There's a lot of top vs bottom table match-ups to end out the regular season, which means there is some juicy upset potential to mix up the ladder before finals. Good luck to the 4 teams that still have finals on the line this week: Stuttgart, Vancouver, Korea and Kyoto. Also Congratulations to Lagos' Libby Birch and Darmstadt's Bre Koenan. Two legends playing their 100th game this week. Vancouver Vultures @Athos123 (6th, 3-5) vs Stuttgart Storm @Jono Steven (5th, 3-5) It feels like an early final for these two teams, both 3-5 and within 100 total points for the year. Their most recent match up was in the Elimination final last year which was won by the Storm. The Vultures will be without reliable defenders Georgostathis and Heath, but they do have K Smith waiting on the bench coming off a 70+ average for the past two weeks. The winner takes a place in the finals and the loser leaves their fate to the other results of the round. Lima Llamas @hoschke118 (9th, 1-1-6) vs Quebec Caribou @FreeKickLiam (1st, 8-0) In contrast, the next match is something of a formality between two teams at opposite ends of the ladder. The Llamas are excited to continue to welcome back injured players, with Duursma, Window, O'Loughlin and Anderson all a test to play this week. It would be good to give them a run before the intercomp play-ins. The Caribou are hoping to lock up the minor premiership before going into the finals series favourites to go back-to-back premiers. Korean Kickers @Chloe (7th, 3-5) vs Lagos Royals @Peter W (2nd, 7-1) Another potentially one-sided game, but with more at stake! An upset Kickers win would likely give them a spot in the finals and would leave the Royals vulnerable to dropping to third. The Royals have been the big improvers of the season. With the help of star recruit Kiara Bowers, they've gone from missing finals last year to top scorers this year. Despite their first loss coming last round, they should be feeling good going into finals. Kyoto Kruisers @FreoDockers (8th, 3-5) vs Majorca Islanders @TheTassieHawk (4th, 5-3) Like the Kickers, if the Kruisers pull off the upset, they would likely be finals-bound. It would be a great achievement after a win-less season last year. They probably don't mind their chances either. Going off total scores, this is the second closest match up of the round and this is an almost meaningless game for the Islanders who are pretty much cemented in to 4th place. Can the Kruisers seize their chance? Darmstadt Dynamos @WillH_VI (3rd, 6-2) vs Adelaide All-Stars @Corza (10th, 0-1-7) The Noffy vs Gardiner match! This season hasn't gone great for the All-Stars, but they might come out of it with the competition MVP in Laura Gardiner. But she'll need to fight off the last minute challenge from Ebony Marinoff of the Dynamos. The Dynamos are a game separate in both directions and unlikely to move out of 3rd place. At this point their eyes are looking towards getting to another grand final, and winning this time!
DEF: Lulu Pullar, Chelsea Biddell, Katherine Smith (running low on defenders) MID: Anne Hatchard, Keeley Sherar, Madison Prespakis, Abbie Mckay (Isabelle Dawes) RUC: Stephanie Wales (Sarah Lakay) FWD: Alyssa Bannan, Abbygail Bushby, Tayla Harris (Eloise Jones) INT: Zippy Fish, Madison Newman (Catherine Svarc)
I reckon Riddell will be hungry for the 3 votes this week to keep her medal hopes alive but Gardiner vs Noffy should be an amazing contest with a contest which means there is a lot riding on each and every game this weekend.
Islanders Round 9 side for our clash with the Kruisers @FreoDockers (subject to change following Friday night teams) Paxman, M Gay, Cordner (C Fitzgerald) Roberts, Ty Smith, Howley, A Smith (Syme) Goldsworthy, Brennan, Gee (Banfield) L Wales (P Kelly) Lewis, Rennie (no emg) Injured – C Randall, Hurley, Gould (4-5 weeks), Bates (5-6 weeks), D D’Arcy (season) Not selected - Ewings
Adelaide All Stars Def Charlotte Thomas, Erika O'Shea, Mia Busch MId Laura Gardiner, Georgia Nansgawen, Amy Mcdonald Dayna Finn (Alison Drennan) Ruck Sabrina Fredrick (Ange Stannett OOP) FWD- Taylor Smith, Jesse Wardlaw, Indy Tahau (Daria Banister) INT- Georgia Clayden, Ruby Schliecher (Paige Scott)
The Kruisers team to face the Islanders this weekend Def: Jess Rentsch, Emily Pease, Hannah Priest (Poppy Scholz) Mid: Georgie Prespakis, Ash Centra, Kaitlyn Shroj, Jasmine Fleming (Orla O'Dwyer) Ruck: Tahlia Hickie (Lauren Pearce) Fwd: Georgia Garnett, Montana Ham, Aileen Gilroy (Gabby O'Sullivan) IC: Lily Goss, Ellie Blackburn (Hayley Miller)
In: Anderson, Duursma, Window Out: Grieves, Howarth, Grigg DEF: Sarah Goodwin, Molly Brooksby, Lucy Cronin (Katie Lynch) MID: Mia King, Lucy Single, Gabby Newton, J'Noemi Anderson (Dana East) RUC: Ally Morphett (Piper Dunlop) FWD: Danielle Ponter, Alice O'Loughlin, Blaithin Bogue (Elaine Grigg) INT: Piper Window, Yasmin Duursma (Kalinda Howarth) Others: Sierra Grieves, Alyce Parker (6 wks), Bri Davey (TBC), Caitlin Wendland (Season), Liv Purcell (Season)
Darmstadt will line-up as follows: DEF: T.Lucas-Rodd, B.Koenen, B.Tarrant (J.Allen) MID: E.Marinoff, B.Bonnici, M.Fitzsimon, R.Beeson (M.Cann) RUC: A.Edmonds (H.Harris) FWD: C.Hodder, J.Parry, T.Craven (C.Mullins) INT: T.White, A.Gaylor (B.Boileau)
Stuttgart Storm have been forced into a couple of changes in this must-win game, which has triggered a bit of a re-shuffle from bench / field! DEF: Maeve Chaplin, Jenna Richardson, Ella Heads (Rylie Wilcox) MID: Charlie Rowbottom, Eliza West, Eliza McNamara, Jenna Bruton (Lucia Painter) RUC: Breann Harrington (Liz McGrath) FWD: Ashleigh Woodland, Aine McDonagh, Cynthia Hamilton (Lauren Young) INT: Lily Mithen, Jess Good (Rebecca Webster)
Lagos Royals Round 9: DEF: Serene Watson, Jade Ellenger, Cambridge McCormick (Libby Birch) MID: Kiara Bowers, Aishling McCarthy, Georgia Patrikios, Kate Hore (Sophie Conway) RUC: Matilda Scholz (Lauren Bella) FWD: Chloe Molloy, Tarni Evans, Bonnie Toogood (Tahlia Randall) INT: Jaide Britton, Ellie McKenzie (Isabelle Pritchard) Others: Maddy Guerin, Shineah Goody, Ruby Sargent-Wilson, Laura Stone, Molly O'Hehir
Kickers are unchanged DEF - E. Kearney, L. Pugh, N. Stevens (B. Smith) MID: M. Conti, A. Anderson, M. Bowen, J. Lambert (S. Rowe) FWD: G. Campbell, K. Shierlaw, S. Thompson RUC: M. Strom (E. O'Dowd) INT: G. Egan, M. Kauffman (K. Ashmore)
As are the Caribou chasing 9 from 9 for the regular season DEF: Emma O'Driscoll, Niamh McLaughlin, Brit Gutknecht (Lucy McEvoy) MID: Jasmine Garner, Ash Riddell, Nina Morrison, Abbey Dowrick (Tanya Kennedy) RUC: Jess Allan (Georgia Campbell) FWD: Aishling Moloney, Eden Zanker, Imogen Barnett (Greta Bodey) INT: Tyla Hanks, Erone Fitzpatrick (Jess Fitzgerald)
The Islanders 10/620 lead the Kruisers 9/557 @FreoDockers in a match that has ebbed and flowed so far To keep their season alive the Kruisers must overcome a deficit of 63 points through Goss, Ham, Priest and Centra up against Cordner and TySmith in the first 2 Sunday games and set a target for the Islanders Paxy Paxman to chase in the final match of the regular season.
A Centra late out has the Kruisers leading 12/734 to the Islanders 11/675, with Priest plus a lead of 59 versus Ty Smith and Paxy for the visitors.
Unofficial scores have the Islanders less than convincing winners against the Kruisers @FreoDockers 824-770, leaving the Storm, Vultures and Kickers in a 3 horse race for 5th and 6th positions as at the end of the regular season.