Excellent work mate. Love your efforts. Big game this week for my boys. I'm overdue for some good scores! Go you good things....
To add to the intrigue I thought I'd do a bit of a preview for the final round matches; 7th Banchang Barcrawlers vs 1st Ararat Armadillos How do the 'Dillos keep on doing it? Astute trading and great draft selections have ensured that Ararat have remained at or near the top and although they don't even need a win to ensure they are top of the table come season end I can't see them dropping this one. The Barcrawlers need a win to make sure of their finals spot but with Higgins & Adams to miss again and Jack Grimes seemingly less popular at the selection table than Dean Jones they don't seem to have the firepower to get over the top of the irrepressible Ararat. The big question will be though, will it be costly enough to result in the Barcrawlers dropping out of the 8? Prediction: Ararat 1335 def Banchang 1250 10th Eden Whalers vs 14th Hughenden Prairie Dogs Eden need to score well as well as get the win to see if they can steal one of the remaining 2 spots in the 8 that are up for grabs. With a fit and healthy list they are giving themselves every chance as they come up against the Prairie Dogs who are limping towards the end of the season. Ruck injuries have hit the dogs hard this year and with Waite going in for some late season surgery, the Whalers should at least take care of the winning side of the equation. Will they score enough? Will other results fall their way? Prediction: Eden 1280 def Hughenden 1150 17th Gisborne Grenades vs 12th Christmas Island Smugglers When you start the season one man down you do not need the injury curse that the Smugglers have suffered through this season. Somehow DamoH has managed to scrape together enough players each week to have his squad still in the finals hunt come the last round which is an achievement in itself. Adding names like Deledio, Johnson, Beams, Hartlett and Rischitelli (not to mention Heppell) make this a very different looking side but even without them this week the Smugglers should be able to take care of business against a Gisborne side who is in the middle of a nice looking rebuild that should bear fruit in the coming seasons. But do the Smugglers have the cattle left to tally up the massive score they need to grab a finals spot? Prediction: Christmas Island 1150 def Gisborne 1100 9th Coolgardie Prospectors vs 5th King Island Monarchs Coolgardie stands as one of the teams currently outside the top 8 with a real chance of stealing a place in the finals should one of the incumbents slip up. Unfortunately though they are running into a Monarchs side that is scoring well and also need a win to try and snare a top 4 spot. King Island will be sweating on the fitness of a few key players with Taylor Walker and NicNat both to be put through searching fitness tests before they are selected to play or rested for finals time. With Jackson Macrae going down last round and Marc Murphy still not available for selection it is not going to be easy for the Monarchs. On the Prospector side of the equation, the list manager be seeking a witness protection place to hide away from team management if some of his controversial decisions ultimately cost the club a chance to play finals. With Jonas and Baguley both going down for the foreseeable future the Coolgardie defensive stocks have been left looking rather bare and despite some inventive trade proposals during the mid-season break it's looking like a lack of depth may ultimately derail the Prospectors finals hopes. Prediction: King Island 1275 def Coolgardie 1200 16th Korrumburra Blowflys vs 2nd Groote Eylandt Barracudas 16th vs 2nd doesn't look like much at first glance but I sense a real danger game for the Barracudas as they look to sew up a top 2 spot. Despite going through some heavy list changes in the mid season break, the Blowflys still have a squad that has the potential to score well in any week and with JJ back, Sloane tearing things up and veterans Johnson & Montagna in fine form they have a good mix that no team would want to take lightly. Although they have lost Rob Murphy to a season ending knee injury, the Barracudas have a relatively healthy list and even though it is a potential banana peel game I'm tipping them to get the job done, just. Prediction: Groote Eylandt 1295 def Korrumburra 1240 Final 4 games and a predicted final ladder to follow shortly!
And the final 4 games to finish off and decide the ladder... 15th Southern Cross Sandgropers vs 18th Cow Bay Crocs May not be a match that has an impact on finals but I can sense a big occasion coming from it regardless. Given the list management decisions made at the start of the year and again in the mid-season it was always going to be difficult for the Sandgropers in 2016 but what the team could not have counted on was the injury curse that was also going to hit. With Yarran, Fyfe, Prestia, Wallis and potentially Rioli all missing from a side that already is without the services of Hurley, Hibberd and Ryder, I'm tipping the mighty Crocs to get up for their second win of the year. Although it won't mean climbing off the bottom of the ladder, a second win for the year will be a great tonic for those in Cow Bay as they look to next year and beyond with their talented group of youngsters. Prediction: Cow Bay 1075 def Southern Cross 940 13th Serengeti Buffaloes vs 4th Blanchtown Bunyips Is this the same side that finished 2nd last in 2015 and could barely field a side coming towards the middle of this year? Well, yes, and their was a rude awakening to that with last weeks sub 1000 effort. Somehow it still managed to be enough to get the W and at least keep the witch doctors in business for 1 more week as the Buffaloes search for the most unlikely of first finals appearances and rely on some funny business happening elsewhere. Blanchtown however are right in the thick of things and although not in the best of form of late are still clinging to a top 4 spot and can seal the double chance with a win across the Indian ocean. The likelihood of that is resting on the fitness of number 1, 2, 3 and 4 ruckman Sam Jacobs with the Blanchtown list manager seen during the week in meetings with his Coolgardie counterpart to see if they can get 2 for 1 discounts on witness protection programs. In my humble and unbiased opinion.... Sam Jacobs will miss and we are going to see Serengeti take the win to close out the year winning 7 of their last 8 games. Will the witch doctors be able to wreak enough havoc to make the 4 points go far enough to push the Buffaloes top 8 bound? Prediction: Serengeti 1215 def Blanchtown 1200 The final 2 games for the round are all set up to be absolute rippers and deserve to have posts of their own so coaches can have their say on how far off my predictions are going to be...
6th Nuytsland Vikings vs 3rd Pearcedale Panthers We'll start the close to our final round predictions with the match that sees two finals bound sides fight for the 1 top 4 spot. Although there are 3 spots still up for grabs in the top 4, in all likelihood it will be the winner of this match that grabs 1 while the other misses out. Pearcedale have selection issues in the ruck department with Matthew Lobbe still cooling his jets on the sidelines and Toby Nankervis unsure if he really wants to play or not. Heath Shaw and Josh Gibson are keeping things ticking down back but with KK coming into some solid form, Shane Savage cooling slightly from his blistering start to the season and Brodie Smith going up and down every other week, coach TTT is going to have some tough calls to make. The forward line doesn't get any easier to select with Jeremy Howe deciding each week whether he wants to concentrate more on his footy or his next tat, Ben Reid and Dale Thomas able to snap at any moment and then a group of youngsters all able to score well but very hard to separate. Although the appearance of Harley Bennell may have turned this from a good season to a great season for the Panthers at least the midfield is a little more settled with awesome contributions coming week in, week out from names like Parker, Mundy and Hunter although TTT's job will be made a lot easier if Josh Caddy can get up after spending the last couple of weeks in the Pearcedale 2nds in preparation for this big match. With one of the best young midfields being assembled that is set to be a force for many years to come, Nuytsland has a full, fit and healthy list at his disposal that is capable of taking on any other team in the league. Coach bryzza has done an incredible job at turning over the list but will need some big efforts from youngsters like Heeney, Petracca, Biggs, Crouch and Ross if he is to be successful here. Defense again will be an intersting line to watch at the selection table with Bigggs, Mayes, Roberton and Wagner all in contention to grab the final 2 spots after Birchall and Rampe. Sam Menegola's recent form may see him push for a starting berth but could miss out despite a very strong start to his career while the club will be doing everything it can to protect their one and only ruckmen Brodie Grundy who is in sensational form. In a match that could ultimately have a huge bearing on how successful the finals campaigns are for each of these teams, I'm predicting a slight upset with writers being annoyed for an extra week at having to write their name as Nuytsland get up in a match that could really go either way. Prediction: Nuytsland 1330 def Pearcedale 1320
13th Staghorn Flat Bulls vs 8th Pakenham Parasites And then there was this one. What will happen with that precious final place in the top 8. Will Pakenham hold on? Will Staghorn win and make up what they need to steal it? Will they both miss? Will they both make it? What will happen??? Well while that last option can't actually happen there are still plenty of scenarios that rest on this game and the coaches of a lot of other teams will have one eye fixed on the screens beaming in from Staghorn. Staghorn are the challenger and need everything to go right for them if they are to be a chance but while it may not all be in their control they will have every opportunity to be successful in this one. The first area they need things to go right is before a ball is even bounced when the coach meets with his medical staff. Boyd, Lobb, Hall, Fasolo, Bird and Ellis are all 50/50 for the game and the Bulls lineup starts to look a lot different depending on which of them can convince the doc they are right to go. Ben McEvoy can provide enough cover in the ruck department should Rory Lobb not get over his ankle injury and although Aaron Hall would be a big loss there should be just enough soldiers to put together a forward line capable of winning a game but Matthew Boyd will be the big one down back. There have been reports that Boyd was flown business class to complete all training this week on an alter-g treadmill, in a hyperbaric chamber, on the peaks of Colorado while receiving (fully legal) supplement injections hourly, all in a bid to be fit and give the Bulls a chance of sneaking in to the 8. Pakenham on the other hand have different injury worries with their outs not coming back anytime soon and their downward slide since an 8-2 start to the season has turned into a 9-7 record coming in to the last game could mean that any victory here results in an ultimately short lived finals experience. But despite Ablett and Tippett not set to return in the near future there is still enough talent available to coach DD to get the Pakenham locals dreaming of a deep run with a few big upsets along the way. The man of Steele is leading the way in Gary's absence, BJ is at his consistent best and with Gaff starting to hit some form at the right end of the season, Kade Simpson marshaling the troops down back and Nick Riewoldt and Lance Franklin leading youngster Jesse Hogan in the forward line there is still a lot to like about the Parasites. DD will be hoping for big performances from Courtenay Dempsey and Jack Newnes coming off the bench but there is every chance that top end talent will get them across the line. For mine though, I'm tipping the Bulls in another match that will see the lower ranked team get up over the more fancied opposition. What will that mean for the Bulls finals hopes though? Does Pakenham suffer heartbreak after such a promising start to the season? Do the Whalers or the Smugglers or even the Buffaloes steal that last spot?? Prediction: Staghorn Flat 1230 def Pakenham 1175
And then what it all means; the all important final ladder prediction after all these matches are run and won and finish perfectly how predicted... So despite losing their final match and only winning 1 out of their last 7, Pakenham holds on. King Island and Nuytsland steal the 2 of the top 4 spots Cow Bay get a second win but can't quite bounce off the bottom 5 teams finish with a greater than .500 record but still manage to miss the finals Eden miss the finals by less than 100 points scored across the season and Ararat are kings again! But then again, what do I know! Bring on the teams and the final round!!!!!!
Absolutely fantastic work @wrightbrendan You've clearly put a lot of thought into this. It'll be interesting to see how well the crystal ball is working.
@wrightbrendan Top work mate, if your crystal ball is correct... the hurt felt from the Bulls one points loss to Southern Cross will only be amplified! I say it every year 10 wins and your in!
Good work mate! I'll back my boys in for a win this week; if I can field a full team I'll score 1100+ points.
@wrightbrendan very insightful and spot on, you really know the teams. How did you work the prediction, by averages ? Finishing top 4 is the goal but im not as confident as you .......
Lol, amazing what you can get done when there are assignments to do... Yeah basically averages of the players I thought would play and some very minor tweaks and changes. Already seeing from the sides selected though there was a few things I didn't take into account!