I have a look at all the teams & some teams more than once. Below is my opinion of what I have seen so far, I feel that this years competition is a lot closer than last year. Looking forward to seeing how the season pans out.
Beverley – Have lost some key playmakers to their team from last years premiership. Doesn’t seem to affected them to much, have managed to replace them with players that I believe add further value to their team. The team synergy will take time, hence the patchy consistency throughout early games. In saying that they are experienced enough to control games & get the result required. Look for Beverley to ramp up in the second half of the year & be a big player in the finals.
Railways – Have had the biggest off season recruiting program of all Avon teams. Have lured some big time players to the club along with plenty others to help complement the teams structure. Railways must be commended for building a team that will be more than competitive in 2013. Railways run, carry, hand & foot skills are excellent. Their constant use of the switch play from half back is catching other teams out & testing their fitness.
Federals – I have only seen Feddies once so far & that was against Railways. I don’t believe that game is a true indication of where they are at this season. As the other results have shown they have the ability to win games. I feel they are capable of accounting for any team at any ground. Consistency & focus will be a big issue with Feddies, this could lead to them dropping winnable games. Are lacking a key forward & could hurt them if the midfield/running players don’t continue to kick goals. Any injuries will stretch them for depth.
Keller/Tammin – Have lost some handy players in the likes of Miller & Kittyea. This is a blow to the forward half of their structures. In saying that KT have the ability on their day to beat any team they come up against. Must be respected by all the other teams. Do the playing group have the motivation to continue playing at a high standard after being at the top for the last few years? I noticed this year that the teams discipline is falling away, their focus has at times been taken off the ball & directed to the opposition which is costing them.
Cunderdin – Do the umpires have a problem with Cunderdin? The decisions against Cunderdin are baffling at times, I don’t see it with any other team in the Avon competition. If I was the Cunderdin Football Club committee I would be asking for the President of the Avon Football Association to be present at the next couple of matches to see what the club has to contend with.
Cunderdin has added a big full forward along with two very handy wingmen. If Cunderdin can iron out the inconsistency of intensity they may well scare a few of the top teams. I feel that Cunderdin’s achilles heal is the backline, they might have to sacrifices a midfielder to help stem the flow of easy goals conceded.
York – Can’t question the heart the players put into each contest. It’s a credit to the senior coach to get his players to play sacrificial & committed team football. The only problem is they don’t have the top line players to win games against teams above them on the ladder. Their midfield doesn’t have the big bodies that are needed to dominate the centre square. The lack of key forwards are the reason the team can’t put scoreboard pressure on the opposition. Don’t be surprised if they cause a couple of upsets throughout the remainder of the season.
Quairading – A new coach & refreshed enthusiasm loaded with plenty of expectation at the start of the year, has yielded much of the same result as last year. Quairading is lacking leadership & direction on the field in times when they need it most. If other sides go into games against the Bulls not switched on & looking for a easy game then they may come unstuck. They have a handful of players that are propping the team up & need more from the second tier & fringe players if they are going to make something of their season.
Big pick up for Beverley this season - in the inked up forward James Murray from the city. Looks like kicking a decent tally which will help Beverley go back to back,
Cunderdin – Do the umpires have a problem with Cunderdin? The decisions against Cunderdin are baffling at times, I don’t see it with any other team in the Avon competition. .
[/quote]
Or did you mean to say Cunderdin have a problem with Umpires ?
Just on the umpires in the Avon, I think most teams would have a problem with them. The two at York yesterday were puzzling to the Nth degree. Missed the obvious and paid the ambiguous. Throwing out a dozen 50 metre penalties against the puzzled players. But not much different from week to week. In response to your earlier post Journo, your summation of York was spot on. They have the heart and the effort but just not the polish and appear very well coached and play their system well. I believe that the York coach out-coached his Beverley counterpart well and truly yesterday but experience and bigger bodies won the day, they will upset a few other sides as the season rolls on.
Correct me if I am wrong but are not the majority of Avon umpires from WAFL and WAAFL. In saying that I am not saying I think they are better than country umpires though.
Kirbs. They probably are from wherever they can get them and I would imagine that getting umpires for country fixtures on Saturday’s is even more difficult given the clash with WAFL and WAAFL. This year there are many Saturday games in the Avon League and the York v Beverley game was one of those.
As good as the half way mark of the season after this weekend for the Avon boys and if form is true the results should create a 8 point split betwen bottom three and the top four. From all the games I have seen so far the best 4 are in grid position for finals footy, it may just be a matter of in which order and who gets the 2nd chance. Of the top four I have not seen Railways play, but have noted that they have lost to the bigger bodied Keller Tammin and Beverley. Both by less than 10 points. I think that railways have the most improvement in them from what I have heard and my prediction is that they will move into the numero uno spot by finals time. Interested to hear any other thoughts
The majority of the umpires who are rostered league come from the WAAFL. However saying that some weeks when short on numbers you may get second tier umpires which you can usually pick as such. The coordinator does the best he can with a limited list of available umpires. Still better than having club umpires I would suggest!!
Railways are big improvers from last year, Keller-Tammin clearly not as strong as last year. Feddies going okay but no new players and a couple of injuries to League players which they can’t afford. Beverley the favourites with the Leading Goal Kicker so far James Murray on 43 goals, Leon Davis 34 goals for Railways
this weekend will see all teams on 8 games played. my thoughts it should read Bev 28 Rails 24, Feds 20, Kella 16,York 12, Cundy 8 and Qs 4 on sunday night. although i think each of the games could go either way. in old terminology a burster of a round and every game worthy of the title of game of the round, i’m going cruise over to beverley for their game with KT on saturday, with the thought in the back of my mind of when will kella hit their straps. they obviously showed up against railways at least til 3/4 time, so it could be a case of them building towards august similiar to what beverley did in 2012 and 2010, beware the sleeping giant. i’m excited
Went to Beverley last sunday F4, having only been associated with Beverely for a few years the impact of the changes were not huge, but for the locals it is a huge change. The rooms are cold and clinical at the moment as they wait for the final touches before they instal some floor coverings and decide how to personalize the expanses of rooms and corridors they now have. The facility ties in with their existing social rooms and makes redundant the asbestos infected old change rooms. The ground has been twisted around a little to better align it to the new set up and the surface is even better than past years due to lack of use so far this season
You didn’t watch the game ucker? Beverley won by 30 points but was a very poor game by them! Was a very undisciplined performance! Did not show Keller much respect at all! There reserves won by 125 which would be the biggest win for them in a long time!
beverley’s beer and chips reduced sales would have been an obvious indication that I wasnt there Falcon 4, good to hear they still won on a bad day. Maybe next week we can catch up over a beer and a bucket of cheps, lol. Went along to watch the mighty dockers for free, subi oval chips were not up to the beverley girls standards from last week
Haha yeah you would have thought that, but they actually sold more chips than last week! Sold out again! Railways had a very good win against federals today with a lazy 11 from Leon so could be interesting goal kicking race and an interesting battle on the ladder!
Avon Leading Goal Kickers, 1st James Murray, Beverley 48 goals…2nd Leon Davis, Railways 45 after his 11 goals against Feddies…3rd Scott Edmonds, Federals 29 goals…4th Taine Wilson, Beverley 22 goals… It"s a race in two…Beverley and Railways might be the GF Quinella at the end of the season
The Race in 2 is Murray versus Leon for the Goal Kicking they have cleared out from 3rd…not sure if Keller or Feddies can push up for the Grand Final … There was still a bit off gap between Railways and Feddies on the weekend…hear that Lance Daly from Swans has made his way to Feddies permanently played 2 WAFL League games earlier in 2013, didn’t play on the weekend due to Injury is a Goal Kicker