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FAFL 360 Season Preview 2020:
Welcome to the FAFL 360 for another great FAFL season and the start of a new decade. I’m Wes Kerry and in this edition, I’m going to run down the 12 teams and the chance they have to take the Premiership this season in my opinion.
Wes Kerry’s 2020 FAFL Preview:
Adelaide Butcherbirds:
2019 was a year to forget for Adelaide. A winless season, A mass exodus of talent and loads and loads of bad football. This season will be the yardstick to compare bad seasons from here on out. It was that infamously bad. However, Once you have hit Rock Bottom. You can only go up and that’s what the Butcherbirds are going to do in 2020.
First off, They’ve gotten a competent coach in Simon Gardener who is committed to getting this team back on track and as a dominant team to be feared again and they’ve also gotten themselves a No. 1 Draft Pick in Jay Samuelson who has proven so far to be a great talent for the team. Add that with a decent Free Agency where the team got their hands on players like Fremantle’s Billy-Joe McCormick, Darwin’s Harriet Carlson, Geelong’s Kenneth Rodgers, East Sydney’s Mia Burrows and Orange’s Willy Kellogg and this team looks a lot better then 2019. They won’t have a good year but they’ll have a better year and I think that’s something Adelaide will be happy with.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream
Best Case Scenario: 10th
Worst Case Scenario: 12th
Brisbane Brumbies:
Brisbane have been an enigma since they started in 2018. In the first half of that year, They were almost unstoppable and lead the league at the Midseason break but since then, The team has struggled to win games and actually look like a cohesive unit. 2020 has a chance to change that but with a lackluster Free Agency and a few key retirements and key players leaving, It might be a bad time for Brisbane in 2020 but it might also be the year that the team finally becomes a cohesive unit again and actually becomes a team to beat again. Zoe Burnley will be hoping so as it will keep the pressure on her down and she’ll want it to stay down, Otherwise. 2021 could be a make or break year for this Brumbies core.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Pressure Down by John Farnham
Best Case Scenario: 5th
Worst Case Scenario: 10th
Darwin Storm:
This has been a great off-season for the Darwin Storm. Not only have they drafted well but they have also lured big Free Agents in Kenneth Murphy, Hamish Connor, Antony Sharp and Savannah Josephs to the team. Add that to the fact that the team did rise up the ladder in 2019 with a 5-13 record with talent like Kyle Shadowolf, Gill Rowland, Ami Marsden and Jimmy Newman Medalist, Namazzi Baker and I think that because of all this talent, I think Darwin is ready to make the next step and make finals in 2020 and I know that I’ve said that for a while but I really do think they are ready to make that next step.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Are You Ready? By AC/DC
Best Case Scenario: 6th
Worst Case Scenario: 9th
East Sydney Roosters:
This is one of the teams I expect to go far in 2020. They’ve been to the finals in the last two years and have continued to win more games season on to season since 2015. 2-18-1 and the wooden spoon in 2015, 4-12 and 8th in 2016, 6-10 and 7th in 2017, 10-8 and making finals in 2018 and 11-7 in 2019. This team has built up it’s roster since that dreadful season in 2015 and with stars like Derrick Bristol, Faith St Clair, Liam Deeland, Tom Hughson, Darren Gertner and Crimson Whitepaw on the list, This team is one of my predicted teams to be in the Grand Final. Their time is now.
Song Best Fitting the Team: High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
Best Case Scenario: 1st
Worst Case Scenario: 3rd
Fremantle Panthers:
2019 was the culmination of what had been building up for a while for the Panthers. After several years of deep finals runs and a Grand Final Loss in 2018, The Panthers finally made it to the top of the footballing landscape after defeating Melbourne by 9 points in the 2019 Grand Final, proving to be a upset. This team has proven to the world that they are one of the top contenders in Football and with the team only going through a few changes in the offseason and not losing any of their stars, I expect them to be back up on top in 2020 and certainly, They’ll be revving to be the team to beat in 2020.
Song Best Fitting the Team: I Want It All by Queen
Best Case Scenario: 1st
Worst Case Scenario: 4th
Geelong Generals:
2019 was a year of improvement for the Geelong Generals, From finishing 8th with a 5-13 record and with their coach in trouble of losing his job to finishing 3rd with a 12-6 record and playing finals. However, The Finals were not good for Geelong as the team lost two straight finals and went out in straight sets after earning the second chance. That is certainly not going to help with the team’s morale. Another thing likely to hurt the team is the loss of Paul Bate and the Harmon Twins to rival clubs and that could leave the team feeling like last year was a fluke but I believe if they can keep themselves together and fight again, They can go very far this year.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Keep The Faith by Bon Jovi
Best Case Scenario: 3rd
Worst Case Scenario: 9th
Gold Coast Dragons:
2018 was a dream season for the Gold Coast. Winning the Minor Premiership and finally after 43 years, The club would win it’s first Premiership but like a lot of teams after a premiership, They would end up having a Premiership Hangover and struggle in 2019 without the man who had been the best on ground during that Grand Final, Michael Vander-Beck due to his retirement after the game. This team still has the core that got them to the Grand Final still with the team and a decent group of young talent, So they can bounce back in 2020 but they’ll need to believe in themselves that they can do it, Otherwise things might not be good for the season and they may have to start a rebuild.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House
Best Case Scenario: 5th
Worst Case Scenario: 10th
Hobart Wolves:
To talk about the Hobart Wolves is to talk about a team that has been the textbook definition of middling. 8-8, 11-11, 0.500, Same in both columns. This is a team that just can’t break the ceiling of a winning season since 2014. For the past 5 season, The best the team has done is just miss out on finals. This year, Despite great pickups in the Draft like Dee Ashcroft, Lynda Hardy and Maggie Thornborne. I expect much of the same. This is a team seemingly stuck in the same motion and I don’t know why. Everything here seems to be in good order but this team just seems to be stuck where they are.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Stuck In The Middle With You by Stealers Wheel
Best Case Scenario: 8th
Worst Case Scenario: 11th
Melbourne City Mariners:
After years of fighting to get into the FAFL, The Melbourne City Mariners are finally in the top flight of Aussie Rules. For the first time in 45 years, Matchups like the Mariners vs. Panthers, Mariners vs Butcherbirds and Mariners vs. Miners that we used to see all the time in the Champion of Australia tournaments from years past will be seen again. Plus, With the team they’ve selected in the expansion draft. I expect them to be competitive this season and even make finals. It’s an exciting time and Melbourne City fans should be excited and happy that their team is back in the top flight.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) by Backstreet Boys
Best Case Scenario: 4th
Worst Case Scenario: 7th
Melbourne Hammerheads:
Last year was yet another year of getting so close, yet so far. 9 points were between them and the Premiership Cup. 9 points. This team has developed a reputation of sorts for going far but falling short when it well and truly mattered. They’re currently the team with the longest active streak of making the Finals out of all the teams at the moment and that could be as disadvantage for this team as I feel that they are running out of time to win a premiership with this core. They need to make it count in 2020 if they don’t want to be remembered as a team that could never get it done.
I expect them to do very well in 2020 but I also don’t know if they can get it done this year. I’ve expected them to do so in previous years and that didn’t pan out.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Time Is Running Out by Muse
Best Case Scenario: 2nd
Worst Case Scenario: 5th
Orange Miners:
2019 was a bounce back year after the Miners fell to earth after their 3 years of dominance from 2015-2017. They still have a lot of that group with the team and with the players they have picked up in 2018, 2019 and 2020, They are in a position to perhaps make another crack at a premiership with this group. If there is one team that can make it count in finals at the moment, It’s this team. Since 2015, This team has gone 8-1 in finals and have won some close games so far in finals. So I’m expecting to go quite far in 2020. The Miners are officially back in the game and everyone one else better be afraid.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Back In The Game by Airbourne
Best Case Scenario: 2nd
Worst Case Scenario: 6th
Perth Ospreys:
Perth are the second new team to the competition and they are perhaps not in the best position this season to win very often this season but they are in a good position to avoid the wooden spoon. However, Things have not gotten off well for the Ospreys as Vanessa Erickson has got an Osteitis Pubis injury that will see her miss the season while Sunny Ray has hurt his snout and will miss the next 2 weeks. Along with Kevin Eastermann being admitted into hospital for stress-based hyper-exhaustion, Perth are already starting to pile up with injuries. They’ll need to turn it around quick otherwise, This team will be playing like the entire team has a broken leg.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Broken Leg by Bluejuice
Best Case Scenario: 10th
Worst Case Scenario: 12th
Current Injuries and Suspensions:
Fremantle Panthers:
Wayne De-Grandi (FWD) Concussion (1 Round) Back by: Round 2
Geelong Generals:
Antía Abreu (DEF) Right Shoulder (6 Rounds) Back by: Round 7
Hobart Wolves:
Maybelle Rowntree (FWD) Tail (2 Rounds) Back by: Round 3
Melbourne City Mariners:
Humphry Badcock (MID) Right Quad Muscle (2 Rounds) Back by: Round 2
Orange Miners:
Lyle Gore (MID) Left Ankle (2 Rounds) Back by: Round 2
Perth Ospreys:
Sunny Ray (RUCK) Snout Fracture (2 Round) Back by: Round 3
Vanessa Erickson (MID) Osteitis Pubis (Rest of Season) Back by: 2021
This Week’s Games:
Round 1 | March 12-15
Thursday March 12th:
Fremantle Panthers vs. Melbourne Hammerheads @ Perth Stadium, Perth WA. (night)
Friday March 13th:
Melbourne City Mariners vs. Perth Ospreys @ Docklands Stadium, Melbourne VIC. (night)
Saturday March 14th:
Gold Coast Dragons vs. Brisbane Brumbies @ Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast QLD.
East Sydney Roosters vs. Orange Miners @ Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney NSW. (night)
Sunday March 15th:
Hobart Wolves vs. Geelong Generals @ Bellerive Oval, Hobart TAS.
Darwin Storm vs. Adelaide Butcherbirds @ Marrara Oval, Darwin NT. (twilight)
Welcome to the FAFL 360 for another great FAFL season and the start of a new decade. I’m Wes Kerry and in this edition, I’m going to run down the 12 teams and the chance they have to take the Premiership this season in my opinion.
Wes Kerry’s 2020 FAFL Preview:
Adelaide Butcherbirds:
2019 was a year to forget for Adelaide. A winless season, A mass exodus of talent and loads and loads of bad football. This season will be the yardstick to compare bad seasons from here on out. It was that infamously bad. However, Once you have hit Rock Bottom. You can only go up and that’s what the Butcherbirds are going to do in 2020.
First off, They’ve gotten a competent coach in Simon Gardener who is committed to getting this team back on track and as a dominant team to be feared again and they’ve also gotten themselves a No. 1 Draft Pick in Jay Samuelson who has proven so far to be a great talent for the team. Add that with a decent Free Agency where the team got their hands on players like Fremantle’s Billy-Joe McCormick, Darwin’s Harriet Carlson, Geelong’s Kenneth Rodgers, East Sydney’s Mia Burrows and Orange’s Willy Kellogg and this team looks a lot better then 2019. They won’t have a good year but they’ll have a better year and I think that’s something Adelaide will be happy with.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream
Best Case Scenario: 10th
Worst Case Scenario: 12th
Brisbane Brumbies:
Brisbane have been an enigma since they started in 2018. In the first half of that year, They were almost unstoppable and lead the league at the Midseason break but since then, The team has struggled to win games and actually look like a cohesive unit. 2020 has a chance to change that but with a lackluster Free Agency and a few key retirements and key players leaving, It might be a bad time for Brisbane in 2020 but it might also be the year that the team finally becomes a cohesive unit again and actually becomes a team to beat again. Zoe Burnley will be hoping so as it will keep the pressure on her down and she’ll want it to stay down, Otherwise. 2021 could be a make or break year for this Brumbies core.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Pressure Down by John Farnham
Best Case Scenario: 5th
Worst Case Scenario: 10th
Darwin Storm:
This has been a great off-season for the Darwin Storm. Not only have they drafted well but they have also lured big Free Agents in Kenneth Murphy, Hamish Connor, Antony Sharp and Savannah Josephs to the team. Add that to the fact that the team did rise up the ladder in 2019 with a 5-13 record with talent like Kyle Shadowolf, Gill Rowland, Ami Marsden and Jimmy Newman Medalist, Namazzi Baker and I think that because of all this talent, I think Darwin is ready to make the next step and make finals in 2020 and I know that I’ve said that for a while but I really do think they are ready to make that next step.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Are You Ready? By AC/DC
Best Case Scenario: 6th
Worst Case Scenario: 9th
East Sydney Roosters:
This is one of the teams I expect to go far in 2020. They’ve been to the finals in the last two years and have continued to win more games season on to season since 2015. 2-18-1 and the wooden spoon in 2015, 4-12 and 8th in 2016, 6-10 and 7th in 2017, 10-8 and making finals in 2018 and 11-7 in 2019. This team has built up it’s roster since that dreadful season in 2015 and with stars like Derrick Bristol, Faith St Clair, Liam Deeland, Tom Hughson, Darren Gertner and Crimson Whitepaw on the list, This team is one of my predicted teams to be in the Grand Final. Their time is now.
Song Best Fitting the Team: High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
Best Case Scenario: 1st
Worst Case Scenario: 3rd
Fremantle Panthers:
2019 was the culmination of what had been building up for a while for the Panthers. After several years of deep finals runs and a Grand Final Loss in 2018, The Panthers finally made it to the top of the footballing landscape after defeating Melbourne by 9 points in the 2019 Grand Final, proving to be a upset. This team has proven to the world that they are one of the top contenders in Football and with the team only going through a few changes in the offseason and not losing any of their stars, I expect them to be back up on top in 2020 and certainly, They’ll be revving to be the team to beat in 2020.
Song Best Fitting the Team: I Want It All by Queen
Best Case Scenario: 1st
Worst Case Scenario: 4th
Geelong Generals:
2019 was a year of improvement for the Geelong Generals, From finishing 8th with a 5-13 record and with their coach in trouble of losing his job to finishing 3rd with a 12-6 record and playing finals. However, The Finals were not good for Geelong as the team lost two straight finals and went out in straight sets after earning the second chance. That is certainly not going to help with the team’s morale. Another thing likely to hurt the team is the loss of Paul Bate and the Harmon Twins to rival clubs and that could leave the team feeling like last year was a fluke but I believe if they can keep themselves together and fight again, They can go very far this year.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Keep The Faith by Bon Jovi
Best Case Scenario: 3rd
Worst Case Scenario: 9th
Gold Coast Dragons:
2018 was a dream season for the Gold Coast. Winning the Minor Premiership and finally after 43 years, The club would win it’s first Premiership but like a lot of teams after a premiership, They would end up having a Premiership Hangover and struggle in 2019 without the man who had been the best on ground during that Grand Final, Michael Vander-Beck due to his retirement after the game. This team still has the core that got them to the Grand Final still with the team and a decent group of young talent, So they can bounce back in 2020 but they’ll need to believe in themselves that they can do it, Otherwise things might not be good for the season and they may have to start a rebuild.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House
Best Case Scenario: 5th
Worst Case Scenario: 10th
Hobart Wolves:
To talk about the Hobart Wolves is to talk about a team that has been the textbook definition of middling. 8-8, 11-11, 0.500, Same in both columns. This is a team that just can’t break the ceiling of a winning season since 2014. For the past 5 season, The best the team has done is just miss out on finals. This year, Despite great pickups in the Draft like Dee Ashcroft, Lynda Hardy and Maggie Thornborne. I expect much of the same. This is a team seemingly stuck in the same motion and I don’t know why. Everything here seems to be in good order but this team just seems to be stuck where they are.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Stuck In The Middle With You by Stealers Wheel
Best Case Scenario: 8th
Worst Case Scenario: 11th
Melbourne City Mariners:
After years of fighting to get into the FAFL, The Melbourne City Mariners are finally in the top flight of Aussie Rules. For the first time in 45 years, Matchups like the Mariners vs. Panthers, Mariners vs Butcherbirds and Mariners vs. Miners that we used to see all the time in the Champion of Australia tournaments from years past will be seen again. Plus, With the team they’ve selected in the expansion draft. I expect them to be competitive this season and even make finals. It’s an exciting time and Melbourne City fans should be excited and happy that their team is back in the top flight.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) by Backstreet Boys
Best Case Scenario: 4th
Worst Case Scenario: 7th
Melbourne Hammerheads:
Last year was yet another year of getting so close, yet so far. 9 points were between them and the Premiership Cup. 9 points. This team has developed a reputation of sorts for going far but falling short when it well and truly mattered. They’re currently the team with the longest active streak of making the Finals out of all the teams at the moment and that could be as disadvantage for this team as I feel that they are running out of time to win a premiership with this core. They need to make it count in 2020 if they don’t want to be remembered as a team that could never get it done.
I expect them to do very well in 2020 but I also don’t know if they can get it done this year. I’ve expected them to do so in previous years and that didn’t pan out.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Time Is Running Out by Muse
Best Case Scenario: 2nd
Worst Case Scenario: 5th
Orange Miners:
2019 was a bounce back year after the Miners fell to earth after their 3 years of dominance from 2015-2017. They still have a lot of that group with the team and with the players they have picked up in 2018, 2019 and 2020, They are in a position to perhaps make another crack at a premiership with this group. If there is one team that can make it count in finals at the moment, It’s this team. Since 2015, This team has gone 8-1 in finals and have won some close games so far in finals. So I’m expecting to go quite far in 2020. The Miners are officially back in the game and everyone one else better be afraid.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Back In The Game by Airbourne
Best Case Scenario: 2nd
Worst Case Scenario: 6th
Perth Ospreys:
Perth are the second new team to the competition and they are perhaps not in the best position this season to win very often this season but they are in a good position to avoid the wooden spoon. However, Things have not gotten off well for the Ospreys as Vanessa Erickson has got an Osteitis Pubis injury that will see her miss the season while Sunny Ray has hurt his snout and will miss the next 2 weeks. Along with Kevin Eastermann being admitted into hospital for stress-based hyper-exhaustion, Perth are already starting to pile up with injuries. They’ll need to turn it around quick otherwise, This team will be playing like the entire team has a broken leg.
Song Best Fitting the Team: Broken Leg by Bluejuice
Best Case Scenario: 10th
Worst Case Scenario: 12th
Current Injuries and Suspensions:
Fremantle Panthers:
Wayne De-Grandi (FWD) Concussion (1 Round) Back by: Round 2
Geelong Generals:
Antía Abreu (DEF) Right Shoulder (6 Rounds) Back by: Round 7
Hobart Wolves:
Maybelle Rowntree (FWD) Tail (2 Rounds) Back by: Round 3
Melbourne City Mariners:
Humphry Badcock (MID) Right Quad Muscle (2 Rounds) Back by: Round 2
Orange Miners:
Lyle Gore (MID) Left Ankle (2 Rounds) Back by: Round 2
Perth Ospreys:
Sunny Ray (RUCK) Snout Fracture (2 Round) Back by: Round 3
Vanessa Erickson (MID) Osteitis Pubis (Rest of Season) Back by: 2021
This Week’s Games:
Round 1 | March 12-15
Thursday March 12th:
Fremantle Panthers vs. Melbourne Hammerheads @ Perth Stadium, Perth WA. (night)
Friday March 13th:
Melbourne City Mariners vs. Perth Ospreys @ Docklands Stadium, Melbourne VIC. (night)
Saturday March 14th:
Gold Coast Dragons vs. Brisbane Brumbies @ Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast QLD.
East Sydney Roosters vs. Orange Miners @ Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney NSW. (night)
Sunday March 15th:
Hobart Wolves vs. Geelong Generals @ Bellerive Oval, Hobart TAS.
Darwin Storm vs. Adelaide Butcherbirds @ Marrara Oval, Darwin NT. (twilight)
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 120 x 106px
File Size 19.5 kB
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