WXV: Sao Paulo Pumas

[CrowsFan]

Round 15
Cape Town Cobras (23.16.154) defeated Sao Paulo Pumas (22.13.145)
5 - N/A
4 - Harwood, Houli
3 - S. Jacobs
2 - Minson, Walker
1 - Hartlett, Sloane

Reserves
Cape Town Cobras (9.7.61) lost to Rio de Janeiro Jaguars (21.14.140)
3 - Wallis, 2 - Masten, 1 - Riley

Round 16
Sao Paulo Pumas (17.20.122) defeated London Royals (18.12.120)
5 - N/A
4 - Harwood, Roughead
3 - N/A
2 - Houli, S. Jacobs
1 - Minson

Reserves
Rio de Janeiro Jaguars (20.17.137) defeated Imperial Princes (7.2.44)
3 - Stringer, 2 - Adams, 2 - Minson

Round 17
Sao Paulo Pumas (23.12.150) defeated Buenos Aires Armadillos (19.13.121)
5 - N/A
4 - Hartlett, S. Jacobs, Roughead
3 - N/A
2 - Houli
1 - Gunston, Harwood, Masten, Sloane

Reserves
Rio de Janeiro Jaguars (20.10.130) defeated Buenos Aires Armadillos (2.5.17)
3 - Adams, 2 - Wright, 1 - Armstrong

Qualifying Final
Mexico City Suns (25.14.164) lost to Sao Paulo Pumas (25.15.165)
5 - S. Jacobs, Sloane
4 - Stringer
3 - Roughead, Smith
2 - N/A
1 - Buntine, Houli, Zaharakis

Reserves (Elimination Final)
Mumbai Elephants (8.11.59) lost to Rio de Janeiro Jaguars (11.10.76)
3 - Polec, 2 - B. Jacobs, 1 - O'Rourke

Preliminary Final
Sao Paulo Pumas (25.18.168) defeated Buenos Aires Armadillos (19.14.128)
5 - N/A
4 - N/A
3 - Hartlett, Harwood, Houli, Masten
2 - Hill, Zaharakis
1 - Buntine, Polec, Sloane, Smith

Reserves (Semi Final)
Alexandria Hieroglyphics (16.13.109) defeated Rio de Janeiro Jaguars (10.6.66)
3 - Armstrong, 2 - B. Jacobs, 1 - O'Rourke

Grand Final
Sao Paulo Pumas (22.13.145) lost to  Dublin Destroyers (24.12.156)
5 - Gunston, Roughead Smith
4 - Jacobs, Sloane
3 - N/A
2 - N/A
1 - Hartlett

So that's the voting concluded. Now all that's left is to announce the winners!

[CrowsFan]

Gatinho

Well it was an incredibly tight race this year in the Gatinho, with the top 4 just 1 vote ahead of the next on the list... Finishing in 3rd place (1 vote ahead of Masten in 4th) with 14 votes is Mitch Wallis. Despite finishing third it was another disappointing year for the 2012 Rising Star, after not playing a single match for the Pumas this year. To make matters worse he has already been traded to rivals Buenos Aires ahead of the next season. We wish him all the best at his new club.

In second place with a told of 15 votes another young midfielder, Taylor Adams. In his second year at the club Taylor didn't progress as we hoped. After playing 10 games last year for the Pumas he only managed the 1 this year and spent his time playing for the Jaguars. Adams started to find form in the back end of the season, but an unfortunate finger injury cut his season short. A big pre season is needed for Taylor if he wants to force his way back in to the Pumas calculations.

So that means that the winner of the Gatinho for 2014 is none other than Jake Stringer! It was an excellent season for Stringer in the reserves, being named BOG on 4 occasions and picking up votes in 3 other matches. It is interesting to note that Stringer was brought in to replace the previous 2 time Gatinho winner Mitch Duncan, so it's only fitting that he has also won this award. This is Jake's second award of the night after picking up the Best First Year award earlier this evening. Bigger and better things await for Jake Stringer!!

[CrowsFan]

Gato Grande

So now is the time you've all been waiting for. Has Gary held on to win his second Gato Grande? You are about to find out...

In third place with a total of 38 votes is superstar midfielder and the heart and soul of the team, Rory Sloane! Another fantastic year for Rory who really stepped up when Ablett went down injured. His heroics saved the Pumas on more than one occasion, most notably during the qualifying final against the Suns. Last year Rory picked up 27 votes, so he has stepped his game up again this year, and we hope he can do even better next year!

In second place with 51 votes is Gary Ablett! Yes that's right, unfortunately the champion of the game has been pipped at the post. Gary started the year on fire and seemed like he was unstoppable, but sadly a shoulder injury ended his season early. To poll 51 votes in just 14 matches is an incredible achievement from the little master, but once again Gary is the runner up for the Gato Grande, despite winning the Jim Stynes 3 years in a row.

So that means that the winner for 2014 is Sam Jacobs! What a revelation Sam was in the ruck this year! Absolutely unstoppable and when Ablett went down he took over captaincy duties for the majority of the matches, including the big task of the grand final, where he did not let the team down. Sadly he couldn't hold the trophy aloft, but he was named in the All-Worlds side, which is great recognition from the rest of the competition. Hopefully Sauce can back it up again next year!



So there we have it, all the votes counted and the medals awarded. Total votes for all players in both competitions are below. Thanks for tuning in :)

Gato Grande


Gatinho

[ossie85]

Great write ups!!... Cashed in well with my Polec bet, mixed bag otherwise

[kilbluff1985]

moneys on Jacobs

[elephants]

One Gatinho for another HB! Who will be next? :P

[CrowsFan]

Great write ups!!... Cashed in well with my Polec bet, mixed bag otherwise

Considered giving it to one of the others to spite you, but couldn't in the end :P

[CrowsFan]

Shock Resignation Sees Club Fold

Perhaps the competitions most dominant side for the first three years of the competition is no more! Honey Badger shocked the world when he announced his resignation as head coach of the Pumas, catching everyone off guard and forcing the officials at the Worlds Headquarters into a flurry of meetings to work out what to do. In the end it was decided that the Pumas would be disbanded and the players would join players from the Warriors in a special draft to create two new teams for the league. Brazil feared that they would lose out on hosting a WXV side, but those fears were allayed when it was announced that one of the new teams would be located in Rio de Janiero and be called the Jaguars, in honour of the Pumas reserves side of the last 2 seasons.

After losing to Dublin in the grand final everyone thought the Pumas and Honey Badger would regroup and prepare to make another assault on the flag in 2015, but it was not to be. HB cited stressors outside of the work place as reasons for his departure from the league, but hinted that he may attempt to make a return in the future, and would contemplate an advisory role with a club if any wanted his services. HB leaves the competition as the most decorated coach, leaving with 1 premiership, 1 minor premiership, 2 preason premierships, and a champions league medal around his neck. He also picked up numerous coach of the week awards. Despite all this success he was never named Coach of the Year due to changes in how it was awarded. Initially it was given to the coach of the premiership team, but it was changed to a vote for the second season of the league, and even though the Pumas won the premiership HB was controversially absent from the nominees list. Again he was left of the nominees list in 2014, but was added in as an afterthought after pushing his team through to the GF despite several injuries to key players. However HB is not bitter about this omission from his achievements list.

In parting Honey Badger wished all ex Pumas luck in future seasons wherever they ended up and apologised that he would be taking the journey with them. Thanks everyone for a great competition!

[Nige]

Your friends (or rivals? :o) from northern Africa are sad to see you go and can't believe we didn't get a chance to get revenge!