I hadn't checked the scores, @ChiefRussell , so this post had me excited - particularly the reference to heroics being needed. But then I did look at the scores and it got me thinking that you might write clickbait headlines for News Ltd for a living! . I have the Battlers down about 40 with 7 to play vs 6 for the Chooks. While that seems promising enough, when you at look at what's to come - Danger, Selwoood, Bartel, Kelly, Betts and Hawkins vs Enright, Houli, Blakely, Mayne, Lloyd, Atkins and Dea - it's clear that the ONLY thing I have going for me is one extra player. Anything is possible of course, but if Chiefbet doesn't have you a warm favourite then a Royal Commission into gambling is definitely on the cards! If the Battlers do win, though, I'll chalk it up as karma for the big end of town trying to bully the poor old Battlers.
A looooonnnnngg way down but with a lot more players in hand. I reckon I'm about 1.5 decent players short of being a really good team (1 of them a midfielder!) - which is probably similar to this time last year to be honest ... and perhaps similar to most of the year. The mid year trade and draft picks didn't alter that a lot, but what it did do was put Darraweit in a far better position to improve in 2017. KI's Hawks guys had a picnic yesterday as I expected - can't complain though as I've got some wins this year through good matchups too. I needed everyone to do their bit and while Hrovat did his job, Ceglar tried hard and Coniglio and Tyson smashed it out of the park, down days from Harvey and Young really put me behind the eight ball. Should Hill have gotten a guernsey? Hmmm, maybe, but he's been up and down like a yoyo this year. Though his good form lately bodes well for 2017, when I'll definitely need him. My amateur maths (And KI's totalling up too) has me down about 630 points, but with 7 players in hand. I'd be a little more satisfied if I was about 60 points closer. But alas, while I've got some good players running around today, I don't think they are, across the board, quite good enough to make up that much ground. Especially with two of them - Saad and Titch - coming back from injury. If they are, it'll be a great effort. But we'll see. Just happy to be here, about 540 from 7 players thus far is a pass when Harvey gets 30-odd and Young 45. Hopefully the guys left can run it close. Got 5 in the Essendon/Suns game, so 400 out of them might be enough to keep things interesting (then it'd be Lyons, Rance and Titch vs about 230 and Lynch) - but 400 from Cooney, Gleeson, Saad, May and Walla might be a big ask.
ChiefBet will enjoy taking your money and everyone else's. Game is over. Everyone forgets that I know my team better than everyone else does. Same thing has happened the last 3 years
Lol, we'll see I guess. Cats now in front in a close game so it will be interesting to see what effect that has on the scores from that game.
If this week has proven anything, it is that any rebuilding job at Darraweit appears not quite done. It is close, better than the start of the year (and if I hadn't stuffed up my first pick in the PSD, we might be traveling better), but not quite there. After watching Jen get left in the lurch to rebuild a team left behind by someone else, I've absolutely vowed not to do that to the next person in. That'd be awful. With everything being automated a bit more this year, I've found it a bit easier to keep up. Though draft time is a struggle. If I'm comfortable that the rebuilding is almost there, then someone else can have a dip. If not, maybe the "one more year" clause might come in. I'm not sure right now.
Kidnapped by Shane Edwards. Swapping stories about not scoring great when their teams need them to. Walters in for Edwards and Darraweit look almost certain to win. But after Walters' last two weeks, didn't see 4 goals v the Crows on the horizon.
Two meaningless goals in the last by Lynch and I'm dusted. I'll have a think about putting Walters in next week when it doesn't matter ....
I only just noticed this comment now... @graeme was that in response to me commenting that Mackie getting dropped hurts me because ive not got any more defenders? Bit of a strange response from you. Maybe you had a few too many wines! Anyway, i think its onwards and upwards for Gariwerd. Preseason this year id assessed my list and didnt think i was a realistic chance to succeed this season, which is why i traded Deledio. My list is set up fairly well to improve next year i think. However, yeah i probably need another premium defender. Im just enjoying my first time in the finals and hoping the players and I get some good experience from it. Having a rough look at @bama s and my squads, we've both had some players perform well but most have had down games. Its tough to guage who has won without adding it up, and im eager to see the final outcome.
I've just added up the scores and I think the Uglies have won by 17 points in a low scoring game - 1189 to 1172. My OOP defender might have been the difference afterall. Well done @bama ! Good luck for the rest of the finals
Well done KI guy, I think about 20 points is the margin. Good stuff mate, onwards! The Hrovat-Walters swap might've cost me in the end, though the logic behind it made good sense. In retrospect the choice shouldn't gave been between Walters and Hrovat, but Walters and Edwards. Shouldve backed the fully fit guy in ultimately. Even against Adelaide. Really, thinking about it, bringing in a guy who has been injured is always a roll of the dice. The other dice rolls worked - not playing Brown, showing faith in Hrovat, Gleeson and Cooney - all good choices. Just the last flip of the coin landed wrong. Ah well. Happy though. Really found some guys this year. Lyons and May made me happy I kept them. Ceglar did yeomanly work. Brown is a find, Adams and Walla too. Happy I kept the faith in Gleeson and Hrovat at midyear too. Just have to find that extra midfielder! The midyear trade of all those players to Lovely Banks wasn't meant to help me into the finals, but it sort of did, and very unexpectedly. Now I have about 10 functioning forwards to decide what to do with. And Jake Carlisle to return. Footy's done, so best of luck to everyone left in the Plate and the finals. We'll see where things take Darraweit in the offseason ... Hopefully a return to the finals will be on the agenda no matter where things end up.
Cheers @chris88 Great game. Plenty of ups and downs on both sides. Building a strong young side there whilst still competing well. Hope to see you back at the helm next year.
Bad luck Ant, very average game and you probably deserved the win. Wingard doesn't go down and you win. Hopefully the boys can step up this week and get in the GF!
I'll let you know one way or the other promptly once the time comes. That way there's maximum time to get someone else involved if required.
An uninspired first 3 qtrs from the Cats (and some surprising efforts from a couple of Battlers) sees the Battlers knock over the Chooks. As Al Michaels famously said, "Do you believe in miracles? YES!"
Congrats to the victors. commiserations to the ones who came second in their contest Will get the active draft picks updated in the next couple of days so those with idle hands/minds can contemplate trade options