This preseason ranking is entirely subjective, personal bias was removed (as much as possible), based completely on CURRENT rosters, and is taken from a Defensive Coordinator's point of view. So please keep all that in mind before you flame or complain.
Drum roll, please......
1. Sacred Haven Knights. In my opinion, very little separated the Stingers, the Knights and the Hawks this season. Lucky breaks here or there, a missed throw, a bad tackle. These are teams I'd consider to be Tier 1 teams because their roster, offense, and defense are all solid. The fact that two of those Tier 1 teams have moved up to AAA leaves little doubt in my mind that the Knights will run the table next year. For all the Zeta non-believers, ask the Wallabies, the Foxes, and the Mountain Lions if the Knights are for real.
2. Guadalcanal Gunners. The Gunners get the preseason #2 spot over the #3 team mainly due to the fact that their coaching staff seems to be a little more active (at least on the boards). Their backup roster has significant holes and their defense is largely suspect because of it, leading me to believe that they will stay in the ranks of the Tier 2 teams unless some major improvements are done in the off season.
3. Newcastle Mountain Lions. Based upon their playoff performance, I was heavily leaning on putting these guys at #2. In the beginning and end of Season 3, their defense was unforgiving and defense wins championships. They just lacked the meat in the middle. For this team to do what they did with the roster they were working with was truly a feat worth recognition. They are Tier 2 simply because they lack talent. If they pick up some early season acquisitions, they could very well move into the ranks of the undefeated.
4. Hawthorne Headhunters. This was a close call between #3 and #4. The edge goes to the Headhunters because, despite their major slide at the end of Season 3, they have proven that they can win the big game. However, those two wins against the Hawks and the Knights were very early in the season and they will spend all next season trying to prove it wasn't just a fluke. They are good, but not great, across the board rooting them firmly in the Tier 2 family, but if they are not careful, they could very easily slip into the lower ranks.
5. Alice Springs Rock Wallabies. The last of the Tier 2 teams. The fact that the Wallabies have some of the most active and passionate GMs in the conference leads me to believe that they could see a major boon in talent based upon their recruiting skills. Should this happen, they could very well move into contention for the title. Until that happens, they are still a team that wins the games they are supposed to win and nothing more.
6. Fiji Storm. This team is a quasi Teir 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 team altogether. By the numbers, their roster is hands down Tier 1, but the team chemistry is ridiculously horrible, the management is new and unproven, and the team is already jawing causing everyone to want to beat them. They are in this position strickly on roster level.
7. Sunshine Coast Condors. This team was a victim, by far, of the toughest schedule in the conference. They had to play the Hawks twice, the Knights, the Llamas twice, the Headhunters, the Rock Wallabies, and the Gunners. What team wouldn't get beat up with that schedule? This looks to be the typical West Coast Offense type team. Pass happy and no defense whatsoever. Until they shore up that defense and start holding people to under the 30 points per game they seem to give up, they will remain anchored in the Tier 3 class of the conference.
8. Fiji Flying Foxes. This team's loss to the Breeze confuses me. But for that loss, they would have been the #5 ranked team. It appears as if some of their backups are starting, which makes no sense since playoff games do not give experience. To me that is a cop out and a way to blame losses on not trying. This team needs to man up and show that they can win and are not afraid to lose.
9. Future Llamas of America. This team played the Knights and the Hawks tough and beat the Headhunters. So why are they ranked so low? Well, for one, they got destroyed by the Condors, who exposed their glaring inability to stop a high powered passing attack. But mainly it is because of lack of talent. Their coaching staff is good enough to contend, but they need some material to work with.
10. Tasmania Swarm. The best of the Tier 4 teams by a hair. What can I say? They will remain around the 50% win threshhold and will lose to every team they are supposed to lose to.
11. Sandersville Warchickens. Neck and neck with the Swarm for the coveted "Mud Bowl" trophy. They have not proven that they can hang with the big boys just yet.
12. Davenport Devils. They lost to the Chickens and beat the Breeze, securing them the #12 spot. Hey, at least you made the list.
I apologize for typos, I did not proof read.
Drum roll, please......
1. Sacred Haven Knights. In my opinion, very little separated the Stingers, the Knights and the Hawks this season. Lucky breaks here or there, a missed throw, a bad tackle. These are teams I'd consider to be Tier 1 teams because their roster, offense, and defense are all solid. The fact that two of those Tier 1 teams have moved up to AAA leaves little doubt in my mind that the Knights will run the table next year. For all the Zeta non-believers, ask the Wallabies, the Foxes, and the Mountain Lions if the Knights are for real.
2. Guadalcanal Gunners. The Gunners get the preseason #2 spot over the #3 team mainly due to the fact that their coaching staff seems to be a little more active (at least on the boards). Their backup roster has significant holes and their defense is largely suspect because of it, leading me to believe that they will stay in the ranks of the Tier 2 teams unless some major improvements are done in the off season.
3. Newcastle Mountain Lions. Based upon their playoff performance, I was heavily leaning on putting these guys at #2. In the beginning and end of Season 3, their defense was unforgiving and defense wins championships. They just lacked the meat in the middle. For this team to do what they did with the roster they were working with was truly a feat worth recognition. They are Tier 2 simply because they lack talent. If they pick up some early season acquisitions, they could very well move into the ranks of the undefeated.
4. Hawthorne Headhunters. This was a close call between #3 and #4. The edge goes to the Headhunters because, despite their major slide at the end of Season 3, they have proven that they can win the big game. However, those two wins against the Hawks and the Knights were very early in the season and they will spend all next season trying to prove it wasn't just a fluke. They are good, but not great, across the board rooting them firmly in the Tier 2 family, but if they are not careful, they could very easily slip into the lower ranks.
5. Alice Springs Rock Wallabies. The last of the Tier 2 teams. The fact that the Wallabies have some of the most active and passionate GMs in the conference leads me to believe that they could see a major boon in talent based upon their recruiting skills. Should this happen, they could very well move into contention for the title. Until that happens, they are still a team that wins the games they are supposed to win and nothing more.
6. Fiji Storm. This team is a quasi Teir 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 team altogether. By the numbers, their roster is hands down Tier 1, but the team chemistry is ridiculously horrible, the management is new and unproven, and the team is already jawing causing everyone to want to beat them. They are in this position strickly on roster level.
7. Sunshine Coast Condors. This team was a victim, by far, of the toughest schedule in the conference. They had to play the Hawks twice, the Knights, the Llamas twice, the Headhunters, the Rock Wallabies, and the Gunners. What team wouldn't get beat up with that schedule? This looks to be the typical West Coast Offense type team. Pass happy and no defense whatsoever. Until they shore up that defense and start holding people to under the 30 points per game they seem to give up, they will remain anchored in the Tier 3 class of the conference.
8. Fiji Flying Foxes. This team's loss to the Breeze confuses me. But for that loss, they would have been the #5 ranked team. It appears as if some of their backups are starting, which makes no sense since playoff games do not give experience. To me that is a cop out and a way to blame losses on not trying. This team needs to man up and show that they can win and are not afraid to lose.
9. Future Llamas of America. This team played the Knights and the Hawks tough and beat the Headhunters. So why are they ranked so low? Well, for one, they got destroyed by the Condors, who exposed their glaring inability to stop a high powered passing attack. But mainly it is because of lack of talent. Their coaching staff is good enough to contend, but they need some material to work with.
10. Tasmania Swarm. The best of the Tier 4 teams by a hair. What can I say? They will remain around the 50% win threshhold and will lose to every team they are supposed to lose to.
11. Sandersville Warchickens. Neck and neck with the Swarm for the coveted "Mud Bowl" trophy. They have not proven that they can hang with the big boys just yet.
12. Davenport Devils. They lost to the Chickens and beat the Breeze, securing them the #12 spot. Hey, at least you made the list.
I apologize for typos, I did not proof read.
Last edited Jul 22, 2008 23:26:23
Zeta is always dominant
