whufc wrote:My body is going to really enjoy this bye after the first 3 games.

You're telling me

After the bye we have some tasty fixtures and might see teams as close to full strength as they will get all year, with covid rules being pretty lenient now, cases dropping and a bye to refreshen up all those niggling injuries.

Min Man vs RSMU
One of the two derby games. I fancy Min Man who I think are equal favs for the flag with BSR. RSMU look a very small bit of the pace of the top 2 at the moment. Will be a cracker. In the B's it will be an easy win to Min Man

South Clare vs North Clare
North should win comfortably but history says that isnt a given. If North genuinely going to play finals they have to win this one. Most years I hear North talking themselves up as the sleeping giants with the 'big name' recruits and they haven't prevailed. This year its been pretty quiet and professional from the roosters and I actually think they might turn a few heads and are finals bound. In the b's should be North by ten goals.

Blyth vs Burra
Another game that should be real close. Both teams are most likely aiming for the fourth finals spot. Blyth have to win or you would think it will be curtains for them. Burra have been solid enough so far and have to win this if they are genuine. I kind of fancy Blyth in the upset albeit they haven't been overly impressive so far. In the B's it should be Burra by ten goals.

Saints vs BSR
Last year these teams had a fierce rivalry. Obviously Saints have lost a few since then but I would expect this to be a tight physical encounter especially at Eudunda. I cant go past BSR who might not be firing on all cylinders are but are still very clinical....will be a good watch. In the B grade its the great unknown. BSR are 3-0 but have most likely played what will be the bottom 3. On the complete opposite hand Saints are 0-3 but have played 3 sides that will all probably be playing finals. Toss of the coin in the b grade. * note there is genuine bias on my views in games involving BSR :lol: :lol:

I do have a slight bias towards North as well :lol:

Min Man V RSMU
A - Min Man to win by a goal or two games between these two teams seem to be pretty hard fought wins every year regardless of ladder position and both seem to be close to the top again this year so should be a cracker.
B- Min Man I think the top 4 play the bottom four in the B Grade and I would be surprised if there were any upsets, RSMU Looks to be getting better every week and they will challenge a few teams I just don't think it is this week.

North V South
A - North in a close one - Hopefully a few players back from injury, I was very wrong last week with who i said came back as only one of the four actually played :lol: North do often have trouble with Matty Allen so will see how it goes this week. That being said North by 3 Goals.
B - North, After a one point loss to Blyth in round One which was a horrible choke job, North B Grade looks up and about after the last two rounds confident after beating two bottom of the ladder sides will be tested in the last three rounds of the season playing the top sides.

Blyth v Burra
A - Burra too strong and looking good this season a close loss and some strong wins they may challenge for the finals this year, being played in Snowtown may give the Cats some go hopefully Pratt will be back and they can cause the upset but I think Burra by 4-5 Goals.
B- Burra again too strong in the Bs depending on who blyth has on the day.

BSR v Saints
A - BSR - I think this will be a close game Saints may have some handy players back in and they gave BSR some trouble last season, BSR to get over the line by 3-5 Goals.
B - BSR and I think it'll be about 6 goals, Saints are pretty short on numbers this year and the game was 16 a side on the weekend between them and North, A lot of young guys coming up from colts to help out and older blokes who might have come back from retirement to get a team on the park, still a competitive side just lacking depth.

Massive Gourmet Weekend coming up hope everyone enjoys. :D

Thoughts for this week.

BSR vs Min Man
Should be a cracker in the A Grade with both teams 4-0. Min Man are flying however winning games comfortably whilst BSR are tracking 'ok'. Most probably have this as a GF preview with this weeks winner taking the May premiership and flag favoritism. Too hard to pick a winner but obviously want the Tigs to get up.

The B Grade is also two teams sitting at 4-0. Much like the A Grade Min Man are flying in the b's whilst BSR are still trying to get 18 on the park. Min Man should/would start favorites rightly so but the BSR boys have shown a fair bit of heart so far so who knows hey.

RSMU vs South Clare
This should be another close affair. RSMU coming off back to back loses to the comps two best sides whilst South Clare got the upset W in the derby. South are a much better side than last year and RSMU seem to have come back to the pack a tad. In that saying i would expect RSMU to get up by a couple of goals.

The B grade will be an interesting watch between two winless sides that have struggled the last couple of years. I liked what i saw from the young RSMU lads when we played them a few weeks ago so think they might get the job done.

North Clare vs BBH
Another great match up in the A's. Both these sides are fighting for the realistic oppurtunity to finish 3-4 and play finals for the first time in a while. BBH are going under the radar a bit and seem to be playing consistent footy. The same could have been said about North until they went and lost to South last week. I think Norths best football will be better than Burra's but whether North bring the attitude will be the question. i think they will this week and get a very close win.

B Grade should also be a belter between two teams with genuine premiership aspirations. North have been cruising since their round 1 loss whilst Burra were upset by Blyth on the weekend. (only two games Blyth have won was against these two sides) . I'm expecting North to start the day in winning fashion with a 4-5 goal victory, im sure most will be happy anytime they see Burra b grade lose.

Southern Saints vs Blyth
The Saints were pretty good against BSR last week despite the loss, albeit they had the luxury of having Adam Hartlett in the forward line. I imagine he wont play this week with Westies playing on the Saturday. That said i expect the Saints to be too strong and physical for a young Blyth side and get a comfortable 6 goal win.

The B grade will be a very close game. The Saints were decent last week especially with Ah Chee back in the side. Blyth have won two games which have been against arguably top 3 sides, they have mail medalist Gareth Ottens running around. Really hard to pick a winner in what will be a physical contest....ill go Saints by a point.

I think you are pretty onto it here!

BSR v Min Man - A - Min man are flying at the moment but BSR always seems to get up in the close games, So I will go with them, they know how to finish teams.
B - Could go either way would say a Min Man win in the twos by a goal or two.

RSMU V South - A - South played well in the A's on the weekend but I think Riverton at home will be too much for them and they will go down by a few goals.
B - Riverton to get over the line and get a win in this one.

North V BBH - A - North was atrocious against south but played well against the Saints, will need to be on their game to beat burra and stay in the hunt for a top 4 spot at the end of the season. Roosters by 3 Goal
B - Should be a good game North has been cruising against probably the bottom three sides and this will be a challenge but they can get the job done at 'home' by a few goals.

Saints v Blyth - A - Eudunda wins this game quite easily and goes into the last few games confident although difficult could still make the four with a few upsets.
B - Saints to win this one just getting over the line.

Fixture has just been released: who do you think benefits from the 16 games and who do you think might have a tough draw?

I think depending on South Clare’s improvement, North looks to have gotten a good draw. But you never know with the derby and south has picked up a few handy players.

I think BSR might have the toughest although again depends what RSMU is like, I’d say Southern Saints the toughest draw if Riverton have a fall off from last season.

Link to fixture: https://www.playhq.com/afl/org/north-eastern-football-league/north-eastern-football-league-2024/nefl-a-grade/6957e837/R1

Fixture has just been released: who do you think benefits from the 16 games and who do you think might have a tough draw?

I think depending on South Clare’s improvement, North looks to have gotten a good draw. But you never know with the derby and south has picked up a few handy players.

I think BSR might have the toughest although again depends what RSMU is like, I’d say Southern Saints the toughest draw if Riverton have a fall off from last season.

Link to fixture: https://www.playhq.com/afl/org/north-eastern-football-league/north-eastern-football-league-2024/nefl-a-grade/6957e837/R1

Yeah BSR the toughest with Saints/Rsmu but in fairness we probably deserve the toughest draw.

North easiest for sure and might just be enough to see them play finals. Blyth have the same two as north as well.

The additional 2 rounds this year with the return to 16 rounds have been seeded so that the top 4 from last year play each other and the bottom 4 play each other, no cross overs of finals and non-finals teams from 2023.

Yeah its the fairest way to do it.....no complaints. I think at most clubs the b grade teams were happy with 14 games but A graders wanted the 16.


Happy with the 16 games I can’t play every week because of work so will get more in this year but obviously not everyone’s preferred amount of games. Loving the Thursday night on Anzac Day! First night game at Clare oval North South might have been bigger but I’ll take the night game anyway.

Any news on how trial matches have been going and what teams are looking like in them?

I know not a very good indication of how they will go during the year. North played Walkerville in a 6 quarter a and b trial match and had a lot of players unavailable and not sure how it went

Walkerville won by a couple of goals at the end of the 6.

BSR haven't played a trial yet but will have a couple before the season starts.

Saints to improve.
North Clare to improve.
South to improve
Blyth to improve
Min Man to fall back a tad
BBH to drop down
RSMU who knows

Yeah I think saints and North improve on last year, let’s be honest Blyth and south couldn’t get any worse so they’ll get better.

BBH, RSMU and Min Man to drop a bit.

BSR clearly still the team to beat and will be all season whether they lose a few games or not, 6 from 7 flags will get you favourite status for the year whether you’re top or not I think.

Round two will be interesting to see where a few teams are at!
A Grade
I think the saints get over min man by 3-4 goals.
Rsmu for me over Blyth by 6 goals.
Bbh v South - I think this could be a close game with South taking the win.
BSR v North - Depends if north shows up or not. But Have to give the edge to the reigning premiers.

B grade
Saints win this one against min man easily
Blyth to beat Rsmu
South over burra
Bsr to beat north in this one.

Interesting ladder after round 4:

Min man yet to play Bbh,south and Blyth. You would expect 3 for 3 from these games which would likely get them back in the four.
Rsmu, yet to play, bsr, saints and North. Could lose all three.
North have south saints and Rsmu. Some tough games there with saints in eudunda. Could win three could lose three, god knows.
Saints, still have north, Rsmu and Bbh. Would think they get 3 wins but at least two tough games there.
South, have north min man and bsr, would be almost impossible for them to make finals if they lose all three.

Bsr well ahead of everyone again I think and Blyth and Bbh struggling.

North v Saints
A grade: game of the round for me, I think this one could go either way, saints go in as favourites after last season but I would expect a close game the way these teams match up. I will say could go either way but will close. I’ll go with my roosters by a goal.

B Grade:
Saints should win this one comfortably but the young roosters put up a good fight against south last week so could make it closer than expected saints by 4 goals

RSMU v BSR

A Grade:
Honestly think this will be a fizzer BSR by 8 goals. Riverton have never had an answer for the tigers over the last 6 years with better teams than they have this year.

B Grade:
BSR by 10 Goals, Riverton inexperienced and BsR too good.

Min Man v South

A grade
Min Man should get up in this one by 6-7 goals.

B grade
South will beat min man easily in this one 10 goal.

Bbh v Blyth

A grade
I think Blyth will get there first win in a close one with this game going down to the last kick.

B grade
Blyth too good in this game 8 goals their way.

Congrats to the Saints on two hard fought wins.

Take the mantle as premiership favourites in both grades.

In for a cracker second half to the year.

I still think BSR A grade are the favourites you don’t win that many flags and become underdogs after a one point loss on a shit day for footy away from home.
BSR still favourites in the As by a bit tbh.

Blyth Snowtown almost cracking into the top 4 after a couple of wins in the trot

Did a bit of a deep dive into the A Grade, North won their first final for 27 years on Sunday the last finals win was the 97 premiership where they beat Paul Myers (ironically North Clare’s coach now) South Clare.

Looking back from 2017 the year that BSR won their first of 6 Flags. Until now. Unsurprisingly they have played North Clare 17 times and won 14 of them. They have played each other 3 times at Brinkworth in those 17 games. North Clare has won 2 of the three games played at Brinkworth. Not much to go on since the last time they played each other in brinky was 2021. Hopefully it means at the least The roosters will make it a contest.

In the b grade south Clare and Bsr have a bit of history especially in the finals so will be a cracker of a game. Will get stats for wins and losses in that one obviously bsr has had the wood over them but they have played each other in two grand finals in that time.

BSR just getting better and better, shouldn’t lose a game with that side.
North lose those three gibuma through injury, O’Neill back to Adelaide and Rowe to Crystal Brook possibly a few more but have recruited enough to sit around the same mark I believe.
BBH will struggle immensely losing Smyth brothers.
Haven’t heard much more from Blyth. Eudunda will be around the mark however hard to replace launer within that midfield.

Min man and Riverton are always quite strong and min man might take the jump with new players, and Riverton is always around the mark if they have added players will be a tough matchup for most teams.

Best of the last 25 years: you would surely have to look at Brodie Murphy, Matt Allen, Michael Leibelt, Reynolds at the biggining of his a grade probably more from around 06 flag for South Clare, Zac Heir, James Vandeluer, Kym Hart, Craig Mullins kicked a lot of goals from RSMU Bill Sandow, Ryan Mcdermit would be two of Min Man best and there would be more I couldn’t think of Craig Jaeschke Lachlan Jaeschke… sadly probably Nic Procka for North Clare Ottens, Darling, Gillings, Caleb Lloyd for Blyth. Saints Launer, and Prior and there would have to be more Leigh Kimpton would be a name I’d throw in there . BSR Morgan, Longbottom, Haarsma, nothing against Martin and mongrel good footballers but just no chance. BBH Schell Schuppan Wall Tom Drew probably some more I can’t remember from their 2011 flag. Just from the last 15 years and obviously my opinion so nothing to go by. there would be a heap more from 2000-2010. Which is the reason I couldn’t see Sam Martin and probably a few others get the nod.