Less a preview than a reflection on the season so far, this article delves into how each team has got to where they are on the ladder, and in true 3n4nsy style goes on to predict what may, nay will, happen next. And then you all get to vehemently disagree with me in the comments.

But first....some house-keeping.

ORFFL 2016 MSD
It appears to me that this annual festival of deal-making and breaking is fast approaching, and I for one am excited - excited to be let down by my ORFFL brethren as they try to cut down this tall-poppy by only offering the most lob-sided deals for my players in their favour. We all know the drill by now, first the trading, then the delistments (if you feel the need), then the drafting.

Here are some provisional dates. Coaches, let me know if they are amenable.

Commencement of Mid-Season Trade Period
At the conclusion of the Melbourne vs Collingwood match, June 13th
Conclusion of the Mid-Season Trade Period
At the commencement of the Adelaide vs North Melbourne match, June 23rd
Delistment Deadline
At the commencement of the Fremantle vs Collingwood match, June 24th
Commencement of the Mid-Season Draft
At the commencement of the Carlton vs GWS match, June 25th

Trades Completed
1. Mt. Buggery trade J. Roughead
to
Woy Woy for their 2016 MSD R2 pick (P21)

2. Sarah Island trade Connor Blakely, Eric Hipwood and Ryan Lester
to
Woy Woy for their 2016 MSD R1 Pick (P3) and R3 Pick (P39)

3. Smiths Beach trade Jack Newnes and their 2017 PSD R1 Pick
to
Mallacoota for Harley Bennell and their 2017 PSD R2 Pick

4. Warburton trade their 2016 R1 MSD pick (P2)
to
Mallacoota for their 2017 R1 PSD pick

5. Mallacoota trade Blake Acres, SBS 2017 PSD R1 pick, and MAL 2016 MSD R1 pick (P15)
to
Woy Woy for Eddie Betts & Leigh Montagna.

6. Popanyinning trade Thomas Bugg
to
Jimcumbilly for Christian Salem


Delistments
BDB - Broad
BUN - S.Selwood, Maric
COU - Schoenmakers, Broomhead, Snelling
GLE - C.Beams, E.Mackenzie
HDH - Hill, McKernan, Jetta
JIM - Ellis-Yolmen, Michael
MAL - H.Goddard, Knight, Menegola, Lonie
MBD - W.Langford
MIL - Pearce, Murdoch
PBR -
POO - Garland, Collins, Holmes
POP - Towers, B.Hill
QUE - Wood, Bonner, Rice
SAR - Newman
SBS - Townsend, Nelson, Buckley
TLP - Pickett
WAR -
WOY - Spencer, Turner, Casboult, X.Ellis, Merrett. Chaplin, Stokes, Dickson


Draft Order

1 Poowong Potoroos
2 Mallacoota Magicians (from Warburton Wanderers)
3 Sarah Island Savages (from Woy Woy Wizards)
4 Bundalong Bullfrogs
5 Bonnie Doon Bandits
6 Purnululu Bungle Rangers PASS
7 Mount Buggery Disappointments
8 Jimcumbilly Jackrabbits
9 Humpty Doo Hammerheads
10 Coulta Couldabeens
11 Queenstown Quolls
12 Milikapati Snakes
13 Smiths Beach Seagulls
14 Tarwin Lower Pigs
15 Woy Woy Wizards (from Mallacoota Magicians)
16 Popanyinning Pyrite
17 Glenrowan Gunslingers
18 Sarah Island Savages

19 Poowong Potoroos
20 Warburton Wanderers PASS
21 Mount Buggery Disappointments (from Woy Woy Wizards)
22 Bundalong Bullfrogs
23 Bonnie Doon Bandits PASS
24 Purnululu Bungle Rangers PASS
25 Mount Buggery Disappointments PASS
26 Jimcumbilly Jackrabbits
27 Humpty Doo Hammerheads
28 Coulta Couldabeens
29 Queenstown Quolls
30 Milikapati Snakes
31 Smiths Beach Seagulls
32 Tarwin Lower Pigs PASS
33 Mallacoota Magicians
34 Popanyinning Pyrite
35 Glenrowan Gunslingers
36 Sarah Island Savages

37 Poowong Potoroos
38 Warburton Wanderers PASS
39 Sarah Island Savages (from Woy Woy Wizards)
40 Bundalong Bullfrogs PASS
41 Bonnie Doon Bandits PASS
42 Purnululu Bungle Rangers PASS
43 Mount Buggery Disappointments PASS
44 Jimcumbilly Jackrabbits PASS
45 Humpty Doo Hammerheads
46 Coulta Couldabeens
47 Queenstown Quolls
48 Milikapati Snakes PASS
49 Smiths Beach Seagulls
50 Tarwin Lower Pigs PASS
51 Mallacoota Magicians
52 Popanyinning Pyrite PASS
53 Glenrowan Gunslingers PASS
54 Sarah Island Savages PASS

57 Woy Woy Wizards
75 Woy Woy Wizards
93 Woy Woy Wizards
111 Woy Woy Wizards





Sarah Island Savages

It’s hard to talk about the undefeated team you coach without sounding arrogant. Think about how hard that is when you’re naturally an arrogant person. This team, my team has arguably the best RUC division in the land with Naitanui and Lycett, as good as Goldstein may be for some off-brand team, I know I’d rather have a FWD and a RUC combining for 200 points every week than just one guy not combining for 120-odd.

I’d probably still bet on my team taking out the premiership if I could find someone who would allow to wager on my on fortune.

Needs: DEFs because while Simpson and Boyd are first-class, Ibbotson and Cheney are behind coach.

Glenrowan Gunslingers

Glenrowan is a team that nearly every years promises so much and then crumples under the weight of injuries to key players. What’s different this year? They’re still getting injuries to key players in Beams and O’Meara, but the team is not only keeping it together, they’re a clear second in the ORFFL. So, how? They’ve slowly over the last 4 and a bit years built their team into a powerhouse, watching the likes Smith, Lynch, Ziebell, Dahlhaus and Others go from promising to fulfilling.

Needs: MID coverage. Clayton is no Dayne.

Popanyinning Pyrite

When their coach began talking down their form last year I gather that the ORFFL community rather concurred; everyone was surprised that a side that was nakedly rebuilding was finding itself in the top half of the ladder. This year it’s a little different; the Pyrite are cementing their claims and heralding the coming of a new breed of contenders. Gawn is one out of the box in a team that is remarkable for its unremarkable evenness. And therein lies the secret to Popanyinning’s list management; they just keep adding quality talent to their list and then holding on to it long enough to see it mature. Viney, JJ, KK, Biggs, Duryea, Petracca and Daniel are all showing enough signs to be good players for a long time.

Needs: To have traded Lobbe before the season started.

Tarwin Lower Pigs

I’m not entirely sure how the TLP are sitting in 4th place (I mean obviously it’s a consequence of winning more matches than the teams below them). That’s not a dig at their coach for his omission of my team in his reports, because I genuinely rate this outfit…it’s just that the talent they have in spades is not exactly scoring well for the most part. Docherty has gone to an AORFFL level, and in a short space of time Hunter has become the Pigs 2nd best MID. On the other hand guys like Stringer, Yeo, Polec, Dunstan, Bruce, Lever and Lobb are all averaging sub 80. So while I think all of those players will go on to average north of that mark, I don’t know if it will be this year for either players or team.

Needs: Mumford, but I don’t like their chances.

Mallacoota Magicians

I would never say that the Magicians are a one-man team, but with Fyfe no longer around, the scoring power of the Mallacoota just isn’t what it’s been. Zorko is experiencing career-best form while his AFL side crumbles around him, Ross finds himself having a break-out year and Wright is proving to be quite a valuable acquisition - for the first time in about 4 years. Overall though, injuries to Houli, Hombsch, Bennell and the afore-mentioned Brownlow medalist and a downturn in scoring from some of coach Johnny’s veterans has left this team scrambling to stay in contention.

Needs: To trade me some picks for Connon Blakely. Or some other MID, I guess.

Queenstown Quolls

If Queenstown could get their entire complement of best players on the park, playing to their upper limit and doing both of these things consistently, they’d be an awesome team with a shitty RUC division. This has been the story for most of their existence and it is still true today. Gibbs is back in form this year, Curnow has turned his game from useful 80+ run-with player to an indispensable 100+ M2 and Howe is proving to be one of the few Collingwood DEFs who can actually score points. Sadly though, absences from Saad and Yarran has left their DEF line short of talent, while up FWD players like Motlop, Dixon and Bell turn up most weeks, but actually play well in just a fraction of those appearances.

Needs: DEF coverage and a fantasy sports psychologist to treat extreme flakiness.