So I'm hungover as all hell, but rather than write a depressingly decrepit pop song about this fact, I've decided to do some thing that's at least semi-useful; some ORFFL club previews for the upcoming 2013 season.!Well, actually I wrote them earlier, but making the copy pasta and pressing the submit button is hard work too.



So please enjoy my musings ORFFL citizens on why your fantasy club is worse than mine and will remain so.







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BONNIE DOON BANDITS



For much of season 2012 I had considered Jimcumbilly to be the unluckiest team in the ORFFL. In the post-season though, that mantle clearly belongs to one team; Bonnie Doon.



With ORFFL teams forced to delist 6 players before the 2013 draft, fate made this task a great deal easier for the coach of the Bandits; Gram, Hargrave, Gilbee, Drummond and Folau all retiring of their own accord. The problem being is that many of those players were Bonnie Doon's better scorers, particularly down back.



Enter the pre-season trade period, and the giant sized move of trading out Sam Mitchell (110.42) for young defenders Hibberd (73.85) and Trengove (68.5), along with P8 in the upcoming draft.



The rebuild is well and truly underway.



What's Working:



Bonnie Doon's defence which was a gaping wound in season 2012 looks pretty patched up going into 2013. Along with the 2 new intakes, we find fantasy journeyman Jarred Brennan (78.12), rising force from the north Mitch Golby (76) and the much maligned Ryan Clangermakers (68.27).



Okay so that doesn't look great, but if Reid (69.3/79.3) and Gwilt (63.5/83.2) can recover from their injury plagued seasons, the future looks pretty bright. And deep.



Cox (112.27) and Griffin (91.85) remain a premier ruck combo if Sandi can find himself injured for a sizeable length of time. A definite possibility.







What's Not:



Trading out Mitchell leaves Chris Masten (89.45) at M1, with the ageing Corey (76.58), Coniglio (75.92) and Caddy (61.55) rounding out the only 4 pure midfielders the Bandits have in their squad. Decidedly unimpressive, at least in the short term.



To compound things, up forward veteran Harvey (95.5) misses the opening 6 weeks for hitting a man in cold blood, and MoneyBags Tippett (86.5) misses the first half of the season for making Jabba look the fool. And he vengeful.



Having to play Megahead (65.56) at F3 and TDL (38.88) at F4 for the opening third of the season is a fate no team should have to suffer. But it's going to happen.







What Do They Need:



Help.



Ideally they need to draft some young midfielders to compliment Thomas (96.41), Masten, Coniglio and Caddy. The good news is with picks 5, 8 and 23 they could likely land 3 pretty impressive prospects, it being far easier to draft a reliable midfielder than any other position.



Will still need to rebuild their forward line, but it takes more than one draft to turnover a list.



Best 15:



D: Brennan, Golby, Hibberd, Trengove



M: Masten, Corey, Coniglio, Caddy



R: Cox



F: Thomas, Harvey, Tippett, Gia



I/C: Griffin, Clangermakers







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HUMPTY DOO HAMMERHEADS



Humpty Doo started the '12 season with a blend of youth and experience, diluting that mixture at midseason in favour of youth. Veterans Goodes (89.69), Kerr (89.14), Johncock (62.5) and the veteran Andy Rotten (64.7) heading south in exchange for Gray (70.5), Shiel (75.42) and a couple of midseason draft picks - of which one was used on Cale Hooker (73.76) if memory serves.



Finishing 16th with only 5 wins in 2012 cannot be considered vindication for Humpty Doo, but the Ox is slow and the ORFFL is patient.







What's Working:



Quite a lot in this pundit's opinion. Ball (62.67/96.6), Gray (70.5/93) and Varcoe (12/73.2) all coming back from long term injuries and should make their way back to their 2011 averages if fit. Which looks likely for at least 2 out of 3 (try to guess who the odd one out is).



Forward line is chock a block with talent, with the positioning gods granting the Hammerheads 3 additional F/M's this year in Bolton (93.68), Wellingham (81.53) and Jetta (79.86). Couple these guys with the afore mentioned Gray and Varcoe, along with Gunston (71.31), Garlett (73.14), Geelong pair Smedts and Menzel, and you have one of the deepest forward lines in the ORFFL.



P3 should bring in Lachie Whitfield at worst (who could make his name as a Gibbsian D/M in seasons to come) and along with Shiel, start the midfield rebuild with a premium talent base.



In short the future looks pretty bright and sunny up at Humpty Doo. Just perhaps not in the short term.







What's Not:



Defence. Not a pretty sight. Hooker is generally injured for a third of the season, Darley (54.56) a 2nd year player unproven in holding down D4 and Silvagni (60) appears to have rubbed Ross The Boss the wrong way. Which is never a good thing. Guerra (82.26) and Mackie (79.45) while consistent scorers are on the wrong side of 28, and not what you'd call premium scorers in the back half.



Also, would not say that Bailey is the most reliable back up ruck should Jacobs get injured (touch wood). Popanyinning nabbing Josh Jenkins a pick before Humpty Doo in the midseason draft could continue to sting.







What Do They Need:



A young, talented, consistently high scoring DEF. Not really easy to come by.



The two basic options are to trade for one who's already become heralded, or draft someone and bet that they will.



Given their trade history, would not surprise to see the Hammerheads offer up Bolton with a side of CokeyStokes to the trade table. Could well get what they need for the future.



Best 15:



D:Guerra, Mackie, Hooker, Silvagni



M:Judd, Wells, Mackay, Shiel



R:Jacobs



F:Bolton, Wellingham, Jetta, Garlett



I/C:Gunston, Gray







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WOY WOY WIZARDS



Woy Woy stood out in the inaugural season of the ORFFL as the oldest team in the ORFFL, and by some margin too. In something of an experiment the Wizards were moulded in the image of '10 in the hope that they could rebound in 2012. Alas they could not, winning only 4 out of 17 games, finishing 2nd last and finding their cadre of household names that one year older.







What's Working:



That they have early draft picks and know how to use them, picking up both Clancee Pearce (89.92) and 20 year old defender Tom McDonald (73.25) in the midseason draft. A pretty impressive double up of young talent if you ask me.



Defensively Woy Woy are not in the worst shape, but will need Lake (80.5) to get back to his absolute best at his new AFL club. Malsexi (75.53) and McMahon (78.75) remain reliable if not exactly prolific scorers, while Fletcher (82) simply refuses to die or retire.







What's Not:



The retirement of Power (81.7), and to a lesser extent Green (60.15), along with Pearce's move into the midfield has left a big hole in the Wizards forward line. Craig Bird (72.59) moves up there this season to cover their departures, but it's a rarity that a defensive forward will average 80+ over a season.



Starting midfield is all 29+ going into 2013. It's unlikely at this stage of their careers that any of them will have a return to their best, although Hodge (85.88) is some chance to improve on an injury riddled last year. If he can get on the park.







What Do They Need:



Good young players. Joe Daniher looms large at P2 as the best KPF prospect since Patton. Also a good chance to pick up a sliding M/F with P20.



Trading out some of their established talent for some younger prospects/draft picks (AKA The Lucas) is certainly an option to speed up the rebuilding process. In writing that though, it won't be quick and painless either way.



Best 15:



D:Fletcher, Lake, McMahon, Malceski



M:Montagna, Cross, Cornes, Black



R:Sandi



F:Chappy, Bird, McGlynn, Callinan



I/C:Jolly, Pearce



PRESEASON ROLLING INFO



DRAFT ORDER



1 GLE

2 WOY

3 HDH

4 PBR

5 BDB

6 TLP

7 JIM

8[span style='color: #ff0000;]BDB

9 POP

10[span style='color: #ff0000;]MIL

11 MBD

12 COU

13 MER

14 MAL

15 POO

16 MIL

17 WAR

18[span style='color: #ff0000;]MAL



19 GLE

20 WOY

21 HDH

22 PBR

23 BDB

24 TLP

25 JIM

26 QUE

27 POP

28 [span style='color: #ff0000;]MIL

29 MBD

30 COU

31 MER

32[span style='color: #ff0000;]SAR

33 POO

34 MIL

35 WAR

36 SAR



37 GLE

38 WOY

39 HDH

40 PBR

41[span style='color: #ff0000;]QUE

42 TLP

43 [span style='color: #ff0000;]POP

44 QUE

45 POP

46[span style='color: #ff0000;]MIL

47 MBD

48 COU

49[span style='color: #ff0000;]TOR

50[span style='color: #ff0000;]SAR

51 POO

52TOR

53 WAR

54[span style='color: #ff0000;]MAL



55 GLE

56 WOY

57 HDH

58 PBR

59 BDB

60 TLP

61 JIM

62 QUE

63 POP

64 TOR

65 MBD

66 COU

67[span style='color: #ff0000;]TOR

68[span style='color: #ff0000;]SAR

69 POO

70 [span style='color: #ff0000;]POP

71 WAR

72[span style='color: #ff0000;]MAL



73 GLE

74 WOY

75 HDH

76 PBR

77 BDB

78 TLP

79 JIM

80 QUE

81 [span style='color: #ff0000;]MER

82 TOR

83 MBD

84 COU

85 MER

86 MAL

87 POO

88[span style='color: #ff0000;]MER

89 WAR

90 SAR



91 GLE

92 WOY

93 HDH

94 PBR

95 BDB

96 TLP

97 JIM

98 QUE

99[span style='color: #ff0000;]TOR

100 TOR

101 MBD

102 COU

103 [span style='color: #ff0000;]JIM

104 MAL

105 POO

106 MIL

107 WAR

108 SAR

<div>TRADES PASSED


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1.Torrumbarry Thunda trade Steven Morris & Pick 88



to



Merton Meerkats for picks 49 & 67



2.Sarah Island trade Tory Dickson, P18, P54 & P72



to



Mallacoota for Garrick Ibbotson, P32, P50 & P68



3.Milikipati trade Tom Hickey and P52 & P99



to



Torrumbarry for P10 & P46



4.Bonnie Doon trade Sam Mitchell & P41



to



Queenstown for Michael Hibberd, Jackson Trengrove & P8



5.Milikipati trade Leroy Jetta



to



Mallacoota for Zach Touhy



6.Popanyinning tradeLenny Hayes & P81



to



Jimcumbilly forBrent Moloney & P43



7.Merton trade Josh Gibson & P103



to



Jimcumbilly forJake Batchelor & P81






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