Finals Coaches need to make your choices of who you are playing, need to be able to arrange the fixture in ts. @tyz1 @bryzza
?? Doesn't this earlier post from @bryzza set up the preliminary finals?? @tyze1 time to knock off another heavy hitter, no easy road to the granny. Vikings v Bulls = Blowflys v Buffalos in the other Prelim
Been all over the place this week with travel back from Tanzania to Australia but here are the week 2 previews.. @bryzza @tyze1 Prelim final 1 Nuytland Vikings v Staghorn Flat Bulls Form With the Armadillos falling in the first week of finals, the Vikings are now the form team of the competition. They were the only other team to average 1400+ in the month leading in to finals and hit a massive 1632 back in round 20. The Bulls on the other hand saved their best for when it matters most. After doing just enough to achieve what was needed during the home & away, they pumped out a huge 1452 in week 1 of the finals to knock off flag favourites Ararat. Availability What have the Vikings done to offend their many gods? Who is fit and available at this time of year seems to be a perennial question the boys at Nuytsland are faced with each and every finals series and unfortunately for them, 2023 is proving no different. While they may sneak in some reinforcements for the GF should they make it, they'll need to get through this week first without the likes of starting calibre players Powell, Hurn & Libba although Harry McKay is at least named to make a timely return. The Bulls are faring a little better with only Weller & Ryan missing from the gauranteed starters as well as a disappointing Dylan Shiel & Tom Lynch. 3 Keys 1. Availability. As highlighted above, the Vikings are scraping the bottom of the barrel to even get 15 players on the field this week. Will their depth provide enough cover to get them over the top of a more settled Bulls outfit? 2. Top end talent. Despite the star-laden injury list, the Vikings still boast names like Petracca & English that can provide the monster performances to put together a winning score. In the first week of finals, Newcombe, Brayshaw & Hayward provided the same for the Bulls but can they repeat those efforts again? 3. Role changes. Some savvy coaching moves by Vikings management later in the season has seen players like Bailey Scott, Hayden Young & Matt Crouch all significantly improve their scoring as the season has progressed. On the Bulls side of the equation we've mostly seen the opposite particularly with the pairing of Nank & Soldo affecting the combined in the negative Prediction The Bulls will be full of confidence after last weeks effort and getting the Vikings at an opportune time. Could they be about to go on a Banchang run of 2021? Nuytsland confidence may have been replaced by hope but that will still be strong whenever Tim English is patrolling the middle of the ground and feeding Petracca and a aresurgent Matt Crouch. They'll want Isaac Heeney to step up in the forward line and Lachie Schulz to have one of his better performances that he's shown he is capable of but we're not ready to jump off these formidable foes just yet. Nuytsland to win by 65
@Mick Prelim final 2 Serengeti Buffaloes v Korumburra Blowflys Form Serengeti have been up and down over recent matches with scores as low as 1210 being followed up by a 1446. Week 1 of finals saw them back in a more positive direction posting a 1341. Korumburra have been more consistent but have failed to put up any of the top end type scores in recent times. They haven't dropped under 1248 in the last 6 weeks but also haven't topped 1400 at all and 1300+ has even alluded them since round 19. Availability Is there a bigger out to be coped with than Nick Daicos? Fortunately for the Blowflys there aren't too many other issues to be dealing with but the loss of Daicos counts for many outs at this time of year. For the Buffaloes it is the ruckmen that have been the cause of most concern with Scott Lycett continuing to miss while every apendage will be crossed the Sam Draper gets up and is able to lead the ruck division. Jordan Ridley remains out placing more importance on Sam Docherty recovering from his calf knock in week 1 of the finals series. 3 Keys 1. Those ruckmen. A major factor in the Buffaloes fluctuating form has been their ruck tactics. With Draper & Lycett missing plenty of games, the big man duties have fallen to very not big men like Smith, Callaghan & Ballard. The Blowflys have the opposite problem with too many being available. Todd Goldstein & Tristain Xerri can't decide who should be no. 1 and have cancelled each other out at different times of the year. If that continues, and Sam Draper does manage to suit up, Serengeti could have one foot in the grand final. 2. The Old Vets. The Blowflys have put plenty of faith in the old timers. Can the likes of Boak, Sloane, Ross, Goldy & Martin provide the vintage performances required before it is too late and a potential cliff is faced and premiership opportunities are lost? 3. Serengeti forwards. While their mids have been slightly down on form, and ruckmen missing all together, it has been the Buffaloes forwards that have been most diappointing of late. Joe Daniher has been suffering from a severe form drop off, Jeremy Cameron showed promising signs for week 1 of finals but had been sturggling mightily and who in the world knows what is happening to Bailey Smith. To progress past the Blowflys, Serengeti will need these guys back closer to their earlier season outputs. Prediction On form and lineups, Serengeti should be able to take care of the Blowflys. But with last years finals failure after starting hot favourites still fresh in their minds, Buffaloes supporters won't be counting any chickens just yet. Korumburra will need everyone to stand up in their star players absence but will that even be enough to get them over the line? We think (hope..) not. Serengeti by 40
1/2 way through the 2nd quarter sees the Bulls with the early lead. NV 438/6/73 SFB 569/5/114 @bryzza
mid way through the 3rd sees the Vikings with a 74 point lead but the Bulls with 2 players up their horns. NV 840/10/84 - English, Petracca, Young, Schultz & Amiss SFB 766/8/96 - Brayshaw, Salem, Newcombe, Ward, Lobb, Hunt & Bowey some big guns to play today, anything is possible @bryzza
cheers for the updates, unless a miracle happens you'll be through to the granny ......... taylor's 24 really hurts and my premo's have not fired ;(
Hit the nail on the head, great memory as I can not remember a finals series with a full strength side. Depth has been great as I have been able to cover a few injuries but with 4 down and Libba being the last straw that broke the camels back I have a feeling the Bulls will get me.
@Mick It's a race to see who wants to actually win with horrible performances all over the place. Is a potential grand final place getting to the Buffalo & Blowfly heads? Serengeti 801/11/73 v Korumburra 943/12/79
@tyze1 Going down to the wire could Newcombe go from hero to zero being a late out? NV 957/11/87 SFB 999/11/90
@Mick Serengeti need Burton to score a lazy 164 to get over the line Serengeti 1051/14/75 v Korumburra 1214/15/81
As it stands Vikings need 158 points with Young Shultz Amiss in play. two quarters to go in the freo v port game
@Mick Korumburra have been the least bad in this one to book their spot in the big dance Serengeti 1106 def by Korumburra 1214 (pending scaling)
Bulls had the runs on the board right up until the end, in a gallant effort they come up just short NV 1330/15/88 SFB 1271/15/84