WXV Round 15: Suns Seeking Seventh Sands Surrender

[Purple 77]

The thread title legit took me 10 minutes to think of.

Mind the partial lockout on Thursday night at 7.50 AEDT

Round 15, AFL Round 17

Home Team	Away Team	Venue	Head-to-Head
Dublin Destroyers	Tokyo Samurai	Crooke Park, EurAsia	4  v  2
Buenos Aires Armadillos	New Delhi Tigers	Estadio de River	4  v  3
Seoul Magpies	Rio de Janeiro Jaguars	Seoul World Cup Stadium	3  v  0
Cape Town Cobras	Pacific Islanders	Newlands Cricket Ground, AAP Alliance, Africonia	3  v  3
Berlin Brewers	New York Revolution	Berlin Olympic Stadium	4  v  3
Christchurch Saints	Toronto Wolves	AMI Stadium, AAP Alliance	2  v  1
Mexico City Suns	Cairo Sands	Fireball Stadium, AAP Alliance	6  v  0
PNL Reindeers	Moscow Spetsnaz	State de France, EurAsia, Europe	3  v  3
London Royals	Beijing Thunder	London Olympic Stadium, EurAsia	3  v  3

If you needed proof that Dublin are back, you should note that they sit alongside Beijing as the highest scoring team of the past month! Interestingly they've also had the least point scored against them in this time, which makes for a crucial percentage boosting period for them. The Samurai would be happy at getting the win over Cape Town last week - their 6th of the season - but again look destined to finish in the mid-tier of the ladder. Can they buck that trend and put the Destroyers away? Hmm. Not in this form. Dublin for me.

Everyone's favourite - Buenos Aires - went down to the Revolution last week, but really, any wins from here is a bonus (especially when the would-be high priority pick was off the table 4 rounds ago). Meanwhile at New Delhi... I'd almost say they're in their least impressive form since pre-2017. Yeah, they're not scoring badly, but with only a high of 141 over the past 5 weeks... we're fast forgetting them as flag contenders. Come on Tiges, make us believe again! I'll back them here.

Eerily similar to the Tigers, fellow 2017 Top 4 team Seoul have been quite unimpressive recently and have been since Round 4 really. With only a high score of 145 since Round 5, we too are starting to doubt whether they can contend for the flag this year. The Jags last week woke up out of their mid-season slump with their equal highest score of the year - 141 - but against the mighty Toronto! Doh! Recent form line suggests Seoul will win comfortably, but a repeat of last week from both teams will make this game interesting. Seoul for me.

The Cobras have arguably lost their last chance at avoiding the spoon with a loss to Tokyo last week, but when you're missing that much staff, the loss is fair enough. With Pacific & Toronto to come in their final 3 games, they really only have ONE small chance left at avoiding the spoon and that is against the Spetsnaz next week. The Islanders... what can I say? Every week I sway from Toronto & Pacific as premiership favourites, so I guess its your turn to take that favouritism again. Islanders for me.

The Brewers - like, I really wanna stay in the 4, but feel like I'm VERY precariously placed there with no Fyfe. I'm scared every week. I'm scared every day. I feel like I desperately need to stay in the 4 if I'm ANY chance at the flag, so I'm very tense at this evenly poised game against New York, who will have you believe they are no chance. No one's falling for it. So much so, I reckon the Revs get up here, and keep their finals aspirations alive for another week.

It's one thing to look at your opponent, see that they're having a blinder, and think "OK, I'm not going to win this match." It's another thing to just let them, and DESTROY your percentage so much that you drop from 3rd to 6th. Maybe it was a lack of trying, but it was more likely that injuries finally caught up with Christchurch. The coach has declared they're making finals though, so what are Toronto to do? I guess just keep scoring 140s and 150s without their star player, who Seoul & Berlin have shown they aren't much without. It's a pretty special team, this one. Toronto for me.

The Suns are not going to win the spoon, which is something they'll be happy to hold over arch rival Dublin, who beat them last week. To be honest, notching 4 wins this year has been a good effort so far, but now having gone past the priority pick barrier they may as well keep winning! A 7th straight win over bunny Cairo could see them go from 15th to 12th, and maybe 11th if they go nuts! The Sands though have had some much better scores recently... actually it's been quite amusing seeing Cairo in the past 5 weeks score 160+, 130+, 100+, 140+ and 120+. Who knows who wins this game ey? I'll go for the bunny to hop again!

It's interesting to note that the Reindeers have scored the 9th most points in the past 3 weeks! After playing some of their worst footy in their club history earlier in the year, the Reindeers have seemingly bounced back and have probably been unlucky to only have 1 win in the past 3 weeks. Should Cape Town win another match though, the Reindeers will win the spoon if they themselves don't win either, so they'll be keen to add at least one more to completely avoid that wooden shame. The Spetsnaz have a real opportunity to put some much deserved respectability to their win loss ratio over the next 3 weeks, who are lined up to play each team in the bottom 3. I hope they do personally, and could even finish 10th! Moscow for me.

The Royals would be pleased to have all but avoided a wooden spoon from entering their cabinet, but these bottom 4 days must be wearing thin. Alas, they can still cause some real hurt with an upset win over Beijing or Dublin in the next two weeks, so lets go for that happening! And lastly, our new King has been enjoying the view this week as the number 1 team in the comp, and with 3 bottom 4 teams to come, must be eyeing off one helluva tasty minor premiership. But Toronto is nipping at the heels, so they MUST show no mercy and build that percentage, so Beijing for me.

[Holz]

Slipping Suns Seeking Seventh Straight Sands Surrender

7 Ss for 7 games

[meow meow]

CHRISTCHURCH SAINTS

B: Lord Heath Shaw, Nathan Wilson, Tom Langdon, Logan Austin
M: Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy, Luke Parker, Gary Ablett jnr (C)
R: Sean Darcy
F: Toby McLean, Brennan Cox, Darcy Moore, Josh Daicos
I: Thomas Boyd (vc), Ed Richards

E: Conor McKenna, Ryan Griffen, Brent Daniels

[Nige]

Not this time.

[RaisyDaisy]

Are you nervous Purps?

You should be ;)

[Toga]

Beijing Thunder:
D: Brandon Ellis, Marcus Adams, Tom Cutler, Ciara Byrne
M: Callan Ward, Dayne Zorko, Lachie Neale, Ollie Wines
R: Brodie Grundy (C)
F: Luke Breust, Kane Lambert, Josh Caddy, Taylor Walker
IC: Tom Rockliff (VC), Daniel Howe

Emg: Bradley Hill (m), Tom Clurey (d), Mason Cox (r/f)

[iZander]

Buenos Aires Armadillos

Team Format: Traditional

D: Tom Doedee, Jamie MacMillan, Riley Bonner, Jimmy Webster
M: Ed Curnow, Trent Dumont, David Armitage, Darcy Parish
R: Paddy Dow
F: Cale Hooker, Shane Edwards, Jy Simpkin, Cameron Rayner
U: Jarrod Berry, Adam Cerra
E: Chris Masten, Oliver Florent, Shaun Atley

CC: Ed Curnow
CC: Jimmy Webster
RP:
NR:

[Holz]

D1   Alex Rance   
D2   Tom McDonald   
D3   Steven May   
D4   Phil Davis   
M1   Joel Selwood   
M2   Matt Crouch   
M3   Rory Sloane   
M4   Dustin Martin   
R1   Todd Goldstein   
F1   Tom Hawkins   
F2   Jack Riewoldt   
F3   Jack Gunston   
F4   Justin Westhoff   
U1 (MID )   Stephen Hill   
U2 (MID )   Nick Holman   
E1 (RUC FWD)   Majak Daw   
E1 (FWD )   Jack Henry   
E3 (DEF )   Oscar McDonald   
CC   Todd Goldstein   
CC   Joel Selwood   

[Purple 77]

Updated Team Selector for those interested

[Purple 77]

Also, number of Floods/Attacks so far used. A reminder, you have a total of 5, and cannot use them in finals:

F/A

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Beijing Thunder

0

Berlin Brewers

3

A

A

A

Buenos Aires Armadillos

1

A

Cairo Sands

0

Cape Town Cobras

3

A

A

A

Christchurch Saints

3

F

F

F

Dublin Destroyers

0

London Royals

0

Mexico City Suns

0

Moscow Spetsnaz

3

A

F

F

New Delhi Tigers

3

A

A

A

New York Revolution

3

A

A

A

Pacific Islanders

2

F

A

PNL Reindeers

0

Rio de Janeiro Jaguars

2

F

F

Seoul Magpies

3

S

A

A

A

Tokyo Samurai

2

S

A

A

Toronto Wolves

3

A

A

A

If I've missed any that you know of... I guess you can stay silent and get an extra one! I'll leave that up to you, else let me know please  :)

[Torpedo10]

What is S?  :o

[fanTCfool]

Must be the Super Flood?

[Purple 77]

What is S?  :o

Ah yeah, that was a strike

[RaisyDaisy]

Just need to name Crows/Cats for now right?

New York Revolution

D:
M:
R:
F:
I: Hugh Greenwood

E: Eddie Betts (F)

[Ricochet]

Meanwhile at New Delhi... I'd almost say they're in their least impressive form since pre-2017. Yeah, they're not scoring badly, but with only a high of 141 over the past 5 weeks... we're fast forgetting them as flag contenders. Come on Tiges, make us believe again!

Now that Hanners is out we'll be pumping out the big ones. We're back baby