Farewell to the bye rounds and back to business; unfortunately with a weaker than optimal side for our visit to Birdsville and JC's hospitality. Things looked pretty tight until the final game saw Fyfe and Newman excell. New cap Finlayson (82) did what was expected. And some poor performances were able to be glossed over by strong performances from ROB and Dunks. It would be nice to get the full squad back and performing. The injury clouds over Menegola, McVeigh, Hall and Jack Ross are starting to dissipate in time for finals. We retained eight place on the ladder. We now play the uglies who, like all the teams below us, have an inferior points for tally. The vicissitudes of the FIXture list mean we might start climbing the ladder with eminently winnable games in the next three rounds before a tough last two home and away games.. B&F round 12 5 - Nat Fyfe (147) 4 - Reilly O'Brien (120) 3 - Nic Newman (117) 2 - Josh Dunkley (111) 1 - Brad Crouch (95) Rising Star Willem Drew (51) got a recall, but might not have done enough to hold his spot.. B&F Cumulative 42 - Nat Fyfe 21 - Josh Dunkley 18 - Brad Crouch 14 - Nic Newman 13 - Mitch Robinson 12 - Dion Prestia 10 - Jeremy McGovern 8 - Brandan Parfitt, Reilly O'Brien 6 - Sam Menegola, Willem Drew, Tom Papley 5 - Ryan Burton 3 - Aaron Hall 2 - Jarrad McVeigh, Dan Howe, Darcy Gardiner* 1 - Jack Ross, Toby McLean RS Cumulative 24 - Willem Drew 13 - Jack Ross *Traded out in the MSD period.
We made harder work than we should have done in putting away the Uglies thanks to Sunday turning out to be very poor. However, the stalwarts again provided some starch but not star quality. However, the depth started to come through, with Dion, Ryan and Toby showing some good indicators of form. It was a change not to have to rely on Nat and Brad. Our second MSD pick - Kyle Dunkley - was terrific on debut and will add some depth to the midfield this year and some quality going forward. Brother Josh may have to lift to keep his place, hahaha. B&F round 13 5 - Dion Prestia (125) 4 - Ryan Burton (108) 3 - Nic Newman (107) 2 - Josh Dunkley (103) 1 - Toby McLean (101) Rising Star Kyle Dunkley (58) on debut - great effort son, now to keep following in your brother's footsteps B&F Cumulative 42 - Nat Fyfe 23 - Josh Dunkley 18 - Brad Crouch 17 - Dion Prestia, Nic Newman 13 - Mitch Robinson 10 - Jeremy McGovern 9 - Ryan Burton 8 - Brandan Parfitt, Reilly O'Brien 6 - Sam Menegola, Willem Drew, Tom Papley 3 - Aaron Hall 2 - Jarrad McVeigh, Dan Howe, Toby McLean, Darcy Gardiner* 1 - Jack Ross RS Cumulative 24 - Willem Drew 13 - Jack Ross 3 - Kyle Dunkley *Traded out in the MSD period.
"Brother Josh may have to lift to keep his place, hahaha." That's how we ended last week's review. I think it's safe to sat Josh lifted. Some great scores made to look almost second rate as Dunks went on the rampage. How do I tell Josh he is not in my SC side? We enjoyed the Packers visit and stayed on at the Bulls Hit to watch the cricket final. How do you get beaten when you score the same number of runs for less wickets lost? Turnover almost reached to level seen after the 2017 ORFFA grand final win. Brad Crouch (93) continued his fine form but could not get on the honours' board. Nor could the Gov (94), Paps (82) nor Howey (82). Sadly, injuries are starting to take their toll. This week Burto and Toby tweaked hammies and Macca's comeback took a setback, As always the medical staff will take it in their stride. I might be critical of some people at times, but never of the medics. B&F round 14 5 - Josh Dunkley (202) 4 - Nat Fyfe (154) 3 - Nic Newman (147) 2 - Mitch Robinson (127) 1 - Dion Prestia (104) Rising Star Kyle Dunkley (41) went ok, but clearly was the second best Dunkley on the park; watch and learn from your brother. B&F Cumulative 46 - Nat Fyfe 28 - Josh Dunkley 20 - Nic Newman 18 - Brad Crouch, Dion Prestia, 15 - Mitch Robinson 10 - Jeremy McGovern 9 - Ryan Burton 8 - Brandan Parfitt, Reilly O'Brien 6 - Sam Menegola, Willem Drew, Tom Papley 3 - Aaron Hall 2 - Jarrad McVeigh, Dan Howe, Toby McLean, Darcy Gardiner* 1 - Jack Ross RS Cumulative 24 - Willem Drew 13 - Jack Ross 6 - Kyle Dunkley *Traded out in the MSD period.
The dirty dozen came back with some big grins after their raid on the Lefties Lagoon. Down to 11 men, then Howie was a late in, they tamed the opposition - and then some. Well done guys, we happily drank your health (repeatedly). ROB was outstanding and provided real leadership in Fyfe's absence. It's been a long time in the wilderness, but wonderful to see Hibbo returning to form. Not on the honours' board, but Jeremy Finlayson (98) and Dion Prestia (97) really did get stuck in. Two rounds of the H&A season to go and still a glimmer of hope of playing finals. With luck Nat will miss just the one week and Sam Menegola just might return, Boo Parfitt might even get up. Hell, we might even field a full side against New York's finest. There is hope that the club's proud record of being in the eight will be maintained. B&F round 15 5 - Reilly O' Brien (149) 4 - Brad Crouch (129) 3 - Josh Dunkley (127) 2 - Dan Howe(121) 1 - Michael Hibberd (99) Rising Star No RS candidates played this round. B&F Cumulative 46 - Nat Fyfe 31 - Josh Dunkley 22 - Brad Crouch 20 - Nic Newman 18 - Dion Prestia, 15 - Mitch Robinson 13 - Reilly O'Brien 10 - Jeremy McGovern 9 - Ryan Burton 8 - Brandan Parfitt 6 - Sam Menegola, Willem Drew, Tom Papley 4 - Dan Howe 3 - Aaron Hall 2 - Jarrad McVeigh, Toby McLean, Darcy Gardiner* 1 - Jack Ross, Michael Hibberd RS Cumulative 24 - Willem Drew 13 - Jack Ross 6 - Kyle Dunkley *Traded out in the MSD period.
Another lackluster performance by the cows. Injury can explain some of the sides decline this year, but sub-standard performances have a greater weight. We are now a real chance to finish eight; to finish seventh it looks we need to exceed the Lilacs score this week by a minimum if 15 points. So we are a mathematical chance. However, that would just be papering over the cracks. Seldom has so much been left to do by so few. Some fine individual performance (as seen in the B&F table), but only fielding 13 players meant we would never beat the 'hoppers. C'est la vie. The chels v graeme bun fight is alive and well at the Bulls Hit Tavern. One says the PSD was a stuff up, the other that there are raft of reasons for the decline and hence a linear equation is meaningless. You heard it here first folks. A "tell all" show will be presented after the finals have played out. A major revelation awaits. B&F round 16 5 - Dion Prestia (128) 4 - Reilly O' Brien (110) 3 - Nat Fyfe (104) 2 - Mitch Robinson (101) 1 - Jeremy Finlayson (91) Rising Star No RS candidates played this round. B&F Cumulative 49 - Nat Fyfe 31 - Josh Dunkley 23 - Dion Prestia 22 - Brad Crouch 20 - Nic Newman 17 - Reilly O'Brien, Mitch Robinson 10 - Jeremy McGovern 9 - Ryan Burton 8 - Brandan Parfitt 6 - Sam Menegola, Willem Drew, Tom Papley 4 - Dan Howe 3 - Aaron Hall 2 - Jarrad McVeigh, Toby McLean, Darcy Gardiner* 1 - Jack Ross, Michael Hibberd, Jeremy Finlayson RS Cumulative 24 - Willem Drew 13 - Jack Ross 6 - Kyle Dunkley *Traded out in the MSD period.
We are saddened but respectful of the decision by Jarrad McVeigh to hang up at the end of the year. We could not leave our thanks and respect to year end. Macca was one of the foundation herd, taken at pick #176 in the inaugural draft. A decision neither chels nor graeme has ever regretted. It's probably not betraying a confidence but quite a few years ago Chief Russell pm'd me to say should I ever wish to trade the bald headed guy, just email him. I can think of no greater plaudit from the ORFFA community. Macca has been a great player whose increasing absences have always left a real hole in our defence. This year as a 34 year old he has played 5 games and averaged 77. It won't be the same without the bald guy. That leaves just four faces still at Waikick from the hesitant steps of that inaugural draft - Sauce Jacobs (#41), Mitch Robinson (#68), Michael Hibberd (#77) and Tom Mitchell (#257).
Well, the quiet drink on Sunday which was billed as "Pre-farewell to Macca" got pretty long and raucous as the enormity of beating the Devils started to sink in. There was a recurring chat theme - who will Horse cut this year. Titch and Newy beign two of the more interesting players moved on. One of our better performances of the year indicated what is possible when we field a full team. We are high variance, we can go very low as well as pretty high. There is an explanatory variable (n = how many players will we field) with a high R-sguared, . Next week is the first week of finals so fingers crossed we have a full herd. Anyways, eight centuries (the B&F guys plus Michael Hibberd, Brad Crouch, and Josh Dunkley) plus a 93 from Tom Papley set a pretty good platform. Good to see Sam Menegola getting some k's into his legs. B&F round 17 5 - Nic Newman (161) 4 - Nat Fyfe (144) 3 - Mitch Robinson (132) 2 - Dion Prestia (131) 1 - Jeremy McGovern (116) Rising Star 3 - Kyle Dunkley (60) is starting to forge a reputation of his own. Hope the dees see the light and make him a full time contract offer. B&F Cumulative 53 - Nat Fyfe 31 - Josh Dunkley 25 - Dion Prestia, Nic Newman 22 - Brad Crouch 20 - Mitch Robinson 17 - Reilly O'Brien, 11 - Jeremy McGovern 9 - Ryan Burton 8 - Brandan Parfitt 6 - Sam Menegola, Willem Drew, Tom Papley 4 - Dan Howe 3 - Aaron Hall 2 - Jarrad McVeigh, Toby McLean, Darcy Gardiner* 1 - Jack Ross, Michael Hibberd, Jeremy Finlayson RS Cumulative 24 - Willem Drew 13 - Jack Ross 9 - Kyle Dunkley *Traded out in the MSD period.
Strong weekend for takings at the Bulls Hit with the team away at Marble Bar, but some real reasons to cheer. Strong performances across the board got the cows through the first week of finals. The premium to elite performers have really stood up in the business end of the season. Onto the semi-finals with another away game. Great for turnover, not so good for home life. This week we pay tribute to the weekend's emergencies. We decided to cover the possibility that Boo or Sam might be a late out by setting Zac Bailey as their cover. We traded for Zac earlier this year aware that his output would be limited during his second season. Interestingly Brisbane has shown faith in him. He has been so near to very good. Well, Saturday he dropped a cool 110. Before teams were submitted Jack Ross got a call up and got placed on the M bench. Three months recovering from an ankle injury, half a game last week in the VFL, 76 points on Sunday - well done Jack. With these (and the other youngsters) the club's future looks bright irrespective of the result this weekend. B&F round 18 5 - Josh Dunkley (153) 4 - Nat Fyfe (145) 3 - Toby McLean (133) 2 - Mitch Robinson (123) 1 - Dion Prestia (103) - graeme's choice (rather than Brad Crouch), Dion's 150th game should be recognised. Rising Star 3 - Jack Ross (76) 2 - Kyle Dunkley (54) keeps performing and getting games. Hope the dees see the light and make him a full time contract offer. B&F Cumulative 57 - Nat Fyfe 36 - Josh Dunkley 26 - Dion Prestia 25 - Nic Newman 22 - Brad Crouch, Mitch Robinson 17 - Reilly O'Brien, 11 - Jeremy McGovern 9 - Ryan Burton 8 - Brandan Parfitt 6 - Sam Menegola, Willem Drew, Tom Papley 5 - Toby McLean 4 - Dan Howe 3 - Aaron Hall 2 - Jarrad McVeigh, Darcy Gardiner* 1 - Jack Ross, Michael Hibberd, Jeremy Finlayson RS Cumulative 24 - Willem Drew 16 - Jack Ross 11 - Kyle Dunkley
The club bowed out of the ORFFA finals series at the preliminary final stage. The chooks were to good and CR exacted some utu for our ending their finals' campaign last year. Rather than being down almost everybody at Waikick is grinning. We achieved far more than we could have dreamed of after the bye rounds. Josh Dunkley consolidated his place as an elite midfielder. Alongside Nat Fyfe, Titch we are fortunate to have some of the real cream of the competition. Our premiums - Dion Prestia, and Brad Crouch - mean we have real strength on this line. Add in Sam Menegola and, subject to an injury free season, we can compete with any side. The development of Zac Bailey, Jack Ross, and Willem Drew is a cause for pride. Kyle Dunkley will benefit from a full afl pre-season; the development of Harry Jones, and Tom Joyce in their second seasons will be interesting. Jeremy McGovern and Nic Newman are premium defenders. Ryan Burton is a young talent. We need some more depth in this line. Not just 65 points a week players. Another Jarrad McVeigh would be handy. Mitch Robinson is a freak, we hope he has F status next year. Jeremy Finlayson, Boo Parfitt, Tom Papley, and Toby McLean are all strong forwards. CD will throw up some interesting targets here. ROB has developed very well and Sauce has been servicable; but we need a young agile ruck, The bit players - Michael Hibberd, Bailey Williams, Dan Howe, Harry Morrison, Aaron Hall - will have to earn their way back into the side. There will be some change with a minimum of four to be de-listed. Time will tell whether we chase ready made players or target youth. B&F round 19 5 - Josh Dunkley (169) 4 - Dion Prestia (124) 3 - Nic Newman(117) 2 - Jeremy McGovern (102) 1 - Nat Fyfe (101) Rising Star 3 - Jack Ross (45) 2 - Kyle Dunkley (54) B&F Cumulative - Final Table 58 - Nat Fyfe 41 - Josh Dunkley 30 - Dion Prestia 28 - Nic Newman 22 - Brad Crouch, Mitch Robinson 17 - Reilly O'Brien, 13 - Jeremy McGovern 9 - Ryan Burton 8 - Brandan Parfitt 6 - Sam Menegola, Willem Drew, Tom Papley 5 - Toby McLean 4 - Dan Howe 3 - Aaron Hall 2 - Jarrad McVeigh, Darcy Gardiner* 1 - Jack Ross, Michael Hibberd, Jeremy Finlayson RS Cumulative - Final Table 24 - Willem Drew 19 - Jack Ross 12 - Kyle Dunkley
One of our least favourite moments of the year today - de-listments ahead of the PSD. We would have happily drafted one player to replace Macca, but we have to de-list three. The unlucky three: Aaron Hall - drafted at #14 in the 2016 PSD Tom Joyce - drafted at #71 in the 2019 PSD Kyle Dunkley - drafted at #11 in the 2019 MSD Thanks for your contributions guys, and good luck on whatever list you end up on. Current statistics Average (median) age: 24.9 (24.1) Average (median) games : 78 (64)
With the season just a fortnight away it is time to introduce the cow's four new faces. Will Gould (defender, Sydney Swans)arrived despite our being gazumped by @TerryinBangkok- a trade was discussed and a large young defender headed to Bulls. Will took all of 5 minutes to endear himself to fans with a strong bump on one of the game's premier run with players. Mitch Lewis (forward, Hawthorn) might have been the subject of hilarity when drafted by the hawks (after they had traded out Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis) but "Hodgey" looks the real deal as a HFF. Has now had four preseasons and shapes to be an integral part of the cow's attack. Keidean Coleman (forward / midfielder Brisbane Lions) was our surprise third pick. We have been tracking him for nearly 18 months. Part of the Lions academy he was selected for the NEAFL team of the year after being played out of position for most of the season. Chels said he wanted him and before we could discuss it, he was a cow. Jarrod Cameron (forward, West Coast) was our last pick and we were delighted when he was still there. A pressure kick with an eye for a goal. If he measures up to the standard set by his older brother Charlie, we will be very pleased. Has had a less than ideal preseason with "pubic bone stress." We will be excited when he gets on the park. Squad statistics: Average (median) age - 24 years 3 months (23 years 10 months) Average (median) games - 68 (58) The statistics need to be interpreted in light of three of the squad - Sam Jacobs (31 years 11 months, 201 games), Mitch Robinson (30 years 9 months, 191 games) and Michael Hibberd (30 years, 142 games) If we were to remove this next batch of retirees the squad statistics would be: Average (median) age - 23 years 6 months (23 years 2 months) Average (median) games - 55 (51) It's easy to see why we are excited by the prospects for this season and beyond
You got me @TerryinBangkok - was never good at proof-reading my own work. As long as they win a few Coleman's between them.
Management are loathe to embark on a best and fairest award given how the season is in jeopardy. However, we would like to recognise some top performances from the one round we will see for at least a couple of months, First, Sauce Jacobs (134) is settling in nicely to his home in (Greater West) Sydney. The greater depth in the GWS midfield vis a vis that at Adelaide is just what the doctor ordered. His third home might just prolong his playing life. Secondly, it is great to be able to put the name Tom Mitchell (119) on the start sheet again. Seemed to be a bit rusty but all cows' supporters at the Bulls Hit Tav agreed that it was terrific to watch him in action again. Third, Dion Prestia (118) just keeps on putting in the hard yards. Any team he plays for is instantly better. Fourth, Nat Fyfe (110) looks like he wants to be in the reckoning for the B&F and another Brownlow. The club champ knows which award he values more highly. Fifth, Reilly O'Brien (107) showed just how valuable is to the club. We will play two rucks for the foreseeable feature and having ROB and Sauce as number 1 rucks is fantastic. On the rookie front We keep asking what does Jack Ross have to do to get a gig? Keidean Coleman's good pre-season and hard work were recognised with a place on the Lions' extended bench. The injuries to Mitch Lewis and Jarrod Cameron should be resolved if the season restarts. Kia Kaha
Have neglected the Incorrigibles for too long. Covid has made it difficult to venture south from the big smoke to the wide open (and now not so cheap) spaces around Waikick country. The good news is the Bulls Hit Tavern has been doing a roaring trade, The corned beef / silverside sarnie with a bottle of local pinot noir nights have blossomed into a permanent fixture on the menu. We now also offer a white onion sauce with the silverside as a thank you to Tibby for the dollars he has generously pushed over the bar. Five guys left the group before the draft. Foundation cow Sauce Jacobs backed out. Harry Jones failed to get a new contract at the hawks. Those were the easy cuts. For better or worse we let Willem Drew, Jarrod Cameron and Mitch Hannan go. It already appears that the Drew cut will come back to haunt us. In the draft we went for some young, multi-taskers. At #9 we selected Nik Cox (D/F). We then began succession planning with Josh Treacy (F/R, #27) and Tom Fullarton (F/R, #45). Orazio Fantasia (D/F) caught our eye #63. We rounded out the squad by looking for some depth with Connor Blakely (M) at #81. How will the season pan out for the cows? Who knows. We could be competitive if we can get our best 15 on the park regularly. But will that happen regularly? Chels and I are working (i.e., drinking and arguing) about what the B&F should look like. We will have to agree soon. Good luck to all the ORFFA teams for what is unlikely to be a smooth ride.
Another season done and dusted. Proud winners of the Zac who cares Cup, for the teams not good enough to make the eight. Sort of sums up the season. So, what happened in 2021? The MSD was welcome. We hummed and hahed and decided to de-list Michael Hibberd, a cow right from the inaugural draft. Not an easy decision. However, 23 year old Bradley Close has quickly become a firm favourite of the Taverners. Long sleeves goal sense and a hard attitude will always have the patrons raising their glasses. 21 games at 65 with a semi-final to come. We traded young Jack Ross for a third round pick in next year's PSD and his form (pleasingly?) improved immediately. We took a punt on an injury prone player who we have always coveted. Sam Simpson with his socks pulled up was our man. Only played four games this year (maybe another in the semis?) at 59 but with a good preseason in his body he just might shine in 2022. The Connor Blakely experiment was abandoned as a failure, so out he went to be replaced by Ryan Byrnes. Swapping youth for a non-starter seemed like a sure fire winner during a rebuild. The 29 year old played 16 games at an average of 53 which was a pass mark. Finally during the tail end of the MSD an opportunity to secure a young tap ruckman emerged. Orazio Fantasia was traded for the last pick and in came Kalin Lane. I saw a clip of him and he is a big lad (205 cm, 99 kg) for a 19 year old, and still growing. Has some excellent skills but needs some work to develop into an afl standard ruck, but the Lions and the Cows both need back up. Will be fascinating to see if he and / or Tom Fullarton can make it. So a year of turning over players and hopefully sowing the seeds for a return to the eight and then, who knows what might happen.