Division1White@hotmail.com
1 week to go with 2 games in 8 days, it's not down to the wire, its SHOWTIME. Surely this is the most mind blowing 1 White season ever. The Saints are in 6th, 3pts off demotion but only 10pts off a ticket to the big dance with 16pts on offer over the next week. The Top 3 are within 2.5pts of each other, the total score diff between the top 5 is less than 5%, its honestly nuts how close this season & next week will be. We say ever bowl count of over the last few years it was close coming into the end of the season but nothing like this.
Whoever from the top 3 win both games probably go straight to 1 Red. Whoever drops their bundle first is gone but they'll likely hold a Finals spot.
We also have a nail biter for top skipper as the Saint Thomas edges Featherby for top spot but only by 3 shots after 16 rounds, yes 3 shots or 1 end after playing 336 end so far this season. Special mention to M.Cranswick & Fraser who are chasing hard to nab that top skipper mantle but Cranswick is probably the only vialble option after the top 2. Its also worth noting that the Eagles now have 2 skippers in the top 5 from the 40 regulars & 3 in the top 20, so you can see why I think they have a sneaky chance of Finals but it will be tight with a massive head to head against Mossies this Round.
Victoria Park Carlisle v Cockburn
Victoria Park Carlisle
Graham Archell, Gary Beckwith, Patrick Keeffe, Graeme Wishart
Charles McKay, Gregory Williams, Geoffrey White, Michael Simms
Kynan Johnston, Murray White, David Florance, Louie Beurteaux
Phil Long, Jonathan Jermalinski, Andrew Daley, Lee Such INS: Wishart OUTS: Parry
Cockburn
Stephen West, Wayne Clegg, Jim Ricci, Marc Abonnel
Mundy Carroll, Ivan Mateljak, Josip (joe) Marevic, Tony Krajancic
Brian Blagaich, Mirko Musulin, Dinko Golem, Michael Simunovic
Ian Coyne, David Ravlich, Denis Bandy, William Tepania INS: Ravlich OUTS: Chambers
The Reds are in deep trouble & this is beyond do or die. Even a win here provides no certainty on whether 1 Blue is back to their new home. A winning n here gets them a chance of playoff & they’ll have no more aspiration than such. A loss sees them in a whole of trouble with a likely straight ticket down the snakes & ladders.
The complete opposite is prevalent for the Titans. They are in an unusual position that they could actually win both games in the next week & with a take a trip down memory lane to 1 Red. If they’re to win any away game this is it & this is likely their softest chance. You may think that might be unfair to the Reds & that’s not the intent. The fact is the Titans can win this & the last game & likely go up or play a team that’s not 8th on the ladder in a Finals playoff. I know what game I’d chose & it’s certainly this one.
Vic Pk Carlisle 6 - 2
North Beach v Gosnells
North Beach
Todd McMahon, Tyrell Stanley Brown, Steve Richards, Michael Sweeney
Tui J Niwa, Geoffrey Devenish, Garry Booker, Richard Aitken
Brent Fielding, Lee Bunney, Rhonda Prosser, Mark Douthie
Brent Palfrey, Geoffrey Watson, Jerome Clayton, Gavin Crosthwaite INS: Brown OUTS: Margin
Gosnells
Michael Byrne, Stephen Lawrence, Michael Sharpe, Rue Bishop
Ronald McKay, Alex Hodge, Maureen Cooney, Glenn Lynch
Ian Quayle, David Bradbury, Jeff Watson, Trevor Close
Larry Paterson, Peter Gale, Mike Rickard, Eoghan Gahan INS: Watson, Gahan OUTS: Worth, Beauchamp
Whereas North Beach will likely win this it’s difficult to see them in Finals with a tough away game in R18. They’ve had a solid season & she picked up an away win but that Saints game is probably the difference for the season. They could make Fibals but a big Agg is required here & highly likely.
The Kookaburras lose this & the Reds win then it’s all over & back to 1 Blue after many years of spirited survival. Whereas Gosnells have zero chance here their survival lies in the Reds result.
Bassendean
David Snelgar, Brooke Chaney, Ian O'Neill, Jovan Krstic
Gregory Sadler, Alan Britton, Geoffrey Malaspina, Neil Strachan
Saffronne Alden, Nick Pleasance, Graeme Cash, John Holman
Phillip Hutchinson, Shane Colegate, Garry Atkinson, Butch Dinnison INS: No changes OUTS:
Top v bottom here so you would think it’s an easy call but Basso have been the upsets Kings away to teams that have had a previous big win. Basso lose here & next week is likely irrelevant so it’s do or die.
For the home side it’s a simply question…. Can the real lion stand up’?! Leeming are at cross-roads…..do they honestly deserve PL but can’t get past a 1 Blue side or put this away in a manner that states they deserve a ticket to the big dance. Let’s see but I think the nerves are fever pitch & both sides need leaders to lead to define this outcome.
Leeming 7 - 1
Joondalup v Osborne Park
Joondalup
Martin Cheesman, Eugene Dardengo, Jon Hunter, James Buchanan
Harry Teeuwissen, Roy Humfrey, Michael Korycin, Shane Ernest Rixom
Barry Crawford, Richard Wyatt, Paul Kain, James Groves
Brian McMurdo, Frank Tyson, Matt Sharrett, Thomas Vlahos INS: Teeuwissen OUTS: Louw
Osborne Park
Aaron Kriletich, Douglas Kelly, Bryan Hunter, Mark Rollings
George Smith, Ty Vandertogt, Pierre Geenacker, Neville Stevens
Richard Herbert, Christopher Orchard, Edan Manifis, Jeremy Thomas
Shaan Saunders, Graeme O'Neill, Helen Stevens, Pamela Chalmers INS: No changes OUTS:
Dolphins need maximum points here without question. Unfortunately it’s against another possibly Finals side who are fighting for every point. Joondalup need 2 for 2 over the next week, there’s just no getting away from that, nor should any team be dreaming on PL on 10 wins, that’s just not good enough. After the early start to the session it was difficult not to see Joondalup back into PL but sometimes you smel that lavender too early & things don’t work out.
The Saints neee this Agg to play Finals. They may by pure luck play finals next eeek but only by massive luck do this is their chance to roll the dice to play for a position in PL that they can’t take. Unsure how much this impacts the head space but 1 side dreams of PL & the other respects it but will never get there as the 1st team hold the marble Mantle
Joondalup 7 - 1
Mosman Park v Manning
Mosman Park
Mario Van Bemmel, John Pallett, Damian Adams, Mitchell Cranswick
Mark Whiting, Kenneth Stower, Steven Swanson, Terry Cranswick
Aidan O'Sullivan, Robert Kershaw, Mark Robertson, Cameron Hoffman
Jason Kop, Jeffrey Adams, Christine Ace-Watson, Lisa Featherby INS: No changes OUTS:
Manning
Bradley Hogg, Shane Adams, Allan Taylor, William Fraser
Jared Moulton, Gregory Hogg, Slavko (Sam) Perica, Paul Smith
Mark Ellis, Sharon Lynch, Philip Herbert, Michael Carey
Nigel Rees, Graham O'Brien, Joe Angel, Adam Macpherson INS: B Hogg, Perica OUTS: Dawson, Grigg
Mossies are in trouble big time & when a missive Agg here makes for a nervous week. They really have no one but themselves to blame. They’ve had some top rinks for the season but also some rinks that just couldn’t restrict the damage.
The Eagles still need both games in the next week to play finals. A win here probably my gets them Finals, if not a very close chance of Finals but like the Saints it’ll be a Finals without the real appetite. They’ve had 2 super solids rinks also season but really need that 3rd & more so that 4th rink to have a >50% contribution. Again it’s all up for grabs in a super exciting R17.
