Here we go again, the start of another season. And this time around, the AFL's heavily-choreographed Temu Opening Round (gotta be written in title case) has been dampened by the very non-Temu Tropical Cyclone/Storm Alfred. Of course this isn't the first time VFL/AFL has been affected by the weather. From lightning strikes, torrential downpours and Paul Peos being clonked by golfball sized hail at Waverley (in fact, Waverley Park's entire microclimate), through to baking hot early-season conditions and Jim Stynes' famed hat-wearing exploits, our great game has always just rolled with things ... until it decides to stop rolling with things. In that vein - roll on ORFFA Round 1, no matter the weather. Iron Knob Codpieces vs Cradle Mountain Devils Junee Jaguars vs Wagga Wagga Wombats Dunsborough Dung Beetles vs Nareewillock Nuffers Gariwerd Cockatoos vs Venus Bay Vultures Mount Beauty Uglies vs Gundagai Grasshoppers Waikickamoocow Incorrigibles vs Birdsville Battlers Charlies Opening Spelunkers vs Larrikin Lagoon Lefties Lovely Banks Lilacs vs Wineglass Bay Packers Also as part of our proper Opening Round (title case entirely justified here), we welcome some new feline friends as the former Misfits relocate to Junee, and have scheduled the resumption of Girt By Sea matches between Waikickamoocow and Birdsville after last year's successful arrangements.
Provisional Nuffers team for Round 1: DEF: Clark, Redman, Dale, Idun (Keane) MID: Richards, Warner, Serong, Rowell (Bedford) RUCK: Soldo (Jones oop) FWD: Daniels, Langford, Horne-Francis, Higgins I/C: Ross, Knevitt (West) But to be honest there could be changes given the rest of the teams will come through tonight and the Nuffers have had some pre season injuries. From tonight's game, the plan is for Jack Ross to start. What are our lock out restrictions and times again?
Provisional Spelunkers Team Ton of first team players injured (the Bont, Darcy, Wardlaw, Hogan)... good luck @That KI Guy
Understand why we are being encouraged by those with strong squads to submit teams - is it so they can laugh at us mortals? D - James Trezise (Ric) That's it for Thursday evening, no other players from two of the Melbourne clubs that the afl looks after.
FFS! Who authorised this scheduling? Anywho, we’ll throw our best out there and see what happens. Subject to teams.. Def - Hardwick, Wilmot, Perryman, Sinn (Prior) Mid - Acres, Anderson, Burgoyne, Bowes (Lalor) Ruck - Xerri Fwd - SPP, Georgiades, Armstrong, Stone (McInnes) IC - Mackenzie, Boxshall (Bryan)
DEFENDERS Andrew McGrath, Lachie Ash, Sam Collins, Sam Taylor (Lachlan Cowan] MIDFIELDERS George Hewett, Josh Daicos, Finn Callaghan, Ryley Sanders [Will Phillips] RUCKS Darcy Cameron FORWARDS Liam Baker, Ben Keays, Darcy Jones, Jack Lukosius INTERCHANGE John Noble, Jacob van Rooyen [Angus Hastie]
Given some of the scheduling and our perennial lack of a ruckman, final team is more likely going to be like: DEF: Clark, Redman, Dale, Idun (Keane) MID: Richards, Warner, Serong, Rowell RUCK: Soldo (Jones oop) FWD: Daniels, Langford, Horne-Francis, Higgins (Caddy) I/C: Ross, Bedford (West) Ross' 130 last night - and a Richmond win - was a rousing way to start the weekend. Those who drafted Lalor, Trainor, Tresize, Armstrong (damn it he was on my list), Blight and a couple of others would be hugely encouraged.
Junee Jaguars new jumpers proudly worn for the first time by this mob of Misfits DEFENDERS Lachie Whitfield, Harry Himmelberg, Jake Lloyd, Ben Miller - MIDFIELDERS Josh Kelly, Tim Kelly, Tim Taranto, Massimo D'Ambrosio - Callan Ward RUCKS Matt Flynn - FORWARDS Jeremy Cameron, Will Hayward, Joel Amartey, Caleb Daniel - Aaron Cadman INTERCHANGE Nick Haynes, Lachie Weller - Ryan Byrnes Sadly Treloar, Briggs and Fisher all failed to get up for game Good luck @Lenny120
Battlers line up for Round 1 to take on @graeme and the Incorrigbles - or should that be the incorrigible @graeme? Def: Flanders, Ryan, Andrews, Lobb (Chapman) Mid: Cerra, Rowbottom, Nash, Kennedy (Lindsay) Ruck: De Koning Fwd: Moore, McKay, Smith, Humphrey (Ainsworth) Int: Kemp, Lord (Hutchinson)
Cradle Mountain Devils team for a Round 1 away game against @churchboy’s Iron Knob Codpieces. New: Toby Greene (club debut - recruited from Venus Bay Vultures) Def: D Zorko, N Vlastuin 101, J Battle 83, J Lever (B Cox) Mid: J Steele, R Laird, S Pendlebury, J Hopper 82 (E Langdon) Ruc: T Nankervis 114 Fwd: T Greene, A Naughton, D Wilson, J Cripps (J Jordon) Int: R Marshall, T English (R Ginbey) Progress score 4/380 Bold = played on Thursday or Friday night
The Nuffwrs may be in the market for a new forward line next week, given the injury carnage occurring. Luckily I have a few forwards sitting waiting for a game. But injuries and GWS not playing next week mean the team are going to be well understrength.
I've got you down for a resounding 240 point win. Congrats and get stuffed. Too many sub 50 spud's meandering around for the Dungbeetles. Players have been told not to forget their mouth guards for Tuesday training and I'm just talking about the review! A poster with the motto for the week has been taped above the training locker room doors in an attempt to inspire the boys to a better showing next week.
is @CursingFijian our own modern day Kennedy @graeme? Every leader has a breakthrough speech... we might have just been the witnesses to something that is going to become a thing of legend.
After our bottom-4 finish last season, we're pleasantly surprised in Gariwerd with our first up win in round 1 and with a healthy score putting us top-2 on the ladder! We have called off training this week for a week-long party in Halls Gap, before we travel to Gundagai for round 2! Things can only go downhill from here, but we've got a photo of the ladder to remember this moment.
Congratulations @JC for winning the Girt by Sea fixture and getting your hands on one of the finest pieces of silverware in TS history. Would be great to have another match this year - which means it would be in the finals.