WXV Grand Final: Pacific v Buenos Aires

[Purple 77]

WXVs proudly presents...

Grand Final, AFL Round 23

Home Team	Away Team	Venue	Head-to-Head
Pacific Islanders	Buenos Aires Armadillos	MCG	6  v  6

Pacific Islanders vs Buenos Aires Armadillos

Active Streak: Pacific (1)

Pacific
WXV Average (History): 1368
WXV Average (against Buenos Aires): 1355
Average Winning Margin (against Buenos Aires): 298

Buenos Aires
WXV Average (History): 1325
WXV Average (against Pacific): 1346
Average Winning Margin (against Pacific): 280

Clash Year Winning Team Score Losing Team Score Margin 1 2012 Buenos Aires 1432 Pacific 1172 260 2 2013 Buenos Aires 1620 Pacific 1190 430 3 2014 Buenos Aires 1707 Pacific 1091 616 4 2015 Pacific 1365 Buenos Aires 971 394 5 2016 Buenos Aires 1490 Pacific 1325 165 6 2017 Pacific 1456 Buenos Aires 1004 452 7 2018 Pacific 1673 Buenos Aires 1020 653 8 2019 Buenos Aires 1275 Pacific 1263 12 9 2020 Pacific 1476 Buenos Aires 1369 107 10 2021 Pacific 1502 Buenos Aires 1448 54 11 2022 Buenos Aires 1517 Pacific 1323 194 12 2022 Pacific 1426 Buenos Aires 1296 130

Last time they met

Buenos Aires Armadillos (20.10.130) lost to Pacific Islanders (22.11.143)
It was just 3 weeks ago our Grand finalists clashed, and what difference 3 weeks makes! Buenos Aires was coming off the back of consecutive 110+ scores, which proceeded a 133. They had little hope going into this match and true to form, they only scraped together 130, going down the Islanders. But the Dillos have scored 157 and 148 since then and defeated in-form opponents in the process, and look to be their R1-R13 selves. The Islanders have been much more consistent - going sub 140 only once in their past 8 games, and scoring a fearsome 159+ in 4 of those games. You could mount a strong argument their overdue for another 150+ score, especially given the 'lacklustre' 142 last week featured only two 120+ scores.

2022 Head-to-Head (what if they played each other every week?)
It is tight. The Islanders have a 10-9 record over the Dillos in 2022, with 6 those would-be wins coming in the past 8 weeks. The Dillos however would have won last week, and would have been odds-on to have won the week before (but Islanders had the bye).

This is arguably the clash of the best team from the last 10 games vs the best team from the first 10 games!

So who wins?
No matter the result, 2022 will see a new WXVs premiership winner which will be a welcome relief to those sick of Mexico City, Dublin and the Brazil teams hogging it all (8 of the last 10). This is Pacific's 3rd bite of the cherry, falling to a faultless Seoul in 2020 and a rampaging Mexico City in 2021. Coach UTM has been unwavering and resolute in pursuit of the ultimate glory, and I *think* would only be second to Holz in terms of Grand Final participations by a coach, which is phenomenal really! For Buenos Aires, this is the clubs best finish since its famous 2012-2014 team that unfortunately succumbed to a preliminary final defeat in each year, and thus first Grand Final. It's been a diligent re-build dating back to the Buenos Aires/Toronto re-draft in 2015, seeing coach iZander taking the reigns with then co-coach Vinny at the start of 2016 and committing to the draft in the years that followed.

I think Pacific win this. I sense it's their time, and they are primed and ready to go. But regardless of the result, WXVs wins!



And don't forget reserves!

Both teams (Rome, London) have made Reserves finals but not the seniors.

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 senior finals.

Grand Final, AFL Round 23

Home Team	Away Team	Venue
San Marino Broncos	Imperial Princes	Optus Stadium

[Ringo]

London Seniors

D: Adam Saad,  John Noble, Liam Baker,Nick Hind
M: Touk Miller (C) Willem Drew,, Jack Redden (VC), Lachie Young
R: Timothy English
F: Daniel McStay, Jamaine Jones, Tim Membrey, Keidan Coleman
U: Rhys Matthieson , Jack Lukosius,

[Jukes]

Rome - pleased to have made it this far, London's twos looking very strong right now so a competitive game would be nice, and 6th vs 8th in a Grand Final is neat.
D: Docherty, Houston, Chapman, Blakey
M: Kelly, Parker, Treloar, Daicos
R: Draper
F: Rozee, Moore, Berry, Gulden
U: Starcevich, Bergman

Emg: Sonsie, Cumberland, Jonas, Andrew

[Purple 77]

Last time they met

Buenos Aires Armadillos (20.10.130) lost to Pacific Islanders (22.11.143)
It was just 3 weeks ago our Grand finalists clashed, and what difference 3 weeks makes! Buenos Aires was coming off the back of consecutive 110+ scores, which proceeded a 133. They had little hope going into this match and true to form, they only scraped together 130, going down the Islanders. But the Dillos have scored 157 and 148 since then and defeated in-form opponents in the process, and look to be their R1-R13 selves. The Islanders have been much more consistent - going sub 140 only once in their past 8 games, and scoring a fearsome 159+ in 4 of those games. You could mount a strong argument their overdue for another 150+ score, especially given the 'lacklustre' 142 last week featured only two 120+ scores.

2022 Head-to-Head (what if they played each other every week?)
It is tight. The Islanders have a 10-9 record over the Dillos in 2022, with 6 those would-be wins coming in the past 8 weeks. The Dillos however would have won last week, and would have been odds-on to have won the week before (but Islanders had the bye).

This is arguably the clash of the best team from the last 10 games vs the best team from the first 10 games!

So who wins?
No matter the result, 2022 will see a new WXVs premiership winner which will be a welcome relief to those sick of Mexico City, Dublin and the Brazil teams hogging it all (8 of the last 10). This is Pacific's 3rd bite of the cherry, falling to a faultless Seoul in 2020 and a rampaging Mexico City in 2021. Coach UTM has been unwavering and resolute in pursuit of the ultimate glory, and I *think* would only be second to Holz in terms of Grand Final participations by a coach, which is phenomenal really! For Buenos Aires, this is the clubs best finish since its famous 2012-2014 team that unfortunately succumbed to a preliminary final defeat in each year, and thus first Grand Final. It's been a diligent re-build dating back to the Buenos Aires/Toronto re-draft in 2015, seeing coach iZander taking the reigns with then co-coach Vinny at the start of 2016 and committing to the draft in the years that followed.

I think Pacific win this. I sense it's their time, and they are primed and ready to go. But regardless of the result, WXVs wins!

[Purple 77]

There is two premiership players up for selection in this match!

Pacific have always kept trades to a minimum over the years, and thus all of its players will be searching for its first flag.

But for Buenos Aires, 2022 finals superstar Shannon Hurn was part of the 2019 New Delhi team, and the currently injured Dustin Martin scored a ton for Dublin in 2018.

[upthemaidens]

Team selection will be hard after a few underperformers last match.
   First year player Jake Soligo and often injured Mitch McGovern, pushing their claims for best XV.

[upthemaidens]

        Pacific Islanders     - 3rd times a charm -   

DEF: Harry Perryman, Aliir Aliir, Liam Duggan, Aidan Corr 
MID: Rory Laird (C), Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Mitchell, Jarryd Lyons
RCK: Jarrod Witts (VC)     
FWD: Taylor Walker, Harry Himmelberg, Zac Bailey, Mitch McGovern   
UTL: Jack Ross(M), Lloyd Meek(R)       

EMG: Jake Soligo(M), Peter Wright(R/F), Emerson Jeka(F), Bailey Williams(D)     

Resting: on my Chaise longue

Ross comes in for an injured Gaff.  Not ideal to lose Gaff, but Ross needs to step up.
    Meek gets a run, with Soligo at E1.  McGovern replaces Wright.
Hopefully Laird, Corr and Bailey can bounce back after a sub par performance.

[iZander]

Def: Short, Hurn, Scrimshaw, Doedee
Mid: Parish (C), Wines (VC), Green, Serong
Ruck: ROB
Fwd: JDG, Hayward, Rayner, Johnson
Int: Cerra, Berry

Emg: Bonner, Owens, Ash, Ginnivan

[Ringo]

London Seniors

D: Adam Saad,  John Noble, Liam Baker,Nick Hind
M: Touk Miller (C) Willem Drew,, Jack Redden (VC), Lachie Young
R: Timothy English
F: Daniel McStay, Jamaine Jones, Tim Membrey, Keidan Coleman
U: Rhys Matthieson , Jack Lukosius,

E: Xavier O'Neill,Darcy Gardiner, Charlie Spargo Zac Guthrie

Forgot to name emergencies,

[iZander]

Def: Short, Hurn, Scrimshaw, Doedee
Mid: Parish (C), Wines (VC), Green, Serong
Ruck: ROB
Fwd: JDG, Hayward, Rayner, Johnson
Int: Cerra, Berry

Emg: Bonner, Ash, Ginnivan, Durdin

[Ringo]

London Seniors

D: Adam Saad,  John Noble, Liam Baker,Nick Hind
M: Touk Miller (C) Willem Drew,, Jack Redden (VC), Lachie Young
R: Timothy English
F: Daniel McStay, Jamaine Jones, Tim Membrey, Keidan Coleman
U: Rhys Matthieson , Jack Lukosius,

E: Xavier O'Neill,Darcy Gardiner, Charlie Spargo Zac Guthrie

Forgot to name emergencies,

Leaving Reserves Tean
Sam Darcy, Darcy, Gardiner, Zac Guthrie
Xavier O'Neill, Maurice Rioli Jnr
Jack Higgins, Charlie Spargo, Darcy McPherson

[upthemaidens]

        Pacific Islanders     - 3rd times a charm -   

DEF: Harry Perryman, Aliir Aliir, Liam Duggan, Aidan Corr 
MID: Rory Laird (C), Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Mitchell, Jarryd Lyons
RCK: Jarrod Witts (VC)     
FWD: Taylor Walker, Harry Himmelberg, Zac Bailey, Mitch McGovern   
UTL: Jack Ross(M), Lloyd Meek(R)       

EMG: Jake Soligo(M), Peter Wright(R/F), Bailey Williams(D), Charlie Lazzaro(F/M)     

Resting: on my Chaise longue

Ross comes in for an injured Gaff.  Not ideal to lose Gaff, but Ross needs to step up.
    Meek gets a run, with Soligo at E1.  McGovern replaces Wright.
Hopefully Laird, Corr and Bailey can bounce back after a sub par performance.

[Purple 77]

Good luck Pacific and Buenos Aires!

[PowerBug]

Good luck guys!

[upthemaidens]

Thank you, always need a little luck in finals.

Zac Bailey the yoyo gets us off to a good start.  22 last week, 109 this week.
    He's been so hot and cold, 8 times over 100, 9 times under 60.