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2011 Footy Goals and Reflection [Sarge]

Sarge — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:00:13 +0000

This site is a bit of a mess, I’ll admit (…I have an asschin). There isn’t a lot of consistency and a lot of things are out of date. By the time the real footy season starts everything will be in kick-ass mode. This is one of my major goals for 2011. At the very least have some consistency going on around here in terms of posting and actually completing competitions like the tipping comp. I’ve got some good ideas up my sleeve and I’m looking forward to the year that FootyHigh.com has ahead!

So anyway, as I was having a look through the Footy High archives I found our about page I noticed we’d written down some goals for last year. So I’d like to take the chance now to reflect on those goals and set some new goals for 2011. Here goes!

Sarge’s 2010 Goals

See Geelong in a Finals game (if they make it of course)

This was a pretty big fail. Cats played in a pretty epic qualifying final against the Saints where arguably the Cats should have won the game if it wasn’t for Mooney allegedly pushing some Saints guy in the back at the same time Ling slotted a goal through from 50m out. But no that was denied. I was actually at the Gold Coast getting ready to play in some big poker game when this game took place. Looking back I guess the decision to go to poker was a good one (given we lost and I would have been mad?).

~~Head to Melbourne for a weekend of footy~~
Huge success. We went in round 17 end of July. Matty P, Beno, our new AFL fan Winchy and my goodself saw Saints vs Hawks draw at the dome. Cats humiliate the Lions at Skills (Get off the phone Fev! You’re no good!!) and the highlight of the weekend seeing the huge underdog Melbourne demoralise the pathetic Sydney Swans at the home of footy, about 5 rows back at the home of footy. Good times!

Sarge having a good time

Beno not having a good time

~~Attend Gabba Games – Blues, Cats~~ and Swans

I didn’t end up going to the Swans game. I can’t remember why, there must have been a good reason but I gave my ticket to Beno and I’m pretty sure the Swans won it pretty easy in the end. The Blues game I can barely remember but I know the Lions won it pretty comfortably in the end. The cats got their payback from last year.

EDIT: Just remembered why I missed the Swans game – I was at a Cat Empire concert!

~~Dominate Dream Team – Top 4 (after a dismal 2009 performance)~~
I feel I can give myself a pass mark here. I won 2 leagues (Dream Team and Supercoach) and in our main league I played off in a preliminary final against Matty P. I also beat Matty P during the regular season.

Reach $300 in the $100 Challenge
Total fail. I ended up losing the lot trying to catch up to Matty P. Not sure how he did in the end but I’m pretty sure he got within $150 or so.

Sarge’s Footy Goals for 2011

Attend the first week of the finals in Melbourne
Will depend on who is playing a little bit but I’m just keen to see some live finals footy

See a blockbuster Cats game
Looking like we’ll go down and see Cats VS Hawks at the MCG

~~Get a Geelong membership~~
Already done!

Post on Footy High once a week (at least)
I really want to get some consistency happening around here. My post has to be non-competition based (ie post doesn’t count tips or bets post)

Pick a clever dream team and have good reasons why for each player chosen
IE Don’t pick Relton Roberts just cause he’s a cheap rookie playing in Round 1. Do more research on him.

Reach $150 in the $100 Challenge
Ok so maybe $300 was a bit too high a goal last year

Complete Tipping Comp
Publish everyones tips

Get a full dream team this year
No Tom Harley’s!

Write a TON of prediction posts
I want to look back at the end of 2011 and have a laugh or claim glory on predictions set at the start or during the year.

If Cats make a Preliminary Final or even Grand Final I’M GOING!
This is more like a LIFE goal. Next Grand Final the cats get themselves into, I’m going. Even if it costs me the $1200 or whatever the ridiculous amount is for an AFL GF package.

That’s it. I may add more. The main ones for me would be seeing blockbuster games live in Melbourne (finals and big games at the G) and getting FootyHigh to a respectable site. Bring on the footy season!

We are coming…

Sarge — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:36:18 +0000

To Melbourne! So watch out fellow Melbournites the @FootyHigh crew are on our way for our (somewhat) annual footy trip!

Will Beno humiliate himself yet again with his drunken antics? (we sure hope so!) Will any of our teams win? Will Matty P be dancing with his sister yet again? (I.E. see another Lions draw?!) Will we go to the same old shitty pub we always go to? Will we find another Big Buck Hunter arcade game to play? Will we catch up with our Melbourne buddies and/or meet some new ones?

The Itinerary

We arrive in good ol’ Melbourne town on Friday afternoon and will be starting off proceedings attending the Saints/Hawks blockbuster at the Dome on Friday night which will surely lead into a massive night consuming many a drink (we need to double our efforts in that photo above!)

Saturday will see us into the great town of Geelong to see the ridiculously one-sided affair in Cats V Lions at Skilled. Depending on what’s happening in Geelong we may just stay there and watch the Dons/Roos game at a pub, otherwise we’ll jump back on the train and head to the Dome and see that game live in the flesh! Another great night ahead.

Sunday will see the purchasing of Demon gear. Yes you heard right. Matty P and myself will be kitted up with DEES GEAR! We’ll be hitting up the MCG seeing the Dees smash the Swans and enjoy Beno’s whimpers. Personally the Pez Beanie looks like a great buy! After the demolishing the Dees serve the Swans Beno will no doubt be looking for a great pub to drown his sorrows and watch the Adelaide Showdown on telly.

Monday will see us back in Brisbane town. Yes I know, only a short trip but it will be AWESOME.

One thing I forgot to mention is our awesome bud Winchy will be joining us on the trip. He’s just become a saints fan so Friday night will be huge for him.

We’ll keep people informed with all the crazy shenanigans we get up to on twitter and facebook – let us know if you want to meet up at anytime!

A Huge Week In Footy!

Matty P — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:17:09 +0000

It’s easy to get excited about the game when your team has a big win on the weekend and they don’t get much bigger than the Lions massive upset win over the Pies. After the Crows game I had all but written off our season, but thanks to that little nugget of football stardom Lukey Power, things are a lot more upbeat in the P household. With a couple of very winnable games on the horizon, we should be able to knock the Sydney Swans some deadwood, rubbish team that’s just making up numbers out of the 8 and charge home in the second half of the season.

One of those winnable games is Saturday night against North. The Roos have at times looked pretty good this year, but other times they’ve been dismal, particularly against the Saints and last week at Freo. A huge factor in this game is the Roos coming off a six day break flying back from Perth – if Brisbane are around the mark at three quarter time, expect them to run away with it. Brownvola still looks a long way off fit, but 8 goals between them last week will boost their confidence, and I don’t think North have the defence to contain them. Look for them to dominate – I’m tipping 10 between them.

So with that in mind I’m placing the first of a few bets for the week on this game:

$10 on the Lions over North by 24+ @$2.65. Was tempted to go over 40, but that might be getting a bit carried away considering the month or so of footy we played preceeding the Collingwood game. If my team is to go anywhere this year then this is a must win game, and it should be a percentage booster.

$10 on Carlton over Dees by 1-39 @ $2.20. I like these odds. Carlton are looking good, and should get up over the Dees, but I don’t think they have the forward line to really kick away from Melbourne, whose defence has proven to be quality this season.

$5 on Collingwood over the Dogs by 1-24 @ $3.40. Collingwood tend to lift for big games, and I think they’ll be stung into action after a humiliating loss to the eventual premiers last week. Dogs were woeful last week, and seem to have some issues getting it together this season. The way they’re playing at the moment, I think they’ll struggle to crack top 4. Having said that, they are a decent side, and they shouldn’t let the Pies get away too much.

I also need to mention a bet made between me and Beno last week. These things need to be put in the public domain. On Saturday night, my dreamteam sat on about 1300 with 9 players left to play, Beno about 1100 with 11 to come. I made the call and the bet was on – the lower scoring coach would buy a couple of beers for the victor. I’m pleased to say it was not even close. My boys smacked Beno’s Gangstaz by 100+ points. I’m looking forward to a couple of domestic brews on Beno’s wallet this weekend.

The official match between Beno’s Gangstaz and Matty P’s Mashville Mashers takes place in round 12, and the smack talk has begun already. I’m quite confident the Gangstaz are going the way of the Swans and I will get over them easy.

3 weeks is a buttload of time in football!

Matty P — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:04:11 +0000

Well the old adage is that a week is a long time in footy, so three weeks is forever. From the 12th of April until Wednesday I found myself in the unenlightened land of the USA. Surrounded by baseball, basketball and American Football (That Roeslesthesticlesburger guy makes Fev seem like a saint!), I found it very hard to get my footy fix (for anyone who finds themselves in Manhattan during football season, a wonderful establishment called ‘The Australian’ on 38th st. plays footy, serves good Aussie beer and puts on a hell of an ANZAC Day shindig). So given my footy updates over the passed 21 days has consisted of text updates from my Mum and drunken phone calls from Beno at 7am whenever Sydney won a game, there were a few surprises waiting for me when I got home.

Firstly the Lions got up over the Dogs. Our start to the season so far had been pretty good, 3 and zip before I left was impressive, and although we had not played anyone considered a real contender, we can only beat who we come up against. The Dogs game was our first real test, and getting up over them was surely going to shut the critics up. Surely we’re now considered top 4 chances. No! Because then we go and get pantsed by Melbourne! Bloody Melbourne! Another loss to the Swans last week and we’ve gone from being top 4 guns to middle of the road.

Sydney have apparently impressed – I do rate the Swans, although I do hate to admit it because it’s so much fun to rag on Beno and his team. After the expected loss to the Saints in the first week and a couple of ok wins, by round 3 I don’t think the majority of punters had changed their opinion that the Swans were probably not a top 8 side. Not so anymore. Although they’ll never be real contenders with the caveman Lewis Roberts-Thomson in their side.

When I left Hawthorn were looking good – 1-2 but with the narrow losses to the Cats and the Dogs I think everyone agreed they were back. Now I’m not fully caught up but I can only guess Buddy killed a hooker, injuries have forced Cyril to play in the ruck and Fat Hodge is back out to 150kg because it looks as though the wheels have completely fallen off.

I guess today’s lesson is don’t get complacent, and don’t go jumping off a bridge, because when it comes to footy, in three weeks it can all turn around.

The next order of business is to respond to Beno’s rubbish post he made while I was away.

I like this Beno – the only time you’re willing to lay down a challenge is when I’m on the other side of the world without a computer. Way to show your true colours.

For those unaware it’s true that Beno is on top of our dream team league, but it is only because of the grace of a good draw. He had the lowest against score of anyone in the league, and only sits atop me because in the first three weeks I have played 2 of the top 3 teams in our league (the third team is me).

So my ass-chinned friend, I will consider your bet, but only when it comes closer to the date. It would be ludicrous to commit so early. However, if you do have such faith in your team, why not agree to my ongoing offer to double our season long bet? The higher team end of season gets two cartons rather than one. Surely the top of the table Gangstarz are not threatened by the lowly Mashers?

Swans and Gangstarz – A message

Sarge — Sat, 01 May 2010 07:37:41 +0000

So it seems Beno likes to pop in here only when his team or dreamteam is doing well. He’s talked up his Swans, he’s talked up his dreamteam, and to give him a bit of credit he’s talked the talk and walked to walk, so far.

You see – both his beloved swans and his DT Gangstarz are yet to beat any sizeable opponents. The Swans have only beaten teams in the bottom 8 of the ladder, the same goes for his DT. He and his swans have yet to come across any sizeable opponents – for instance Matty P or my good self in DT and the lions or the mighty cats.

In the AFL – this all changes starting tonight. Swans come up against the lions. Two weeks ago the lions were all the talk, after a loss to the lions and a few injury concerns (Browny and Merret for example) and a home ground advantage the Swans go in as favourites. I think their odds are a little too generous and people are forgetting the teams they’ve come up against. That’s not to say I don’t think Sydney are a terrible side, they just haven’t beaten anyone of significance yet.

If Beno can beat me and matty P in DT and the swans can beat the lions and cats then Beno can run his mouth all he wants. But for now – I’d be keeping a lid on it

I predict the swans could beat lions tonight in a close one – I can’t see vossy accepting another effort like last week against the dees. It’ll be a close match. I am putting a $10er on the swannies though. Either team I think will win by no more than 30.

I don’t think tonights result will really alter my thoughts for the cats/swans game the week after. If ablett plays I’m pretty confident. It’s at the cattery and that further boosts my confidence. It’ll be a pretty tight contest with theh cats getting away by about 10-35 points.

As for DT Beno plays me in round 18 (the last round of the home and away before finals start) and Matty P in round 12. Beno will lose both these matches quite considerably. DT is a marathon, not a sprint.

Jump on Freo!

Sarge — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:50:04 +0000

I was going to do it anyway, but the latest announcement of Ottens being withdrawn from the Freo VS Cats clash at subie (knee soreness) has made me take action and place a 5er on Freo to win by under 40 @ $2.70. I said at the start of the year if Chapman and Ottens can remain injury free for the whole year the Cats will win the flag. At least it’s not finals time next week and hope this isn’t a sign of things to come! I also said I’d be placing safety bets against my mighty catters in big games where I feel it’s worth throwing away money to see us win. Beating the in-form dockers without our spine (Scarlett, Ottens, Mooney) at subie is worth $5!

I believe Matty P and myself had our first wins in the $100 AFL Betting Challenge. Beno is still yet to participate but have been given a good word he will be up and raring to go within a week. He’s got money and internets coming through so I’m hoping we see the bad the sad and the ugly side of Beno on footyhigh real soon

Round 3 is just hours away from starting. I’m tipping it’ll be a tipsters nightmare this week, a lot of 50/50 games. Shall be very interesting. Bring it on!

Sarge’s “Back From The Dead” Dream Team Value Picks

Sarge — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:10:42 +0000

So it’s that time of year again – time to get cracking with picking your Dream Team. That’s right the doors are open and you can start getting your team organised for the 2010 season.

The difference this year to the previous years? I’ve still got 50 days before I have to cement a team and I already feel I’ve got a good team together to dominate at least the likes of Matty P and Beno and hopefully win a car this year (or whatever they’re giving away, I don’t care I just want to cream the pants of those boys after all the smack talking)

Being the nice kinda guy I am I thought I’d list 3 ‘value’ picks I’m at least considering picking up this year. That’s right I’m pretty much giving away my most valuable picks this year to the world to see. These are not just any 3 value picks though. These are guys you may have overlooked because you’re too busy reading the stats and seeing a big fat 0 score next to their name from last year. These are guys that were injured or didn’t play last year that will more than likely be apart of the 2010 season. By ‘value’ I mean cheap guys that are likely to score well, play some games and bump up their current price. These are good guys to put on your bench. So here it goes:

Josh Hunt (Geelong, Defender)

Josh is coming off a year holiday after suffering an ACL. His current price is only $161,100. He’s currently training and I’d expect him to play for sure considering the mighty cats have lost their greatest captain ever in Tom Harley. While not an overly great scorer in the past (I’m guessing he averaged about 60) he will surely add more buck if you bang him into your Dream Team this year.

Rick Ladson (Hawthorn, Defender)

Had a great 2008 season before busting his leg after the worst Grand Final in the history of our great game. Didn’t come back till later in 2009 and only played a handful of games. I’m not sure what sort of preseason he’s having but if he’s in any kind of form like he was in 2008 he’s a steal at $185,100.

Austin Wonaeamirri (Melbourne, Forward)

Another busted gun in 2009 but showed good signs in his debut year in 2008. Apparently hurt his hammie before Christmas last year but hopefully should be fit for round 1 and see some form in the NAB cup. A risk and definite for your bench but at $138,700 you’re in for some great value there if he strings together some games in succession.

Just to conclude, I’m NOT a pro Dream Team expert. I leave expert status to Matty P. You can take my advice as you will but I have done a little research over the last couple of weeks and feel these are genuinely good picks. There are other good picks I could have mentioned but I can’t give away all my secrets. I’m pumped for Dream Team this year. Even more pumped to see how I go against regional expert Matty P and just smash the pants off Beno. I’m putting effort into it this year. So watch the bloody hell out boys!!

What are some of your top value picks this year? Are you willing to share? Leave a comment!

(P.S. My tip – Beno will copy my ideas from this thread. There’s a good reason I didn’t put Henry Playfair in this post )