All the best @graeme . I'm not optimistic, though, as the Battlers limped home this season. I was hoping to console myself with an early draft selection but then I remembered I traded my 2027 1st rounder during this year's PSD. No wonder I have Infantino levels of support out Birdsville way these days.
Unofficial progress score Cradle Mountain Devils 895/12 Average 74.6 Lead Wineglass Bay Packers 480/7 Average 68.6 The predicted maximum temperature for the Devils home final against the Packers was 8 degrees. Conditions have not been conducive to free-flowing football with rain falling for most of the game so far. Both teams have played in a more defensive manner than usual, partly due to the conditions and partly due to being wary of the opposition’s strengths. The Devils led by 44 points at quarter time 258 to 214. The Packers were the better side in the second quarter and a Seth Campbell goal in time-on put the Packers in front. Campbell (87) is one of three Packers player to score 85+ to date along with forward/midfielder Tom Sparrow (92) and defender Andrew McGrath (89) after starting on the interchange. The player scores for the Devils have been very different to the projected scores with multiple players scoring roughly half their season average. On the flipside the Cradle Mountain duo to reach triple figures – defender Nick Vlastuin (114) from the int 2 position and forward Shaun Mannagh (104) both average sub 75 to rank outside CMD’s top 14 in the 2026 season. Two Devils that average 90+ both scored 92, defender Dayne Zorko and Devils captain, ruck Toby Nankervis after starting on the interchange. The three Devils to play on Sunday with season average in brackets are: R Marshall (90), D Wilson (86), T Greene (82) = 258/3 Average 86.0 The eight Packers to play on Sunday with season average in brackets are: Lachie Ash (103), John Noble (101), Bodhi Uwland (99), Josh Daicos (94), George Hewett (99), Darcy Cameron (92), Xavier O'Halloran (62), Sam Taylor (65) = 715/8 Average 89.4 Five of the eight Packers that average 90+ including all four defenders will take the field on Sunday. Whilst @Tracey ’s Wineglass Bay Packers are behind on average player score 68.6 to 74.6 at the end of Saturday night they are well placed to overtake Cradle Mountain on Sunday. If the 11 remaining players to take the field perform to their season average the Packers will defeat the Devils by 42 points, 1,195 to 1,153. Some low scoring records for a Devils final are in danger. The Devils playing in their 20th final are on track for a sub 1,200 finals score for only the third time. In the previous 19 Devils finals the winning team has scored 1,300+. The lowest winning score in a final the Devils have played in is 1,306 by the Spelunkers in the most recent final, the 2025 Grand Final. The Devils lowest score in a finals victory is 1,316 on the road in the first week of the 2023 finals against the Foul Bay Chickens. Cradle Mountain's lowest finals score is exactly 200 points less, 1,116 on the road against the same opponent, the Chickens in the Devils first ever final in 2014.
The visiting Nuffas are off to a hot start! Gariwerd Cockatoos 813/10/81.3 DEFENDERS Jake Bowey 100 Riley Bice 108 Isaac Quaynor Changkuoth Jiath 83 (Tobie Travaglia ) MIDFIELDER Noah Anderson Sam Durham 67 Willem Drew 103 Nathan O'Driscoll 52 (Sam Clohesy ) RUCKS Sam Draper 52 FORWARDS Touk Miller Toby Bedford Koltyn Tholstrup 97 Francis Evans (Ethan Read ) INTERCHANGE Blake Hardwick* 105 Kade Chandler* 46 (Sean Darcy* 0) VS Nareewillock Nuffers 1106/12/92.2 DEFENDERS Jordan Clark 81 Connor Idun Mason Redman 49 Harry Himmelberg (Tom Brown 71) MIDFIELDERS Errol Gulden 134 Ed Richards 114 Caleb Serong 105 Matt Rowell RUCKS Vigo Visentini 84 (Jake Riccardi 0) FORWARDS Jason Horne-Francis 99 Jack Ross 108 Chad Warner 123 Rhylee West 73 (Kyle Langford 0) INTERCHANGE Joel Fitzgerald* 61 Patrick Voss* 75 (Kye Annand* 0)