ORFFA 2018 Grand Final & Dawson Final - Teams & Chat

There are now less than 100 hours left in (this) reign as ORFFA champion. Cows' management and the patrons of the Bulls Hit Tavern have enjoyed the year immensly, so much that after a brief rebuild we hope to be challenging for a finals spot again soon. One big shout out before the finals commence - well done Sam Jacobs; solo ruck for all 20 ORFFA games last year and 19 this year. Touch wood we can find some support for you in 2019 and beyond Sauce.

 

All the best @Bandit on the massive game this week, the Zac Dawson cup would have to be my most treasured possession should it find its way into the comfort of my trophy cabinet. May the best team win. Get stuffed though.

Oh and good luck to @dmandrews and @Len for your minor final

 

Cradle Mountain Devils team for 2018 Grand Final vs Marble Bar Misfits

No change
Def: M Hurley, N Vlastuin, H Himmelberg, P Seedsman (A Naughton)
Mid: S Pendlebury, D Zorko, J Redden, J Steele (Z Jones)
Ruck: T Nankervis (J Roughead)
Fwd: T Lynch, J Gresham, T Membrey, A McDonald-Tipungwuti (B Cox)
Int: D Zaharakis, D Heppell


For Cradle Mountain’s 2018 ORFFA Grand Final against the Marble Bar Misfits no changes have been made to the side that defeated Iron Knob by 112 points in the semi final. In an extremely strange turn of events the first ORFFA final that Cradle Mountain ever host is a Grand Final which has sent the Apple Isle into a frenzy. With the Devils having finished seventh the only way it was possible for the Devils to host the GF was if the eighth placed Marble Bar Misfits also progressed to the big dance. Given the Devils track record as ‘masters of mediocrity’ it is fitting that the first time that Cradle Mountain make the ORFFA Grand Final the combined record of the Devils and their eventual Grand Final opponent at the mid-season break was 11 wins and 11 losses. I certainly didn’t anticipate at that point in time that CMD would make the 2018 finals and improve their all-time finals record to two wins and two losses to progress to the Grand Final.

The Devils 2018 Grand Final side is comprised of six players from the inaugural ORFFA draft in April/May 2012, six players selected at pre-season drafts, two players traded in and one mid-season draft selection. All three of the players in the latter two categories are named on the Devils forward-line. Each of the four player lines has a different flavour in terms of the recruitment of these players.

Five of the Devils six midfielders (including both players named on the interchange) being Pendlebury, Zorko and Redden on the ground along with sash brothers Heppell and Zaharakis on the bench were selected at the inaugural draft with the exception being 2015 PSD Round 1 selection Jack Steele. The Devils defense includes three PSD selections – N Vlastuin (Rnd 1 2013), P Seedsman (Rnd 2 2018) and H Himmelberg (Rnd 3 2016) along with inaugural draft selection M Hurley. The Devils forward line is made up of two players traded in being Tom Lynch and AMT, one PSD selection in Jade Gresham (Rnd 2 2016) and the Devils only boomerang – Tim Membrey who was originally selected at the 2013 expansion draft, delisted during the 2014 mid-season break and then re-drafted at the 2016 MSD. The only Tasmanian in the side, ruckman Toby Nankervis was drafted at the 2014 PSD with an early second round selection.


Recruitment of Cradle Mountain’s 2018 Grand Final side:

Inaugural Draft – Pendlebury (pick 1), Heppell (pick 37), D Zaharakis (pick 72), J Redden (pick 73), M Hurley (pick 144), & D Zorko (pick 325)

PSD Round 1 – 2 Vlastuin (2013) and Steele (2015)

PSD Round 2 – 3 Nankervis (2014), Gresham (2016) and Seedsman (2018)

PSD Round 3 – 1 Himmelberg (2016)

Trade – 2 Lynch (2017 pre-season) and AMT (2018 pre-season)

MSD Round 1 – Membrey (2016)


No doubt if @Len was to do a similar exercise he would have far more players in the trade category. It is great to see Kelly and Ryder and Z Williams named in the Misfits side, hopefully the GF wont feature any late-outs or injuries.

Good luck to @Bandit and @Lenny120 in the Zac Dawson Cup.

Can Tassie teams win both pieces of ORRFA silverware?

 

@Lenny120 if you are fortunate enough to win the 2018 Zac Dawson Cup just how much more treasured would it be than the 2017 Zac Dawson Cup which already sits in the Wombats trophy cabinet?

 

I must have forgot to mention...that one was auctioned off for a cheap couple of million. I knew with the right desire I'd give myself a chance to grab another one.

 

Well put Dean. Can I suggest you omitted a phrase - "in splendid isolation" as in "the 2017 Zac Dawson Cup which already sits in splendid isolation in the Wombats trophy cabinet?

Oh, and @Bandit - get stuffed.

 

Based on the season to date averages of the 15 man GF teams for the Devils and Misfits the Misfits finish 11 points in front, with MBM being +24 in defense, +30 in the midfield and + 3 in the forward line whilst the Devils are +9 in the ruck and +37 on the interchange largely due to the Misfits injury list.

It is fantastic that the Misfits and Devils meet in the finals for the second year in a row, especially with the 2018 edition being in the Grand Final much to everyone's surprise. Good luck @Len, the game is likely to be decided late on Sunday during the game between the Saints and Roos.

 

Tomorrow morning I will make a post regarding the history of the Devils and the Misfits to celebrate both sides making the Grand Final. @graeme I will incorporate "in splendid isolation" into that post.

 

In the first 3 quarters of the Essendon vs Port game not much separated the Devils and Misfits but Ryder’s ruck dominance in the last quarter has given Marble Bar the ascendancy, his 147 has already set the benchmark in relation to the medal for best afield in the Grand Final. Ex-Devil Devon Smith laid 12 tackles and scored 93 points. Midfielder David Zaharakis was the only one of CMD’s opening quartet to score a ton with 115 whilst Cradle Mountain’s 2017 best and fairest winner Michael Hurley didn’t have his usual influence, scoring 62 points.

Cradle Mountain 333/4 = Ave of 83.3
D Zaharakis 115, D Heppell 91, A McDonald-Tipungwuti 65 & M Hurley 62

Marble Bar Misfits 240/2 = Ave of 120
P Ryder 147 & D Smith 93

On Saturday five players from both the Devils and Misfits will take the field. As is usually the case in Misfits games a lot will depend on how their contingent of six Giants perform in their game starting at 3.20 pm on Sunday whilst the Devils have three Saints taking the field in the last game of the home and away season.

 

I will be leaving soon to go to the game between Richmond and the Western Bulldogs at the MCG. Below is what I have written so far, will add more later today – mainly on the Devils and Misfits for 2017 and 2018. @Len you might want to expand on the Misfits circa 2012-2016.

The Devils and Misfits catapult from 11th and 12th respectively at the mid-season break to ORFFA grand final berths

The 2018 ORFFA Grand Final will be contested by two teams that have timed their run this season to perfection, amazingly the only time during the 2018 season that the Devils and Misfits were both in the eight was after the final round. The previous time before Round 17 that either side was in the eight was Round 2 for the Devils and Round 6 for the Misfits. From Round 13 to Round 16 the Devils and Misfits were in 9th and 10th position respectively, both teams won in their final round, had some results go their way and snuck into seventh and eighth respectively. The Devils and Misfits have carried their momentum from after the mid-season break into the finals series and one of these clubs will win their first ORFFA premiership in the weekend.

Although the ORFFA is only in its seventh season overall and sixth season with a finals series, 2018 is not the first season that seventh and eighth have both made the Grand Final – it occurred in 2015 when the eighth placed Larrikin Lagoon Lefties defeated the seventh placed Birdsville Battlers in the Grand Final. In the short history of the ORFFA teams that have finished seventh and eighth at the end of the home and away season have punched well above their weight in terms of making the Grand Final and winning the premiership. Teams that finished seventh or eighth from 2013 to 2017 and made the grand final:

Year Position Club Result


2013 7th (10-7) Daraweit Guim Runners up to Foul Bay

2015 7th(10-6-1) Birdsville Battlers Runners up to Larrikin Lagoon

2015 8th (9-7-1) Larrikin Lagoon Premiers against Birdsville Battlers

2016 8th (9-8) Venus Bay Runners up to Larrikin Lagoon


So of 12 Grand Final berths from 2013 to 2018 three of them have been filled by a team finishing seventh whilst another three have been filled by a team finishing eighth equating for 50% of the 12 Grand Final berths being filled by the 7th and 8th placed teams.


Cradle Mountain Devils 2012-2016

The first five seasons for the Cradle Mountain Devils can be summarised succinctly with one word – mediocre. In five seasons from 2012 to 2016 the Devils had strong claims to the title of masters of mediocrity, having a home and away record of 42 wins and 42 losses to be a middle of the road side personified. The only other team in the discussion for the title of masters of mediocrity was the Gariwerd Cockatoos coached by @anthak. For most of this half-decade period the Devils finished in the middle third of the ladder. CMD’s end of season ladder positions from 2012 to 2016 in chronological order were, ninth, 12th, sixth, 11th and 11th. The Devils only tasted finals action once in this period – 2014 when they were arguably the most unbalanced team to make the finals in the history of the ORFFA. The Devils had arguably the best midfield four-player line in the ORFFA with their quartet of Scott Pendlebury, Stevie J, Dyson Heppell and Jack Redden having a combined average of 440 points a week, the Devils also had another two midfielders in David Zaharakis and Liam Shiels who combined for 180 points a week from the bench. In the other nine positions on the ground Cradle Mountain only had four players that averaged more than 75 for the season being veteran defender Dustin Fletcher (81), forwards Dayne Zorko (99) and Michael Hurley (86), along with ruckman Mark Jamar (83). The line where the Devils fell away the most was the forward line, only having four forwards that average more than 50 points per game for the season.

When the Devils joined the ORFFA for its inaugural year in 2014 the plan was to build steadily in the first couple of seasons and then be able to challenge for a premiership from 2014 to 2016. Across 2012 and 2013 Cradle Mountain had a combined record of 16 wins and 18 losses and realised that they needed to improve significantly to challenge for a premiership and thought the best way to do this was by having a development academy which draftees selected as teenagers would spend their first three seasons in. Players from the development academy could still play in the senior side, however the club didn't put pressure on these players during their first three years at the club and more concerned with the players development and the results they could get from year 4 onwards. Cradle Mountain thought that seven players from the original crew back in 2012 could form the nucleus of a side that could challenge for an ORFFA premiership, however they needed more support. Joining the midfield fab four in the OC7 were forwards Dayne Zorko and Michael Hurley as well as another midfielder in David Zaharakis.

In its first five years in the ORFFA the Cradle Mountain Devils the only trophy the club has won was the 2015 Zac Dawson Cup which sits in splendid isolation in the club’s trophy cabinet. Whilst Devils players didn’t win any ORFFA awards Pendlebury had back to back top five finishes in 2013 and 2014. At the end of 2016 the Devils had a clear-cut top four players of Pendlebury, Zorko, Heppell and Hurley with the latter two having been suspended for the entire 2016 season. To become a regular finalist from 2017 onwards the Devils second tier and younger players had to improve.

Marble Bar Misfits 2012-2016

Whilst for most of its first five years in the ORFFA the Cows were in the top third of the ladder, their 2017 Grand Final opponent – The Marble Bar Misfits were a fixture in the bottom third of the ladder with their end of season ladder positions from 2012 to 2016 being in chronological order, 16th, 17th, 16th, 16th and 17th. Having finished second or third last in every season the Misfits had been able to stockpile some elite young talent and on the eve of the 2017 season were expected to be big improvers in the next 2-3 seasons.

Whilst the Marble Bar Misfits didn’t achieve much team success during the first five years the clubs players did win several ORFFA awards highlighted by club captain Callan Ward winning the highest individual honour – The Les W Medal in 2014. Two Misfits also won the league’s Rising Star award being Luke Dunstan in 2014 and Caleb Daniel in 2016.

Whilst the Devils have been stubborn and patient Marble Bar have been pragmatic and left no stone unturned in their pursuit to improve the team, this has resulted in the Misfits being a regular trade participant and making some big trade moves to strengthen their team.