I'll start with the first score update of the season. Its been a ripping start in the Goldfields between the Prospectors and the visiting Horsham Huskies @Wolffy84
@Tylo Looks like we both left 5 goal 100+ scores from our big boys Neale and Amartey on our benches - take it as a positive outlook on our depth to start this season
Cudas infront at 3/4 time. @YAD69 Bulls 906/11/82 + Salem, Duggan, Richards & B Hill Cudas 1133/13/87 + B Long & Robertson
The home side have started well and lead by a comfortale 435 points over the visiting Plovers at 3/4 time but they are yet to spread their wings with a tough final quarter to come:- HPD 1029/12/85 EP 594/9/66 @HOLKY
Its full time on round 1 out at the Goldfields, and the home side have had a very promising win over the visiting Huskies from Horsham @Wolffy84 The defence was easily won by the Prospectors, and when Nasiah is the lowest scoring defender for the side, you can generally assume its been a good week for the Coolgardie backmen! On the other side of the coin, Horsham will be asking questions of their back 4, with only M Roberts showing any heart in the heat of battle. Coolgardie by 211 points. The midfield was a much more even matchup, with guns C Serong of the locals and M Holmes for the visitors both putting in some extraordinary performances as the best two players on the ground. There was a high risk of leather poisoning between these two gentlemen. Serong was ably supported by Miller and the return of Bruhn, while it was a matter of "Wehr is he?" with Jacob. Holmes didn't quite find the same support although the remaining Huskie midfielders were serviceable, and they'll all be looking over their shoulders at the performance D Stephens put in for the magoos. Coolgardie by 24 points. In the giant tap it was a bit of a run-away for the visiting Witts, who was everywhere on the ground and doing everything, showing that the new ruck rules really suit him. New Prospector McAndrew did his job, and will improve, but he was soundly outplayed in this one. J Witts, Horsham defeated L McAndrew, Coolgardie, by 49 points, 137 to 88. The forward line remains the Achilles heel of the Prospector outfit, with a top score of 79 points, a low of 50, and team selection coming into question, with 101 points sitting on the bench. Will the coach ever get it right? The Horsham forwards came to play, with J Ross and S Flanders slotting goals from all angles on their way to more than 100 points each, likely giving the coach something to smile about. The performance of the other two blokes is better left unsaid. Horsham by 43 points. Running off the bench was a rejuvenated D Fort, hammering home 100 points in a ruck / rover / forward / midfielder / utility role that suits him perfectly. He's definitely repaid the faith, and raised questions as to why he was ever on the trade table. The Huskie bench was serviceable if nothing else, however once again team selection will be asked of the coach, with N Reeves in the magoos putting a solid hand up for selection next week. Coolgardie by 19 points. In the end it was the backline dominance that made the major difference in this game, and try as the Huskie midfield did, they were never able to overcome the onslaught from the Coolgardie back four. The home fans were delighted to see the team get the 2026 campaign off to a winning start, and showing promise for the season to come. The coach is content, and thinking the team will go a long way if they can maintain a 90 average across the season. Horsham will be looking to improve next week, with some selection dilemmas to overcome, as a sub 80 average won't quite cut it. Coolgardie defeated Horsham by 162 points, 1356 to 1194. The votes: 3 - C Serong, Coolgardie , 150 points 2 - M Holmes, Horsham, 141 points 1 - J Short, Coolgardie, 134 points Next week Horsham are on the road to Eden to take on some Whalers, or Plovers, or both, while Coolgardie will head off to Thailand to take on the rats of Bueng Kan River (or something like that). Good luck to all four teams.
Cudas get the chocolates 1285 to 1221, Bulls selectors will be in the gun after leaving 150 points on the table! @YAD69
Hughenden Prairie Dogs 1,248 defeat Eden Plovers 1,032 Hughenden started with a rush and despite some final quarter heroics from Eden they were never able to bridge the gap with the Prairie Dogs running out winners by 216 points. Hughenden went into the game without a ruckman yet again but the new recruit Grlj (37) was able to run rings around the bigger Briggs (20) resulting in quick clearances and entry into the forward line. The Hughenden fans were delighted in seeing Jagga (113) finally strut his stuff with strong support from Berry (99) and Yeo (91) through the midfield. Hughenden’s backline was resolute with Ash (136) and Mills (100) leading the way which restricted Eden’s forwards to long bombs all day. The Plovers battled hard all day with the backline under constant pressure. Both McCartin (110) and Comben (118) doing their best to get some run going but to no avail. Hughenden’s performance was consistent and it will be interesting to see if it can be maintained for 2026, but the signs are good even without a playing ruck. Eden will be disappointed but with a few of their stars not hitting their straps in week 1 there is plenty of upside when they return home to play the Huskies. Hughenden remain at home and host the Exmouth Anglers. Big Tap Grlj (37) def Briggs (20) BAFFU Awards 3 Ash HPD (136) 2 Comben EP (118) 1 Jagga HPD (113) @HOLKY
@wrightbrendan Nuytsland Vikings vs Buffalos Final Score: Vikings 899 def. by Buffalos 1267 1st Quarter – Even Start, Early Arm Wrestle The opening term at The Graveyard was tighter than expected, with both sides feeling each other out early. The Vikings’ backline, led by Powell (95) and Maric (74), stood tall under pressure, intercepting repeatedly and keeping the Buffalos from blowing things open. Up the other end, the Buffalos showed glimpses of what was to come, with Clark (75) and Himmelberg (65) rebounding well. But it was still a grind—clearances were split, and neither side could fully take control. Quarter Time: Buffalos hold a slight edge, but Vikings well and truly in it. 2nd Quarter – Midfield Domination Begin This is where the game turned. The Buffalos midfield absolutely exploded. Smith (118), Callaghan (120), and Merrett (139) took over the contest, racking up possessions at will and slicing through the Vikings like a hot knife through butter. The Vikings just couldn’t go with them—Langford (36) and Draper (26 in the ruck) struggled to have any real influence, and the Buffalos capitalised hard. It started to feel like one of those classic AFL momentum swings—once it went the Buffalos’ way, it didn’t come back. Half Time: Buffalos open up a strong lead, midfield dominance the difference. 3rd Quarter – Vikings Fight, But Buffalos Respond To their credit, the Vikings didn’t roll over. Young (80) and Ashcroft (78) lifted, trying to claw their side back into the contest, while McKay (79) provided a spark up forward. But every time the Vikings looked like closing the gap, the Buffalos answered. Cameron (107) was electric up forward, with Graham (83) and Greene (62) adding pressure and scoreboard impact. And then there was English (127) in the ruck—completely controlling stoppages, giving first use to that dominant midfield. Three Quarter Time: Vikings showing heart, but Buffalos still firmly in control. 4th Quarter – Buffalos Seal the Deal The final term was all about class and composure. The Buffalos didn’t panic, didn’t fade—they buried the contest. Dangerfield (33) may not have exploded, but the depth across the Buffalos lineup shone through, with contributions everywhere. Even their bench (Parish 93) added to the overall dominance. The Vikings had a few solid performers—Powell, Young, McKay—but simply didn’t have enough across the board to match the Buffalos’ firepower, particularly through the midfield and ruck. As the final siren sounded, it was a comprehensive victory. Full Time: Buffalos 1267 def. Vikings 899 A tough day for the Vikings—competitive early, but ultimately outclassed through the middle. The Buffalos midfield unit was the story of the game, setting up a dominant and well-earned win.
Bulls 1223 def by Barracudas 1286 @YAD69 Footy returned to Mill Park with expectations high for from the Bulls faithful after their GF appearance in 2025. With some experienced additions of Justin McInerney & Liam Duggan and some prized draftees in CDT & Lachie Jaques expectations for 2026 are high. Enough of that... what happened? Well the Cudas midfield got a hold of the Bulls with Bont unchecked, Libba riding shotgun and Cripps and Gulden (pre injury) dominating the game was decided in the guts holding sway by 130 points over a McCluggage less midfield of Heeney, Newc, Ward & Lord. Around the rest of the groud Naughton was dominate up front with Robertson for the visitors whilst Nank got the point over Grundy and recruits in McInerny and Duggan were serviceable for the Bulls. Round 2, 4 teams on the bye and anything can happen, its the GF rematch for the Bulls and the Cudas return home to take on the Cormorants Votes: 3 Bont (GEB), 2 Libba (GEB), 1 Naughton (GEB) Big Tap Nank 103 (SFB) def Gundy (GEB 89
Carnamah 1017 def by Blanchetown 1269 Carnamah were dealt a difficult start to the season coming up against powerful opponent in Blanchetown at home. The pre season injury gods have once again been unkind to the Cormorants and with the request to top up numbers from the local league quashed by the league heavyweights they were forced to battle as best they could. Petracca (152) was the highlight but Rachele (88), Reid (83), Florent (81) and Weddle (80) attempted to stem the tide. The tide was however overpowering as the Bunyips were dominant all over the field with Houston’s (132) career revival in full swing, LDU (104) providing reliable output, Gawn (122) continuing to be the GOAT and the Wizard (111) providing the highlights the outing proved to be a perfect tune up before tougher opposition engage later in the year. Votes 3: Petracca 2: Houston 1: Gawn Big Tap Gawn def Meek
Match report from Pakenham To kick off the year the home team Pakenham welcomed Ararat to town. The home fans were hopeful for a close tussle between the two rival clubs and that’s what they kind of got. The Dillios proving to strong 1297 beating the poorly coached parasites 1200 Ararat had stars all over the park, Jackson 142, Stewart 133, Blakey 127, Miers 108, Rozee 105, MacDonald 103 and Humprhies 99 being the standouts, solid contributions from a few others helped the Dillios amass 1297, the only concern for the coach would be poo. No doubt the coach would be hoping for an improvement on that stinky effort. Pakenham did ok on the day with the likes of Anderson 132, Sinclair 123, Windhager 103, Darcy 99 and Idun 99 carrying the load whilst a few others chimed in some what. The biggest problem was the donut on the bench that shouldn’t have happened. Very poor coaching and no oversight from the selection committee basically lost us the game. Someone will lose their job over this. Not good enough. Overall a decent competitive game Both teams would be hoping to see each other later on in the year. The giant tap was won easily on the day by Jackson 142 defeating the second string Pakenham ruck Blicavs 72 BOG: Jackson 142, Stewart 133, Anderson 132
The hope.... is regular updates across the weekend, and a match report before the next round, all done by the home team coach. People get busy, so updates become sporadic. Some coaches post detailed round reports, others a brief summary, and yet others nothing. Some are prompt, some are weeks behind. Just do the best you can with the time you have available, please.
The Bulls have their noses infront in the GF bye lite replay. SFB 935/11/85 BBU 929/12/77 @martyg will be hopibg for Josh Lindsay to be a late in