by Franklin Dixon, correspondent of Goal Line Blitz News. The news is always tight, and we always penetrate it.
What have we learned over the last few days? Tasmania has been slotted as the 4th seed. Alice Springs is going to take a home seed no matter what, with the winner of Newcastle and Fiji. Ryann Mallett is supposedly the top QB in terms of raw stats in the conference, but he's already played Alexandria and some say Newcastle is going to dial it up in that game for Vince too. Perth put up a fight, but because Devonport and Brisbane beat them, it is fairly certain Perth will be the 7 seed. In fact, one could argue that the seeding will not change from what it is right now. This league, for playoff purposes, will only change based on two factors:
- the battle in Game 15.
- Rockhampton's ability to close.
The Round 1 road playoff teams are essentially fixed. If Fiji wins, the games will be
(8)(Woo OR Rockhampton) @ (1)Fiji
(7)Perth @ (2)Alice Springs
(6)Devonport @ (3)Newcastle
(5)Brisbane @ (4)Tasmania
If Newcastle wins, they will be
(8)(Woo OR Rockhampton) @ (1)Alice Springs
(7)Perth @ (2)Newcastle
(6)Devonport @ (3)Tasmania
(5)Brisbane @ (4)Fiji
So I guess there isn't much of a playoff race after all.
Keystone Light Games: Beer was made to get you drunk, not to have a taste. So why should you or we care about the latter?
(4)Tasmania @ (15)OA7
Last time we checked in with Tasmania, they had just taken Alice Springs on the chin. Since then, they cleaned up DHARMA and had a traditional game against Woo. They give up a bit too much (because it's Ryann Mallett) and take much much more. Howie got 9.6 yards per carry against DHARMA, and will probably break 10 for the third time this season. You know, they could go 100% run for the first three quarters and get him 2000 yards on the season. Wow. OA7 recruited some players, but it looks like most of their roster is more fit for a level-capped league than for a league already into its third season. They actually have a stud worthy of this league. Too bad it's punter Thunder Foooot and his 40.1 average.
(14)Apia @ (7)Perth
Perth barely cleaned up Hamilton and then almost pulled a magic trick on everyone. Down 17-13 to Newcastle, they drove to the Mountain Lion 10 with 3 minutes to go. Boo Berry went back to pass and fell victim to another Instant Classic http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=162887&pbp_id=6192344 The fact that they got that close shows they have the chance to be real players in the playoffs. Could they be this year's Brisbane? Finally, Apia's fight led to a win. So it was against OA7. So they only generated 5.5 yards per attempt through the air. Look, they got one. Be happy for them. By the way, why do they have a third halfback and a third fullback but only three wide receivers?
(11)Hamilton @ (16)OA8
Hamilton held Forrest to under 100 yards. One might retort "Forrest had 5.9 yards per carry," to which Hamilton will happily reply "re-calculate once you take out the 67 yard touchdown run." Of course, Hamilton bumbled around http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=162913&pbp_id=6192499 and if it wasnt for some ineptitude on the other side http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=162913&pbp_id=6192626 Hamilton wouldve had a L3 instead of a W1. The good thing is they get to make it a W2 by absolutely dismantling a team that is anywhere from 7 to 10 levels behind. OA8 has still failed to score this season in league play. They also scheduled a friendly against Ethiopia, a team that this author has an unbiased hatred. OA8 has 2 more opportunities to score: this game and when they host Apia. Maybe the owner at Newcastle will be kind enough to give them a few points.
(13)Wollongong @ (12)Dharma
What is this a battle for? Is it for pride? I think this is actually important as a battle for relegation. We know leagues are going to be messed with. Teams are leaving and going, and one could argue the loser of this game is going to fall back into A ball. Dharma has shown that they can score, with 37 against Rockhampton and 24 against Alice Springs. Can anyone figure out why? They're just passing deep. In fact, to defend Dharma, I would just play a hard zone: close coverage with safeties over the top. I'd ignore the running game too, because their running game stinks. To do that requires players, though and Wollongong has become a part of a syndicate. They have 4 human double-digit players, and it looks like they're becoming a farm team for Guadalcanal or some other team. So Dharma's going to get this win, so that Wollongong can move down to A ball and hopefully compete at a level that matches their ability.
Bud Light Games: We take the nastiness out of crappy days and ugly girls.
(3)Newcastle @ (10)Forrest Run
Apparently Redcliffe was a little pissed and wanted to show they have more than Forrest Run. So did they? da Silva has a 100+ rating. Oh wait, he had a perfect rating against OA8, so that means nothing. He beat Brisbane with 75% completion and a respectable 6.7 yards per attempt. Of course, throwing two picks against a less talented Hamilton team didn't help. Look, they don't have a real passing attack. Their builds are out of whack http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=79520 in the passing game and Forrest is carrying this team. Where's Forrest going to carry this team against Newcastle? Probably into a loss. Probably by more than 20. They don't have Perth's defense or Alice Springs' talent. They can take risks and try to win, but Newcastle has taken care of the worst risk and will continue to pave the road to Fiji.
(8)Woo @ (2)Alice Springs
I think Alice Springs got another GM or 2. I wonder if they're just for moral support after Fiji proved the Alice Springs Property: the offense sits on the toilet for the first three quarters. Can Woo do it? Not really, they have scored more in the 2nd half than the first half in their last few important games, which won't work. My guess is that they go all-out with Mallett and a below-average WR core, and Alice Springs stuffs them. Woo can't play defense; they try to outscore. They're a young Texas Tech-style team, which means they can't compete with Alice Springs. Look for Kenyeezy to get 6 in the end zone, because it'll be an arena football game.
(9)Rockhampton @ (6)Devonport
Word has it that Rockhampton is having an identity crisis. They have a chance to go 11-5 with the way their schedule is lined up, but losing to Woo has them wondering whether the hope garnered from the excuse of a tough first-half schedule is false. What are they doing wrong? They have talent at QB. Dinglebert's been a solid RB in OAA4 for a long time. Why can't they climb to the top? I think it's because they haven't built an offensive line. They also only have 6 defensive linemen in a 4-3. This is an inside-out game: you have to start with good lines and work your way out. Devonport is relying on wins against Perth and Redcliffe to keep their seeding, but have they really proven anything? Newcastle absolutely dismantled them in all aspects of the game, and they have 3 losses left in Tasmania, Alice Springs and Game 16 opponent Future Llamas of America. I said they would be the 6th seed, because they beat Perth earlier. But if Devonport slips up, there's a legitimate reason to say that Perth will end up with that higher seed.
Guinness Game of the Week: The label makes the girls think you're smart. The beer makes the girls think you're sexy. We'll leave the propositioning to you.
(5)Brisbane @ (1)Fiji
Fiji is a prime example of how networking can get you a great team. They have 16 GMs, which is hilariously too much until you realize that most of them are just there to give the team more respectability and an edge in recruiting. It has very little to do with the gameplan and everything to do with being able to recruit players. Dinwiddle still hasn't boosted because he only cares about Game 15, but that WR core is quite good. They face a Brisbane team that is one tactical mishap away from a W8. Brisbane is in a sandwich set: Between Fiji and Newcastle lies Hamilton. One would expect them to go 1-2. They lost to Redcliffe because they focused on Forrest and Forrest still got 3.4 ypc and 15 broken tackles. For some reason, Anderson got 75% ... does that mean Brisbane's secondary isn't nearly as good as advertised? Could Fiji's superior WRs have even more of an advantage due to the performance of the CBs in the open field? Will Fiji target the TE in the red zone the same way Redcliffe did to get their touchdowns? We're 16 and a half hours away from finding out!
What have we learned over the last few days? Tasmania has been slotted as the 4th seed. Alice Springs is going to take a home seed no matter what, with the winner of Newcastle and Fiji. Ryann Mallett is supposedly the top QB in terms of raw stats in the conference, but he's already played Alexandria and some say Newcastle is going to dial it up in that game for Vince too. Perth put up a fight, but because Devonport and Brisbane beat them, it is fairly certain Perth will be the 7 seed. In fact, one could argue that the seeding will not change from what it is right now. This league, for playoff purposes, will only change based on two factors:
- the battle in Game 15.
- Rockhampton's ability to close.
The Round 1 road playoff teams are essentially fixed. If Fiji wins, the games will be
(8)(Woo OR Rockhampton) @ (1)Fiji
(7)Perth @ (2)Alice Springs
(6)Devonport @ (3)Newcastle
(5)Brisbane @ (4)Tasmania
If Newcastle wins, they will be
(8)(Woo OR Rockhampton) @ (1)Alice Springs
(7)Perth @ (2)Newcastle
(6)Devonport @ (3)Tasmania
(5)Brisbane @ (4)Fiji
So I guess there isn't much of a playoff race after all.
Keystone Light Games: Beer was made to get you drunk, not to have a taste. So why should you or we care about the latter?
(4)Tasmania @ (15)OA7
Last time we checked in with Tasmania, they had just taken Alice Springs on the chin. Since then, they cleaned up DHARMA and had a traditional game against Woo. They give up a bit too much (because it's Ryann Mallett) and take much much more. Howie got 9.6 yards per carry against DHARMA, and will probably break 10 for the third time this season. You know, they could go 100% run for the first three quarters and get him 2000 yards on the season. Wow. OA7 recruited some players, but it looks like most of their roster is more fit for a level-capped league than for a league already into its third season. They actually have a stud worthy of this league. Too bad it's punter Thunder Foooot and his 40.1 average.
(14)Apia @ (7)Perth
Perth barely cleaned up Hamilton and then almost pulled a magic trick on everyone. Down 17-13 to Newcastle, they drove to the Mountain Lion 10 with 3 minutes to go. Boo Berry went back to pass and fell victim to another Instant Classic http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=162887&pbp_id=6192344 The fact that they got that close shows they have the chance to be real players in the playoffs. Could they be this year's Brisbane? Finally, Apia's fight led to a win. So it was against OA7. So they only generated 5.5 yards per attempt through the air. Look, they got one. Be happy for them. By the way, why do they have a third halfback and a third fullback but only three wide receivers?
(11)Hamilton @ (16)OA8
Hamilton held Forrest to under 100 yards. One might retort "Forrest had 5.9 yards per carry," to which Hamilton will happily reply "re-calculate once you take out the 67 yard touchdown run." Of course, Hamilton bumbled around http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=162913&pbp_id=6192499 and if it wasnt for some ineptitude on the other side http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?game_id=162913&pbp_id=6192626 Hamilton wouldve had a L3 instead of a W1. The good thing is they get to make it a W2 by absolutely dismantling a team that is anywhere from 7 to 10 levels behind. OA8 has still failed to score this season in league play. They also scheduled a friendly against Ethiopia, a team that this author has an unbiased hatred. OA8 has 2 more opportunities to score: this game and when they host Apia. Maybe the owner at Newcastle will be kind enough to give them a few points.
(13)Wollongong @ (12)Dharma
What is this a battle for? Is it for pride? I think this is actually important as a battle for relegation. We know leagues are going to be messed with. Teams are leaving and going, and one could argue the loser of this game is going to fall back into A ball. Dharma has shown that they can score, with 37 against Rockhampton and 24 against Alice Springs. Can anyone figure out why? They're just passing deep. In fact, to defend Dharma, I would just play a hard zone: close coverage with safeties over the top. I'd ignore the running game too, because their running game stinks. To do that requires players, though and Wollongong has become a part of a syndicate. They have 4 human double-digit players, and it looks like they're becoming a farm team for Guadalcanal or some other team. So Dharma's going to get this win, so that Wollongong can move down to A ball and hopefully compete at a level that matches their ability.
Bud Light Games: We take the nastiness out of crappy days and ugly girls.
(3)Newcastle @ (10)Forrest Run
Apparently Redcliffe was a little pissed and wanted to show they have more than Forrest Run. So did they? da Silva has a 100+ rating. Oh wait, he had a perfect rating against OA8, so that means nothing. He beat Brisbane with 75% completion and a respectable 6.7 yards per attempt. Of course, throwing two picks against a less talented Hamilton team didn't help. Look, they don't have a real passing attack. Their builds are out of whack http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=79520 in the passing game and Forrest is carrying this team. Where's Forrest going to carry this team against Newcastle? Probably into a loss. Probably by more than 20. They don't have Perth's defense or Alice Springs' talent. They can take risks and try to win, but Newcastle has taken care of the worst risk and will continue to pave the road to Fiji.
(8)Woo @ (2)Alice Springs
I think Alice Springs got another GM or 2. I wonder if they're just for moral support after Fiji proved the Alice Springs Property: the offense sits on the toilet for the first three quarters. Can Woo do it? Not really, they have scored more in the 2nd half than the first half in their last few important games, which won't work. My guess is that they go all-out with Mallett and a below-average WR core, and Alice Springs stuffs them. Woo can't play defense; they try to outscore. They're a young Texas Tech-style team, which means they can't compete with Alice Springs. Look for Kenyeezy to get 6 in the end zone, because it'll be an arena football game.
(9)Rockhampton @ (6)Devonport
Word has it that Rockhampton is having an identity crisis. They have a chance to go 11-5 with the way their schedule is lined up, but losing to Woo has them wondering whether the hope garnered from the excuse of a tough first-half schedule is false. What are they doing wrong? They have talent at QB. Dinglebert's been a solid RB in OAA4 for a long time. Why can't they climb to the top? I think it's because they haven't built an offensive line. They also only have 6 defensive linemen in a 4-3. This is an inside-out game: you have to start with good lines and work your way out. Devonport is relying on wins against Perth and Redcliffe to keep their seeding, but have they really proven anything? Newcastle absolutely dismantled them in all aspects of the game, and they have 3 losses left in Tasmania, Alice Springs and Game 16 opponent Future Llamas of America. I said they would be the 6th seed, because they beat Perth earlier. But if Devonport slips up, there's a legitimate reason to say that Perth will end up with that higher seed.
Guinness Game of the Week: The label makes the girls think you're smart. The beer makes the girls think you're sexy. We'll leave the propositioning to you.
(5)Brisbane @ (1)Fiji
Fiji is a prime example of how networking can get you a great team. They have 16 GMs, which is hilariously too much until you realize that most of them are just there to give the team more respectability and an edge in recruiting. It has very little to do with the gameplan and everything to do with being able to recruit players. Dinwiddle still hasn't boosted because he only cares about Game 15, but that WR core is quite good. They face a Brisbane team that is one tactical mishap away from a W8. Brisbane is in a sandwich set: Between Fiji and Newcastle lies Hamilton. One would expect them to go 1-2. They lost to Redcliffe because they focused on Forrest and Forrest still got 3.4 ypc and 15 broken tackles. For some reason, Anderson got 75% ... does that mean Brisbane's secondary isn't nearly as good as advertised? Could Fiji's superior WRs have even more of an advantage due to the performance of the CBs in the open field? Will Fiji target the TE in the red zone the same way Redcliffe did to get their touchdowns? We're 16 and a half hours away from finding out!
Last edited Oct 10, 2008 19:35:55
