2017 ORFFA Finals - Week 1

Chooks gone. The scores are too embarrassing to post. Grasshoppers not setting the world on fire, but are only down 60 points with two fewer players having played.

Eddie Betts saw Libba's effort and decided he could play worse. Wright, Saad and Dahlhaus couldn't even manage 70.

Man I feel bad for Danger. Even Geelong is less of a one man team than the Chooks.

Even the fact that Snoz is playing with half a Cox isn't going to save me. In fact, one could say he will beat me with half a Cox.

(Yep, I've resorted to juvenile puns to get me through this Annus Horibillus....hehe, anus)

 

The knob's visit to the Cows' home pasture is all a bit strange. Our teams are drawn (bred) from very different afl teams. Yet, this afternoon we will have seven players in the hawks v norf game. Current scores too close to call because of the difference in number of players having played. One thing we do know is that the cows need some better quality forward performances.

Cows 988/11 (av 90) v Knobs 469/6 (av 78)

 

Should've mentioned that our teams' players in the hawks v norf game could hardly be more different. Jimbo has Hodge and Burgoyne who have been the heart of the hawks for an age plus Bruest as well as young Taylor Garner. The cows' three hawks are all from the "next generation of the hawks"; it will be interesting to see how Howe and Burton score compared to the legends.

 

Jack Ziebell late out, haha!

Good luck to the final four. I'll see you all in the trade period.

Got to go wash the stink of my team off me.

 

With a fair measure of luck the Cows progress to a preliminary final. The Knobs had an unfortunate injury to Koby Stevens during the game and so had to wear a 17. They also had injury problems pre-match with GAJ and Hanley noteable absentees. Had they had better luck the margin (177, 1365 to 1188 by my estimate) would have been a lot closer, maybe even the other way.

Am interested to see the other results before deciding on next week's opponent.

 

When you see my score (my lowest in ORFFA history if I'm not mistaken...maybe last years finals loss was), I'm sure you will be happy to do the review haha.

 

Congratulations on the comprehensive 182 point win in the Misfits first final @Len At the start of the season I expected CMD to finish fifth or sixth and lose in the first week of the finals, however I certainly didn’t expect the Misfits to be the opponent. I expected Marble Bar to improve significantly in the next few years, however the level of improvement I saw them having in two or three seasons they achieved in 2017 alone. Well done on a successful rebuild.

Cradle Mountain didn’t handle the intense finals pressure applied by Marble Bar very well, only posting 1,216 points which was their equal second lowest score of the season. The ever consistent Michael Hurley was the Devils best player with 120 points and led the defensive line to a very respectable tally of 391 points, being ably assisted by Nick Vlastuin with 115. Midfielder David Zaharakis (103) was the only other Devil to score a ton, with Zorko (78) and Heppell (59) only managing 137 between them. The Misfits were more consistent, only having one sub 75 score and ranking up five tonnes with one of these being ex-Devil Billy Longer who scored 108 in the ruck. Josh Kelly was best afield with 132 points, just ahead of Misfits 2017 b & f winner Marc Murphy with 129.

Whilst Cradle Mountain’s 2017 season is now over and they weren’t able to win a final it was a massive improvement on 2016 when their third highest score for the season was 1,222, whereas in 2017 the Devils only scored less than 1,222 points three times. Whilst the aim at the start of the season was to average 1,300 points per the season I didn’t expect the Devils to get as close as they did (averaged 1,292) points per game, this was largely due to a very good run with injury and significant improvement from several younger players. The Devils biggest improvers were Toby Nankervis, Zak Jones and Jack Steele who are almost certain to all finish in the top 10 in the Devils best and fairest after only polling two votes between them in 2016.