. 

“We played Northern Districts at home two weeks ago, which was a pretty close game. In the fourth quarter, there was only a point in it before they pulled away in the final minutes with a couple of late goals.”

This trend has become familiar for Kiama, who’ve struggled to maintain momentum across the full 80 minutes. 

In April, they led competition leaders Figtree at half-time before falling by just seven points. Against Wollongong in Round 7, they trailed by four at the half but ended up losing by 34.

Kiama Power have lost their last three games, but will be looking to turn that around in the second half of the season. Photo: Maddi Aitkin

“There are still positive signs,” Grady said. “But now it’s more about what’s going on between the ears. The skills are there - it’s about applying that mental toughness consistently across all four quarters.”

He believes a lack of confidence might be undermining the side's ability to close out games.

“Self-belief is probably the big thing. A lot of teams we've played - especially those who’ve beaten us in recent seasons - still carry that confidence when they face us. We need to overcome that and sustain belief throughout the match.”

Meanwhile, the Kiama Power Women’s Premier Division side currently sits inside the top four, despite losing their last four games.

“We’ve had Maddie Edwards join the club, and we’re starting to get players back on the field,” Grady said. “Last weekend was probably our strongest lineup in a month.”

He acknowledges there's still work to do to close the gap on the top three sides.

Kiama Power's Olivia Falconer competes for a mark. Photo: Bob Willetts

“The girls know what they need to improve on in the second half of the season - and the results reflect that. But I’ve got a lot of confidence in them.

"They’ve definitely shown they’re a top-four team.”

This weekend, the Women’s team faces the Bomaderry Tigers away, while the Men’s side hosts the Wollongong Bulldogs at home on Saturday, July 5.