Giant Tap 2020. Then. Now. Forever*. *While footy is still on. Grundy got a perfect season last year. Round 1: Nuytsland vs Ararat Grundy 179 vs Gawn 93 Eden vs Pearcedale Soldo 100 vs Nankervis 27 Serengeti vs Banchang Naismith 121 vs Lycett 70 Korumburra vs Staghorn Flat Goldstein 136 vs Lobb 133 Gisborne vs Hughenden Witts 50 vs Frampton 23 Christmas Island vs Cow Bay Kreuzer 33 vs Ceglar 101 King Island vs Coolgardie Naitanui 100 vs Martin 58 Southern Cross vs Pakenham Jacobs 134 vs Marshall 92 Groote Eyelandt vs Blanchetown Ryder 79 vs O'Brien 107 1-0: Grundy, Soldo, Naismith, Goldstein, Witts, Ceglar, Naitanui, Jacobs, O'Brien Grundy now on a 28 game winning streak and just beat the last person to beat him.
Coming into round 2 and still early days. Many vying to stay undefeated. Round 2: Staghorn Flat VS Groote Eyelandt Lobb 57 vs Stanley 122 Hughenden vs Eden Atkins 34 vs Soldo 108 Cow Bay vs Banchang Ceglar 71 vs Lycett 117 Southern Cross vs Christmas Island Jacobs 56 vs Pittonet 134 King Island vs Korumburra Naitanui 85 vs Goldstein 164 Pearcedale vs Blanchetown Rioli 18 vs O'Brien 161 Coolgardie vs Gisborne Martin 38 vs Witts 77 Pakenham vs Ararat Marshall 70 vs Gawn 184 Nuytsland vs Serengeti Grundy 115 vs Thomas 32 Total: 2-0: Goldstein (150) Grundy (147) O'Brien (134) Soldo (104) Witts (63.5) 1-0: Pittonet (134) Stanley (122) Naismith (121) Key Matches next week: Gawn vs Pittonet and Witts whose luck will be tested against Ivan the Awesome. Meanwhile, until they play, Goldstein and Grundy might just be seperated by average.
Round 3 and we have 5 undefeated players. Round 3: Korumburra vs Serengeti Goldstein 151 vs Elliott 47 Banchang vs Coolgardie Lycett 156 vs O-McInerney 132 Staghorn Flat vs Blanchetown Lobb 41 vs O'Brien 91 Ararat vs Christmas Island null vs Pittonet 137 Cow Bay vs Nuytsland Ceglar 120 vs Grundy 103 King Island vs Pakenham Naitanui 137 vs Marshall 81 Eden vs Gisborne Soldo 32 vs Witts 147 Groote Eyelandt vs Pearcedale Stanley 70 vs Rioli 18 Hugenden vs Southern Cross Smith 37 vs Jacobs 95 Total: 3-0: Goldstein (150.3) O'Brien (119.7) Witts (91.3) 2-0: Pittonet (135.5) Stanley (96) 2-1: Grundy (132.3) Lycett (114.3) Naitanui (107.3) After a 29 game winning streak, Grundy has finally been defeated. By Ceglar who has finally escaped the midcard (sort of). He's just outside the top 8. He's 9th. Witts on the other hand gets a big score to show he's still a chance to win this. Underdog victories are not even uncommon here. I think Ararat once won from 8th if I remember the first season rightly. Key Matches next week: Gawn vs Naitanui and Witts vs Pittonet the unlucky. Meanwhile Goldstein is now clear leader although O'Brien might be close in second. Goldstein won in 2015 with 15-2.
Round 4 and we have 3 at the top. Round 4: Ararat vs King Island Gawn 141 vs Nic-Nat 74 Korumburra vs Groote Eyelandt Golder 116 vs Ryder 0 Pakenham vs Pearcedale Marshall 117 vs Rioli 0 Nuytsland vs Staghorn Flat Grundy 135 vs Lobb 87 Banchang vs Eden Lycett 96 vs KKP 26 Serengeti vs Coolgardie Naismith 79 vs O-McInerney 30 Christmas Island vs Gisborne Pittonet 94 vs Witts 144 Blanchetown vs Hugenden O'Brien 88 vs Smith 49 Cow Bay vs Southern Cross Ceglar 86 vs Mummy 36 Total: 4-0: Golder (141.75) O'Brien (111.75) Witts (104.5) 3-1: Grundy (133) Lycett (109.75) Ceglar (94.5) 2-1: Gawn (139.25) Pittonet (121.7) No close games this week. Grundy and Gawn regain form after 1 loss each putting the top 3 on notice. Witts proves to be more than just luck and O'Brien has an off week but still wins. Golder on top facing Lycett next week. Could be a danger game. Lycett in top form can win against almost anyone. Next key match is Pittonet vs Nic Nat to see who gets into the upper mid tier (3-2).
Round 5: Serengeti vs Ararat Keays 50 vs Gawn 163 Eden vs Blanchetown Phillips 110 vs O'Brien 95 Coolgardie vs Cow Bay Martin 51 vs Ceglar 53 Groote Eyelandt vs Nuytsland Riewoldt 30 vs Grundy 151 King Island vs Christmas Island Nic-Nat 107 vs Pittonet 83 Banchang vs Korumburra Lycett 62 vs Golder 137 Gisborne vs Pakenham Witts 83 vs Marshall 128 Southern Cross vs Staghorn Flat Jacobs 0 vs Lobb 69 Pearcedale vs Hughenden Nankervis 86 vs Frampton 31 Total: 5-0: Golder (140.8) 4-1: Grundy (136.6) O'Brien (108.4) Witts (100.2) Ceglar (86.2) 3-1: Gawn (144) 3-2: Naitanui (100.6) Lycett (100.2) Golder takes the lead by a game now. Witts and O'Brien both lost leaving Gawn and Grundy to take 2nd and 3rd respectively. Next week: Witts vs Grundy and Golder vs Ceglar.
Round 6: King Island vs Groote Eyelandt Nic-Nat 85 vs Riewoldt 35 Serengeti vs Eden Keays 50 vs Soldo 117 Ararat vs Southern Cross Gawn 163 vs Mumford 88 Christmas Island vs Coolgardie Pittonet 75 vs Martin 39 Pakenham vs Blanchetown Marshall 76 vs O'Brien 103 Pearcedale vs Banchang Chol 64 vs Lycett 108 Staghorn Flat vs Hughenden Lobb 117 vs Frampton 31 Gisborne vs Nuytsland Witts 83 vs Grundy 107 Cow Bay vs Korumburra Ceglar 43 vs Golder 129 Total: 6-0: Golder (138.8) 5-1: Grundy (131.7) O'Brien (107.5) 4-1: Gawn (145.5) 4-2: Lycett (101.5) Naitanui (98) Witts (97.3) Ceglar (79) Gawn ahead of Golder on average but Golder's a win ahead. This week he faces O'Brien. Also next week, Soldo faces Ceglar for a spot in the top 8. He's 3-1 now.
Round 7: Southern Cross vs Gisborne Mumford 70 vs Witts 109 Eden vs Cow Bay Soldo 78 vs De Goey 76 Serengeti vs Pearcedale Ballard 38 vs Chol 81 Staghorn Flat vs King Island McEvoy 35 vs Naitanui 87 Blanchetown vs Korumburra O'Brien 143 vs Golder 106 Hugenden vs Christmas Island Cox 53 vs Pittonet 32 Nuytsland vs Pakenham Grundy 144 vs Marshall 74 Coolgardie vs Ararat Martin 46 vs Gawn 185 Groote Eyelandt vs Banchang Ryder 128 vs Sinclair 69 Total: 6-1: Golder (134.1) Grundy (133.4) O'Brien (112.6) 5-1: Gawn (151.1) 5-2: Witts (99) Naitanui (96.4) 4-1: Soldo (87) 4-2 Lycett (101.5) O'Brien gets a big win. Doesn't move up in the rankings but clears Golder's lead with Gawn now first by points. The Giant Tap has never gone to points but it can happen.
Round 8: Cow Bay vs Groote Eyelandt Noble 23 vs Ryder 142 Banchang vs Nuystland Sinclair 59 vs Grundy 61 Blanchetown vs Coolgardie O'Brien 86 vs McInerney 74 Gisborne vs King Island Witts 97 vs Naitanui 84 Korumburra vs Pearcedale Golder 69 vs Chol 43 Pakenham vs Hughenden Marshall 160 vs Mayne 33 Ararat vs Staghorn Flat Gawn 157 vs McEvoy 93 Christmas Island vs Eden Pittonet 53 vs Soldo 98 Southern Cross vs Serengeti Jacobs 74 vs Ballard 30 Total: 7-1: Golder (126) Grundy (124.4) O'Brien (109.2) 6-1: Gawn (151.9) 6-2: Witts (98.7) 5-1: Soldo (88.8) 5-3: Naitanui (94.9) 4-2 Lycett (101.5) Gawn getting a big win to keep his average up, the others in the 4 facing close matchups. Witts moves to 1 game clear on 5th while Soldo goes to 5-1 close behind. Don't have the 2017 records but I'm sure every winner played every game. Next week, Goldstein faces Gawn in a top of the table clash between 2 former winners.
I realised something with the byes. Max Gawn would technically get an extra game as an advantage. So what I'm going to do is count his game (and the Essendon ruck's) as no ruck selected thus nullifying Gawn's advantage but not turning it into a loss. So he would be 6-1 but 6-1 with others to miss a game too.
Round 9: Nuystland vs Christmas Island Grundy 118 vs Pittonet 69 Blanchetown vs Southern Cross O'Brien 94 vs Jacobs 104 Eden vs Pakenham Soldo 69 vs Marshall 90 Pearcedale vs Cow Bay Chol 80 vs Ceglar 89 Groote Eyelandt vs Gisborne Ryder 81 vs Witts 74 King Island vs Banchang Naitanui 146 vs Sinclair 89 Coolgardie vs Staghorn Flat McInerney 91 vs McEvoy 85 Korumburra vs Pearcedale Golder 140 vs Gawn 87 Hughenden vs Serengeti Mayne 15 vs Draper 73 Total: 8-1: Golder (127.6) Grundy (123.7) 7-2: O'Brien (107.6) 6-2: Gawn (144.7) 6-3: Naitanui (100.6) Witts (96) 5-2: Soldo (86) Ceglar (80.4) Golder won that to keep level on top spot. Meanwhile in a sleeper match, O'Brien could not beat Jacobs in his former home town. He goes to 4-2 now just outside the 8. Lots of close games this week.
Round 10: Cow Bay vs Ararat Gould 0 vs Gawn 107 Eden vs Korumburra Soldo 28 vs Golder 102 Pearcedale vs Coolgardie Chol 54 vs McInerney 128 Blanchetown vs Nuytsland O'Brien 50 vs Grundy 147 Staghorn Flat vs Gisborne Vandenburg 21 vs Witts 107 Serengeti vs King Island Draper 74 vs Henry 35 Banchang vs Southern Cross Sinclair 85 vs Mumford 101 Hughenden vs Groote Eyelandt Mayne 0 vs Ryder 68 Pakenham vs Christmas Island Marshall 143 vs Pittonet 0 Total: 9-1: Grundy (126) Golder (125) 7-2: Gawn (140.9) 7-3: O'Brien (101.8) Witts (97.1) 6-3: Naitanui (100.6) 5-2: Ceglar (80.4) 5-3: Soldo (78.75) Grundy and Golder are separated by average still. They play off this week though. For top spot perhaps. I wondered if they might miss each other but they are both in the same bye group.
Round 11: Ararat vs Pearcedale Jackson 73 vs Chol 79 Groote Eyelandt vs Eden Stanley 112 vs Soldo 82 Christmas Island vs Blanchetown Pittonet 0 vs O'Brien 106 Southern Cross vs King Island Null 0 vs Naitanui 129 Pakenham vs Staghorn Flat Marshall 89 vs Lobb 88 Nuytsland vs Korumburra Grundy 100 vs Golder 100 Serengeti vs Cow Bay Gleeson 37 vs Ceglar 54 Gisborne vs Banchang Witts 107 vs Lycett 63 Coolgardie vs Hughenden McInerney 113 vs Mayne 30 Total: 9-1-1: Grundy (123.6) Golder (122.7) 8-3: O'Brien (102.2) Witts (96.9) 7-2: Gawn (140.9) 7-3: Naitanui (103.4) 6-2: Ceglar (77.1) 6-5: Marshall (101.8) And they draw. Seems fitting that it comes down to 2 former winners. Still 6 games to go, but a game and a half clear is a big advantage. Now it may come down to who loses first. Or average.
Round 12: Groote Eyelandt vs Ararat Stanley 88 vs Blakey 56 Eden vs King Island Soldo 85 vs Naitanui 153 Blanchetown vs Cow Bay O'Brien 124 vs McPherson 21 Pakenham vs Coolgardie Marshall 119 vs McInerney 99 Christmas Island vs Banchang De Koning 71 vs Lycett 90 Pearcedale vs Staghorn Flat Chol 52 vs Lobb 80 Southern Cross vs Nuytsland Jacobs 84 vs Grundy 148 Hughenden vs Korumburra Mayne 0 vs Golder 134 Gisborne vs Serengeti Witts 107 vs Draper 63 Total: 10-1-1: Grundy (125.7) Golder (123.7) 9-3: O'Brien (104) Witts (96.6) 8-3: Naitanui (107.9) 7-2: Gawn (140.9) 7-5: Marshall (103.25) 6-2: Ceglar (77.1) Gawn unfortunately getting injured. He probably could have won. Not much else to say really, top 5 all won.
Round 13: Coolgardie vs Groote Eyelandt McInerney 59 vs Stanley 140 Ararat vs Gisborne Bytel 26 vs Witts 86 Pearcedale vs Southern Cross Chol 43 vs Mumford 77 Serengeti vs Pakenham Draper 122 vs Marshall 96 King Island vs Hughenden Naitanui 146 vs Atkins 30 Nuytsland vs Eden Grundy 85 vs Soldo 103 Banchang vs Blanchetown Lycett 128 vs O'Brien 82 Korumburra vs Christmas Island Golder 58 vs De Koning 39 Staghorn Flat vs Cow Bay Lobb 55 vs Patton 52 Total: 11-1-1: Golder (118.6) 10-1-2: Grundy (122.5) 10-3: Witts (95.8) 9-3: Naitanui (111.1) 9-4: O'Brien (102.3) 7-2: Gawn (140.9) 7-6: Marshall (102.7) 6-2: Ceglar (77.1) A bit of good luck and Golder takes the lead after Grundy faces Soldo motivated after 4 losses. O'Brien takes a loss to Lycett too, costing him a top 4 spot. Lycett and Soldo are 9th and 10th respectively but both on 6 wins.
Round 14: Coolgardie vs Nuytsland Allir 41 vs Grundy 127 Southern Cross vs Eden Mumford 69 vs Soldo 72 Ararat vs Banchang Gawn 135 vs Lycett 86 Christmas Island vs Staghorn Flat De Koning 29 vs Lobb 48 Blanchetown vs King Island O'Brien 0 vs Naitanui 98 Cow Bay vs Hughenden Ceglar 80 vs Atkins 41 Serengeti vs Groote Eyelandt Phillips 101 vs Stanley 109 Gisborne vs Pearcedale Witts 116 vs Chol 0 Pakenham vs Korumburra Marshall 129 vs Golder 95 Total: 11-1-2: Grundy (122.9) 11-1-2: Golder (116.9) 11-3: Witts (97.2) 10-3: Naitanui (110.1) 9-5: O'Brien (102.3) 8-2: Gawn (140.4) 8-6: Marshall (104.6) 7-2: Ceglar (77.4) Back to level pegging with Grundy and Golder with Witts close behind still. He doesn't have a score advantage but that doesn't really matter unless he too draws.
Round 15: Eden vs Coolgardie Soldo 50 vs McInerney 85 Groote Eyelandt vs Pakenham McLean 73 vs Bellchambers 0 Blanchetown vs Ararat O'Brien 141 vs Gawn 150 Staghorn Flat vs Serengeti Lobb 104 vs Draper 64 Nuytsland vs King Island Grundy 104 vs Naitanui 72 Pearcedale vs Christmas Island Nankervis 35 vs Pittonet 79 Hughenden vs Banchang Smith 0 vs Sinclair 55 Korumburra vs Southern Cross Balta 97 vs Mumford 83 Cow Bay vs Gisborne Williams 46 vs Hamling 0 Total: 12-1-2: Grundy (121.6) 11-1-2: Golder (116.9) 11-3: Witts (97.2) 10-4: Naitanui (107.4) 9-2: Gawn (141.4) 9-6: O'Brien (105.1) 8-6: Marshall (104.6) 7-2: Ceglar (77) With the byes about to even out, Grundy keeps the lead by a game. He's got 1 game left though so will have to win in the last round against Cholkervis and keep his average up to get the win though.
Round 16: Southern Cross vs Groote Eyelandt Jacobs 127 vs McLean 24 King Island vs Pearcedale Naitanui 0 vs Conca 34 Banchang vs Staghorn Flat Lycett 76 vs Lobb 61 Ararat vs Eden Gawn 132 vs Fort 0 Christmas Island vs Serengeti Pittonet 0 vs Draper 74 Nuytsland vs Hughenden English 132 vs Smith 41 Gisborne vs Blanchetown Witts 96 vs O'Brien 105 Pakenham vs Cow Bay Marshall 105 vs Ceglar 58 Coolgardie vs Korumburra McInerney 65 vs Golder 101 Total: 12-1-2: Grundy (121.6) 12-1-2: Golder (115.9) 11-4: Witts (97.1) 10-2: Gawn (140.6) 10-5: Naitanui (107.4) 10-6: O'Brien (105.1) 9-6: Marshall (104.6) 7-3: Ceglar (75.3) Last round and it's down to whether Grundy wins his last game. Will he become a 3-time champ?
Round 17: Staghorn Flat vs Eden Lobb 98 vs Soldo 28 Hughenden vs Ararat Smith 51 vs Gawn 150 Banchang vs Pakenham Lycett 128 vs Marshall 76 Blanchetown vs Serengeti O'Brien 101 vs Draper 61 Pearcedale vs Nuytsland Nankervis 99 vs Grundy 105 Cow Bay vs King Island Ceglar 47 vs Naitanui 143 Korumburra vs Gisborne Golder 76 vs Witts 71 Coolgardie vs Southern Cross McInerney 104 vs Mumford 102 Groote Eyelandt vs Christmas Island Ryder 115 vs De Koning 66 Total: 13-1-2: Grundy (120.6) 13-1-2: Golder (113.4) 11-2: Gawn (141.3) 11-5: Naitanui (109.7) 11-5: Witts (95.5) 11-6: O'Brien (104.8) 9-7: Marshall (102.8) 8-4: Lycett (98.3) Your winner and 3-time Champion: Brodie Grundy
That being said, if Gawn had gotten those 3 more games, it would be entirely possible that he would have won all 3. But I can't award would haves here.
Nice job, Holky and that goes for the Lucky Finds too. Really appreciate the time and effort you put into these. Cheers.