WXV Grand Final: Mexico City v Pacific

[Purple 77]

WXVs proudly presents...

Grand Final, AFL Round 23

Home Team	Away Team	Venue	Head-to-Head
Mexico City Suns	Pacific Islanders	MCG	7 v 3

Friday night FULL LOCKOUT at 7.50pm AEST

FOUR EMERGENCIES PERMITTED



What were we saying prior to Round 1?

Although the preseason cup will go in the trophy cabinet, it wouldn't fill the hole that comes with being 'runner-up' in 2020. The Islanders have a very consistent list but its forward line was its demise in 2020. I'm sure the Islanders will be amongst it again, but I'll be interested to see if the forward line lifts this year. Beijing for me.

The Suns are a real smoky for 2021s biggest improver I think. They have a lot of players whom could take that next step, and if they do, Mexico City will skyrocket. I hope I win this game. Heck, I'll put my season on it.

I love reading back in the Round 1 'previews', and seeing just how right I am. Back then, I questioned the Islander forward line, and it was Tex that lifted the forward line to new heights. Although he won't feature this weekend, he has seemingly inspired the likes of Peter Wright, Harry Himmelberg and Tom McCartin to fill the gap in the Islander list. The 2021 World Idolists have timed their run beautifully, and enter this game off the back of two 160+ games in a row!

I also noted the Suns were a real smoky this year (a position I've maintained throughout), and whilst it will be the likes of Walsh, Nic Nat and Petracca that will claim much of the accolades, I personally love how this team recruited Mundy which really, at first, seemed like a favour to Beijing to get them under the cap. Why were Mexico City, a team stacked with youngsters, getting a 1 year wonder? That move has paid HUGE dividends because it's guys like Mundy that can be the difference between prelim loss or Grand final victory. Bloody kudos PK, kudos.

Last time they met

Mexico City Suns (27.9.171) def Pacific Islanders (21.9.135)
It was only 3 weeks ago that these two titans clashed! Mexico City put on its best performance for the year (and also the best of any team in 2021), and to be honest it wasn't worth expelling much energy on the Sunday for the Islanders. As we know, they would go on to produce two 160+ games from that tactical rest, and are now ready for revenge! The Suns have the mental edge over the Islanders though, not only beating them twice this year, but also lead 8 v 3 since WXVs inception. But that could be total lie! The Islanders did edge out the Suns for the World Idol in Round 17, so you could almost say this is their 4th match up for the year!

Form & Experience
In recent form, it's very hard to split these teams.

The Suns have posted 162, 127, 171 and 158 in their past 4 matches, whilst the Islanders have posted 150, 135, 169 and 162 in theirs. Both feature a dip amongst 3 truly awesome scores at this pointy end of the season, but it has been the Suns that have maintained the rage for basically the whole second half of the season.

If the Suns and Islanders played every week against each other, the Islanders would lead 10 to 9! Wow, that is CLOSE!

The last interesting bit is that... before this year, these two teams have never really had much of a crossover! They've never met each other in finals (or a particularly important match that I can recall), and their better years have been whilst the other has been down.

So who wins?

It's great to see that, no matter the result, we'll have a new premiership coach! For UTM, he'll be the first to bring a flag to the Pacific Islands, and triumph where Carltonrok, c4v3m4n, and Jay could not.

For PK, he has the opportunity to renew the claim that Mexico City is WXVs greatest ever club. They were the inaugural champions back in 2012 under Maca24 (where current Cobra Shaun Burgoyne played), and then JROO8 took down the seemingly unstoppable Destroyers in 2015 (where current Beijing player Rockliff played, along with Reindeer Sidebottom and Jaguar Kamdyn McIntosh). But those two didn't have to go back down the bottom to rebuild back up to the top, which is what PKs reign extra special.

Personally... I'll stick with my pre-finals tip in the Suns. But whomever wins, will have bloody earned it.

Good luck PK and UTM!



And don't forget reserves!

London and Seoul - you may name an indicative senior team if you wish (or I will), which will be used to determine who will not play in your Reserves side. Obviously, this senior team must consist of players you would be naming if you were playing in the seniors.

Grand Final, AFL Round 23

Home Team	Away Team	Venue
Imperial Princes	Pyongyang Chollimas	Gabba

[upthemaidens]

A high scoring match in the making.  Beat Mexico for the Idol, they won first final. Tie breaker for the flag.

[Purple 77]

Previews!

[Purple 77]

Each Mexico City premiership team has been characterised by at least one golden oldie.

Unlike what I thought in Round 1, Mundy belongs in this team.

[Purple 77]

Ha! Just as I was about to give up on my search...

There is TWO WXV premiership players that will (barring injury) play in this game.

I certainly would not have guessed one in particular. But I want to make you people do it (I'll ask the same question via Discord)

[Purple 77]

The answers are:

David Mundy in Dublin's 2014 triumph

and

none other than Aaron Hall for New Delhi's 2016 fairytale flag!

[Pkbaldy]

Mexico City Suns


DEF: Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman, Hayden Young, Com Tole
MID: Christian Petracca (C), Sam Walsh, David Mundy, Lachie Hunter
RUCK: Nic Naitanui (CC)
FWD: Aaron Hall, Shai Bolton, Jake Stringer, Aaron Naughton
UTI: Jack Graham, Luke Davies-Uniacke

EMG: Bradley Hill, Mitch Georgiades, Nathan Vardy, Jordan Clark

[upthemaidens]

     Pacific Islanders   - Let's do this  -

DEF: Rory Laird, Aliir Aliir, Bailey Williams, Andrew McPherson
MID: Marcus Bontempelli (CC), Tom Mitchell (CC), Jarryd Lyons, Andrew Gaff
RCK: Zac Smith 
FWD: Peter Wright, Harry Himmelberg, Tom McCartin, Matt Taberner 
UTL: Harry Perryman (M), Zac Bailey (F/M)

EMG: Tim O'Brien(F), Devon Smith(M), Harry Edwards(D), Lloyd Meek(R)

Resting: because why not

[Pkbaldy]

Mexico City Suns


DEF: Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman, Hayden Young, Com Tole
MID: Christian Petracca (CC), Sam Walsh, David Mundy, Lachie Hunter
RUCK: Nic Naitanui (CC)
FWD: Aaron Hall, Shai Bolton, Jake Stringer, Aaron Naughton
UTI: Jack Graham, Luke Davies-Uniacke

EMG: Bradley Hill, Mitch Georgiades, Nathan Vardy, Jordan Clark

[upthemaidens]

I think Pacific have the edge in the Mids, Defence and Utilities.   Captain options are similar.
   Mexico have an edge in the Forwards and a huge advantage in Ruck. 

Match looks pretty even on paper, hopefully can crack 3000+ in a high scoring shoot out.

[Ringo]

London Seniors

D: Adam Saad ,Darcy Gardiner, Jack Lukosius . John Noble
M:  Dom Sheed (VC),Touk Miller (C) , Jack Redden, Willem Drew
R:  Timothy English
F: Daniel McStay,Nick Hind,Jack Higgins, Tim Membrey
U: Liam Baker, Jake Waterman
E:Grimes, Newnes, Nash, Coleman

Captain: Touk Miller
Vice Captain: Tim English


Gardiner replacing Shepphard from Utilities and Waterman comes into Utilities.

[upthemaidens]

Geez Bont, that was a shocker.    Not the greatest of starts for the Islanders.

[Purple 77]

After Friday night

A very timid start by both teams!

The Suns left themselves vulnerable with low scores from Naughton and Hunter, but the Islanders failed to capitalise and will be left to rue Bontempelli's worst performance of the year. Ouch. This could hurt the Islanders.

The Suns will be praying there are no late outs from its forward line either, with a potential premiership-killing Georgiades score looming.

	Mexico City Suns					Pacific Islanders
POS	Traditional	SCO	PEN	ADJ	POS	Traditional	SCO	PEN	ADJ
D1	Jacob Weitering	0		0	D1	Rory Laird	0		0
D2	Nic Newman	0		0	D2	Aliir Aliir	85		85
D3	Hayden Young	0		0	D3	Bailey Williams (WB)	65		65
D4	Thomas Cole	0		0	D4	Andrew McPherson	0		0
M1	Christian Petracca	0		0	M1	Marcus Bontempelli	67		67
M2	Sam Walsh	0		0	M2	Tom Mitchell	0		0
M3	David Mundy	0		0	M3	Jarryd Lyons	0		0
M4	Lachie Hunter	81		81	M4	Andrew Gaff	0		0
R1	Nic Naitanui	0		0	R1	Zac Smith	0		0
F1	Aaron Hall	0		0	F1	Peter Wright	0		0
F2	Shai Bolton	0		0	F2	Harrison Himmelberg	0		0
F3	Jake Stringer	0		0	F3	Tom McCartin	0		0
F4	Aaron Naughton	42		42	F4	Matt Taberner	0		0
U1 (MID)	Jack Graham	0		0	U1 (MID)	Harry Perryman	0		0
U2 (MID)	Luke Davies-Uniacke	0		0	U2 (MID FWD)	Zac Bailey	0		0
E1 (MID)	Bradley Hill	0	0	0	E1 (FWD)	Tim O'Brien	0	0	0
E2 (FWD)	Mitch Georgiades	34	0	0	E2 (MID)	Devon Smith	0	0	0
E3 (RUC)	Nathan Vardy	0	0	0	E3 (DEF)	Harry Edwards	0	0	0
E4 (DEF MID)	Jordan Clark	0	0	0	E4 (RUC)	Lloyd Meek	0	0	0
CC	Christian Petracca	0		0	CC	Marcus Bontempelli	67		34
CC	Nic Naitanui	0		0	CC	Tom Mitchell	0		0
		Total:	123	2			Total:	251	3

[Purple 77]

In progress:

Pacific:
- Tom Mitchell (CC) - it's crucial he puts in now!
- Zac Smith
- Tom McCartin

Mexico City:
- Shai Bolton
- Jack Graham

[upthemaidens]

Looking like I'll be the new owner of pick #17.