Other Australian Gridiron Leagues

[middy]

I'm volunteering there as part of my sport management degree, hopefully the championships will be a success.

 

[camsmith]

Thanks Woodson, I might try to get down there and check it out. Had no idea it was on.

Need to get my fix of football, seems ages since the superbowl.

 

[thebigboy]

Whats the league standard like in Victoria anyway?

I'm now at uni in Geelong and I know there is a team who play out of the Uni campus.

 

[mcgarnacle]

Thanks Woodson, I might try to get down there and check it out. Had no idea it was on.

Need to get my fix of football, seems ages since the superbowl.

Will be some good football............when the wolfpack are playing.

Lots of Lions in the NSW team (as usual), and the coach too this season. Going for 4 in a row now, or is it 5............ive lost count.

If its a NSW vs VIC final, I'd cancel everything to be there if I was in Melbourne. We've have had some classics in the last few nationals. And there are no excuses for the VICs this year as its in their own backyard so losing players due to cost and travel shouldnt be a factor for them.

 

[Woodson]

Thanks Woodson, I might try to get down there and check it out. Had no idea it was on.

Need to get my fix of football, seems ages since the superbowl.

I can confirm I'll be there on Saturday arvo for game ONE. I'll be doing the downmarker actually. Looking to get the downmarker gig for the Championship game Friday week. Also the coach of the WA team is ex-Warriors playmaker, Craig Wilson..

Here is a throwback clip from a school assignment I did for multimedia that features Craig Wilson. Top bloke btw.

[YOUTUBE]e6Q6RVpjf-E&hl[/YOUTUBE]

 

[camsmith]

Really not liking missing out of this... any other week and i'd be there!

Be sure to give us an update on the final Woodson.

 

[Woodson]

Really not liking missing out of this... any other week and i'd be there!

Be sure to give us an update on the final Woodson.

First play... NSW (Wolfpack) possession, the hand-off fell from the QB's grasp like an egg...splat.. ball didn't bounce around at all... count 1...2...3 and THEN, the players realise it's a loose ball.. Wolfpack recover... third play of the game.. NSW QB... does a Kitna, finds his open receiver but throws it inexplicably directly down the throat of the Victorian CB.. 20 yard return but the Vics struggled to move the ball on third down... that folks, was the (Vics) Eagles, stumbling block all game. Third & 4 and the predictable double wingback formation to be stuffed and stuffed again. And when they happen to execute a 20 yard play, a holding/ PF penalty killed them.

Kitna (what I called him) recovered tho, in the most gritty play of the day, happened late in the first, he took off to the right, pump fake.. saw the defender and just lowered his helmet and BANG!! Slammed him over with a powerful blow helmet to helmet...the defender didn't know what hit him and then another defender flew in and CRUNCHED the QB who gained a hard earned 5 yards by then, flattened him like a pancake with a classic brutal tackle that instantly got a 'OOOOOH' from the crowd on the grandstand side..

Sure, there were many other pounding hits that were just as tough but that first Q lick was tremendous. Right in front of the us.

The Wolfpack were far more the balanced team with smarter play-calling to
keep the Eagles D double guessing. The running up the guts of the Wolfpack RB was quite effective as he was barely touched until he got his 4-5 yards.

Turnovers killed the Eagles which comes back to bad play-calling on tight pass situations as the Wolfpack D was far more aggressive and ready. The Eagles tried but couldn't break into the Wolfpack territory for much of the game. Wolfpack led 21-0 at the half as the teen cheerleaders entertained the 300 odd crowd as the ensemble band played some Abba tunes..

In the second half, the Eagles showed better resistance on D but still their third down conversion rate was appaulling considering the QB was struggling to find any time to locate an open receiver as he was mauled continually. The Eagles lone play-maker, TE Dekker, got a few handy receptions early but was shut down in the second half. Scoreless third quarter.

In the last Q, the Eagles seem to be finding some life but once again, undiscipline acts with penalties punishing all their hard work and poor play-calling on third downs foiled their chances.

The nail in the coffin, if it already wasn't bolted in, came with 3 minutes remaining in the last quarter when Kitna found his wide-open WR at the 3, who tippy-toed into the endzone in slow motion... Wolfmother had had enough at this stage and wanted to beat the traffic early.. decided to leave.. Balmainforever wasn't interested in hanging around either, as we both made our way out ...the Victorian Eagles come to life suddenly!! They got TWO big plays and moved the ball inside the red zone (other side of the field from where we were headed out) within a matter of minutes later scored a much needed TOUCHDOWN!!! NSW won the State Championship AGAIN!! With a comprehensive 28-7 scoreline.

 

[mcgarnacle]

thanks for the review Woodson.

was the Wolfpack QB #11? That'd be Kiernan Dorney. Believe it or not, he's not even the starting QB at the Lions. It's normally another bloke called Dan Kelen (#16), and I reckon he'd prolly get a start for NSW if he chose to go but he never does. Not that Kiernan's a slouch..........he's excellent and he must be to not play regular QB during the GNSW season and still get the start for state..........but he's also the more athletic of our two choice QBs so he can play other positions which is what he does at the Lions, e.g., in '08 he was a FS, in '09 he was a WR. Very good at both, or all 3!

and the Lions running back.........was it predominantly #33? that's another Lion, Matt Croasdaile and a tough cookie. low to ground but he really knows how to pick the lanes and is very agile through the hips.......a big asset of any RB. it also helps that most of the O-line are Lions as well.....the best coached and most effective o-line in the country. a player who wouldve interchanged for him wouldve been #17 Liam Erby. he's more of a power runner, but is also a good receiver out of the backfield and normally gets the start at WR at state, even though he doesnt play at that position for the Lions either.

you prolly saw a lot of #56 Joe Lim as the Mike on D too......boss of the defense.

but tell me.....what did you think of the stoppages in the Oz game?? obviously theyre are no hot cheerleaders or replays to keep the masses entertained, but in GNSW, watching a match between two ill-disciplined teams can be excruiciating, particularly when the refs have a drawn out committee meeting with tea and lamingtons to adjudicate on the play. hopefully that was kept to a minimum and allowed they allowed the games to flow a bit.

 

[Woodson]

thanks for the review Woodson.

was the Wolfpack QB #11? That'd be Kiernan Dorney. Believe it or not, he's not even the starting QB at the Lions. It's normally another bloke called Dan Kelen (#16), and I reckon he'd prolly get a start for NSW if he chose to go but he never does. Not that Kiernan's a slouch..........he's excellent and he must be to not play regular QB during the GNSW season and still get the start for state..........but he's also the more athletic of our two choice QBs so he can play other positions which is what he does at the Lions, e.g., in '08 he was a FS, in '09 he was a WR. Very good at both, or all 3!

Yep, #11 was QB for Wolfpack.. still think he is Kitna.

and the Lions running back.........was it predominantly #33? that's another Lion, Matt Croasdaile and a tough cookie. low to ground but he really knows how to pick the lanes and is very agile through the hips.......a big asset of any RB. it also helps that most of the O-line are Lions as well.....the best coached and most effective o-line in the country. a player who wouldve interchanged for him wouldve been #17 Liam Erby. he's more of a power runner, but is also a good receiver out of the backfield and normally gets the start at WR at state, even though he doesnt play at that position for the Lions either.

you prolly saw a lot of #56 Joe Lim as the Mike on D too......boss of the defense.

but tell me.....what did you think of the stoppages in the Oz game?? obviously theyre are no hot cheerleaders or replays to keep the masses entertained, but in GNSW, watching a match between two ill-disciplined teams can be excruiciating, particularly when the refs have a drawn out committee meeting with tea and lamingtons to adjudicate on the play. hopefully that was kept to a minimum and allowed they allowed the games to flow a bit.

I didn't agree with the choice of hockey arena as it was a limited seating capacity. The scoreboard wasn't lit up despite the commentator making repeated early pleas to flick the switch but that fell on deaf ears. The Cheerleaders were clearly teens.. 15-16 y/o's.. the stoppages could of been much better entertainment.. I agree. I didn't expect anything anyway.

There is the main Hockey arena on the other side of the one they played where much better seating available (on both sides of the field) instead of one side. #33 was the RB for the Wolfpack who I noticed the most. The Wolfpack had a ready & aggressive D that made things difficult for the Eagles. As for those Zebra meetings midfield.. multiple flags can be such a pain to work out at times... to determine whether it was a PF, a dead ball foul, before/ after the turnover and so on.. so for undisciplined teams, that's what it takes to determine the result of the penalties... so be it.

Some guys on these teams wouldn't have a clue about the rules and what goes on with determining the penalties. In the State Championship final.. some idiots players were going out to mame the opposition near the end after the play ended.. that's not on.. two got EJECTED within two minute warning from what I recall.. just cheap shots. I love players willing to DISH out hard hits and in the spirit of the game but not DIRTY PLAY that causes unnecessary injury well after the play has ended.

 

[mcgarnacle]

Yep, #11 was QB for Wolfpack.. still think he is Kitna.

I didn't agree with the choice of hockey arena as it was a limited seating capacity. The scoreboard wasn't lit up despite the commentator making repeated early pleas to flick the switch but that fell on deaf ears. The Cheerleaders were clearly teens.. 15-16 y/o's.. the stoppages could of been much better entertainment.. I agree. I didn't expect anything anyway. There is the main Hockey arena on the other side of the one they played where much better seating available (on both sides of the field) instead of one side.

a good portion of the GNSW is played on hockey fields too. the rationale is that they are generally cheaper to hire, and games can be played in wet weather. Councils are quick to close grassed fields after a drizzle here in Sydney. they have a decent field turf facility up on the Gold Coast. it would be great to get one installed here in Sydney, with hire fees the league can afford.......id assume that the bigger arena not used for Nationals down in Vic was more expensive to hire out. Gridron Australia arent rolling around in cash unfortunately.

#33 was the RB for the Wolfpack who I noticed the most. The Wolfpack had a ready & aggressive D that made things difficult for the Eagles.

so did the MVP judges at the last 2 or 3 Waratah Bowls.........he won 'em. was it a 3-4 or 4-3 D?

As for those Zebra meetings midfield.. multiple flags can be such a pain to work out at times... to determine whether it was a PF, a dead ball foul, before/ after the turnover and so on.. so for undisciplined teams, that's what it takes to determine the result of the penalties... so be it.

i guess ive never been an official so i dont know what problems they may encounter. i have to remember that these guys are volunteers and give up their saturdays to do it and am definately grateful for it.........more than most. we all want the right decision, but sometimes, i reckon the officials dont realise how much time they're taking. part of it comes down to having confident officials too.......and the teams themselves ofcourse. it can be really frustrating as a spectator when there's a penalty every 2nd down between ill-disciplined or poorly coached teams.

Some guys on these teams wouldn't have a clue about the rules and what goes on with determining the penalties. In the State Championship final.. some idiots players were going out to mame the opposition near the end after the play ended.. that's not on.. two got EJECTED within two minute warning from what I recall.. just cheap shots. I love players willing to DISH out hard hits and in the spirit of the game but not DIRTY PLAY that causes unnecessary injury well after the play has ended.

i agree. at times, i reckon its the only reason some people play.......to hurt rather than win.

cheers

 

[mcgarnacle]

some vids up on the bear. just a few individual plays. hopefully they'll post up some more.

http://www.thebear.com.au/SIForums/Topic19970-19-24.aspx

copy and paste into your browser.

 

[Woodson]

I recall when 'selling the dummy' was a huge skill to have in the Aussie Rules game but the WA QB here, shows how easy it is to execute on the Gridiron field..

[YOUTUBE]gGncoZ8zXUQ&hl[/YOUTUBE]

haha... classic Kitna example.. the NSW QB who plays very much like Kitna..

[YOUTUBE]-fz3NQ5fZzE&hl[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Woodson]

Here's another review from another poster from 'theBear.com.au' website on the final..

just got home from the title game and a big congratulations to the wolfpack 5 straight is a great effort.Was actually ashamed to be a victorian tonight i no its an amatuer sport but **** me the victorian coaching was the biggest amatuer hour ive ever seen we just needed some benny hill music and would of been complete.How can u continue to trail by 21 and refuse to try anything differant.Then when u do finally try something by changing qb's with 2 and a half minutes left when the games over the new qb drives down to 3 yards out and u pull him out to put your starting qb in.What a joke the starting qb couldnt get it done why give him the glory real poor form in my book.Oh well good luck in 2 years vics.


ps i dont have an affiliation to any team just an interested spectater

 

[Woodson]

thanks for the review Woodson.

Here's another review:

Both NSW and Vic traded turnovers to start the game. NSW then scored on a long TD pass that was deflected by a Vic DB to the NSW WR. In the 2nd quarter NSW took advantage of great field position thanks to their dangerous punt return team to run in a TD. A great drive by NSW proved to be the back breaking drive as they drove down the field through the air to go up 21-0 right before halftime. Vic connected on a hail mary seconds before the half but was called back for an illegal shift. The second half saw NSW play it safe on offence and their defence proved dominant. Aside from out patterns and a handful of runs to the outside, the NSW defence completely shut them down. A late TD through the air as Vic sold out on the run saw NSW go up 28-0 before a late drive got the Vics on the board to close out of the game 28-7.

source: theBear.com.au

 

[mcgarnacle]

[youtube]-fz3NQ5fZzE&hl[/youtube]

that hit #27 on D tried to pull off went totally pear-shaped for him. what a ********. even if he'd pulled it off, it would not have contributed to the play at all. what if dorney (your kitna) managed to get away from tacklers and streak downfield? totally disregarded his repsonsibilities. maybe he was trying to square up for an earlier play. he went right out of play from the mike position following who knows - the RB stayed in the backfield to block - and then flies back into frame with eyes only on #73. once again, ****ing ********.

 

[Woodson]

that hit #27 on D tried to pull off went totally pear-shaped for him. what a ********. even if he'd pulled it off, it would not have contributed to the play at all. what if dorney (your kitna) managed to get away from tacklers and streak downfield? totally disregarded his repsonsibilities. maybe he was trying to square up for an earlier play. he went right out of play from the mike position following who knows - the RB stayed in the backfield to block - and then flies back into frame with eyes only on #73. once again, ****ing ********.

That happens unfortunately but I doubt there was any intention for any malicious hit.. just no focus on his responsibilities. Coaches are overheard to hit the opposition hard and some guys think it's ok to line up anyone... look for the subtle penalty by Blue #66.. block to the back @ the 15. I'll be pointing this out to the guys (officials I know who officiated) and asking how an earth they missed it..

 

[neddy36]

that hit #27 on D tried to pull off went totally pear-shaped for him. what a ********. even if he'd pulled it off, it would not have contributed to the play at all. what if dorney (your kitna) managed to get away from tacklers and streak downfield? totally disregarded his repsonsibilities. maybe he was trying to square up for an earlier play. he went right out of play from the mike position following who knows - the RB stayed in the backfield to block - and then flies back into frame with eyes only on #73. once again, ****ing ********.

Couldn't agree with you more mate. What a d***! Totally selfish behaviour and one that drives coaches nuts. All he wanted was the cheap of the play hit for his own personal satisfaction. The officials in SA would probably call that and get 15 yards for it.

The bottom line is he gets his revenge and the thrill of a cheap hit. The team gets penalised 15% of the field and fresh set of downs.

Pretty poor performance by SA. Lacked beef on both OL and DL. LB's were a bit small too.

 

[Exe Gesis]

That attempted hit by #27 is such a laugh. What an idiot. I love how the guy he hits just totally ignores him like he brushed a fly away.

 

[KTFM]

I've decided to take up gridiron this year. Any Adelaidians in this thread that can advise me which club I should signup for?
Cheers.

 

[neddy36]

What suburb do you live in mate? Let me know and I will direct you to the closest club not called the Eastside Razorbacks.

I used to play and coach for the South City Chiefs (based at Marion) and if you live in the inner-south, south-western suburbs it could be your best bet.

www.chiefs.org.au

 

[KTFM]

Cheers for that neddy,
I did a bit of research since I posted that and the Chiefs do indeed look to be the best bet for me, I'm in the southern suburbs. Do you know when things would most likely get under way for the season, in that club?

 

[neddy36]

Look for the first senior training session to be in late July, early August. Keep your eye on the website or PM me around that time and I can give you an exact date and time. In the past couple of years the club has held a Training Camp at Encounter Bay for a weekend in September. Not sure if this will be occuring this year with the new coaches, etc.

This will be my first year since 1996 that I haven't been involved in the club in some capacity. I will still check out games as I have a lot of friends there. Hope to see you in the Red, White and Blue mate.

 

[handy point]

Don't know much about the SA gridiron scene, but when I read the name the Razorbacks, I was reminded the time around the mid 90's when Sports Tonight picked their play of the day from a SAGA game (possibly the Razorbacks)... it was a length of the field play from scrimmage. Can't remember much else about it, but do recall thinking it was pretty cool to see on telly at that time.

 

[manureid]

Look for the first senior training session to be in late July, early August. Keep your eye on the website or PM me around that time and I can give you an exact date and time. In the past couple of years the club has held a Training Camp at Encounter Bay for a weekend in September. Not sure if this will be occuring this year with the new coaches, etc.

This will be my first year since 1996 that I haven't been involved in the club in some capacity. I will still check out games as I have a lot of friends there. Hope to see you in the Red, White and Blue mate.

What has happened Neddy?? Coaching clean out????

 

[neddy36]

What has happened Neddy?? Coaching clean out????

Not a clean out haha. Myself and the HC have become a bit tired with it. Both have spent quite some time at the club and maybe the club needs a change in leadership to get it over it's GF hoodoo.

Life is too short to be doing the same stuff all your life. Trying and enjoying a few different things now.

And I had hopes for you as a dangerous Welker-type slot WR.