Ran the math Sunday morning and VBV needed a lot of things to fall our way to get a win. Never over till the (fat lady sings) scores upload though!
Phew……sorry @Fitzy, good game in the end but the Hoppers midfield gets us home. It’s been a bloody struggle having 5-6 top line starters out for most of the 2nd half of the season. @anthak on the other hand is flying home with a wet sail. Kinda daunting to be honest. Not sure our 2nds will be good enough but game on mate !!
hmmm, who are you actually missing? Brodie Grundy (Ave 103) and Taylor Adams (80) seem to be the only ones from your first 15, unless I am missing something? Milera (ave 60) out too, and he is on the fringe of your senior team. I'm missing Matt Crouch (90) and Changkouth Jiath (78) from my best 15. I also had Wingard, Willie Rioli and Robbie Gray out who would all be on the fringe of best 15, but a couple of those could make themselves available for selection for the granny fingers crossed. I think Gariwerd are the clear underdogs. Gundagai have finished top of the ladder two of the last three years (including this season!), and won a premiership. Gariwerd is looking forward the challenge of our first grand final.
I shouldn't be too concerned ant. Gundagai has been totally under water making it impossible for the Grasshoppers to train or host a final. @snoz
I've had a look back at all previous grand finals to see which of our current players have experience in the big dance. I also checked the entire rosters of the teams who finished first and second in the two years where we didnt play finals, however none of our players were on any of those four teams. We actually have four players with premiership experience! Michael Hibberd, Aaron Hall and Toby McLean all tasted success with Waikikamoocow in 2017, with McLean still yet to make his debut with the Cockatoos @graeme And Jack Darling won a premiership with Iron knob in 2014 @churchboy @jimbowan We have two players who played in losing grand final teams, with another two who were named as emergencies for losing grand finalists. Rory Laird played for Marble Bar in their runnerup team in 2017 @Len And Brad Hill played in the losing Darraweit Guim team way back in 2013 @chris88 & @CursingFijian Alex Neal-Bullen was an emergency for the runnerup Foul Bay Chickens in 2019 @ChiefRussell And Angus Brayshaw was an emergency for the runnerup just last year, Venus bay in 2021 @Fitzy A handful of these players are likely to be in the senior team this weekend and hopefully their experience will hold us in good stead!
We also have two inaugural Cockatoos still on our list who have never had the chance of course, and are champing at the bit. Shannon Hurn & Mitch Wallis (I cant believe Wallis has endured during these last few years) And of course Robbie Gray who was an innaugural Cockatoo but was traded away to premier Iron Knob just after the 2014 season and never got to play in a grand final, before being traded back to Gariwerd in this last preseason.
Pushing his case for selection, Robbie Gray has just announced his retirement at the end of this season, he’s hoping for one last game in the granny as a final send-off!
@anthak "Michael Hibberd, Aaron Hall and Toby McLean all tasted success with Waikikamoocow in 2017" Thanks for the reminder, does not seem like 5 years ago. Must be getting old.
For the Grand Final, the Hoppers will have unavailable for selection: Allen, TMcD, Rankine, Grundy, Powell and Adams. All 1st 15 starters. Add in depth players missing in Milera/Martin. That’s a bloody lot of cattle missing !!! It’s a shame but it is what is - game on mate and best of luck !!!
oh yes, I hadnt realised about TMac and Powell et al. I might be the opposite with Gray and Rioli both likely available this week, I will have too many players to choose from so I'm stressing over my team selection haha Who knows McLean and Crouch might be available for selection too.... We'll know soon enough, but Im not looking forward to match committee meeting to pick the final team
We’re having some heated discussions in match committee… some are suggesting we drop Aaron Hall, one of our only players with premiership experience, even though he’s averaging 98 SC points this season. It’s madness I reckon, but I think I’m gonna get out-voted
The Gariwerd Cockatoos team for the big dance! In: Robbie Gray, Aidan Corr Out: Jack Darling, Aaron Hall DEF: Shannon Hurn, Zach Tuohy, Brad Hill, Aidan Corr (Michael Hibberd) MID: Rory Laird, Touk Miller, Cam Guthrie, Seb Ross (Sam Durham) RUCK: Sam Draper (Esava Ratugolea) FWD: Taylor Walker, Alex Neal-Bullen, Robbie Gray, Max Holmes (Junior Rioli) INT: Angus Brayshaw, Willem Drew In shock news, Gariwerd have omitted the only two players with premiership experience from their semi final winning side, with neither player injured, and they havent even been named as emergencies for the game. Darling has played 11 senior games this season, including the last 4 so he will be disappointed to miss. Whilst Hall has battled injury for much of the year, but still managed to play 9 senior games, and has played well in most of them. Fans and media are dumbfounded by the surprise changes to a team which has been rolling of late, currently on a 9 game winning streak. So Gariwerd go into the granny with no players having won on the biggest stage, however Michael Hibberd has a premiership medallion and has been named as an emergency this weekend. Both Brad Hill & Rory Laird are selected and have played in losing grand final teams; and Angus Brayshaw & Alex Neal-Bullen both get their chance after previously being emergencies in grand finals. Gariwerd welcome back Robbie Gray for what will be his final ORFFA game, after he was rested last week to prepare for the big game. This is an especially good story after Robbie Gray started his ORFFA career as a Cockatoo before moving over to Iron Knob for seven seasons from 2015 to 2021 inclusive. The Cocky fans are delighted to have their former favourite son back playing marngrook footy for what has turned out to be his final season in the league, and the players are equally pumped and hope to send him off in style with a victory! The other player coming in this week is Aidan Corr who hasnt played senior footy since the big win over Larrikin Lagoon in round 11 but he has been named as an emergency for 5 of the 8 games since then, including all of the finals series. He hasnt been in particularly good form in the magoos, however we hear the selectors have brought him in to do a job on one of Gundagai's forwards, perhaps even Dermot Brereton style. Notably, Max Holmes has held his spot after coming into the side last week for his 3rd senior game of the season, and interestingly, Esava Ratugolea has been named as an emergency after having played just 1 senior game for the club all year. Hopefully it will be a close and entertaining game. We wish good luck to both sides, and also to those playing off for the Zac!
And we’re half way through the first quarter and Gundagai have taken an early lead! Gundagai Grasshoppers 311/3/103.7 Gariwerd Cockatoos 149/2/74.5
Hoppers Grand Final squad: DEF: Weits - Zuthrie - Milera - Dawson (DGB) MID: Neale - Mills - Oliver - McClugg RCK: Blitz (Lynch) FWD: Curnow - McCartin - Martin - Windhager (Ginnivan) INT: Cripps - Newcombe
Almost half time in the grand final, and we’ve got a close game so far! Gundagai Grasshoppers 489/5/97.8 Gariwerd Cockatoos 732/7/104.6
Score update: Gundagai Grasshoppers 599/7/85.6 Gariwerd Cockatoos 1195/13/91.9 Gariwerd only have Brad Hill and Seb Ross to play, whereas Gundagai still have more than half their team playing today. Still anyones game.