WXV: The Moscow Spetsnaz

[meow meow]

Beginnings

Moscow was selected to be one of the foundation teams in the WXV competition.
Moscow is the 5th largest city proper in the World, and boasts a population of over 10.8 million people. The city is a major political, economic, cultural and scientific center in Russia and on the continent of Eurpope. Based on Forbes 2011, Moscow has the largest community of billionaires in the world. Moscow is the northernmost megacity on Earth, the second most populous city in Europe.

The general managers and marketing team decided that the team would be known as the Moscow Spetsnaz. Spetsnaz (in Russian: спецназ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "special purpose forces".

meow meow was appointed as the senior coach of Moscow ahead of it's inaugural season.

Smirnoff was named as the major sponsor. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov.



Gazprom was named as the secondary sponsor. Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company.




Home Ground

The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium was selected as the home ground of the new Moscow franchise. It is the biggest sports stadium in Russia, and it's total seating capacity is 89,318 seats, all covered.









Playing Strip

Moscow's logo and playing strip is based on the skull and crossbone design, but we have substituted the Russian designed and built AK-47 for the bones. The AK-47 ties in with the military focused Spetsnaz name. We have also included a vector point of Moscow City, and an outline of Russia.

[meow meow]

Current Playing List

Defenders		Midfielders		Rucks		Forwards
Jack Hombsch		Dayne Beams		Nic Naitanui		Dustin Martin (mid)
Dustin Fletcher		Ryan Griffen		Jordan Roughead (def)		Shaun Higgins
James Frawley		Nathan Fyfe		Jonathan Ceglar		Jack Darling
Robert Murphy		Adam Treloar		Corey Gault		Tyrone Vickery (ruc)
Heath Shaw		Alex Sexton (def)		Israel Folau (fwd)		Fraser McInnes
Brandon Ellis		Bernie Vince				Michael Walters
Marty Clarke		Paul Seedsman				Liam Jurrah
Jackson Allen		Will Hoskin-Elliott (fwd)				Josh Mellington
Richard Tambling		Justin Sherman				Caolan Mooney
Jason Blake		Josh Growden (fwd)				Angus Monfries (mid)
Kyle Hardingham		Shane Tuck				Steven May (def)
Jack Hutchins		Dom Tyson (fwd)				Tom Williams (def)

* note that some positions are based on my expectations

[meow meow]

WXV Draft

The WVX draft began on the 17th of October, 2011 and will be seen as the most crucial factor in the future performances of all the WXV teams. The task was huge and the pressure to get picks right was on. There was an amazing amount of talent up for grabs. The following is a complete list of every taken by Moscow in the draft, and the coaches thoughts behind drafting them.


#1 (11 overall) Nic Naitanui
"Our whole plan is to gather the best young talents in the land, and take a couple of years to develop them further. We see Nic as a player who is on the verge of greatness. We believe he will be the standout player in his position in the near future. At just 21 years of age he will be around for a very long time. The best tap ruckman by a mile, and when he adds more marks and possession to his game he will be an elite scorer"

#2 (26) Dustin Martin
"We expect Martin to be one of the best forward/mids in the competition in a year or two. We draft him expecting him to be classed as a forward. If he is a mid only, then it won't be bad either. 20 years old with 10 years ahead of him. An exceptional kicker of the ball, which bodes well for his scoring possibilities"

#3 (46) Heath Shaw
"In our view Heater is the best backman in the competition. Never gets beaten in a one-on-one contest, and is usually a very good long kick. He's younger than people think and we plan to have him lead the backline for the next 5+ years."

#4 (62) Shaun Higgins
"A surprise to a lot of people to see Shaun taken here. We see him as a consistent scorer, who is capable of scoring 100's regularly, while rarely ever producing terrible games. Will be a forward forever. Talented and never wastes a disposal. His injury history has been due to bad luck and we think he'll prove a few doubters wrong. At 23 years old he has time on his side"

#5 (83) Brian Lake
"Brian has been one of the best key backmen in the league for years, and his scoring reflects this. Wins contested marks at will. Had a terrible year last year due to injury, but we'll back him in to bounce back, and we think he has a few good years left in him yet."

#6 (98) Dayne Beams
"We considered taking him with our 4th round pick, so we're happy to get him in round 6. Has shown steady improvement every year and hopefully he can continue the trend. Another good long kick, and goal kicking midfielder. 21 years old and has room for improvement."

#7 (119) Jonathan Brown
"30 years old and has a few good seasons left in him yet. Hopefully he can be a solid contributer, and if he returns to anything like his best form, then he'll be amazing value at #119"

#8 (134) Marty Clarke
"Marty is an elite kick, and is in the age bracket we're looking for. Should form a good partnership as a rebounding defender with Heath. He was excited to play football again after hearing that the competition is going worldwide."

#9 (153) Tyrone Vickery
"Booted 36 goals in 2011 and we think he will be a solid contributor to our forward line. Has plenty of upside and we think he'll develop into a really good forward."

#10 (170) Tom Liberatore
"Libba burst onto the AFL scene in amazing fashion. His decision making and disposal in a contested situation is first class. Has a very accurate left foot and rarely wastes a possession. We're hopeful that he'll continue to improve and eventually become one of the premier mids."

#11 (190) Allen Christensen
"A premiership player in the AFL at just 20 years of age. This guy is pure class, but he's also a hard worker. Could win league best and fairest in 5 years time."

#12 (205) Thomas Lynch
"We think Tom will be one of the best centre half forwards sooner rather than later. Has excellent mobility for a big man and is the kind of guy you can build a forward line around. Rarely goes missing like a lot of key forwards tend to do."

#13 (226) Harley Bennell
"Smooth moving, long kicking and clean with his hands, Harley Bennell is a star of the future. Will be a part of our emerging midfield that we hope will dominate the competition in a few years time."

#14 (242) Jordan Roughead
"Good mobile ruckman who is more than just backup to Nic Nat. Will get plenty of opportunity to show his wares and he is another of our 19-23 year old midfielders."

#15 (263) Brandon Matera
"We think Brandon will play his whole career in a role similar to Paul Chapman and ROK. Small forward who is ultra dangerous around goal, but can also accumulate possessions and score well even if he's not booting goals."

#16 (278) Ryan Bastinac
"Another of the young midfielders who is due to improve. The best handballer in the game over 20 metres. Ready to breakout."

#17 (299) Justin Sherman
"We recruited Justin as a forward, and we hope he can find his form of a couple of seasons ago when he averaged 90. He's not too old at 24 years of age and he should be entering the prime of his career."

#18 (314) Brodie Smith
"Talented young backman who will be one of the better scorers in his position in a few years due to his clean ball use. Needs to bulk up a little bit but he has a lot of upside."

#19 (335) Steven Morris
"This guy attacks the ball like very few players do. May not be ultra skillful but we know we'll get 100% effort, 100% of the time. 24 years old and has plenty of football ahead of him."

#20 (350) Chris Masten
"Masten's best is elite, his worst is terrible. We hope that he is at the age where he starts to remove the inconsistency from his game, and can perform at a high level regularly, instead of sporadically."

#21 (370) Jarrod Witts
"Monster is a word that comes to mind when asked to describe this guy. He is huge, but he has very good hands for a man his size. Needs to work on his tank, but we think he will dominate opponents in 3 years time. Forms a trio of under 22 rucks that will dominate the WXV for years."

#22 (386) Kelvin Moore
"Kel is a bit of a forgotton man. He had some brutal injuries. We think that he will return well, and be a solid contributor for a few years while our young backmen develop."

#23 (407) Dustin Fletcher
"Still one of the best kicks in the game, and we think he has got a couple of good years left in him. Has been a very good scorer in the past, and he will play a role much the same as Moore."

#24 (422) Matthew Panos
"Panos is probably the best set shot in the entire AFL. Kicked 26 goals straight in the last 6 weeks of the VFL season and we think he'll be a pretty handy forward."

#25 (441) Mitch Brown
"Pick 14 a few years back but couldn't break into the Geelong team. Could turn out to be a very good player if given the opportunity."

#26 (456) Richard Tambling
"Have high hopes for 'bling. A new role across half back, in a new team should provide him with a fresh burst of enthusiasm."

#27 (478) Tom Young
"Every team needs a ranga, and Youngy has shown a bit in the past to suggest he could develop into a handy half back."

#28 (494) Alex Sexton
"Who? That's what most people would be saying about this guy right about now. Extremely talented youngster who can play anywhere on the ground. We have full faith in this guy, and expect him to add to our young, emerging midfield group."

#29 (515) Jack Hutchins
"In our eyes Jack is the next Nathan Bock. Powerful athlete who takes the game on, which is rare for a key backman. Came 2nd to Eamon Sullivan at the national championships one year, which shows how much of an all round athlete this fella is."

#30 (530) Ben Sinclair
"Silky small forward who is due for an opportunity soon. Had a bad run with injury and needs a lucky break. Can find the footy well for a small player."

#31 (551) Nathan Wilson
"An unknown to most people, Nathan Wilson is an elite set shot at goal. Can kick goals from outside 50 with ease. We hope he learns how to find more of the football, but when he does get it good things happen.

#32 (566) Jackson Allen
"Possibly the best kick on our entire list. Good in a contest too. Was hidden away up in Queensland so not too many people got a look at him. We're happy to have gotten both of Sexton and Allen. In a few years time he will be an important component of our backline.

#33 (587) Tom Williams
"We thought he showed a bit in the absence of Lake. Entering the stage of his career where he could start to have impact on games. Recruited him as backup mainly, but hope he can improve."

#34 (602) Jon Ceglar
"20 year old ruckman who may get an opportunity soon. Not outstanding at anything, but no major defects to his game either."

#35 (623) Steven May
"If Hutchins isn't getting a gig, then Steven May will be. Typical defensive backman, but is strong enough to take a few contested marks here and there."

#36 (638) Sam Schulz
"The first player ever selected by GWS. We don't expect too much from him considering he was taken in the 36th round, but there have been some gems taken late in drafts so who knows?"

#37 (659) Paul Cribbin
"The mid sized Irishman has shown steady improvement since swapping codes. If he keeps up his current rate of improvement he may become a decent half back/mid."

#38 (674) Paul Seedsman
"We selected Paul purely as a joke. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed but he is fun to pick on. Has a nice sidestep though, and is young enough and skilled enough to be given a chance."

2011 National Draft

#1 (8th pick overall) Will Hoskin-Elliott
"We are absolutely thrilled to get Will to the club. We would have taken him with pick #1 if we had it. He has elite running capabilities, is an excellent 60 metre kick which will see him score well, and has a huge leap which sees him able to outmark just about anyone. We see him as a faster version of Nathan Fyfe."

#2 (29) Sam Kerridge
"Sam is a tough inside mid who can also play up forward to great effect. We don't think he'll take long to find an opportunity at senior level due to his body size. Will be a beast in a few years."

#3 (44) Tory Dickson
"This guy should get an opportunity immediately and will provide depth or a starting option from day one while Matera and Lynch get more experience. Looks to be a good all round player."

#4 (65) Jason Blake
"Jason was recruited as a veteran who may be called upon for a handful of games here and there while our youngsters develop."

2011 Rookie Draft

#1 (6th overall) Caolan Mooney
"Mooney is a super athlete but has never played a game of AFL. He was a star at Gaelic football and appears to have plenty of outstanding qualities. Had he have been at the draft camp, he would have broken the record for the 20m sprint, the standing vertical leap, and the agility tests. He'll take some time, but he could be absolutely anything."

#2 (31) Richard Newell
"Richard is a running machine. Hard at a contest. Not overly skilled but he has a crack."

#3 (42) John Heslin
"Another Irishman. Plays a brutal style of game that saw him get suspended regularly back in Ireland."

#4 (67) Corey Gault
"We like the look of this guy. Very mobile for a ruckman and we think he is perfectly suited to the Leigh Brown role. Has good disposal by foot and gets some nice hitouts to advantage. Needs to work on his fitness but we think he has a good shot at making it."

Trades

1. Moscow trades Brian Lake to Beijing for Adam Treloar
"While we think that Brian is a star, we think Treloar will be a superstar of the future. We gave up our 5th pick of the WXV draft for Adam so we obviously rate him extremely highly. He'll add to the group of super talents in the midfield."

2. Moscow trades Chris Masten to Cairo for Jordan Russell
"We think Masten is too inconsistent, and we'd rather have a player who MIGHT come good playing for us in the backline, rather than in the vital midfield position."

3. Moscow trades Jarrod Witts to the Pacific Islanders for James Frawley
"We think that Witts will be a superstar, but we have enough quality in the ruck department so we could move him on. He'll take a few years. James Frawley is 24 years old and has plenty of years left, but can also make Moscow more competitive straight away."

[meow meow]

2012 SEASON

Round 1

Moscow Spetsnaz (17.13.115) lost to New York Eagles (20.4.124)

Moscow kicked off the historical first round of the WXV competition with a game against New York. Heath Shaw was selected as the first ever captain of the Spetsnaz. We went in with a very inexperienced team and the Eagles were too strong. The following is the first ever team to represent Moscow in the season proper.

B: Heath Shaw (C), Jordan Russell, Brodie Smith, James Frawley
C: Tom Liberatore, Ryan Bastinac, Ben Sinclair, Will Hoskin-Elliott
F: Thomas Lynch, Dustin Martin (vc), Harley Bennell, Shaun Higgins
R: Nic Naitanui                  
I: Tyrone Vickery, Jordan Roughead

GOOD: Tom Liberatore took out the Jesaulenko/Pyke medal as the best player on the ground for either team. Nic Naitanui was solid in the ruck, and Harley Bennell started the season well. Will Hoskin-Elliot recieved the first ever WXV rising star nomination.

BAD: Jordan Russell was in the bad books after scoring just 24. The young mids and interchanges failed to have an impact.

VOTES:  5: Tom Liberatore, 4: Nic Naitanui, 3: Harley Bennell, 3: Heath Shaw, 1: Dustin Martin

Round 2

Pacific Islanders (21.10.136) defeated Moscow Spetsnaz (18.13.121)

Four changes were made after the round 1 loss. Making their debut for Moscow were: Marty Clarke, Allen Christensen, Brandon Matera and Dayne Beams.  Heath Shaw captained the team again. Another disappointing performance.

GOOD: Ryan Bastinac repsonded well to criticism about his round 1 performance, bouncing back and scoring 151 (103 points more than the previous week). Naitanui was solid again, but those two were the only positives.

BAD: Too many players in the 55-70 range. Vickery was terrible, scoring just 39.


VOTES -  5: Ryan Bastinac, 4: Nic Naitanui, 3: Marty Clarke, 2: Allen Christensen, 1: Heath Shaw
Leaders: Naitanui (8 ), Liberatore (5), Bastinac (5), Shaw (4)

Round 3

Moscow Spetsnaz (17.13.115) lost to Buenos Aires Armadillos (22.18.150)

After a couple of losses in a row, Moscow turned to experience to see if that could add some stability to the team. Dustin Fletcher and Jonathan Brown made their debuts, with mixed results. Dustin Martin captained the team and failed. This was a demolition by the Armadillos on our home turf and things were starting to look very dark for the rest of the season.

GOOD: Bastinac and Naitanui backed up their good performances. Fletcher was impressive on debut.

BAD: Jonathan Brown could not even muster a score in double figures (9). Liberatore started as substitute. Vickery was terrible again.


VOTES -  5: Bastinac, 4: Fletcher, 3: Naitanui, 2: Shaw, 1: Frawley
Leaders: Naitanui (11), Bastinac (10), Shaw (6), Liberatore (5), Fletcher (4)

Round 4

Toronto Wolves (21.7.133) defeated Moscow Spetsnaz (20.11.131)

Things needed to change after the performance of the opening 3 rounds, and being captained for the first time by Dayne Beams, it was a much improved effort against the Wolves. Had the game have been played in Moscow, our boys would have got the win but the Wolves were just too good in Canada. Justin Sherman and Adam Treloar made their debut for Moscow.

GOOD: The inclusions performed well. Most players posted decent scores and it was more of an even performance by the team.

BAD: Higgins starting in the green vest was a lethal blow to Moscow's chances.


VOTES -  5: Allen Christensen, 4: Dayne Beams, 3: Nic Naitanui, 2: Justin Sherman, 1- Marty Clarke
Leaders: Naitanui (14), Bastinac (10), Christensen (7), Shaw (6), Liberatore (5)

Round 5

Berlin Brewers (18.7.115) lost to Moscow Spetsnaz (18.9.117)

Finally got the first win of the season in what was not a great match by either team. We were happy to get the W, but were not happy with the performance of the team. Ryan Bastinac captained the team for the first time. James Frawley pulled out late and Paul Seedsman replaced him for his debut inthe historic first win.

GOOD: A win is a win. 3 players performed well, scored the same as eachother and shared the BOG votes.

BAD: Seedsman wasn't ready for the call up and was OOP, halving his 20 points. Jordan Roughead was disgraceful, scoring a mere 15 before being subbed off. JB scoring 44 wasn't acceptable.


VOTES -  5: Nic Naitanui, 5: Justin Sherman, 5: Dustin Martin, 2: Allen Christensen, 1: Shaun Higgins
Leaders: Naitanui (19), Bastinac (10), Christensen (9), Sherman (7)

Round 6

Moscow Spetsnaz (22.15.147) defeated Seoul Magpies (22.12.144)

This was the game where things finally clicked for Moscow. The coach of the opposition labelled this match as "an easy win" and it gave us that little bit extra motivation to get over the line. Dustin Martin was again given the chance to lead the team.

GOOD: The backline was lead maginificently by Shaw, and each of them scored a ton. Harley Bennell had a breakout game and showed why he will be a star. Brown bounced back after last week's dismal performance.

BAD: Naitanui was a late omission. Bastinac's form hit a low and his inconsistency was a worry. Vickery was recalled and given another chance, and only managed 26 before sustaining a season ending injury.


VOTES -  5: Harley Bennell, 4: Dayne Beams, 3: Heath Shaw, 2: Dustin Fletcher, 1- Jonathan Brown
Leaders: Naitanui (19), Bastinac (10), Shaw (9), Christensen (9)

Round 7

Cairo Sands (19.13.127) lost to Moscow Spetsnaz (21.16.142)

Moscow made it a hat-trick of wins with our first comfortable win of the season. Dayne Beams captained the team for the first time. Jason Blake made his debut for the club.

GOOD: 12 of the 15 players contributed a solid score. Shaw was outstanding in defence. Adam Treloar recieved a WXV rising star nomination.

BAD: Roughead really struggled while having to handle the ruck duties due to NicNat's absence.


VOTES -  5: Heath Shaw, 4: Dayne Beams, 3: Justin Sherman, 2: Harley Bennell, 1: Adam Treloar
Leaders: Naitanui (19), Shaw (14), Beams (12), Bennell, Sherman, Bastinac (10)

Round 8

Moscow Spetsnaz (23.12.150) defeated Tokyo Samurai (23.7.145)

The home crowd saw the Spetsnaz post their biggest score of the season so far, and make it 4 wins on the trot against some quality opposition. Naitanui made his return, while Heath Shaw was again given the responsibility of captaining the side.

GOOD: Jonathan Brown wound the clock back and dominated. The young stars Bennell and Liberatore were among the best players which was pleasing. Shaw was outstanding in defense, again.

BAD: Justin Sherman was pathetic. Christensen's injury opened the door for Sinclair and he did not make the most of his opportunity.


VOTES -  5: Jon Brown, 4: Heath Shaw, 3: Harley Bennell, 2: Tom Liberatore, 1: Nic Naitanui
Leaders: Naitanui (20), Shaw (18), Bennell (13), Beams (12)

Round 9

PNL Reindeers (22.11.143) lost to Moscow Spetsnaz (22.14.146)

The hot streak continued against PNL, a team who's ladder position didn't reflect the quality of their team. We weren't going to take this one lightly, and we were thrilled to get the win away from home. Steven Morris made his debut for the club, replacing Fletcher who was out injured. Tom Liberatore was made captain for the week.

GOOD: Beams had a monster game (175) while youngster Adam Treloar was showing steady improvement.

BAD: Sherman was pathetic for the 2nd week in a row. Jon Brown couldn't get anywhere near it after his outstanding game of the week prior.


VOTES -  5: Dayne Beams, 4: Dustin Martin, 3: James Frawley, 2: Adam Treloar, 1: Heath Shaw
Leaders:  Naitanui (20), Shaw (19), Beams (17), Bennell (13)

Round 10

Moscow Spetsnaz (20.8.128) lost to Mexico City Suns (23.8.146)

Moscow simply could not compete with one of the competition heavyweights. We were due for a down game after winning 5 in a row and if we didn't bring our A-game we had no chance against the experienced Mexico unit. Dayne Beams captained the team.

GOOD: Beams led by example. Naitanui battled well, and Dustin Martin played his role. The leaders stood up in Shaw's absence.

BAD: Too many players offering only 50's and 60's.


VOTES -  5: Dayne Beams, 4: Nic Naitanui, 3: Harley Bennell, 2- Dustin Martin, 1: Marty Clarke
Leaders: Naitanui (24), Beams (22), Shaw (19), Bennell (16)

Round 11

Sao Paulo Pumas (20.19.139) lost to Moscow Spetsnaz (21.17.143)

Moscow pulled off mission impossible: defeating the previously undefeated Puma's on their home turf. Sao Paulo didn't perform at their peak and we were lucky that our best efforts were enough to get the job done and cause the biggest upset of the season.

GOOD: The team peformed well without Shaw and Christensen. Jason Blake had the best game of his career. Naitanui was outstanding (185) and captain Beams didn't let the team down (137).

BAD: Adam Treloar's score of 7 was a major anomaly. Dustin Martin's score of 44 was well below what we expect of him.


VOTES -  5: Nic Naitanui, 4: Jason Blake, 3: Dayne Beams, 2: Shaun Higgins, 1: Dustin Fletcher
Leaders: Naitanui (29), Beams (25), Shaw (19), Bennell (16)

Round 12

Moscow Spetsnaz (22.10.142) defeated Wellington Warriors (17.11.113)

Confidence was up after the previous week's win, and an out of form Wellington without their star player were brushed aside quite easily in this one. Naitanui captained the team for the first time.

GOOD: Centuries to all of the main players except a returning Heath Shaw. 13 of the 15 posted acceptable scores. Martin responded well.

BAD: Roughead was abysmal (19, subbed off), and Jason Blake sustained a serious injury.


VOTES -  5: Dustin Martin, 4: Jon Brown, 3: Dayne Beams, 2- Nic Naitanui, 1: Harley Bennell
Leaders: Naitanui (31), Beams (28), Shaw (19), Bennell, Martin (17)

Round 13

Moscow Spetsnaz (19.6.120) lost to Cape Town Cobras (20.11.131)

The events that led up to this game were not ideal, and clearly they put the team off. Dustin Martin was suspended for 2 weeks and the team was never really in this one, despite the talented Cobra's not performing at their best either.

GOOD: The backline was solid, NicNat did all he could. Higgins was impressive.

BAD: Bastinac and Sherman were disgraceful (34, 33) and JB wasn't much better. Sinclair played as the substitute and the HGA was just about useless. Beams didn't perform like a captain should.


VOTES -  5: Naitanui, 4: Shaw, 3: Higgins, 2: Frawley, 1: Christensen
Leaders: Naitanui (36), Beams (28), Shaw (23), Bennell, Martin (17)

Round 14

London Royals (17.17.119) lost to Moscow Spetsnaz (18.14.122)

The most contriversial match of the season. London were a ship without a rudder when their coach decided not to show up. It was pure luck that we won this one after playing so poorly. London sacked their coach after this game.

GOOD: The club leaders did just enough to get us over the line. Treloar improved on last week's not so great effort.

BAD: Plenty. Bastinac and Christensen couldn't make it out of the 30's. Sherman was bad again. Naitanui was poor despite the opposition's ruck sitting on the sidelines watching. Jonathan Brown was a terrible choice as captain.


VOTES -  5: Dayne Beams, 4: Heath Shaw, 3: Harley Bennell, 2: Shaun Higgins, 1: Adam Treloar
Leaders: Naitanui (36), Beams (33), Shaw (27), Bennell (20)

Round 15

Moscow Spetsnaz (21.13.139) defeated New Delhi Tigers (20.12.132)

Finals were looking like a possibility at this stage of the season, but we had to win at least 2 of the 3 remaining matches. Our form wasn't great last week and we made 5 changes, but it was good to see the team lift and do enough to get over the Tigers. Kelvin Moore played his first (and only) match for Moscow.

GOOD: The backline was solid. Super game from Beams (162) and good perfomances from young guns Liberatore and Will Hoskin-Elliott.

BAD: Higgins did his hammy and Brandon Matera continued to frustrate us with his unpredictable form.


VOTES -  5: Dayne Beams, 4: Nic Naitanui, 3: Heath Shaw, 3: Dustin Fletcher, 1: Tom Liberatore
Leaders: Naitanui (40), Beams (38), Shaw (30), Bennell (20)

Round 16

Beijing Bears (23.14.152) defeated Moscow Spetsnaz (21.12.138)

While this wasn't a particularly bad game on our part, we never looked like we were in it at any stage. The Bears performed brilliantly, led by Tuck and we had no answer for it. We went for a young team that included debutant Caolan Mooney.

GOOD: Huge game from Nic Nat (164). Shaw and captain Beams were good. Bastinac on return after being dropped responded well, and Adam Treloar continued his solid form (99)

BAD: The young mids (Mooney, Hoskin-Elliott, Sinclair) didn't take their opportunities. Marty Clarke as substitute wasn't ideal.


VOTES -  5: Nic Naitanui, 4: Heath Shaw, 3: Dayne Beams, 2: Dustin Martin, 1: Allen Christensen
Leaders: Naitanui (45), Beams (41), Shaw (34), Bennell (20)

Round 17

Moscow Spetsnaz  (23.18.156) defeated Dublin Destroyers (20.12.132)

The final match of the season saw us come up against the bottom team, who had been talking up their chances of causing an upset and derailing our finals ambitions. We responded with a strong performance. Amongst the five changes was late inclusion Tory Dickson finally getting his first game for the Spetsnaz.

GOOD: 14 out of 15 players registering acceptable scores (one OOP). Harley Bennell had an incredible game (193), Beams (144) and Treloar (129) were great.

BAD: Christensen was the only non performer. Dickson played out of position which took some shine off his impressive debut. Captain Nic Nat wasn't as good as expected.


VOTES -  5: Harley Bennell, 4: Dayne Beams, 3: Adam Treloar, 2: Ryan Bastinac, 1: Jordan Roughead, 1: Tom Liberatore
Leaders: Naitanui, Beams (45), Shaw (34), Bennell (25)

2nd Elimination Final 

Beijing Bears (18.15.123) lost to Moscow Spetsnaz (27.12.174)

After finishing the season in 7th position and surprising a lot of people in the process, it was time to perform. And perform we did. Beijing had beaten us only two weeks ago but we were able to turn things around in a big way. Posting the 2nd highest score by any team for the season was pleasing. Jackson Allen made his debut in a WXV final.

GOOD: Dayne Beams provided a massive score (170) and captained the side on the way to winning a Finals Champion medal. Nic Naitanui wasn't far behind (154). Adam Treloar showed that he is one of the best young talents in the WXV competition

BAD: -


VOTES -  5: Dayne Beams, 4: Nic Naitanui, 3: Dustin Martin, 2: Adam Treloar, 1: Thomas Lynch
Leaders: Beams (50), Naitanui (49), Shaw (34), Bennell (25)

2nd Semi Final

Mexico City Suns (22.19.151) defeated Moscow Spetsnaz (18.12.120)

We knew this one was going to be an incredibly tough game. After perfoming so well the week before, it was disappointing to go out like this. Mexico were always going to be near on impossible to beat at their home ground and they were just far too good for us. We didn't play well but we think it was a great effort to make it this far.

GOOD: Making a Semi final. Heath Shaw tried his best in the backline with little support. Dickson and Jonthan Brown did enough. Dayne Beams won his 2nd Finals Champion medal in as many weeks with an outstanding score (166).

BAD: Fletcher was unlucky to get injured in the 1st quarter. Lynch and Matera were poor. Higgins returning off his hamstring injury couldn't impact the game as he would have liked. Having Treloar, Christensen unavailable wasn't great.


VOTES -  5: Dayne Beams, 4: Heath Shaw, 3: Nic Naitanui, 2: Harley Bennell, 1: Tory Dickson

[meow meow]

BEST AND FAIREST

The Moscow Spetsnaz are proud to announce that the Kalashnikov Medal will be awarded to the best and fairest/gun player over the course of the season.

The Kalashnikov Medal for the 2012 season is awarded to DAYNE BEAMS

Beams and Nic Naitanui were tied on 45 votes each after the conclusion of the home and away season. Dayne's dominant finals performances which saw him win back to back Finals Champion medals enabled him to poll 55 votes to Naitanui's 52. Heath Shaw rounds out the top 3 with 38 votes, and he may have challenged for the medal if he had played more games. Harley Bennell entered the season as a 19 year old with talent and potential. He finished the season as a superstar and earned 27 votes to come in 4th place. Rounding out the top 5 is Dustin Martin on 22 votes.

Congratulations to the 2012 Kalashnikov Medalist: Dayne Beams

VOTES

Dayne Beams		55
Nic Naitanui		52
Heath Shaw		38
Harley Bennell		27
Dustin Martin		22
Ryan Bastinac		12
Allen Christensen		11
Dustin Fletcher		10
Justin Sherman		10
Jonathan Brown		10
Adam Treloar		9
Tom Liberatore		9
Shaun Higgins		8
James Frawley		6
Marty Clarke		5
Jason Blake		4
Jordan Roughead		1
Tory Dickson		1
Thomas Lynch		1

[meow meow]

Current Playing List

Defenders		Midfielders		Rucks		Forwards
Jack Hombsch		Callan Ward		Corey Gault		Leigh Adams (mid)
Dustin Fletcher		Ryan Griffen		Jon Ceglar		Dustin Martin (mid)
James Frawley		Nathan Fyfe				Angus Monfries (mid)
Robert Murphy		Shane Tuck				Shaun Higgins
Heath Shaw		Adam Treloar				Jack Darling
Sam Colquhoun (mid)		Dom Tyson				Michael Walters
Marty Clarke		Josh Thomas				Steven May (def)
Jackson Allen		Nick Joyce				Tyrone Vickery
Richard Tambling		Paul Seedsman				Caolan Mooney
Jason Blake		Alex Sexton				George Burbury
Kyle Hardingham						Fraser McInnes
Jack Hutchins						Brad Dick
Charlie Dixon						Josh Mellington
						Nic Naitanui (ruc)
						Callum Sinclair (ruc)
						Eric Wallace (ruc)
						Josh Growden (mid)
						Will Hoskin-Elliott (mid)
						Tom Williams (def)
						Sam Menegola

[ossie85]

Will Dixon really be a Def/Ruc next year? That surprises!