ORFFA Round 15 Teams & Banter - Stupid Injury Round

Cradle Mountain Round 15 team (AFL Round 19)

Out: R Ginbey (hamstring), D Butler (omitted)
In: J Laverde, D Lloyd

Def: N Vlastuin, J Lever, D Heppell, J Laverde (R Fox)
Mid: J Steele, S Pendlebury,J Hopper, S Sidebottom (B Cook)
Ruc: T English
Fwd: D Zorko, A Naughton, J Gresham, D Lloyd (J Riewoldt)
Int: R Marshall, J Bowey (D Butler)

Two changes for the Devils Round 15 away game against the Wombats with first year midfielder/defender Rueben Ginbey a forced out due to a hamstring injury and forward Daniel Butler omitted. Defender Jayden Laverde and forward Daniel Lloyd have been brought into the Devils 15 player team.

After Round 13 the seventh placed Devils had destiny in their own hands with games to come against the eighth placed Vultures in Round 14 followed by an encounter with the ninth placed Wombats in Round 15. The Vultures at home recorded a 120 point victory 1,268 to 1,148 against CMD in Round 14 to move up to seventh and Cradle Mountain slid to ninth place on the ladder.

In another Round 14 result the Wombats on the road defeated Birdsville by 25 points 1,237 to 1,212. The Devils still have their destiny in their own hands, however they have to win in this weekend for that to remain the case. In a massive battle of the marsupials the ninth placed Devils travel to Wagga Wagga to play the eighth placed Wombats in Round 15. Wagga Wagga with eight wins and six losses have one more win than the Devils but have inferior points for so a top eight spot is on the line with the losing team to be ninth and the winning team to be in the top eight with two rounds remaining.

For their Round 15 match-up the Wombats have the edge in the arcs at either end of the ground with six players that average at least 80 comprised of all four defenders led by Jordan Ridley (92) and two forwards including Connor Rozee (108). Cradle Mountain only have two players averaging at least 80 in the arcs, one defender Nick Vlastuin (96) and one forward Dayne Zorko (85). In the remaining seven positions the Devils have the advantage with six players averaging at least 80 comprised of four mids, ruck Tim English (128) and another ruck on the interchange in Rowan Marshall (108). Current Devils captain Jack Steele (93.4) edges out former CMD captain Scott Pendlebury (93.2) for the label as mid 1. Away from the arcs only two of seven Wombats average 80+ - midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke (110) and defender Tom Barrass (80) from the Int 1 position. Overall the Wombats and Devils each have eight players averaging at least 80 so this all-marsupials encounter might go right down to the wire.

If @Lenny120 ’s Wombats win they will be in the top eight by two games and would be almost certain to make the finals for the second consecutive season. The Devils would need to win their last two games and have some other results go their way including the Wombats losing both games to make the finals for a seventh consecutive season.

 

Sure is.

After the Saturday night games

Wagga Wagga Wombats at home are 734/9 Average of 81.6
and trail Cradle Mountain Devils 810/9 Average of 90.0
by 76 points with six players to take the field for each team on Sunday.

Wombats lead the ton count 3-2 but have had some bad luck with an in-game injury and a late change. Wombats defender Jordan Ridley won the battle against Devils forward Aaron Naughton (82) but was then forced from the field with a quad injury early in the fourth quarter. Despite missing most of the last quarter Ridley finished the game with 29 disposals, 14 marks and a game-high (to this stage) 138 SuperCoach points. Two Wombats forwards reached triple figures - Connor Rozee (117) and Lachlan Schulz (100). Due to a shoulder injury defender Tom Barrass was a late out for the Wombats. Wagga Wagga forward Lincoln McCarthy was brought in as a late inclusion and performed well to score 89.

Cradle Mountain ruck Tim English (134) continued his phenomenal season and after being six votes in front of Charlies Opening defender/midfielder Nick Daicos at the start of the round is likely to extend his lead in the Les W Medal with his 18 disposal, 32 hit-out performance. After being a Devils emergency for most of the 2023 ORFFA season Jayden Laverde relished his opportunity as a CMD starting defender against the Wombats to have 27 disposals, 15 marks and score 133 SC points.

The six Wombats playing on Sunday are David Swallow, Isaac Cumming, Ed Langdon, Brodie Smith, Joshua Worrell and Luke Davies-Uniacke. Three of these six players average at least 80 led by LDU (110).

The six Devils playing today are Daniel Lloyd, Jake Lever, Jake Bowey, Jack Steele, Jade Gresham and Rowan Marshall. The
Saintly Devils duo of Marshall (108) and Steele (93) are the only remaining CMD players that average 80+.

Whilst the Devils lead mid-way through the third quarter they have been overrun multiple times in 2023 after leading at half time, including last week against the Vultures. The Wombats on a three game winning streak after the mid-season break will be confident that they can finish strongly against a Cradle Mountain team that has only one win from their last five games.

 

Bad break(s) rolleyes for the cavemen. Having some of our top scorers subbed out early or ending as the "12th man" is no great shakes either.