With Round 1 done and dusted, there's no more secrecy as all fourteen sides finally show their cards.
Let's review.
Kidney Sloanes (5th) 2208 def. Oi Easton --- West Ahaha (10th) 2137
A 71-point win for the reigning back-to-back premiers, but it felt a lot closer than coach Christopher Hedges would’ve liked.
The contest started off on Thursday night with a horrendous 29 from on-field rookie Noah Balta and an underwhelming 68 from Max Gawn as Kidney Sloanes headed into Sunday staring down an 0-1 start.
Matthew Parker somehow managed an 83 for Oi Easton West, making Hedges’ situation even more dire, but a fantastic 137 to Tim Taranto followed by 97 on debut from Bailey Scott saw Kidney Sloanes sneak across the line in and get four points on the board in round one.
Gawn But Not Forgotten (3rd) 2146 def. Marc This Down for a Loss (12th) 2002
Despite the trademark whinging and complaining, Tyson Manthorpe’s Gawn But Not Forgotten began their 2019 campaign with a comprehensive win over Marc This Down for a Loss.
With only two out of ten unique players scoring under 90, a consistent performance all-around saw Manthorpe jump up to third on the ladder.
An injury to defender Harry Perryman ($362K) could raise a few concerns however, the only problem Manthorpe seems to have is which rookies to field, with an 83 and 82 on the bench, Rory Illman’s Marc This Down for a Loss should consider themselves lucky this loss wasn’t any uglier.
Sico Mode (1st) 2074 def. Vince U Been Gawn (14th) 1862
Sico Mode find themselves atop the ladder despite only scoring the ninth-highest total, meaning this match was more about how bad Vince U Been Gawn were, rather than Sico Mode earning top spot.
There are question marks over player choices from both sides, especially for Bear Holland’s men, who featured three unique rookies with a combined total of 75, however at the end of the day it is Harry Roberts’ Sico Mode who kicked off their 2019 season in style, while Vince U Been Gawn, after featuring in last year’s Grand Final, might already be a couple steps behind the competition this season.
Gabe's Team (9th) 2146 def. by Mitch's Masterclass (6th) 2215
One of only two wins by the away team this round saw Mitch’s Masterclass, who struggled in 2018, begin this season with a very important win over Gabe’s Team.
It was a close battle all weekend, with both sides trading impressive scores from their unique players, but in the end, a 109 to Whitfield alongside a combined 170 from Devon Smith and Heath Shaw managed to get Mitch’s Masterclass over the line in the dying stages.
The win could’ve been a bit more comfortable for Marini, who had an 82 from Constable and 83 from Parker wasted on the bench, but all in all it’s Mitch’s Masterclass who walk away with the four points.
Grab 'em by the Preussy (4th) 2291 def. Moorey's Miracles (11th) 2155
Moorey’s Miracles, one of two new expansion clubs this season, put up a very respectable total in their first outing but unfortunately came up against this week’s highest scoring team in Jesse Fienemann’s Grab ‘em by the Preussy.
Both sides came in with the C on Coniglio, who racked up an outstanding 161 points, but Fienemann’s unique players put forward brilliant performances with Tim Kelly, Matt Crouch, Lachie Whitfield and James Worpel all scoring tonnes, it would've taken a... miracle for Zac Moore's side to even get close to what was a stellar weekend from Fienemann’s boys.
It's a Shaw Thing (2nd) 2169 def. Clay's Wildcats (13th) 1958
Two sides didn’t manage to crack 2000 this week and both those sides find themselves at the bottom of the ladder, while on the other end of the spectrum it’s a Shaw Thing sit comfortably in second, perhaps even comfier than Sico Mode in first.
Against anyone else, the decision to captain Grundy could've cost Sam Carruthers' the win, but luckily for him, Clay's Wildcats also made the same mistake as Grundy scraped to an 84.
In the end, it was an easy win to start the season for It's a Shaw Thing, whose seven unique players average a whopping 107 points each en route to a 211-point drubbing.
Heppell Me I'm Dyslexic (8th) 2038 def. by Rapaic's Rampge (7th) 2049
The closest match of the round saw Rapaic's Rampage, the second expansion club for 2019, start their season with a nail-biting 11-point win.
With a total of twelve unique players between them, the fact that this was the closest game of the round was truly spectacular, and even more spectacular was debutant Bailey Scott's impressive 97 that saw Rapaic's Rampage get across the line in the final quarter of the weekend.
It's a dream start for Rapaic's Rampage and coach Michael Rapaic will be hoping to keep it up, but as the rookie coach begins to find out about breakevens, bye rounds and trades, it will only get tougher from here.
This is not a weekly thing, catch y'all at the bye rounds or whenever I feel like it, enjoy.
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