CSAFL 1998 Review

PREMIERS	RUNNERS UP
The Dodgers	CSA Lions


CSA Lions	The Dodgers	Team Domster	Blue Hornets
The Den	Dodger Oval	Mumbrai Park	Hive Corner
Mark Braithwaite	Mike Fitzgerald	Domenic Ursino	Jason Maginiss
Plympton, SA	Adelaide, SA	Craigmore, SA	Adelaide, SA

Lynchpins	Modra's Maniacs	Phantoms	The Raiders
The Noose	The Asylum	Skull Cave	Raider Reserve
Darren Lynch	Damian O'Rielley	Wayne Warnest	Angela Essex
Parkside, SA	Adelaide, SA	West Lakes, SA	Adelaide, SA

A short selection of the main contributors from each team to highlight the team strengths:
CSA Lions: Lyon, Heatley, Mitchell, McRae, Farmer, Dixon, Schwarz, P.Lynch, Robertson, Krummell
The Dodgers: Lockett, Watson, Everritt, Burns, Chick, M-Connell, Clement, Lucas, Allison
Team Domster: Holland, N & B; Leppitsch, Gehrig, Waterhouse, Patterson, J.Cook, Camporeale
Blue Hornets: Hudson, Kelly, Molloy, S.Rocca, Hunter, Abraham, S.Smith, C-Collins, S.Grant
Lynchpins: Richardson, Mercuri, Spinks, O'Loughlin, Pearce, Bell, Caracella, Alessio, Mann
Modra's Maniacs: Modra, Whitnall, Tredrea, Grant, Robran, Sholl, McKernan, Eagleton, McLeod
Phantoms: Lloyd, Carey, Jarman, A.Lynch, Hird, Silvagni, A.Rocca, Darcy, Lockwood, R.Smith
The Raiders: Dunstall, Ph & Pe.Matera, Vardy, Neitz, Cummings, Cousins, Daffy, T.Bond

ROUND 1 - March 28
The Dodgers 12.8.80 v Modra's Maniacs 12.7.79 - Dodger Oval
Phantoms 16.9.105 v CSA Lions 7.7.49 - Skull Cave
Lynchpins 11.4.70 v Team Domster 20.5.125 - The Noose
Blue Hornets 11.11.77 v The Raiders 15.11.101 - Hive Corner

ROUND 2 - April 4
The Dodgers 12.9.81 v Phantoms 17.8.110 - Dodger Oval
CSA Lions 13.5.83 v Modra's Maniacs 10.4.61 - The Den
The Raiders 11.7.73 v Team Domster 18.8.116 - Raider Reserve
Blue Hornets 11.5.71 v Lynchpins 8.11.59 - Hive Corner

ROUND 3 - April 11
Team Domster 9.5.59 v Modra's Maniacs 5.9.39 - Mumbrai Park
Lynchpins 12.8.80 v The Dodgers 11.9.75 - The Noose
CSA Lions 7.8.50 v The Raiders 7.5.47 - The Den
Phantoms 4.8.32 v Blue Hornets 15.9.99 - Skull Cave

ROUND 4 - April 18
The Raiders 19.7.121 v Lynchpins 7.5.47 - Raider Reserve
Blue Hornets 11.6.72 v Team Domster 16.11.107 - Hive Corner
Phantoms 13.10.88 v Modra's Maniacs 12.8.80 - Skull Cave
CSA Lions 10.11.71 v The Dodgers 21.7.133 - The Den

ROUND 5 - April 25
Lynchpins 6.4.40 v CSA Lions 7.7.49 - The Noose
Blue Hornets 19.10.124 v Modra's Maniacs 4.7.31 - Hive Corner
Team Domster 18.8.116 v Phantoms 9.2.56 - Mumbrai Park
The Raiders 10.6.66 v The Dodgers 9.11.65 - Raider Reserve

ROUND 6 - May 2
The Dodgers 19.13.127 v Team Domster 10.8.68 - Dodger Oval
Modra's Maniacs 7.5.47 v Lynchpins 11.8.74 - The Asylum
Phantoms 12.8.80 v The Raiders 9.7.61 - Skull Cave
Blue Hornets 12.10.82 v CSA Lions 15.5.96 - Hive Corner

ROUND 7 - May 9
Phantoms 14.8.92 v Lynchpins 21.4.130 - Skull Cave
Blue Hornets 14.2.86 v The Dodgers 17.5.107 - Hive Corner
Modra's Maniacs 21.10.136 v The Raiders 9.3.57 - The Noose
Team Domster 7.8.50 v CSA Lions 6.3.39 - Mumbrai Park

ROUND 8 - May 16
The Raiders 15.5.95 v Blue Hornets 12.13.85 - Raider Reserve
Modra's Maniacs 3.7.25 v The Dodgers 7.5.47 - The Asylum
Team Domster 4.9.33 v Lynchpins 15.7.97 - Mumbrai Park
Tie: CSA Lions 10.10.70 v Phantoms 10.10.70 - The Den

ROUND 9 - May 23
Team Domster 6.4.40 v The Raiders 13.8.86 - Mumbrai Park
Lynchpins 7.9.51 v Blue Hornets 19.3.117 - The Noose
Phantoms 12.9.81 v The Dodgers 18.11.119 - Skull Cave
Modra's Maniacs 2.6.18 v CSA Lions 7.5.47 - The Asylum

ROUND 10 - May 30
The Dodgers 12.5.77 v Lynchpins 15.17.107 - Dodger Oval
The Raiders 18.10.118 v CSA Lions 7.3.45 - Raider Reserve
Blue Hornets 25.13.163 v Phantoms 9.13.67 - Hive Corner
Modra's Maniacs 13.7.85 v Team Domster 16.5.101 - The Asylum

ROUND 11 - June 6
Modra's Maniacs 14.7.91 v Phantoms 15.13.103 - The Asylum
Lynchpins 9.8.62 v The Raiders 15.5.95 - The Noose
Team Domster 9.4.58 v Blue Hornets 19.10.124 - Mumbrai Park
The Dodgers 15.5.95 v CSA Lions 15.6.96 - Dodger Oval

ROUND 12 - June 13
The Dodgers 19.11.125 v The Raiders 11.7.73 - Dodger Oval
Phantoms 14.7.91 v Team Domster 13.10.88 - Skull Cave
Modra's Maniacs 8.5.53 v Blue Hornets 14.5.89 - The Asylum
CSA Lions 17.6.108 v Lynchpins 21.7.133 - The Den

ROUND 13 - June 20
The Raiders 10.5.65 v Phantoms 7.3.45 - Raider Reserve
Lynchpins 13.4.82 v Modra's Maniacs 10.5.65 - The Noose
Blue Hornets 11.7.73 v CSA Lions 12.4.76 - Hive Corner
Team Domster 12.6.78 v The Dodgers 12.11.83 - Mumbrai Park

ROUND 14 - June 27
The Dodgers 20.12.132 v Blue Hornets 13.9.87 - Dodger Oval
Lynchpins 17.10.112 v Phantoms 9.11.65 - The Noose
The Raiders 5.6.36 v Modra's Maniacs 10.12.72 - Raider Reserve
CSA Lions 6.6.42 v Team Domster 15.8.98 - The Den

ROUND 15 - July 4
Modra's Maniacs 15.3.93 v The Dodgers 14.6.90 - The Asylum
The Raiders 11.2.68 v Blue Hornets 15.7.97 - Raider Reserve
Team Domster 4.2.26 v Lynchpins 11.12.78 - Mumbrai Park
CSA Lions 4.5.29 v Phantoms 14.7.91 - The Den

ROUND 16 - July 18
The Raiders 7.7.49 v Team Domster 11.10.76 - Raider Reserve
The Dodgers 28.12.180 v Phantoms 13.5.83- Dodger Oval
CSA Lions 16.13.109 v Modra's Maniacs 12.6.78 - The Den
Blue Hornets 14.3.87 v Lynchpins 11.9.75 - Hive Corner

ROUND 17 - July 25
CSA Lions 10.4.64 v The Raiders 12.3.75 - Dodger Oval
Phantoms 22.7.139 v Blue Hornets 12.7.79 - Skull Cave
Team Domster 13.11.89 v Modra's Maniacs 13.8.86 - Mumbrai Park
Lynchpins 6.2.38 v The Dodgers 12.11.83 - The Noose

ROUND 18 - August 1
Blue Hornets 7.5.47 v Team Domster 7.7.49 - Hive Corner
Phantoms 12.5.77 v Modra's Maniacs 10.15.75 - Skull Cave
The Raiders 13.8.86 v Lynchpins 11.6.72 - Raider Reserve
The Dodgers 14.7.91 v CSA Lions 21.14.140 - Dodger Oval

ROUND 19 - August 6
Qualifying Final
The Raiders 8.9.57 d. Team Domster 5.3.33
Elimination Final
CSA Lions 20.13.133 d. Phantoms 16.11.107

ROUND 20 - August 13
1st Semi Final
The Dodgers 15.9.99 d. The Raiders 6.2.38
2nd Semi Final
CSA Lions 9.9.63 d. Team Domster 8.11.59

ROUND 21 - August 20
Preliminary Final
CSA Lions 13.8.86 d. The Raiders 10.4.64

ROUND 22 - August 27
G R A N D F I N A L
The Dodgers 17.7.109 d. CSA Lions 12.9.81

CSAFL 1998 was the most even competition of any Fantasy League to date. Throughout the season only one or two games ever separated second from seventh on the ladder and this was further underlined by the fact that the Blue Hornets, 3rd in round 17 lost a game in Round 18 by two points and finished 6th!! There is often some real conjecture about the last game deciding the fifth spot. In CSAFL not only did this happen, but Round 18 decided every single position on the ladder other than 8th, no position was safe! After round 18 - the final minor round matches - only two games plus percentage separated top spot from 7th. If the AFL had a season like this they would be extremely happy.

THE DODGERS: Throughout the year the Dodgers were clearly the best team in the competition in spite of a few wayward losses and underperforming matches. Fittingly they would be the first (and only) team to take two premierships in this league and rate as the most successful CSAFL team with three Grand Final appearances. Lockett, Everritt and Watson were simply great throughout the season and ensured the Dodgers went all the way. They finished minor premiers with 11 wins and better percentage than the Domster and also having scored some 250 more points than their nearest rival (the Hornets who didn't make the finals!). The Dodgers went straight into the Grand Final after winning the first semi final easily.

CSA LIONS: What an amazing year of peaks and troughs for a club that has always been around the mark throughout the years. The Lions were the inaugural premiers, winning it from 5th place and were set to do it again from the Elimination final. A very interesting scoreline throughout the season saw them win a few games with lowly scorelines of 7 goals!! Then in a couple of other matches losing kicking more than 100 points!! Only the bottom team, Maniacs, had kicked less and yet the Lions still made the five in spite of a yucky percentage. They grabbed fourth spot by less than a percent over the Phantoms and then proceeded to disembowl them in the Elimination Final. While the Lions went right through to the Grand Final there was little punting on the fact they could actually beat the Dodgers. Interestingly though, the Lions held a 2-1 win record against the Dodgers all year. The Lions fell down at the end, lucky to make the Finals in the first place and should have finished 7th overall really!

THE RAIDERS: Decked out in the Footscray guernsey converted to Lime, Yellow and Cobalt blue, the Raiders tactics from the very beginning seemed to put opponents off the game by the mere glare emanating from their guernsies! The inaugural female coached team in any league was again very competitive throughout the year finding itself hovering always in the top five, mainly 3rd (swapping with the Hornets) and 4th positions with only a quick cameo in the lower half mid season. The annoying aspect of the Raiders was the injury to Dunstall which severely undermined scoring opportunities and plenty of injuries to have to also contend with throughout the season. At the business end they finished 3rd going into the finals and only won the Qualifying Final, finally being eliminated in the Preliminary Final which had them conclude 3rd, probably very fitting given their consistent appearance in that spot throughout the season.

TEAM DOMSTER: Early in the season the Domster were touted as the premiership favourites with a line up that finally looked like it could go all the way. On paper the team looked pretty hard to beat, especially given that a few players were looking to improve on '97 performances. But while the team stuck with the Dodgers throughout the year and finished second after the conclusion of the minor round, only on percentage with 11 wins, the inconsistent performances of Cook, Gehrig, Patterson and Johnson probably ate into any real chances the team had of taking the penultimate step in the league. Still, the Holland brothers along with Campo, Leppitsch and Waterhouse ensured the scoreboard continued to tick over throughout the year and the team had some big wins, but also had some shocking performances underlying the inconsistency and injury factors that plagued the side. Team Domster bowed out in straight sets finishing 4th, a disappointing end to otherwise a decent goalkicking season.

PHANTOMS: Reigning CSAFL premiers the Phantoms were looking to go back to back this season with the likes of Hird, Loewe, Carey, Jarman, Lloyd and the forward playing Silvagni. In fact, along with Team Domster, they were touted as the early premiership favourites. But if there was any such thing like a premiership hangover then the Phantoms probably experienced it this season with mediocre performances throughout the season. Rarely capitalising on their list of goalkicking superstars the Phantoms found that injuries would play a major part in ensuring they were going to slump into the depths of despair at the conclusion of the season. While there were flashes of brilliance throughout the season they found themselves continually having to contend for a spot in the final five and only secured the spot by virtue of having half a game up on the Hornets in the very last minor round! They were then thumped by the Lions in the elimination final and seemed to really only be thinking about going through the motions in '98.

BLUE HORNETS: Arguably the best team out of the five and probably extremely unlucky not to have made it. The Hornets dream was shattered in the last round when a very controversial two point loss to the Domster had them slip from 3rd to 6th in one week and miss out on a finals spot. In fact the controversy was further investigated after season's conclusion and it was found that the Hornets actually won that very match by four points, missing out on the crediting of a goal and a mix up in team selections, but unfortunately the season had finished and there was no way to go back. Had've the Hornets made the five (and assumed that they selected the same side as depicted in trial matches held the same weeks as the finals) they would have also been disembowled by the CSA Lions in the first finals week. The Hornets were a bit of a sleeping "Jiant" early in the season (using its former team name identity!) and were not really noticed until they clinched second spot midway through the year. With some big scores they were suddenly touted as flag contenders later in the year where they swapped between 2nd and 4th with the Raiders and Domster. They kicked the highest score of the season and had've it not been for a couple of shocking efforts should have also been one of the highest scoring teams for the year. They had to settle for second place on this accumulative table and their season came crashing down when the team did not make the five. The coach announced that he would step down very soon after.

LYNCHPINS: It was yet another disappointing year for the Lynchpins whose reputation of dropping youngsters before their peak and making some unlucky draft selections was for once not a bane in their season review. This time the oh so common combination of form and injury (mainly the latter) was the eventual reason for the team's demise at the conclusion of the season. For once the Lynchpins made regular appearances in the top five - on one occasion in second place - throughout the season and again found themselves as the Dodgers nemesis losing only the last encounter against them in Round 17. But a couple of bad injuries to regular goal contributors within their line up had them kick some terrible scores and ensure their percentage hovered around the 100% mark and not much more. But a few of the players had State Game duties after Round 15, perhaps the Lynchpins should have feigned injury to some of their stars, for the team never recovered after that, losing the last three games and sliding from second to seventh in the space of these weeks.

MODRA'S MANIACS: About the only thing going for the Maniacs was the fact that it's fate was sealed from Round 1 - one of 15 eventual losses. The Maniacs decided that their draft selections would centre around real up and coming youngsters and fringe players and thus began their season of low scores and underperforming squads. The team did boast some goalkicking talent in Modra, Whitnall, McKernan, Tredrea and Grant but they found that the support for these goalkickers was severely lacking. There was one moment of brilliance in Round 7 - ironically their first win of the season - when they kicked 21 goals. On this day the abovementioned players all contributed, in particular Tredrea who bagged 8. But that was the only cameo appearance for the Maniacs who managed just two other wins for the season and finished 8th. Too many default teams also hampered their season, rare appearances by the Coach at the selection table resulted in some further losses, two or three potential wins!

#	Team	W	L	D	R/T	C/P	For	Agst	%	PTS
1	THE DODGERS	13	7	-	2473	80.79	1998	1581	126.38	52
2	CSA Lions	12	9	1	1866	87.08	1625	1762	92.22	50
3	The Raiders	11	10	-	1878	85.44	1531	1536	99.67	44
4	Team Domster	11	9	-	1943	85.36	1469	1464	100.34	44
5	Phantoms	9	9	1	2362	85.15	1582	1820	86.92	38
6	Blue Hornets	9	9	-	2132	83.57	1659	1398	118.67	36
7	Lynchpins	9	9	-	1885	84.96	1407	1422	98.95	36
8	Modra's Maniacs	3	15	-	1873	83.67	1204	1452	82.92	12