The average score for the league was 1901. If you discount In Gore WE Trust, (which I think is a perfectly reasonable thing to do), the average score for the league was 1937. Well done coaches!
Rico’s Roughnecks (1821) vs In Gore WE Trust (1574)
Adam did what we all wish we could do. Have a poorer week when you play Alex. To be fair, he lost last week with the second highest score, so he is due a bit of luck.
Only four men managed to crack the ton for the Roughnecks, but one of them did so in style. Gary Ablett went absolutely bananas on his way to 162. What a stat-stuffer! On the downside though, Jobe Watson looks cooked, Adam Treloar didn’t manage 100 for the second time in three weeks and Jaeger O’Meara is not looking like he was worth the trade (you can take that as either the Hawks-Saints trade with draft-picks or the Roughnecks-Champs16 trade with Elliott Yeo).
Things really seem to be falling off for In Gore WE Trust. Only two hundreds (mind you, that was enough for the two and the one in the Dangergawn) is not impressive. That’s a measly six hundreds for the whole game. Ugh!
In a season of lows for Alex, this was his lowest score. Jarrod Witts, Tom Hawkins and Alex Neal-Bullen all posted their lowest score for the year. Things are not looking up for Gore fans, although their losing streak of six straight comes up against my losing streak of three straight next week. One of us will sing our song again!
Stranger Danger (1921) vs Such is Fyfe (1994)
The standout feature of this match was clearly teammates/ opposition players Sam Docherty (159) and Kade Simpson (161) seeing who could score the most stats. Twelve marks each and very favourable kick-to-handball ratios will keep the coaches happy.
The battle for the one Dangergawn vote was also tight with teammates/ opposition players Scott Pendlebury (141) and Taylor Adams (148) engaging in a competitive game-within-a-game. As far as I am aware, Scott Pendlebury’s game is the highest to not receive a vote. All this, and Joel Selwood scored 60 – a whopping 115 less than last week. Thanks a lot Joel!
The significance of the outcome should not be understated. Such is Fyfe gave Stranger Danger only their second loss of the season and ousted them from second place. The win left both teams on 4-2 and really tightened up the top half of the ladder. Now second place and fifth place are mere percentage points apart. Moreover, watch out for Such is Fyfe next week with reserves Harry Taylor (100), Harley Balic (91) and Travis Colyer (93) all pressing claims to be included in the seniors. The purple army is back in full flight!
The Redshins (1734) vs General Soreness (2174)
Some might look at General Soreness and say “Wow. They have scored two 2100s in the last three weeks. They are a formidable team”. I just do not see it. My tip is they will miss finals. “Why is that?” I hear you ask. I will show you.
|
General Soreness Scores vs Top 6 |
General Soreness Scores vs Bottom 4 |
|
1864 (loss, round 1) |
2159 (win, round 4) |
|
2024 (win, round 2) |
1872 (win, round 5) |
|
1830 (loss, round 3) |
2174 (win, round 6) |
|
Average: 1906 |
Average: 2068 |
As you can see, General Soreness are flat track bullies. They can feast on the flesh of the weaklings and post big 2100 scores. Yet when it comes to versing the top teams, they are a full 162 points worse off. They are only one from three in match-ups verse the top six currently. This is all very confusing for tips this week because Dad plays Adam, who is technically bottom 4. I will wait until General Soreness score a 2100 against a top-flight team and then I will consider them a premiership threat.
Therefore, you can look at the impressive averages of Rory Sloane (131.50), Tom Rockliff (122.83) and Marc Murphy (121.67). Downhill skiers, the lot of them. Rory Sloane is particularly bad as he averages an impressive 147.25 in wins, but a paltry 103.5 in losses.
As for the Redshins, I am glad Tom Cutler had a good long look at himself and scored a whole 99 more points than in his last outing.
Champs16 (2028) vs the Bailout Plan (1811)
Sam Jacobs was phenomenal. 15 kicks, 11 handballs, 9 marks and 50 hit-outs! That’s almost as many hit outs as Shane Mumford’s 52, and Mummy was opposed to Josh Dunkley for much of the night.
The two big boys were just two of many who played their role really well for the reigning premiers and helped them post their largest score this year. It was a timely score too, because other teams like Such is Fyfe and General Soreness are starting to flex their muscle. However, as I know too well, you can never discount the champs.
It might not be my place to say, given I don’t have a premiership or a score above 2000 this year, but I’m going to say it anyway. That long-term contract with guaranteed playing time that Nelson offered to Mitch Brown after last year’s preliminary final is looking questionable. 43, Mitch. Just no.
On the Bailout Plan side of things, there is not a lot to hate – the lowest score was 60. People like Nat Fyfe (64), Jeremy Cameron (69) and Liam Picken (60) were all well below their best. One day, it will all click for the Bailout Plan and they will beat a top seven team. Until then, this is an “almost” team.
MaherShalalHashBaz (1938) vs Defenestrators (2015)
Match-ups between Paul and me are always classic! Here are the last four match-ups between us, including last year’s preliminary final.
|
Me |
Paul |
|
1994 |
2152 |
|
2083 |
1981 |
|
2072 |
1937 |
|
1938 |
2015 |
These match-ups really bring out the best of both teams.
Mind you, Paul has had no trouble producing his best all year. Paul cruised his way to ten tons and another mammoth score. Although, I knew I was going to lose after the Brisbane-Port game when Dayne Zorko and Dayne Beams were comprehensively outscored by Jasper Pittard and Lewy Taylor.
There were a few positives for my boys though. Andrew McGrath scored 99, which gives me great hope for the future. Jack Steven (133) notched up his first century of the year in style. Even my gamble on Tom Bellchambers (which was inspired by General Soreness) worked out well as he scored 91 points. Josh Dunkley achieved three hit outs. In addition, I got more Dangergawn votes than Paul did and if I am going to go down, it’s nice to have something.
As nice as it is to be back in the 1900s and out of the 1700s, there is an obvious weakness in my line-up, which I will be addressing this week.
|
|
Night-Time |
Day-Time |
|
No# of Players |
4 |
12 |
|
Total Score |
271 |
1233 |
|
Average Score |
68 |
102 |
That’s ignoring the twilight games, where my six players averaged 72. When it starts getting dark, my boys get spooked.
So after some positive signs after the Braveheart viewing-week, I have scheduled our weekly training sessions for night-time – in Elizabeth.