D2 2013 Div2, the thread

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We have a good stash of solid players down at the Garvey. Not likely to give a bio on them all though and give away any trade secrets ;)

Another big test this week for my boys. Good luck to all:

Yarra Valley vs Parade. (Will be close though).
Turtles vs Monash. (If Robertson plays, he may match Ciavola. If he doesn't, Eltham by plenty)
Ivanhoe vs SMS. (This might be a bit closer than expected, but still the Pies)
Therry vs SMD
St Leos vs st Johns
Lay of the land still not clear and could be way out but my tips are:

Yarra by 36 points over OP's. Hard to beat at Domeney
Gryphs by 11 points over Eltham.
Hoes by 42 over SMS
Therry by 36 over SMD without having any knowledge of the latter.
St Leos by 7 goals over St Johns.
 
Yarra valley over parade in a close one
Eltham by 5 goals over gryphons
SMS by 20 over ivanhoe (number 8 to be the difference)
Districts in an upset over therry (few player back)
St. John's by 15 over st Leo's

PM
 
Waited all off-season and it finally was here, Round 1. Had the great pleasure of watching Dave "The Great Man" Boundy run around again. One can never get tired of watching this out and out jet ply his trade each week. 4 goals and a handful of sublime contested grabs to add to his 25 odd possessions, and was clearly the difference between the Raiders and the yo-yo's last week. I for one cannot wait for Saturday 2pm to see him line up against Yarra Valley. Tipping a win for OP if we can hold Close to under 10 goals
Surely Jerry is taking the pi55 now with this mancrush business!! Needs a cold shower i think!
 

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While we are on the topic of the animals, has anyone been to their club rooms yet? I played in a charity cricket match over the summer and was disgusted by their facilities. Surely a club in the VAFA can not be allowed to have such working class rooms?
I have been to many sub standard club rooms, but when you are dealing with the ammos, ie limited cash inflows combined with the fact that many clubs are playing out of council facilities means that they have to do the best with what they have.
A few blokes who played at Eltham or in the Northern FL may remember the stellar change rooms at Phanton Hill, where cold showers on a 10 degree day were the norm if the wood fire boiler wasn't lit early enough. But the beer was cold!
 
Let's see if I can keep the perfect record going for another week. Thoughts for Round 2:

Yarra Valley vs Old Paradians
Monash Gryphons vs Old Eltham
Ivanhoe vs St Marys Salesians
Therry Penola vs South Melbourne
St Johns vs Emmaus St Leos
 
Only tipped two last week.

This week Eltham over monash

Yarra valley over parade by 3 goals

Ivanhoe over St Mary's by 8 goals

Therry over Sth Melbourne by 6 goals

St. John's over Emmaus by 2 goals
 
Round 1 Preview

Always a week of great anticipation and hope as all teams are even and nearly all go in confident that they can deliver the goods in 2013.

Yarra Valley over Emmaus by 35 Pts. (The bushrangers were virtually unbeatable last year and although they will find far more competition in this division, it is unlikely to come from the boys from Bennettswood, even if their numbers on track have improved. Rob Drew will ensure the visitors wear down the Animals with their run and spread style of play that has proved so fruitful in recent years).

Eltham over SMD by 41 Pts. (Can only see this going one way as the Turtles have been buoyed by the appointment of Montmorency Legend, Jason McBean. The twice Jim Barden Medal winner is sure to instil a greater defensive work ethic to his chargers as they aim to go one better and reach the big dance in 2013. The Bloods will give their all in the first half but be overrun as the Turtles apply the brakes and deny them the ball later on).

St Mary’s over Joc’s by 28 Pts. (I suspect the lads from Ferndale will be far more competitive this season and hence they simply cannot afford to drop this season’s opener. The St Johns of old would’ve got over the line in this one with brute force, but showed little of that resolve in 2012. Jonesy will no doubt be quoting the “together we stand” club motto, but when you lack the talent on the pitch this can only get you so far. Saints to win easily enough).

Parade over Gryphs by 13 Pts. (Reckon this one will be match of the day and Monash will fancy their chances after disposing Boundy’s Boys in Round 18. However, that one was at ECR and the Gryphons have lost a couple of key players this season. The inclusion of former AFL high flyer, Russell Robertson is sure to draw the crowds to Divvy 2, but I doubt they will be able to get it down to him with enough regularity. Parade will look to play the Gryphons at their own game and relentlessly attack the ball in a man on man rather than zoning game structure and I suspect this will mean they are able to hold out Monash just. Should be a cracker).

Therry over Hoes by 8 Pts. (Should be another close contest as Ivanhoe are reported to have recruited well and the Lions have excellent depth and I suspect 2013 could be the year they really become a contender. My spies tell me Dennis Castaldi has got Therry playing accountable football and they protect the ‘trampoline zone’ as well as anyone, so Ivanhoe will have their work cut out scoring. Having said that, the Hoes were Division 2’s second highest scorers in 2012 and had a miserly defence of their own, so they will be no pushovers).


Round 1 Review

4/5 was a reasonable first up effort in a round that I argue revealed very little. The possible exception is that Ivanhoe may be stronger than many had predicted and their win at Hoe Park was full of vigour. Prominent for the Hoes were Ash Close and Mitch Lovell who ensured the visitors reversed the half time deficit. Best for Therry (who were far from disgraced) were the Bannister Boys who booted half of the Lions’ goals.

Garvey Oval was the venue of the other close contest of the day where the pugnacious Gryphons just fell short against the Raiders. Boundy’s men were a little more determined for longer periods and could’ve had the game sewn up at three quarter time if they’d kicked accurately. Both teams’ defences showed solid structures meaning opposition forwards will have hard days when playing these sides.

Eltham, St Mary’s and The Bushrangers won relatively comfortably as expected, but the Bloods and Animals were competitive for significant portion of the game. If the Saints had kicked straight, the margin could’ve been far greater and this doesn’t bode well for the Jocs who could only muster 9 goals.

Round 2 Preview

Yarra Valley over OP’s by 15 Pts (First test to see if the Bushrangers are a serious contender this season. I suspect they are, but I also reckon they will struggle to kick a big score against the dour tactical structures employed by Paradians. Nelson Pollard was everywhere against the Animals and he and Sammy Savage should be defining factors).

Gryphons over OE by 10 Pts (I’m tipping a minor upset here, but the fact remains that Eltham have struggled at this ground over the years due to its tight wings and pockets and I suspect the Gryphs will be in lock-down on Ciavola from the opening bounce. Having said that Eltham are a quality outfit and there will be nothing in this all day. Lee Wells is the Dustin Fletcher of D2 and he will ensure that the Gryphs get the chocolates in a low scoring thriller).

Ivanhoe over SMS by 16 Pts (It was hard not to be impressed with the Hoes last time out and I think they will account for the Saints. However, this is early season and making any bold statements can be fraught with danger so no confidence in my prediction. Matt Vlahos to be best afield).

Therry over SMD by 28 Pts (The Bloods were not disgraced against Eltham and should cause similar problems for the Lions at Oak Park with the likes of Minichiello and Hampton running hot. However, I favour the Bannister boys to kick a dozen between them as the Lions pull clear late).

Emmaus over Jocs by 22 Pts (St Johns will be better on their home patch at Doveton, but they were deplorable last week and The Animals were in the game against Yarra Valley for three quarters so I suspect they will get the job done. Lawrence Virgo and the Baranello’s should appreciate the wide expanses of Thomas Carroll and quell any chance the Jocs have in the second half)

Good luck to all

Quasi

 
Round One tips:
Yarra valley vs ST LEOS
Eltham vs SOUTH MELBOURNE
ST MARYS SALESIAN vs st johns
Old Paradians vs MONASH GRYPHONS
Therry Penola vs IVANHOE

Did pretty well in round one picking 4/5 losers.

Lets see how I go this week picking the loser again, losers in BOLD
Round two tips:
yarra Valley vs OLD PARADIANS (If boundy has a blinder they will win, if not they will lose)
MONASH GRYPHONS vs eltham
Ivanhoe vs ST MARYS SALESIAN
Therry Penola vs SOUTH MELBOURNE
ST JOHNS vs St Leos (Battle of the saints!!!)

Goodluck to all involved this weekend, especially the Parade boys out in wine country.
 
Eltham were pretty impressive on the weekend.

Good foot skills at this level and good pressure. I thought Monash did well to hang in there.

St Mary's did well to climb off the canvas and win on the siren at Hoe Park. They definitely wanted the win more in the end and hopefully we'll learn from that game.
 
St marys have been a surprise to me so far, if Dr. Stephen Danks hasn't had a part in this i would love to know where the talent has come from, new players? new coach? u/19s now in seniors? or just easy games.

has anyone got a comment on games other than eltham vs monash. id like to here something from the therry game
 
Yarra too polished for us all day really. It's hard to know how promoted sides will go, but I can tell you that these guys will be up there when the whips are cracking. Too many contributors, and we had too few.

Looking forward to the clash with St Marys this week. They will give us a good idea where we are at. Hopefully the wide expanses of the Garvey might work in our favour.
 
St Mary's look pretty strong? Smashed St Johns then defeated Ivanhoe.

Although Therry didn't bring their best in R1. Those Bannister brothers will be hard to stop, kicked 14 out of 16 on the weekend.
Yarra Valley have a soft start to the year...R4 v Ivanhoe will test them.

But Old Eltham v Ivanhoe should be the match of Round 3.
Therry, St Mary's, Monash and Yarra Valley should all win.
 

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Chips and Garvey, Parade have lost to Yarra Valley and Therry (practise match). Who would you pick if they were competiting this weekend?
 
My Tips:

Therry to be too strong for The Animals
Eltham at ome over Ivanhoe (Ciavola to take his season tally past 20 in round 3!!!!)
Parade at home over SMS in a VERY tight one
Gryphons only because they will be desparate for a win, to bea SMD
Yarra Valley to win comfortably over St Johns.

Seb Plugga-vola a shoe-in for the league goal kicking with Close only playing every now and then, and Russel Robertson nowhere to be seen...

Any word on Robbo Modest Gryphon? He could have been the difference in both your matches this year.
 
St marys have been a surprise to me so far, if Dr. Stephen Danks hasn't had a part in this i would love to know where the talent has come from, new players? new coach? u/19s now in seniors? or just easy games.

has anyone got a comment on games other than eltham vs monash. id like to here something from the therry game

From what i saw SMS had a few new players running around,they have definitely improved a heap, they were still very young tho!
Both their 1s and 2s moved the ball well and ran hard as you would expect a young side to do.
#4 Gatehouse their captain i believe did as he pleased across half back and through the middle, there was also a strong bodied midfielder who was excellent inside the square, especially with no sign of a ruckman at all!
i think they will be up there this year, along with yarra valley who seem like they may just slip under the radar!
 
I agree about SMS and I think Eltham look good but how is Yarra Valley going under the radar when they won D3 by a huge margin and are 2 and 0?
 
Yarra Valley, Eltham and Therry the teams to beat at this stage imo with Monash not too far behind.

Haven't seen SMD or St Leos so can't comment on them.
 
Round 2 Preview

Yarra Valley over OP’s by 15 Pts (First test to see if the Bushrangers are a serious contender this season. I suspect they are, but I also reckon they will struggle to kick a big score against the dour tactical structures employed by Paradians. Nelson Pollard was everywhere against the Animals and he and Sammy Savage should be defining factors).

Gryphons over OE by 10 Pts (I’m tipping a minor upset here, but the fact remains that Eltham have struggled at this ground over the years due to its tight wings and pockets and I suspect the Gryphs will be in lock-down on Ciavola from the opening bounce. Having said that Eltham are a quality outfit and there will be nothing in this all day. Lee Wells is the Dustin Fletcher of D2 and he will ensure that the Gryphs get the chocolates in a low scoring thriller).

Ivanhoe over SMS by 16 Pts (It was hard not to be impressed with the Hoes last time out and I think they will account for the Saints. However, this is early season and making any bold statements can be fraught with danger so no confidence in my prediction. Matt Vlahos to be best afield).

Therry over SMD by 28 Pts (The Bloods were not disgraced against Eltham and should cause similar problems for the Lions at Oak Park with the likes of Minichiello and Hampton running hot. However, I favour the Bannister boys to kick a dozen between them as the Lions pull clear late).

Emmaus over Jocs by 22 Pts (St Johns will be better on their home patch at Doveton, but they were deplorable last week and The Animals were in the game against Yarra Valley for three quarters so I suspect they will get the job done. Lawrence Virgo and the Baranello’s should appreciate the wide expanses of Thomas Carroll and quell any chance the Jocs have in the second half)


Round 2 Review

2/5 (6/10 cumulative) as my punting woes returned in a weekend that revealed perhaps a little more than week one. The Sainters had the closest win of the round with a stirring come from behind victory at Hoe Park. The Pies led by more than five goals at the half but a Heath Chipperfield inspired St Mary’s stormed home to snatch the points. Cotter and Lovell amongst the best for the Hoes. The Turtles also held on with a crucially important win away from home at East Caulfield. The Gryphons stormed home but inaccurate kicking cost them any chance of victory. Aaron Lendaro was perhaps Old Eltham’s best in an even performance. Full marks to St Johns who proved me wrong with a demolition job on the Animals. 61 Points was the final margin but the scoring shots suggest the margin may have been even greater. Rohan Scott proved far too strong for any Emmaus defender. Elsewhere, Yarra Valley and Therry won as expected, but the magnitude of both margins suggests that they will each be serious contenders this season. The Bannisters actually managed 14 goals between them in a contest that fizzled out after half time and Sammy Savage was the most prominent in an even spread of 21 goals at Domeney.

Round 3 Preview

Therry over Emmaus by 39 Pts (The Animals – along with the Bloods – have leaked far too many goals in the opening rounds, so I suspect Therry’s Bannister Boys would be licking their lips in anticipation. Benny Ellis will try his best for the home side, but the Lions should bring home the points with ease).

Eltham over Ivanhoe by 31 Points (I don’t reckon the Turtles have hit top gear yet and this fixture may just get their engine humming a little more smoothly. The Hoes will be mindful of their second half fade out that cost them so dearly last time out, but the windy conditions forecast should accentuate Eltham’s superiority).
SMS over Paradians by 4 Pts (Should be a cracker of a contest this one, but if The Saints can beat Ivanhoe away from home there is no reason why they cannot do the same at Bundoora. Sutherland and Chipperfield to run amok as St Mary’s make their best start to the season in years).

SMD over Gryphs by 8 Pts (Another flip of the coin, but I favour the home side as Monash have a very poor record at Lindsay Hassett and recent injuries are te4sting their depth. Having said that, South are hardly setting hearts on fire with their form and will have to find an avenue to goal to take the points. Elliott Costello to be best afield).

Yarra Valley over Jocs by 41 Pts (St Johns are set to come back to earth with a thud but I reckon this will be a contest until half time. Yarra Valley’s strength looks to be its depth and the coaching staff must be stoked at the number of effective contributors each week. I will take either ‘Trend’ for best on ground).

Good luck to all

Quasi.
 
Tipped 4 last week for a total of 6/10

This weeks tips

Eltham over Ivanhoe which should be a cracking game!

Yarra valley over St Johns by 8 goals

Monash in a close one over South Melbourne by 2 goals

St Mary's in another close one over Parade by a goal

Therry to belt Emmaus by 10+ goals
 
My tips for round 3 are:

Hoes over eltham by 5 points in an upset. Harris to take a hanger over Ciavola to kick the winning goal after Ciavola is switched to the midfield as a tag on Harris to try and curb his dominance.
Yarra valley over St Johns by 72 points
Monash over south by 4 goals
Parade over st Marys by 10 points
Therry over St Leos by 66
 
Yarra valley over parade in a close one
Eltham by 5 goals over gryphons
SMS by 20 over ivanhoe (number 8 to be the difference)
Districts in an upset over therry (few player back)
St. John's by 15 over st Leo's

PM

4/5 ain't bad

Saw the 1st half of the SMS game and the ivanhoe boys were very impressive early. Plenty of run off half back and seemed to be all over them. Very pleasing from a SMS point of view to hear that they fought back. Plenty of depth in the 2s with a couple of healthy wins as well.

Eltham by 2 goals over ivanhoe
Yarra by 20 over St. John's
Monash by 5 goals over districts
SMS over parade
Therry over Leo's 60+

All the best for rd 3

PM
 
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