Round 1 - Ararat Armadillos vs Horsham Huskies Nerve wracking game at home versus an up n comer with green shoots. The gentlemanly folk of Horsham visited Dillo central in a bid to start their season off right. Flandersersss certainly did that by peeling off a 128 and set the tone for a plucky young Huskies outfit. Andrews (120) and McGovern (119) joined him for the ride while Holmes can consider himself unlucky; his 112 was heavily scaled down as the match wore into the final stages. Wolffy will be ruing the performance of some key pups however, as Reeves (54), Lewis (38) and Ross (49) were all disappointing, and even a fresh start in new colours couldnt help James Harmes muster more than 35. Definitely some good signs for the future for Horsham however. For the home side, they still couldnt crack that 1,600 point barrier, however they managed to punch out a score good enough for 7th highest all time. Rowell showed redhead power, on his way to recapturing his 2020 form, and dominated his way to 155. Statisticians wondered if it was an afternoon of 1-2's between he and Luke Ryan (165) as they were both unstoppable. Not to be outdone, the great veteran, the peoples beard, the club stalwart and great beanpole of Ararat, The Max Gawn bounced back from a poor performance to hit 162 and announce his intentions for a big 2024 season. While new bloke MacDonald (53) was let down by clangers and poor disposal, the coaching team was more disappointed by naming an underdone Soligo (18) who started as the substitute. Final Score: AA 1563 def HH 1139
Round 1 - Carnamah Cormorants v Exmouth Anglers With a new season comes new hope and the opportunity to banish the memory of long dark afternoons of seasons past. The Anglers and Comorants combined for eight wins in 2022 and their 2023 round 1 clash epitomised two teams searching for new hope. Following a hard fought, although low scoring, contest it was Exmouth who headed back to their new digs with a growing feeling of better things to come, running out winners 770 to 685. The tone was set early for the visitors with Rowbottom (142) leading from the front. Whilst Florent (84) and Weddle (94) tried hard to counter, the arm wrestle was tilting the Anglers way. As youngsters Wardlaw (69), Clark (13) and Johnson (32) underwhelmed for the home team Hinge (102), Rioli (82) and Bergman (88) all impressed for the visitors. First gamer Reid (78) provided some joy for the home fans late in the game but by that stage both teams were going through the motions. The Anglers head back to Exmouth for their home opener against Eden whilst the to Cormorants prepare to travel to Horsham to take on the Huskies. Big Tap No contest! Cox – 64 def Hustwaite – 0 Votes 3- Rowbottom 2- Hinge 1- Weddle
Congrats on the win. Was never going to catch a 1500+ score, but happy with 1100 plus in round 1. Could have been 1200+ had i put the right players onfield. Im not used to having 24 players turn up for a game
Final Score ish from Mill Park SFB 1260 odd CBC 1400 odd A cracking game ruined by an inept Bulls Fwd Line @fresh
Absolutely shocked. Pretty much everything went wrong and managed a win with a score of 770 points! Has to be one of the lowest scoring games ever, and with it the lowest winning score. Nice for the new team to break their duck in round one, might be a while though before they sing again.
@HOLKY Vikings 1482 def Whalers 1087 In the icy waters of the Indian Ocean, where the sea churned with the promise of adventure and danger, two mighty clans clashed in a battle that would echo through the ages. On one side stood the fierce Vikings, masters of the sea and skilled warriors, their armor gleaming under the pale northern sun. On the other side were the Whalers, brave men who sailed the treacherous waters in search of the great beasts of the deep. The Vikings, with their swords and axes held high, let out a thunderous roar as they charged towards the Whalers. The Whalers, armed with harpoons, stood their ground, ready to defend their territory to the last man. The clash of steel rang out across the frozen landscape as the two sides collided. The Vikings, with their superior weaponry and armor, quickly gained the upper hand, cutting through the Whalers' ranks with ease. The Whalers, weakened by years of hard labor at sea and undermanned, struggled to hold their ground against the fierce onslaught. Led by a mighty warrior named Heeney, the Vikings fought with unmatched ferocity, their swords and axes flashing in the sunlight as they cut down their enemies. The Whalers, overwhelmed by the Vikings' strength, began to falter, their ranks thinning with each passing moment. As the battle raged on, it became clear that the Vikings would emerge as the resounding victors. The Whalers, battered and beaten, were forced to retreat, their ships in disarray as they fled the battlefield. Heeney, standing tall amidst the carnage, raised his sword high and let out a triumphant roar, his voice echoing across the icy waters. The Vikings, victorious in battle, celebrated their hard-won victory, knowing that they had emerged as the true masters of the sea. And as they sailed back to their homelands, their ships laden with spoils of war, the Vikings knew that their legend would live on. Heeney 136 Warner 125 Petracca/English 119 English 119 Big Tap
@ddsaints A pivotal matchup was on the cards early in the season with two of last season's top 4 pitted against each other at The Crater in round 1. Rowan Marshall (127) took full toll on the Buffaloes tactic of refusing to sort out their ruck situation with the all too familiar sight for the Serengeti faithful of half a ruckmen being sent out into battle. The likes of Anderson (129) & Butters (117) feasted on 'Big Row''s dominance and the Parasites were dreaming of taking a W back to the mainlaind. That was until Captain Danger (134) went back to the well and pulled out a vintage performance. As Dangerfield went about his business of dominating the centre of the ground, he also shamed his opposing veterans Sidebottom (50) and Gaff (13) into performances that showed the edge of the cliff may be closer than they'd like to imagine. Gaff was beaten into submission so badly that he gave up at half time and refused to reappear. That would prove costly in the end, and despite a gargantuan effort from the impressive Jesse Hogan (165) there were too many passengers on the Pakenham train and they were left to rue some unfortunate team selection misses that could have made the difference. Final Scores Serengeti 1380 def Pakenham 1271 BAFFU votes 3 Jesse Hogan 165 (PP) 2 Patrick Dangerfield 134 (SB) 1 Noah Anderson 129 (PP) Big Tap Rowan Marshall 127 def Cam Mackenzie 29
@Batfink King Island 1012 def Hughenden 960 Footy returned to the Kingdome for 2024 with a dour affair. With neither side able to get their attacking game flowing, it was huge performance by Tom Green (152) to put his team on his shoulders and carry them over the line. Ainsworth (95) battled hard for the home side from limited opportunities up forward, as did Impey (93) and Redman (85) in defence. Although the latter will be sitting out next week as it's now a reportable offence to push someone in the face. Clayton Oliver (105) lead the way for the visitors, supported well by Yeo (96) in the middle and Langford (86) as the shining light in the forwardline. There wasn't much between the teams all day with scores hard to come by, but a late injury to Cox snuffed out the Prairie Dogs' chance of a late surge to the line. Votes Green 152 Oliver 105 Yeo 96 Big Tap Chol 38 def Swallow 26 in the battle of the non-ruckmen
Round 1 - Korumburra Blowflys (2nd *2023) v Christmas Island Smugglers (10th *2023) @DamoH The anticipation was palpable around Korumburra town as word passed round that the pirate ship bearing the infamous Smugglers of Christmas Island had docked at nearby Inverloch. When notifications began pinging that the scurvy ridden crew were headed (via DiDi - utilising 30% off vouchers - hey, the smuggling life ain't easy!) towards the mighty Terrordome, you could've cut the tension with a rusted cutlass!! ORFFU footy is back for '24 - aaarrgghhhh!! The mighty Blowflys charged out of the rooms and smashed through their banner with a ferocity that showed they are singularly focused with one goal in mind for 2024 - that elusive ORFFU premiership! In the words of that perpetrator Clubber Lang, "I pity the fool" - that gets in the way of these Flys and their dream, coming off the back of another "close but no cigar" season in '23. Focused on the centre square for the opening siren, the crowd was surprised to see Marc "Mr. Worldwide" Pittonet had apparently decided to stay at home, leaving young Tom De Koning one out in the ruck for the visitors. Korumburra looked to have an advantage early going in with a 2 pronged set up but young TDK (118) battled manfully to win the tap. For the home side, it's clear the #1 ruck mantle has finally been passed from the aging warrior and former BAFFU winner in Goldstein to the rapidly improving young behemoth Tristan Xerri (107) who duly started in the middle for the opening bounce. The Blowflys looked in control for the majority of this match, with the spirited Smugglers briefly sticking their noses in front before being soundly defeated in the end. Captain Steele (119) and VC Dunkley (113) led the way from the middle with only Fiorini (108) raising the wooden bat in competition for the Island while the likes of Bradley "Crouching One" Crouch remained hidden. The Smugglers offensive efforts were repeatedly thwarted by Vlastuin (134) and Daicos (135) with spearhead Curnow (90) the most damaging of the interlopers. For the home side, Perkins (124) showed his burgeoning potential as he rotated between the midfield and forward line in tandem and under the expert tutelage of recently added veteran champion Fyfe (103) who showed the fans that yes, the pre-season hype was real! He's still got it! Meanwhile, a trio of Ex-Blowflys showed that a significant portion of their hearts still remain in Korumburra. Caleb Daniel, widely rumoured to be making a return to the fold this pre-season, did not arrive at the Terrordome until half time and George Hewett happily sacrificed his own game for the greater good. The real anti-hero of this weekend was Scotsman turned pirate Dougal "McDougal" Howard. He decided this was as good a time as any to pretend to be Irish and turned this opening round road trip into a 4 day St Patrick's Day bender for the ages! He was spotted at various watering holes around Korumburra town with either a pint of Guinness, an Irish whisky, a Scotch whiskey or a random green coloured beverage in one or both hands at all times throughout the weekend. As a result, he understandably didn't quite make it onto the field. What a craic! Final Scores Korumburra 1368 def Christmas Island 1091 BAFFU 3 Nick Daicos 135 (KB) 2 NIck Vlastuin 134 (KB) 1 Archie Perkins 124 (KB) Big Tap Tom De Koning (CIS) 118 def Tristan Xerri (KB) 107 The next round sees the Smugglers sail home to take on the visting Bulls while the Blowflys travel down the road to take on their old mates at Pakenham. The Blowflys team selection committee are in a serious quandary with last weeks selected emergencies on all 4 lines posting big scores in the 2's. If these guys would've read the magic tea leaves correctly and played D'Ambrosio (122) Boak (90) McDonald (128) and Bonner (102) in the seniors this week, Korumburra would've scored a massive 1596!!! That would've been the 3rd highest weekly score in ORFFU history!!! Yuge!!
Footy returned to Mill Park to see the Crocs tackle the Bulls. @fresh The game was free flowing and at times resembled circle work. The game was in the balance both teams Def, Mids, Ruc and Bench players effectively leaving this contest a 50/50 proposition. There were 100s galore with Maynard, Whitfield, Coniglio, Nank & Soldo all saluting for the Bulls and Sheezel, McGrath, Clark, Toranto & Worpel for the Crocs. In the end it was the efficient Crocs forward line lead by Moore (104) & Rankine (97) completely outplaying a miserable effort from the Bulls Lynch (63), Cameron (37) Hill (34) & Lobb (28). Crocs 1400 defeating the Bulls 1259 3 - Nankervis 137 SFB 1.5 - Maynard 131 SFB 1.5 - McGrath 131 - CBC Big Tap Nank b BJW 137 - 93 The Crocs will look to make 2 on the trot at home against Hughenden whilst the Bulls will look to open their account as they hit the road to Christmas island.
Uninspiring start at The Crater but its the Barracudas who've been less disappointing so far @YAD69 Serengeti 188/3/63 v Groote 311/4/78
Barracudas lifting their game while The Buff are struggling to stay with them. @YAD69 Serengeti 665/9/74 v Groote 823/10/82
Awaiting final confirmation: Huskies 1176 (81 with Ross playing OOP) Cormorants 908 (76 with only 12 players showing up)
There's no way I can write a story as epic as my opponent, I just don't have that kind of creativity... @bryzza When team selection kills both sides, its not much fun. That was definitely the case out in the Goldfields, where the local Coolgardie Prospectors fielded many of the wrong 15 in their starting side, while the visiting Nuytsland Vikings named some boys who had already booked their annual leave, and had no intentions of cancelling their Bali plans. Those who did turn up for the Prospectors put in a good display, starting with the N Wanganeen-Milera reconnaissance, and three other tons on the board. Unfortunately the coach will need to take a long hard look at himself, selecting some ordinary forwards to strap on the boots, while more players in the magoos ran around risking more leather poisoning. The Viking's coach meanwhile, seemed to put all his effort into Shakespearean-esque storytelling, and forgot that some of his players had already had approved leave for a week of sun and sand in Bali, because he still had their names on the team sheet when it was handed in, just before the game started. Maybe it was all that sailing on dry land that got to their heads, but the visitors just looked Amiss. That was ofcourse until their ruckman stood up and treated the local fill-in like a rag doll, giving every-single-one of his mids clean hands on the ball, as all 5 of them raised the proverbial bat (or in this case it was a stein and a kiss on the horned helmet). It was an absolute masterclass from a side that has become well-renowned for their masterclass displays, and only fell down when the ball moved out of the midfield, and the gaping holes in team selection showed themselves. The visitors donuts were just enough for the locals to munch on and gain the energy required (like Super Mario with a mushroom, or Popeye with some spinach, all it takes is a little food-related drug to turn ordinary into just enough to get the job done). Coolgardie fell over the line in this one, there's no other way to say it. The home side were lucky, and all the fans know it. This is not something we expect to see from the well-oiled machine that is the Vikings outfit. Maybe they were focusing too much on the racing, and decided to emulate George Russell, by getting so close to the finish line, and then watching the wheels come off and things get flipped over. The analogies are writing themselves in this one, so it may not be as epic a story as we'd get from a match report from the opposition coach, but its as satisfying as a cold drink at the end of a hard days work, and that's as good as we're all going to get! The giant tap was as-near-as-makes-no-difference a walkover, as T English, Nuytsland, defeated stand-in ruckman, and the bloke so good he was named twice, A Aliir, Coolgardie, by a whopping 108 points, 138 to <looks up formula in spreadsheet> =60/2 The votes: 3 - C Petracca, Nuytsland, 146 2 - C Serong, Coolgardie, 141 1 - T English, Nuytsland, 138 Next up sees Coolgardie on the road for the first time this year, to face the Whalers in Eden, while Nuytsland will be back at home, rolling out the red carpet and putting on that famous Viking welcome to the Monarchs from King Island. Good luck to all teams, and remember to pay attention to which players have already had their annual leave requests approved.
@YAD69 Barracudas have run away with this one despite missing some key ingredients, much too good for the Buffaloes that ran out this week. Serengeti 1128 def by Groote 1290 Full match report to follow
You're right, 770 is the lowest winning score we've seen. We have to go all the way back to FU round 17 in 2014 to see the previous lowest winning score in a match where Cow Bay (827) defeated Manangatang (626). The 2014 match aggregate was 1,453. The aggregate from the round 1 match - 1,455. One (or both) of you clearly put in a little too much effort. @eagle_eyed @ron swanson