Post by The Jack on Jul 7, 2011 22:57:21 GMT 10
A Grade mid season review (plus 1 game)
Funny how things work out. Although there seems to be a big gap between the top four and the bottom four, any given week any team can win. The bottom two teams are only four games out of the top four that is how even this comp is (I know that may seem like a lot of games, but we are only 1 game past half way). Please note, any comments made towards any team are just for stimulating conversation and not a direct dig at any club. We all work hard and want our teams to do well and I can appreciate that. As previously stated, this is just to provide some interest in our comp.
Heathmont – In B Grade we talk about how good Knox is, in A Grade we should be talking in the same way about Heathmont. They have recruited well and have hitting power other clubs dream of. Although they have lost a couple of games, they are clearly the favourite for the flag (IMO). With the likes of Rutgers, Weichard, Gourlay (when he plays in the firsts), Mack and my fav Dingle all swinging their sticks, opposing pitchers should duck. The have accumulated an enormous 100 runs for which works out nicely for my non maths brain to be 10 runs per game while giving up on average 3. This is their only weakness, pitching. They do not have a standout like some of the other top sides. I suppose they will eat some innings with Hogan, Dingle and Mack when they get to the 9 inning games. Prediction – 1st at end of the season and eventual GF winners
Croydon – Are getting it done on the back of Berka and Karlsen on the hill. We know that, especially during winter, guys that can throw hard, hit a spot and have a descent second/third pitch will do well. They do have some hitting power with Berka x 2 (if they are on), Hubbard (still to be respected) and Karlsen, although they are not as fearsome as Heathmont. If they make finals their depth will be tested and I am not sure they really have the numbers if someone goes down with an injury or is having a bad day. Prediction – 4th to 6th, they are the team in danger of missing finals out of the current top four.
Greensborough – Always dangerous with a number of guys who can get on the hill and beat any team at any stage on any given day. Blewjas, Lethborg, Masa, Moore are handy. Greens have scored an average of 8 runs per game which will beat almost every other team. They have been prolific run scorers over the past few years and have not disappointed this year. They are solid in defence and will improve with the more their pitchers arms get work in. They are well placed for a tilt at finals and the GF. Prediction – 3rd to 5th, make finals, prob not win the whole thing though.
Research – Last season Research hardly won a game for the first part of the season. They changed this around during the second half and just missed the finals. McKay is the key, he has lifted over the past season and a half to be amongst the most dangerous players who take the ball any week. If he is ‘on’ Research will win games. They have a healthy hitting line up who work together. While they do have some power, they do not just ‘swing for the fence’ and have increased their situational hitting to become very dangerous. They have some guys who have some speed as well and their defence is solid. Do you query the second pitcher? Maybe, but that should not bother them in making the finals. Prediction – 3rd to 5th.
GMBC – Monty have been but a shell of their previously, untouchable, self. Where have they gone wrong? I think the league has just started to catch up with them. They still have quality players in their starting line up, but they just have not been able to produce the runs like they used to. As an A Grade side you would be more than happy to give up an average of 3.5 runs a game over the first 10 games, however this line up cannot score an average of 3.7. If and when they decide to turn it on, they will become very dangerous. Prediction top 4, how high depends on when they start scoring at 5 or 6 runs per game.
North Balwyn – Struggle to score runs. Now this does not matter when you only give up 3.6 a game, but I do not see that they are capable of scoring much more than their 3 per game average. They will not put teams away. While their pitchers (Wiggins, Hondo and helmet fist) may be valuable to most other teams in the comp, their hitting line up needs some work. They do not have the depth in other positions as evident by only 13 players having stepped on the field for them so far. They need to develop or recruit another hitter or three to have a descent crack at finals in A Grade. Prediction 6th to 8th.
Melb Uni – Uni have the same problem as last year, they don’t score enough. The difference this year is that they have given up runs. I think last season they were one of the least scored upon team in the comp so scoring 2.7 runs per game did not matter. They have got some guys who can hit the ball and in all honesty I am not sure how the likes of Pollock and McDonald have not been able to build confidence in the rest of their team mates. Unfortunately for Uni, like a couple of other clubs, they need to recruit a few players rather than rely on junior development. Uni were close last season and are only a player or two away from causing problems for other teams again. Prediction 7th to 10th.
Forest Hill – Finding it a little difficult again in A Grade with just 3 and ½ wins so far. Pitching has been a problem although this will have improved with Alderhoven coming in. I noticed that Gray has only played one game this season, is this an injury? He showed some promise a few years back and could be handy. Bertrand, O’Malley and Hayes are probably their best in the box with a few others contributing each week. Chinn needs to become more selfish and give himself some more at bats either as the DH or rotating through 1B or 2B. With him sitting in the 5 or 6 hole, he would be capable of knocking in some of these other guys. Campbell can beat teams on his day if things go right, but IMO does not have the full a***nal to challenge the better hitters in the comp. Having said that, if they can reduce the number of runs they give up (which I think they have), they will start winning more games. Prediction 6th or 7th.
Ringwood – Ringwood have some of the better players in the comp, however things have not quite worked for them so far. Probably 6 of their games they should have won (including the two draws). They have scored the 5th most runs in the comp and if they can reduce the number they give up, they will work their way back up the ladder. (I heard a whisper about a pitcher being available in the next couple of weeks which may help). Their hitting line up including Harman, Aron, Sheldon Collins, Daykin and Hodkinson can get the job done and with others standing up and taking pressure off will help them win games. Ringwood’s percentage is handy being much higher than the other lower placed teams. Prediction – 5th to 7th.
Watsonia – Watsonia are struggling to score runs as well. If they can hold on to their A Grade position, the experience the younger players are getting will be invaluable. You simply must score more than 3 runs per game to be competitive in A Grade. They are not giving up that many runs so they pitching rotation is doing its job with Formisano x 2, Pendles and even Frosty working hard. Percentage may come back to bite them if they are near relegation come the end of the season. Prediction – 8th to 10th.
So top four at this stage to be Heathmont, Greensborough, Research and Monty to play off in finals.
Do people agree/disagree with any of the above comments? Constructive response only please.
Funny how things work out. Although there seems to be a big gap between the top four and the bottom four, any given week any team can win. The bottom two teams are only four games out of the top four that is how even this comp is (I know that may seem like a lot of games, but we are only 1 game past half way). Please note, any comments made towards any team are just for stimulating conversation and not a direct dig at any club. We all work hard and want our teams to do well and I can appreciate that. As previously stated, this is just to provide some interest in our comp.
Heathmont – In B Grade we talk about how good Knox is, in A Grade we should be talking in the same way about Heathmont. They have recruited well and have hitting power other clubs dream of. Although they have lost a couple of games, they are clearly the favourite for the flag (IMO). With the likes of Rutgers, Weichard, Gourlay (when he plays in the firsts), Mack and my fav Dingle all swinging their sticks, opposing pitchers should duck. The have accumulated an enormous 100 runs for which works out nicely for my non maths brain to be 10 runs per game while giving up on average 3. This is their only weakness, pitching. They do not have a standout like some of the other top sides. I suppose they will eat some innings with Hogan, Dingle and Mack when they get to the 9 inning games. Prediction – 1st at end of the season and eventual GF winners
Croydon – Are getting it done on the back of Berka and Karlsen on the hill. We know that, especially during winter, guys that can throw hard, hit a spot and have a descent second/third pitch will do well. They do have some hitting power with Berka x 2 (if they are on), Hubbard (still to be respected) and Karlsen, although they are not as fearsome as Heathmont. If they make finals their depth will be tested and I am not sure they really have the numbers if someone goes down with an injury or is having a bad day. Prediction – 4th to 6th, they are the team in danger of missing finals out of the current top four.
Greensborough – Always dangerous with a number of guys who can get on the hill and beat any team at any stage on any given day. Blewjas, Lethborg, Masa, Moore are handy. Greens have scored an average of 8 runs per game which will beat almost every other team. They have been prolific run scorers over the past few years and have not disappointed this year. They are solid in defence and will improve with the more their pitchers arms get work in. They are well placed for a tilt at finals and the GF. Prediction – 3rd to 5th, make finals, prob not win the whole thing though.
Research – Last season Research hardly won a game for the first part of the season. They changed this around during the second half and just missed the finals. McKay is the key, he has lifted over the past season and a half to be amongst the most dangerous players who take the ball any week. If he is ‘on’ Research will win games. They have a healthy hitting line up who work together. While they do have some power, they do not just ‘swing for the fence’ and have increased their situational hitting to become very dangerous. They have some guys who have some speed as well and their defence is solid. Do you query the second pitcher? Maybe, but that should not bother them in making the finals. Prediction – 3rd to 5th.
GMBC – Monty have been but a shell of their previously, untouchable, self. Where have they gone wrong? I think the league has just started to catch up with them. They still have quality players in their starting line up, but they just have not been able to produce the runs like they used to. As an A Grade side you would be more than happy to give up an average of 3.5 runs a game over the first 10 games, however this line up cannot score an average of 3.7. If and when they decide to turn it on, they will become very dangerous. Prediction top 4, how high depends on when they start scoring at 5 or 6 runs per game.
North Balwyn – Struggle to score runs. Now this does not matter when you only give up 3.6 a game, but I do not see that they are capable of scoring much more than their 3 per game average. They will not put teams away. While their pitchers (Wiggins, Hondo and helmet fist) may be valuable to most other teams in the comp, their hitting line up needs some work. They do not have the depth in other positions as evident by only 13 players having stepped on the field for them so far. They need to develop or recruit another hitter or three to have a descent crack at finals in A Grade. Prediction 6th to 8th.
Melb Uni – Uni have the same problem as last year, they don’t score enough. The difference this year is that they have given up runs. I think last season they were one of the least scored upon team in the comp so scoring 2.7 runs per game did not matter. They have got some guys who can hit the ball and in all honesty I am not sure how the likes of Pollock and McDonald have not been able to build confidence in the rest of their team mates. Unfortunately for Uni, like a couple of other clubs, they need to recruit a few players rather than rely on junior development. Uni were close last season and are only a player or two away from causing problems for other teams again. Prediction 7th to 10th.
Forest Hill – Finding it a little difficult again in A Grade with just 3 and ½ wins so far. Pitching has been a problem although this will have improved with Alderhoven coming in. I noticed that Gray has only played one game this season, is this an injury? He showed some promise a few years back and could be handy. Bertrand, O’Malley and Hayes are probably their best in the box with a few others contributing each week. Chinn needs to become more selfish and give himself some more at bats either as the DH or rotating through 1B or 2B. With him sitting in the 5 or 6 hole, he would be capable of knocking in some of these other guys. Campbell can beat teams on his day if things go right, but IMO does not have the full a***nal to challenge the better hitters in the comp. Having said that, if they can reduce the number of runs they give up (which I think they have), they will start winning more games. Prediction 6th or 7th.
Ringwood – Ringwood have some of the better players in the comp, however things have not quite worked for them so far. Probably 6 of their games they should have won (including the two draws). They have scored the 5th most runs in the comp and if they can reduce the number they give up, they will work their way back up the ladder. (I heard a whisper about a pitcher being available in the next couple of weeks which may help). Their hitting line up including Harman, Aron, Sheldon Collins, Daykin and Hodkinson can get the job done and with others standing up and taking pressure off will help them win games. Ringwood’s percentage is handy being much higher than the other lower placed teams. Prediction – 5th to 7th.
Watsonia – Watsonia are struggling to score runs as well. If they can hold on to their A Grade position, the experience the younger players are getting will be invaluable. You simply must score more than 3 runs per game to be competitive in A Grade. They are not giving up that many runs so they pitching rotation is doing its job with Formisano x 2, Pendles and even Frosty working hard. Percentage may come back to bite them if they are near relegation come the end of the season. Prediction – 8th to 10th.
So top four at this stage to be Heathmont, Greensborough, Research and Monty to play off in finals.
Do people agree/disagree with any of the above comments? Constructive response only please.
