Season 2020 has seen the changing of the guard off-field and on-field. The perennial also-rans The Mid-Canterbury Eagles conducted some smart recruiting in the offseason and ended up with the 2 most influential newbies to CAFL Aaron Sawers and Mark Orr who has played VFA in Melbourne. PLUS the NZ Falcons Captain Andrew Howison returning from Aussie football, the Irish hardman Paddy, the ever impressible Robles, and Southby getting plenty of pill and the future looks bright with the Young guns of Luke de Roo and Campbell Cleall impressing most weeks. The whole team has stepped up the intensity and the skills; with training attendance averaging 24, which takes the game play to another level and no team can get within 100 points of them most weeks. The closest has been the Cougars in Round 2 with a 53-81 scoreline but most weeks the Eagles are averaging 120 points and the opposition 25. Hats off to the Eagles management of Manderovic and Sweaty for creating awesome sponsorship deals and benefits for the club and creating the winning energy that grows week to week.
Apart from the Eagle's dominance, the race to second is a 3 horse race with the Cougars hanging on but the Blues and the Bulldogs applying a lot of pressure on them in closely fought battles. The Blues have become the dark force from the bottom of the deep blue sea - or in this case the CAFL ladder - with a one-point defeat to the Cougars in round 7 to a one-point win over the Bulldogs in round 8. This leaves the Bulldogs and Blues teetering on two wins for the season and separated by a percentage of 22.
This means that round 9 will be the Battle of Season 2020 for the semi-final spot. The Cougars are locked in with 4 wins and 16 points. The Blues have to beat the Cougars to climb ahead of the Bulldogs or the Eagles absolutely demolish the Bulldogs and the Blues have a close defeat. Either way, the Blues really have to win to knock the Bulldogs out of the finals for the first time since 2009.
The Bulldogs have not had a great year with plenty of injuries to key players and some returning to Aussie. They have a group of young pups like Caleb, Max and Lachie who have developed well and will be key contributors for the club in coming years.
2019 Runners-up the Cougars have been coached well this year by Matty McKee and produce smart ball movement when they are switched on. For the first time since its inception in 2009, the Cougars won the Terry Anderson Shield, the log of wood played between them and the Bulldogs. It was a proud moment for the club to get that monkey off their back. Once again the young guns are impressing the selectors with Oliver Gambilanco, Xavier Giles and Mackenzie Telford playing their parts well.
And the Blues have run hot and cold this year with committed numbers fluctuating. Their mid-field is the most dominant in the league with the dominant rucking of Leighton to Jay Johnson or Dan Bennie who is hard to stop when they're in possession. And of course, the Irish GA influence has to be mentioned as a big contribution to the Blues fortunes both on and off-field.
CAFL Season 2020 is on a knife-edge for the next 2 weeks as the race for the final berths begins.
Author - Steve Langridge
Last Modified on 22/11/2020 10:50