Controversial hot take coming.... How much better/worse would ORFFA be if you didn't actually have to pick your team each week, instead you just automatically get your best 15 players in their designated positions? The advantages would be that you are less affected by injuries early in games or late outs, you can barrack actively for every player on your list (not just the ones you select in your 15) and you don't have to feel like you are hard done by when you pick the wrong team each week (like I, and so many others do). I realise that the counter to all this is that it is a skill (or is it luck) to pick your best side each week, but does that outweigh the above points. I don't know. I get that this comes across as sour grapes (and maybe it is because I feel like I have copped an early injury in the first round of each of the past three finals series), but I honestly had low expectations this week of knocking off the Cows. Maybe it was because it happened within the first 15 minutes of the first game of the round, ruining what I hoped would be a closely fought encounter before it began. I don't know. It has just been something that I have been thinking about for a little while before tonight. Anyway, hot take over. I hope against injury for everyone else and don't begrudge my opponent for their better luck. They deserve it having been the better and more consistent side this year.
As a step that would significantly benefit those with depth over those struggling to get 15 on the park I could not vote for it. I spent years celebrating any win, against anyone, regardless of circumstance, now that I typically have 20 fot players a week I know the advantage I would hold and don't feel it's fair. that said, a 7 minute injury is seriously crap and I have often wondered if the emergencies could come into play later in the game than at ground zero.
Someone - I think it might have been sNOz - commented that in some US fantasy games there is something like a minimum ToG % before a player's score counts. I do like that idea for SC. By extension, does it favour stronger sides? Possibly not if there were a pool of emergencies rather line by line? I think I am with Len in that stronger squads would be more favoured by a best 15 approach. Hence not in favour. However, any idea that evens up our comp I am in favour of. IMO, same 8 as last year is not good for the association. Albeit there are signs of "equalisation." Would it be difficult for walesy to programme a change like best 15?
Sad start, apologies for the pun - early days though @ChiefRussell. This afternoon will be telling with our hawks and cats on display.
The Devils have started well against the Vultures to be 662/7 including three tons – Heppell (137), Steele (128) and AMT (127) with the latter two hitting form at the right time of the season after spending time in the CMD state league side earlier in the season. Vultures only player so far Carlisle scored 63.
Watched last night and felt that all I was seeing was Cradle Mountain players kicking it to eachother haha. If the Vultures are going to win from here its going to require a big score. Bit lucky to have fielded Fiorini over Brodie, that's kept me in it.
Pretty sure I am beat, Cockies 13/1032/80.1 vs Misfits 12/928/77. Cockies have Wallis and Jones to come, we have Daniels, Murphy and Lloyd
The Devils momentum from Friday night carried over to Saturday with four of their six players in action scoring tons in Himmelberg (135), Vlastuin (112), Lynch (106) and Redden (102). The only two Devils on Saturday that didn’t reach triple figures are the two greatest players in the club’s history being Pendlebury (91) and Zorko (66). The Devils have amassed an imposing tally of 1,274 with Brennan Cox (season ave of 63) and Jordan Roughead (68) to play on Sunday. If this duo play to their average CMD’s total would be 1,405. Of the nine Vultures in action on Saturday four scored tons being Fiorini (118) who justified Fitzy’s faith in selecting him, Crisp (111), Martin (103) and Beams (102). The Vultures were unlucky with Dan Houston who scored 53 being stretchered off in the third quarter after a serious collision, restricting him to 53% game-time. Venus Bay are 872/10 with Higgins, Parker, Franklin, Hogan and Kruezer to play who between them have averaged 477 in 2018 which would increase their tally to 1,349. Five Devils in the side against the Vultures averaged less than 75 in the 2018 season to date including the duo playing on Sunday, it is the performance of two players in this category - Himmelberg and AMT who each played their best game of their ORRFA careers to score 262 points between them against the Vultures that has gained the Devils the ascendancy. The Devils play an attacking game-style like the Geelong VFL/AFL sides of the late 80’s to mid 90’s and of the top 13 teams in the ORFFA during 2018 conceded the most points so clearly don’t know how to play lock-down defence. The Vultures have passed several difficult tests over the past couple of years and face another one in the next 20 hours in order to progress to the second week of the finals, given the bad luck Venus Bay have had with injuries in 2018 they deserve some good luck with their season on the line.
Consistent with the theme of the top four teams being on the back foot, the cows are very much on the back hoof against the chooks. It's a low scoring affair (apart from Dangerfield's inexplicable 160*). Both teams lost a defender in the first quarter - Saad (7) for the chooks, Gardiner (21) for the cows. As Sunday dawns we have: Chooks - 28 plus Johnson, Cunnington, Goldstein, Atley, Ziebull and Wright Cows - McVeigh, Newman, Dunkley, McLean, Daisy and Dunkley While it looks likely to end up well in the favour of @ChiefRussell, the home side's supporters are kinda hoping that once again "the luckiest team in ORFFA" will find something to cheer about. *Yes, I was happy to take the score in ORFFL.
Genuine 50/50. Pleased with how the boys responded after the quarter time rev up. Except for Betts. I have already told him he is traded. McGovern’s goal after the siren wrestled back some momentum for the Cows. I agonized all week over Johnson v Howard at D4. After Howard’s 96, I fear I have made a match losing call. I also agonized over Betts v Wright at F4. Wright plays anyway with the Roughead late out, but pretty confident I buggered that up too.
It would be bloody typical of our seaons if the result were decided more by poor selections than terrific play! I talk up Morrison and then don't play him - how does that work?
Appreciate the half time wrap @dmandrews , if the Vultures were to win from here it would be an amazing effort, unfortunately its looking like we are going to suffer our first loss for the season in week 1 of the finals and be knocked out... Himmelberg going massive rubbed salt into the wounds, need a lot to go right today if we are to be a chance.
Might be some life in the old dog yet, Daniel had a big game Wallis didn't Cockies 14/1106/79 vs Misfits 13/1054/81
Think I am about ready to concede. McLean had a massive second half and Newman and Papley are going gangbusters. Kinda wished that I was put out of my misery earlier, but @graeme thought it would be more humorous to torture me a bit.
In the end it looked more comfortable than it felt. Injuries and outs hurt the chooks, but as you would expect when playing an @ChiefRussell team it did not deaden the resolve. Time to have a think about who to nominate for next week. Sad to see you bow out @Fitzy, an unbeaten season is just so difficult to achieve.
Well done on the win Len. Turns out I scored the lowest score of all 8 finalists, so it wouldn’t have mattered who I played