Good "8 point win" by the Hammers. Feel for Glenrowan copping the worst run of all time this year. A lot of fairly close results by the top group this year, the finals really seem very open. Also you don't want to be playing Coulta any time soon. HDH run home - Magicians, Buggers, Quolls. I think given the tightness of the year Relton has decided to crack open a few tinnies in preparation for the off season. The team will as usual manage itself. D: Mackie, Jonas (I know who he is), Talia, Carlisle (Scharenberg) M: Neale, Shiel, Gray, C Guthrie (Pearce off) R: Jacobs (Trengove) F: Macrae, Daniher, Gunston, Menzel (Moore) INT: Shiels, Hoskin-Elliott Extras: D - Wellingham, Ramsay, Smith M - Aish R F - Waite, Garlett, Stewart
Very pleased with how the Seagulls have come back after the break with consistent scores in the high 13's, with Heppell (ave 100), Parker (94) and Steven (89) all under performing, so plenty of room for improvement. Post-break improvement largely due to Marty Gleeson - of all people - who just escaped the mid-season cut and has now earned a contract extension for 2018. Big news that Bennell made his return in the 2's last week, timing it perfectly to have an impact in the post-season. Hopefully we can keep him off the baking soda for a few more weeks, and Freeman a chance to make a hamstrung ORFFL debut in the near future. We have a decent run home with WOY (14th), QUE (9th), MIL (16th), JIM (15th) so looking for 4/4 to really challenge the top 4!
Just when you thinking you are going along smoothly, Joey and Son Son go down for the year. I better not be doing a Hornsy...
Kind words Lucas, but now with The Chad looking like being out for at least a couple of weeks, combined with *OOP ruck each week, I think it will be tough for my mob to inflict too much damage on finals aspirants - was fun while it lasted though
@Iain Maate. Buddy. My bestest pal in the world....think the Quolls could play more than 13 players next round pretty please? You know Lucas was overheard opining that Quolls shouldn't even be on the endangered list and that they're just fox fodder. @walesy You have the worse Ellis of Punt Rd by far, you may as well just not play him next week too.
Same to @EddieV too. You had 17 available players last week. @Doobs is pro-sedantry, anti-wanderlust. Can't let that go unchallenged
Not that it would have made a difference to the weekends results.... but no I didn't tank, I was away for work and did not get to make changes to the team from the week prior.... not even an additional 300 points would have saved the Bullfrogs from defeat...
Ok, so round 17 is upon us and finals are just around the corner. - Mallacoota are still on track to do a 2016 Savages - The TLP proving that they really are the here and now - Mount Buggery generally being anything but disappointing - Sarah Island should be safe in 4th with a matchup against the Bandits coming up, but their form recently hasn't be great so I wouldn't be penciling anything in just yet. Unchartered territory for the normally barnstorming boys from Macquarie Harbour. - Poowong have had a stellar back half of the year even with Ablett, Kelly and the Crouch's missing multiple games, and are guaranteed a finals spot despite facing up to the Magicians in the final round. - Smiths Beach have also locked away a finals spot and a final round win against Jimcumbilly could potentially see them finish 4th if Poowong and Sarah Island slip up. - Glenrowan finally ended a long run of losses with a win in the last round. They will go in favourites against Warburton though and should hold on to 7th. - Humpty Doo currently hold the final spot in the eight, and it is their's to lose really with a visiting Quolls outfit seemingly happy to see the end of 2017. - Desperately hoping for either of Glenrowan or Humpty Doo to slip up are our defending Premiers who are making a late charge. It looks likely to be too little to late, however where there is hope there is hope. - Although technically possible, Ivanhoe, Queenstown and Milikapati would require a miracle for either of them to pinch 7th or 8th and in reality they are jostling for 2018 draft picks. - Bonnie Doon have had the spoon on display in the clubrooms since about round 10. So in summary our top 6 are really just hoping to get through the final round injury free before the important stuff starts next week. P_L is hoping for an upset and Len, Iain, and Liam all need a miracle. If it stays as it is our Top 8 will also be the top 8 scorers which doesn't always happen with the vagaries of 17 rounds and close wins and losses.
Thanks Kel. I was going to go through all the permutations (my favourite is both HDH and GLE lose, but the Hammers making up more points on GLE sees them sneak in) last night until I saw the last round matchups. Don't have a chance even if manage to scale the mountain. That will be the miracle, relying on my two favourite teams, Warburton and Queenstown
It's disappointing to me that I am less than average in a league where a decent number of participants rarely do. Next year though
Queenstown will try to give it a crack this week, but after 2 consecutive scores sub-1000 and 8 players out injured not much chance really. The worst thing is that's still 4 players less than I had injured a couple weeks ago and I'm only talking about injuries, not poor form and not being selected like the rest of my muppets.
I was missing 8 players due to injury last week too (at least I am pretty sure they were all injured and not just in the magoos). Not sure whether that is about the average for this time of year or not? Potoroos had to play one short in the mids because Ablett was a late withdrawal, sadly no cover. Which was compounded by the fact that I didn't even make use the 136 that Luke Ryan scored in about his 6th career game, or the 96 that Tom Barrass scored.
Ryan in particular an understandable but hurtful exclusion.. Knightriders young guys still inconsistent and the older guys still at least 25% shit
Our Poowong assistant coaches have been working Billy the Kid Longer real hard all year and reckon he's only about 10% shit nowadays.
Looks like I'll be missing Pendles and Hogan for the finals from my first 15 (touch wood). Could be worse and have not had trouble fielding a full line up with emergencies so no complaints at this point. Dunstan and Sheed stepped up last week but not expecting that on a regular basis just yet. Hopefully someone catches Mallacoota on a down week, although being the best side all year they are the most deserving. Pretty even and open otherwise.
Alright so good news is I have a full side this week, and even some emergencies. Bad news is more than a couple still suck.