WXV Round 8: Mexico City v Dublin in Aftermath Round

[Purple 77]

I said last week was a normal week... I don't know what's normal anymore, except perhaps the lockout times.

Round 8, AFL Round 8

Home Team	Away Team	Venue	Head-to-Head
Berlin Brewers	Cape Town Cobras	Berlin Olympic Stadium	3  v  3
London Royals	Moscow Spetsnaz	London Olympic Stadium, EurAsia, Europe	3  v  2
Seoul Magpies	Toronto Wolves	Seoul World Cup Stadium	2  v  3
New Delhi Tigers	Christchurch Saints	Tata Stadium	0  v  2
Buenos Aires Armadillos	Cairo Sands	Estadio de River, AAP Alliance	5  v  0
Rio de Janeiro Jaguars	Beijing Thunder	Maracana Stadium	2  v  0
Tokyo Samurai	Pacific Islanders	Tokyo Olympic Stadium	0  v  5
Mexico City Suns	Dublin Destroyers	Neutral, Melbourne Cricket Ground	3  v  5
PNL Reindeers	New York Revolution	State de France	3  v  2

It's that time of the year again! This week, I try to find your 2016 AFL equivalent in the previews. There will be no double-ups, so some may resemble AFL teams more than others, but have a read! :)

BREWAHHHHHHH!!!!! flower yeah that felt that good! Top scoring last week and everyone just went nuts... I tell ya, it was more a relief that anything, because I really thought I’d be competing and winning better than I have been and in that regard, I’m giving myself the Demons. The same rucks have gone down, the same high (Round 1 against the Saints) experienced, and flowering stupid things that haven’t gone my or Melbourne’s way which shower me to tears. In the Cobras, I can’t see an exact AFL comparison but I’ve gone with the Hawks; in that aside from one well performing ruck and a veteran... there’s fark all that have come to help. Also like the Hawks, the Cobras come up against a team expected to do well against them (London) but came away with the win to bring their season tally up to 2 wins in an otherwise trying year. Ask me last week who I would have thought would win between Melbourne and Hawthorn and I’ve had said Melbourne. Well, shame on me if it happens twice.

The Royals hit the wall last week after an inspiring 5 week patch that netted them 4 wins. London continues to be that team in transition in their rebuild, but show a couple of new tricks each year. In this regard, I liken the Royals to the Blues who they themselves are battling to be in the finals conversation, but haven’t been in some time and just aren’t considered to be yet. Their opponent in Moscow this week pulled AN AMAZING flowerING WIN against gosh darn New Delhi! WHAT A WIN! Just, what a win. I mean, I harp on about teams that struggle, that they should go in each week thinking they can upset their opponent, but I’m never thinking that they can topple opponents tipped to comfortably place in the top 4. In this regard, I liken Moscow the Suns (whom just beat Geelong for context); they are a better team that people think, they just need a clear run at it. This is a great opportunity for Moscow to get back-to-back wins here, but I reckon London will rebound and that you might not back it up.

The Magpies couldn’t do all that much against a rampant, and above all else, desperate Berlin outfit that’s trying too hard to impress the competition. Two losses in a row has taken some of the shine out of the great start to the year from the Magpies, but nonetheless, they have taken a true step forward; one that perhaps a few didn’t think would be as big (not me though). In this regard, I liken the Magpies to Port Adelaide; a 2016 non-finalist that should be taken very seriously. The Wolves though! Two consecutive wins with scores that haven’t been matched since 2015 see the Wolves go 3-4 and sit 12th and out of the bottom 4! Cellar dwellers no longer! In this regard, I liken the Wolves to Essendon; back in business, and resembling a respected competitive team for the first time since 2015. Can they make it 3 in a row? Sure they can, but I’ll tip the Magpies.

The Tigers dropped a game that the bookies probably didn’t even bother opening a market for. That loss will hurt more the longer the season pans out and the placing competition in the top 4 heats up. Just as well basically the rest of the top 8 lost hey? Anyway, the Tigers have been the dominant team that unexpectedly slipped up last week and this regard, the Adelaide comparison is obvious. Their opponents this week have been trending upwards since Round 5 and dare I say, have finally woken up! The Saints have hit 140+ two weeks in a row now as their golden oldies return from injury, but it’s nice to know guys like Petrevski-Seton are helping too! But more performance like that from Jarrad Waite and he won’t have too. The Saints are team that are waking up from the lows of last year and the start of this one, and in this regard I liken them to the Dockers. Who would I tip out of Adelaide v Freo at Adelaide Oval with the Crows coming off a bad loss? RIP Christchurch (and Melbourne).

The Dillos! They won! Sure they scored about the same (17th highest score of the round), but they won! Regardless of how they did it, getting that first-win monkey off the back is important and sometimes, can spark the rest of the season into action. Winning with your Captain as your HGA having scored sub 30 is just gosh darn impressive, though. But I know a fluke when I see one, and sitting 18th on the ladder I have no choice but to liken the Dillos to the AFL 18th team in Brisbane; disappointing but still have a few young guns of note. The Sands, well, played like it was 2016 last week and dropped a match against a team they would have pencilled in as a win. Actually, looking at the Sands scores’ this year, you’ll notice a pattern: 131, 148, 120, 167, 127, 143 and 114. I know I could probably find some team that is similarly up and down, but the Sands have been surprisingly good this year and this regard, I liken them to Nige’s Richmond; performing really well, but we just can’t help but think you’ll come crashing back down at any moment. Lose this game and you’ll truly be Richmond (#MelbourneSalt), but I’ll otherwise tip the Sands whom still outscored the Dillos last week.

The Jags got themselves a mighty fine win last week! Only 5 teams have beaten Dublin since the Destroyers premiership win in 2014, and Rio are the first team to beat them twice in that period. Dublin’s new bogey team? The Jags have been a little unlucky this year; sitting 4th in the points ladder but 8th in the real one, but they have been maybe just a little less impressive than last year, but they won a premiership then and all the form was when it counted. In this regard, I liken the Jags to the Western Bulldogs; getting the job done for the most part, losing a couple times but not losing any credibility as a premiership threat. Their opponent this week DEFINITELY has been the hard luck story of the year. The Thunder sit 17th, 1-6 but having scored more than the current number 1 team New York! It’s just not your year Beijing, and in this regard I liken the Thunder to Collingwood; a killer midfield that’s not getting it done. It’s not mathematically impossible to miss the finals from here, but gee, a lot of things need to go right and that starts with a win this week. You’ll need to bring Lachiver Zard to the party this week, because I reckon the Jags are just getting started.

The Samurai bottomed out last week against a team that scored the second lowest team of the week and won. It would be nice to erase it from memory, but it really adds to that painful loss against New York earlier in the year and even that close loss against Seoul in Round 5. The Samurai have copped a lot of painful losses coming in the last quarter and this regard I liken them to North Melbourne; losing bad, losing well but still losing. Their opponents this week in the Islanders would be spitting chips at scoring 144+ and losing, because last week was the third time that’s happened this year! Pacific sit 2nd in the points ladder but 6th in the real one and at 4-3, would be getting frustrated at not getting reward for effort against teams that overperform. In this regard, I liken the Islanders to St Kilda; bull shower losses against Melbourne, West Coast and Geelong will just spur them on into finals. The Islanders will win this one comfortably.

The all time classic; our two everlasting super teams go head to head in my MATCH OF THE ROUND! It’s funny how the journey of these two teams correlate so closely; both have found scoring consistently high harder this year with a couple sub 130 scores from each. But at the other end of the spectrum, they’ve scored 150+ six times between them this year and sit 3rd and 5th on the point’s ladder. The Suns though have been in a bit of lean patch of late, having scored 129, 126 and 136 in the last 3 weeks even though players keep standing up each week. Like the Destroyers, I think the Suns are having problems with their bottom 3 players but for the most part, still look a great team that’s amassed a couple of dumb losses. In this regard, I liken the Suns to West Coast; a feared team in the right circumstances. The above applies for the Destroyers too; they are struggling with their bottom 3 players and in their two losses this year, their absolutely amazing midfield didn’t turn up. This team is so stacked with superstar players in their best XV that it’s not funny, and in this regard I liken them to the Giants; but without the depth. My tip? Well, this bad boy is being played at the MCG so no HGA will ensure the better team wins, and I think that’s Dublin at the moment.

The Reindeers! WHAT A WIN! If that Moscow upset wasn’t the biggest upset of the year so far (and it was), then that win was a close (distant) second. We were reminded of the Reindeers of 2016 whereas so far this year, they’ve almost been unrecognisable with no scores above 140+ until last week. In this regard, I liken the Reindeers to the Swans; a 2016 force to be reckoned with now turned expected win for their opponent. But last week really surprised me and if they back it up, I might have to reassess my expectations of them for the rest of the year. But kudos for taking my advice and looking to make life harder for the opposition by beating them! They’re opposition this week is perhaps one of the harder teams to beat. New York’s ability to grind out wins under adversity has been incredible this year and last week they again managed to do so against the might of the Suns. Although the Revolution undisputedly has a list that will take them into finals this year, there is no doubt that the 6-1 is both fortunate and flattering and teams on their game will make them pay sooner or later. In this regard, I liken New York to the Cats; Jelwood led and with a makeshift ruck most weeks, but will be there in September because they’re just too good. I’ll back the Revolution in this one.

[iZander]

Dillos

Def: Easton Wood, Touhy, Marcus Adams, Shaun Atley
Mid: Ed Curnow (EVC), Travis Boak (VC), Dumont, Parish
Ruck: Josh Green (OOP)
Fwd: Hooker, Isaac Smith, Elliot, Taylor Walker (C)
Int: Jesse Joyce, Sam Butler

Jarrod Berry, Jy Simpkin, Oliver Florent

Easy win this week i reckon ;)

[Nige]

Easy win this week i reckon ;)

I don't doubt this for a moment.  :P

[Torpedo10]

So if we are the Suns, is Conigs our GAJ?   :P

We scored 136 with a 5.5, I'll back us in this week for a 140+ score with Belly coming back in after a performance Leuenberger deserves to be dropped after.

[Toga]

Love the comparisons Purps! One of my favourite previews for the year 8)

[Toga]

BEIJING THUNDER
D: J.Hunt, S.Wellingham, S.Mayes, H.Taylor
M: L.Neale (C), C.Ward (VC), D.Zorko, O.Wines
R: B.Grundy
F: J.Jenkins, J.Caddy, C.Petracca, B.Hill (R)
IC: B.Ellis, J.Polec

Emg: K.Lambert (f), T.Williamson (d/m), D.Howe (d/m)

OUT: K.Lambert
IN: B.Hill (rested)

[GoLions]

Not looking forward to coming up against Joel Smi- oh wait :-X

The power of Nank haseth returned. Hopefully Prestia and Garner are back as well. Jack still another week or two away but he's been crap anyway. Ainsworth should be back after the Suns bye as well 8)

[GoLions]

If we rest a Suns or Port player this week, will they get the rest bonus added to their R11/12/13 score or whatever it is that we'll use for R9? Or will it add to R10?

[meow meow]

CHRISTCHURCH SAINTS

B: Leigh Montagna, Robert Murphy, Jarrad McVeigh, Jake Lever
M: Bryce Gibbs, Daniel Wells, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Chris Masten
R: Aaron Sandilands (c)
F: Tom Boyd (vc) Jack Steele, Shaun Higgins, Toby McLean
I: Connor Blakely, Sam Mitchell

E: Clay Smith, Harris Andrews, Ryan Lester

[Purple 77]

If we rest a Suns or Port player this week, will they get the rest bonus added to their R11/12/13 score or whatever it is that we'll use for R9? Or will it add to R10?

Ha, always the hard questions!

It will add to their AFL round 11 score that will be counted in our round 9 score. So a tricky one to navigate.

[upthemaidens]

Islanders keep pumping out quality scores for so little reward.
    Might be some changes at the selection table this week.  A few players struggling at the moment, they could do with a run in the reserves to find form.

[Ricochet]

Berlin Brewers  v  Cape Town Cobras (because last weeks score was scary)
London Royals  v  Moscow Spetsnaz (because it'll make me feel better about losing last week)
Seoul Magpies  v  Toronto Wolves (because JB won't give me Weller)
New Delhi Tigers v  Christchurch Saints (just because)
Buenos Aires Armadillos  v  Cairo Sands (because Sand beats Dildo)
Rio de Janeiro Jaguars  v  Beijing Thunder (because they have Neale <3 )
Tokyo Samurai  v  Pacific Islanders (because its really cold this morning and a Pacific Island sounds warm)
Mexico City Suns  v  Dublin Destroyers (because....)
PNL Reindeers  v  New York Revolution (because HBDB looks better than RDAK)

[Nige]

Mexico City Suns  v  Dublin Destroyers (because....)

[Purple 77]

Ahhhh HAHA! What a perfect post Nige  ;D

[Nige]

Ahhhh HAHA! What a perfect post Nige  ;D

I thought it was well set up by Rico to begin with and it was the first thing that came to mind.  8)