@YAD69 at 7/8th time in the Goldfields, unless Tim Membrey can achieve the greatest ever score in SC history, by some margin, this game is well and truly over.
@HOLKY The Graveyard Match Report Nuytsland Vikings 1204 def. Eden Plovers 937 "The Plovers flew in... and left with their feathers plucked." After weeks of being the corpse at their own funeral, the Nuytsland Vikings finally remembered that The Graveyard is supposed to be where other teams get buried. The Eden Plovers arrived chirping confidently, but by the final siren they looked more like confused seagulls fighting over a cold chip in a Bunnings car park. The Vikings dominated most lines of the ground and never really looked threatened, producing one of their most complete performances of the season. ⚔️ Defenders – Newman's New Kingdom Nic Newman continued his season-long transformation into a new man, leading the Viking defence with 86 points. Wil Powell kept the engine room powered up with 71, while Lachlan Cowan refused to be cowed by the occasion, grinding out a reliable 66. Karl Worner may have been a little worn-er by the end of proceedings, but still found enough petrol in the tank to contribute 60. Meanwhile for Eden, Liam Baker was baking up resistance with 92, but his teammates were serving mostly undercooked performances. Advantage: Vikings ️ Midfield – Young Guns and Old Lesson This was where the Vikings really took control. Hayden Young played like a seasoned veteran rather than a youngster, piling on 104 points and driving the longship straight through the centre square. Chad Warner was fully switched on with 92, broadcasting Viking attacks across every channel. Hugo Garcia once again said "gracias" with 97 quality points, while Levi Ashcroft couldn't quite rise from the ashes this week but still chipped in. For the Plovers, Kysaiah Pickett tried to pick apart the Vikings with 100, but he often found himself fighting a battle with little support. Jack Crisp was reasonably crisp with 70, but the Viking midfield had already eaten the lunch. Advantage: Vikings by longship lengths Rucks – Sweet as Honey Mead Jordan Sweet remembered where he'd hidden the chocolates. 109 points later, Viking fans were lining up for dessert. While the Plovers were looking for answers at stoppages, Sweet was handing out centre clearances like free samples at Costco. The midfield feast started with him. Massive Advantage: Vikings Forwards – Schultz Pulls the Trigger, McKay Wants McMore Lachie Schultz pulled the trigger with 94 and spent the afternoon causing problems for the Plovers defence. Harry McKay produced a solid 94, though knowing Harry he'd probably still want a little McMore. Sam Draper stitched together a tidy 73-point performance and kept the pressure on all afternoon. Jye Amiss unfortunately did miss a few opportunities, but his 59 was enough to ensure the scoreboard kept ticking over. For Eden, Patrick Voss was the standout with 128, giving the Vikings defence a few headaches and proving he was the boss of their forward line. But one swallow doesn't make a summer, and one Voss doesn't make a victory. Advantage: Vikings Interchange – Langford Goes Long The Vikings bench delivered the knockout blow. Harvey Langford remembered exactly what his surname demanded and went long with a brilliant 111 points. Every time the Plovers looked remotely interested in mounting a comeback, Langford was there to slam the door shut. Eden got good value from Esava Ratugolea (106), but by then the Viking ship was already sailing over the horizon. ⚰️ Final Word – "The Graveyard Reopens for Business" For one glorious afternoon, the Vikings stopped being residents of The Graveyard and returned to being undertaker. The Plovers had a few bright spots, but they spent most of the afternoon getting their wings clipped. By the final siren, the Vikings weren't asking where the bodies were buried. They knew. Because they'd just put them there. The only thing flying at The Graveyard was dirt landing on the Plovers' coffin.
It was a bit of a massacre in the Goldfields, with the southern coast Nutsy boys taking the trip north, and quite possibly wishing they hadn't @bryzza Down back Nasiah the Messiah absolutely dominated the game, bringing his own ball and not sharing it with anyone. The rest of the Prospector backline was good, but not spectacular. The Viking backline was proudly lead by K Worner, but the support just wasn't there, with W Powell being decidedly less than average. Coolgardie won the line by 78 points. The midfield was sheer dominance by the home side. C Serong and T Bruhn were putting on a clinic, while T Miller and O Wines both came along for the party. The visitors' H Garcia was outstanding, swooping on all the loose balls, but his midfield teammates were more interested in talking about some round-ball game. Coolgardie won the line by 132 points. The rucks was a contest to behold. Skilled tapping to advantage from both big men, saw a tight tussle, with the local boy L McAndrew coming out slightly on top of his visiting rival, J Sweet, by a measly 3 points. The forwards for both sides were somewhat of a disgrace. It was like they were trying to miss. Or maybe they were imagining there was a round-ball goal-keeper standing in their way, and they had to curve it around, or header it in... The only shining lights were J Waterman for the Prospectors, and C Warner for the Vikings, while all other forwards were below average, at best, and deplorable at worst. Nuytsland won the line by 35 points. The interchange saw four players glued to their phones watching the world cup, and not paying the slightest bit of attention to the footy match being played out infront of them, all falling well below an average score. Coolgardie won the line by 19 points. In the end it was a comfortable win for the home side coming out of the byes, and hoping to continue some dominant form for the remainder of the season and into the finals. The votes: 3 - N Wanganeen-Milera, Coolgardie, 160 points 2 - H Garcia, Nuytsland, 125 points 1 - L McAndrew, Coolgardie, and K Worner, Nuytsland, 115 points each The giant tap was won by 3 points by L McAndrew over J Sweet, 115 to 112. Next up sees Nuytsland back home taking on King Island, while Coolgardie are on the road to Eden. Good luck to all four teams.
Match Report Blanchetown Bunyips 1359 def. King Island Monarchs 1191 Winning margin: 168 points Blanchetown Bunyips produced one of their most complete performances of the season, overpowering King Island Monarchs by 168 points in a contest dominated through the spine of the ground. The Bunyips built their advantage in defence and around the stoppages, where star performers Bailey Dale (151), Jordan Dawson (135) and Max Gawn (165) completely controlled proceedings. While the Monarchs had several solid contributors, too many zeroes and underperforming premiums left them chasing the game from the opening bounce. First Quarter – Bunyips defenders set the tone Blanchetown's backline was immense. Bailey Dale's 151 was the standout score of the match outside Max Gawn and gave the Bunyips an early platform, with Blake Hardwick (105) and Josh Daicos (87) providing plenty of support. The Monarchs found resistance through Colby McKercher (112) and Bo Allan (77), but a donut from Wayne Milera (0) left a major hole. By the end of the defensive battle, Blanchetown held a commanding 407-312 advantage. Midfield Battle – Dawson and LDU take control The middle of the ground was where the game started to break open. Jordan Dawson (135) led from the front and was brilliantly supported by Luke Davies-Uniacke (121). Although Sam Walsh (65) and Matt Rowell (72) were quieter than expected, the Bunyips still posted a strong midfield total of 393. King Island fought back through Ed Richards (105) and Patrick Lipinski (104), but scores of 47 from Tobie Travaglia and 0 from Brady Hough proved costly. The Monarchs lost the midfield battle 393-322, extending the deficit. Ruck Contest – Gawn dominates This was the decisive matchup of the round. Max Gawn's incredible 165 was a captain-worthy performance and arguably the score that broke the Monarchs' resistance. Against him, Bailey J. Williams (82) battled hard but was ultimately outclassed. The Bunyips won the ruck duel by 83 points, almost half the final winning margin. Forward Lines – Monarchs hold their own To their credit, King Island's forwards were competitive. Tom Sparrow (120) was outstanding, while Jobe Shanahan (88) provided strong support. However, the zero from Kyle Langford prevented the Monarchs from capitalising on their opportunities. For Blanchetown, Jason Horne-Francis (131) was electric, producing the best forward score on the ground. Contributions from Ben Keays (80), Ben King (68) and Zac Taylor (60) kept the scoreboard ticking over. The forward battle finished narrowly in Blanchetown's favour, 339-312. Turning Point The contest effectively swung on two factors: Max Gawn's 165-point masterclass Multiple Monarch donuts King Island carried four zeroes across their side (Milera, Hough, Langford and Kye Annand), while Blanchetown only copped two, one of which came from the bench. Those missing scores made it nearly impossible to stay with a Bunyips side enjoying huge outputs from its premium players. Best Players Blanchetown Bunyips Max Gawn – 165 Dominated the ruck battle and was the biggest scorer on the ground. Bailey Dale – 151 Intercepting and rebounding at will from defence. Jordan Dawson – 135 Elite midfield performance when the game was there to be won. Honourable mentions: Luke Davies-Uniacke (121), Jason Horne-Francis (131), Blake Hardwick (105). King Island Monarchs Tom Sparrow – 120 A lone hand at times in the forward line. Colby McKercher – 112 Excellent across half-back. Ed Richards – 105 Worked tirelessly through the midfield. Coach's Summary Blanchetown Bunyips: A genuine premiership-calibre performance. Massive scores from the stars, dominance in the ruck, and no major weaknesses across the field resulted in a comfortable victory. King Island Monarchs: Plenty of positives from Sparrow, McKercher, Richards and Lipinski, but four zeroes and a lack of support around the ground made the task too difficult. Final Score: Blanchetown Bunyips 1359 defeated King Island Monarchs 1191 by 168 points. Best on Ground: Max Gawn (165) Dale - 151 Dawson - 135 Big Tap - Gawn 165 def Williams 82 Yes, I used co-pilot for this report. Waaay too much BS for my liking.