This matchup deserves its own post for previews commentaries predictions and updates. Match preview to follow shortly
Ararat v Korumburra Summary In a classic finals debate the ultimate match of the season pits the best performed team of the year against the best form side of the finals. Who should be viewed as the better team of the year? Which team is most deserving of all the accolades? Those questions are for another time because all that matters now is the result of this final matchup of the year. The sides have met just once so far this year in what proved to be the Armadillos only blemish in an otherwise perfect home & away season as the Blowflys ran out narrow winners with a 1215 - 1207 victory. Despite the imposing H&A record it has been the Blowflys taking all before them since that matchup as they have been the highest scoring team of the finals while Ararat have had to deal with a revolving door to the medical room with new players coming in just as quickly as others are declared fit. Although it must be said that the Blowflys have done extremely well to cover the loss of probably the best defender of the season in Docherty who went down before a ball was even kicked even with an extremely short list of defensive reinforcements. How they got there Ararat H&A Ladder position - 1st Finals week 1 - defeated Serengeti: 1265 - 1241 Finals week 2 - defeated Staghorn Flat: 1200 - 1125 Korumburra H&A Ladder position - 6th Finals week 1 - defeated Groote Eylandt: 1478 - 1381 Finals week 2 - defeated Nuytsland: 1334 - 1118 Selection table An increasingly lengthening injury list is going to make it difficult for Ararat but if any side is going to be able to cover loses like this it is the Armadillos. Luke Ryan has been added to the injury list after playing a pivotal role in the first final victory while Treloar, Brayshaw, Dahlhaus and Wells all remain out with longer term injuries. Ricky Henderson is also under an injury cloud and the medical staff will be working overtime to get him up for the big dance. In overcoming injuries to such key players and making it this far it has been Ararats younger brigade who have stepped up to fill in the gaps. Players like Jack Bowes, Dom Sheed & Jed Anderson have all put in big performances when the team has needed them along with the genuine stars of the team Gibbs, Edwards, & Wingard who have stepped up another gear in the back part of the season. We can't talk Ararat though without mentioning the people's beard in Max Gawn. Unbelievably, Gawn has gone to an even higher level than an already impressive 2017 and has at times dragged his team over the line with absolute mammoth performances. While the beard is up and running, the Armadillos can never be counted out. As mentioned earlier, Sam Docherty going down before round 1 of the season could have been the end of the Blowflys and when Webster, Hodge & Vlastuin all missed games throughout the season it looked like they may just not have enough bodies to defend against the better forward lines of the competition. All praise has to go to the clubs physios and conditioning staff though as the Korumburra boys come into the most important match of the year with Docherty as the only player unavailable with even Michael Barlow up and running after somehow disappearing in a still unexplained absence for a large majority of the year. Who exactly to select will be @Mick's biggest conundrum although Scott Thompson has dropped off after an impressive start to his 6 month contract with the Blowflys and Walters, Hooker and A M-T all look to be playing through differing degrees of pain. Key players Ararat have had a number of different players step up at different times but there are a couple capable of going very big that @insider and the home crowd will be hoping bring their A-game for the decider. Max Gawn is the obvious one, if he gets on top of an in-form Goldstein he is capable of producing match winning performances. Down back it may be Tom Stewart who plays a big role for the Armadillos. Stewart has been a consistently impressive performer for Ararat in season 2018 but since missing a few games late in the year he has struggled to recapture his early season form but will need to rediscover it quickly if the Armadillos are to stand a chance. From there it will be up to the teams depth players that have come in to cover the injured stars and have at times produced top scores but have also shown the inconsistency of youth. Players like Sheed & Higgins will be crucial to the outcome. The Blowflys rely a lot more on their older stars in another tribute to the clubs medical team who have got them up and firing at the right time of the year. Gary Ablett has had quiet patches throughout the year but has been dominating lately. Holding together the defense in Docherty's absence has been Luke Hodge who has been a surprise to many in what he has been able to produce from his ageing body after almost being lost to the game at the end of 2017 and the Blowfly boys will need every bit of him to hold the cup aloft at the end of this one while Todd Goldstein has been another old timer to turn back the clock and put in a devastating season. His duel with Max Gawn could go a long way to deciding this contest and even if he is able to break even it could give the Blowflys the edge they need. Outside of the veteran heroes though it has been a couple of young guns up forward that have really propelled Korumburra into premiership favouritism. Sam Menegola has gone from strength to strength in season 2018 but it has been Josh Dunkley's meteoric rise that has been the most surprising. After a slowish start to the year he has been simply unstoppable in the back half of 2018 and if he is able to bring that form to the table this weekend it could prove invaluable. How can they win? Ararat - Don't fall for the lie that the Armadillos are dead and buried. With Max Gawn leading the troops and stars like Gibbs, Edwards & Wingard capable of posting huge numbers they remain in the hunt. If they are to be succesful though it will be a combination of those high scores coming together with the inconsistent performers of the side having their better games when it counts. Players like Rich, Wood, Higgins & Sheed have shown the ability to be top performers but if the Armadillos are to stand a chance they will need them all to bring it at the same time. Korumburra - More of the same recent form could be all the Blowflys need. Posting a scores of 1478 & 1334 in the finals series so far it is the Blowflys cup to lose. If they are to be succesful it will be because the recent uptick in form from players like Dunkley, Hewett & Menegola has continued in combination with the continued high performances of players like Ablett, Redden & Sloane who have turned a mid-range midfield into an imposing force. Prediction After all of that, all that really matters is the result. I can see Max Gawn having a huge say in this one and he looks primed to have a massive performance. He is my tip for BOG in the grand final but unfortunately for his Ararat teammates I can't see it being enough to get them across the finish line first. The high scoring recent form that the Blowflys have been able to produce has been ultra impressive and they have too many fit and firing players to tip against. They will have in the back of their minds that a fair bunch of their current form players have also punched out some more disappointing efforts but the recent trends all look positive for the boys of Korumburra to take out their first premiership victory. Final score prediction - Korumburra 1349 defeat Ararat 1314
There you have it. Korumburra are my tip for premiership glory but what does the larger ORFFU community have to say? Anyone tipping the Armadillos to pull another rabbit out of the hat? Vote away in the poll at the top of the thread