GFL 1998 Season Review

PREMIERS	RUNNERS UP
Krusty's Klowns	Dixon Dragons


Black Angels	The Cockneys	Dixon Dragons	Headslammers	Krusty's Klowns
Forrestville Stadium	Cocksville Stadium	Jurassic Park	Pain Park	Circus Ring
Troy B	Scott Puvogel	Nick Hall	Terry Standley	Andrew Cropley
Adelaide, SA	Ridgehaven, SA	West Ryde, NSW	Modbury, SA	Oaklands Park, SA

Keswick Krill	Krippled Krows	The Lechers	Plympton Panthers	Sth East Warratahs
The Barracks	Hallett Cove Oval	Rampant Road	Airport Oval	Blue Lake
John Groom	David Cropley	Damian O'Rielley	Mark Braithwaite	Greg Bosun
Keswick, SA	Hallet Cove, SA	Adelaide, SA	Plympton, SA	Mount Gambier, SA

A short selection of the main contributors from each team to highlight the team strengths:
Black Angels: Lockett, Pearce, Everritt, Kolyniuk, Lyon, Camporeale, Abraham, Lockwood, Merenda
The Cockneys: Lloyd, Neitz, Loewe, Mercuri, Voss, Patterson, A.Lynch, Toia, Heady, Roberts
Dixon Dragons: Modra, Schwarz, P.Lynch, Tredrea, Hudson, Daffy, C-Collins, R.Smith, Allison
Headslammers: Dunstall, J.Cook, Gehrig, Hird, Waterhouse, Bewick, T.Bond, Mitchell, Cousins
Krusty's Klowns: Cummings, S.Rocca, Whitnall, Molloy, Moorcroft, R.Burns, Chick, S.Grant
Keswick Krill: Richardson, Heatley, Jarman, Robertson, Murphy, Br.Holland, N.Brown, Ball
Krippled Krows: C.Grant, O'Loughlin, Watson, Kelly, Bell, Lade, Lucas, D.Scott, B.Evans, Silvagni
The Lechers: N.Holland, Minton-Connell, Sholl, McKernan, Stoneham, Robran, M.White, Darcy, McLeod
Plympton Panthers: Farmer, Hunter, B.Holland, Ph.Matera, McRae, Vardy, Clement, Eccles, B.Harvey
South East Warratahs: Carey, Hammil, Buckley, Lord, Mooney, B.Hall, Snell, S.Smith, Burgoyne

ROUND 1 - March 28
Plympton Panthers 3.7.25 v Dixon Dragons 8.7.55 - Airport Oval
Krusty's Klowns 14.13.97 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 13.8.86 - Circus Ring
Black Angels 9.1.55 v South East Warratahs 10.5.65 - Forrestville Stadium
The Cockneys 16.8.104 v Keswick Krill 10.5.65 - Cocksville Stadium
Headslammers 19.6.120 v The Lechers 11.5.71 - Pain Park

ROUND 2 - April 4
Krusty's Klowns 23.11.149 v Black Angels 13.7.85 - Circus Ring
Dixon Dragons 13.2.80 v South East Warratahs 6.5.41 - Jurassic Park
The Lechers 10.3.63 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 10.12.72 - Rampant Road
Keswick Krill 11.6.72 v Headslammers 8.8.56 - The Barracks
The Cockneys 17.4.106 v Plympton Panthers 10.10.70 - Cocksville Stadium

ROUND 3 - April 11
South East Warratahs 4.7.31 v The Cockneys 7.10.52 - Blue Lake
Kropley's Krippled Krows 9.5.59 v Keswick Krill 5.7.37 - Hallett Cove Oval
Plympton Panthers 9.5.59 v Black Angels 21.10.136 - Airport Oval
Headslammers 8.10.58 v Krusty's Klowns 8.1.49 - Pain Park
Dixon Dragons 10.14.74 v The Lechers 5.4.34 - Jurassic Park

ROUND 4 - April 18
Black Angels 16.8.104 v The Lechers 9.3.57 - Jurassic Park
Plympton Panthers 2.3.15 v Headslammers 16.9.105 - Airport Oval
Kropley's Krippled Krows 14.6.90 v The Cockneys 10.8.68 - Hallett Cove Oval
Krusty's Klowns 9.5.59 v Dixon Dragons 16.12.108 - Circus Ring
Tie: Keswick Krill 9.5.59 v South East Warratahs 9.5.59 - The Barracks

ROUND 5 - April 25
Plympton Panthers 4.5.29 v South East Warratahs 7.9.51 - Airport Oval
The Lechers 9.7.61 v The Cockneys 6.5.41 - Rampant Road
Keswick Krill 12.8.80 v Krusty's Klowns 20.12.132 - The Barracks
Kropley's Krippled Krows 9.6.60 v Black Angels 12.10.82 - Hallett Cove Oval
Dixon Dragons 10.8.68 v Headslammers 16.8.104 - Jurassic Park

ROUND 6 - May 2
Dixon Dragons 12.10.82 v Keswick Krill 5.5.35 - Jurassic Park
The Cockneys 11.6.72 v Black Angels 15.6.96 - Cocksville Stadium
Krusty's Klowns 13.8.86 v Plympton Panthers 7.8.50 - Circus Ring
South East Warratahs 10.6.66 v The Lechers 11.6.72 - Blue Lake
Headslammers 12.8.80 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 13.9.87 - Pain Park

ROUND 7 - May 9
Black Angels 25.8.158 v Headslammers 10.4.64 - Forrestville Stadium
The Lechers 9.7.61 v Keswick Krill 12.1.73 - Rampant Road
South East Warratahs 7.6.48 v Krusty's Klowns 11.4.70 - Blue Lake
Plympton Panthers 4.3.27 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 13.3.81 - Airport Oval
The Cockneys 9.7.61 v Dixon Dragons 17.6.108 - Cocksville Stadium

ROUND 8 - May 16
Black Angels 12.11.83 v Dixon Dragons 15.10.100 - Forrestville Stadium
The Lechers 3.6.24 v Krusty's Klowns 11.10.76 - Rampant Road
Headslammers 19.5.119 v The Cockneys 3.5.23 - Pain Park
Kropley's Krippled Krows 10.6.66 v South East Warratahs 9.6.60 - Hallett Cove Oval
Keswick Krill 13.6.84 v Plympton Panthers 6.7.43 - The Barracks

ROUND 9 - May 23
Plympton Panthers 1.1.7 v The Lechers 2.4.16 - Airport Oval (lowest ever scoring game!)
Krusty's Klowns 10.5.65 v The Cockneys 13.5.83 - Circus Ring
South East Warratahs 8.7.55 v Headslammers 13.8.86 - Blue Lake
Dixon Dragons 9.6.60 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 5.7.37 - Jurassic Park
Keswick Krill 1.4.9 v Black Angels 23.12.150 - The Barracks (141 pts!)

ROUND 10 - May 30
Keswick Krill 15.13.103 v The Cockneys 11.9.75 - The Barracks
South East Warratahs 8.7.55 v Black Angels 12.8.80 - Blue Lake
The Lechers 10.8.68 v Headslammers 17.11.113 - Rampant Road
Dixon Dragons 9.5.59 v Plympton Panthers 15.5.95 - Jurassic Park
Kropley's Krippled Krows 12.4.76 v Krusty's Klowns 19.9.123 - Hallett Cove Oval

ROUND 11 - June 6
Plympton Panthers 17.4.106 v The Cockneys 10.7.67 - Airport Oval
South East Warratahs 6.4.40 v Dixon Dragons 12.13.85 - Blue Lake
Kropley's Krippled Krows 17.10.112 v The Lechers 11.5.71 - Hallett Cove Oval
Black Angels 24.5.149 v Krusty's Klowns 13.7.85 - Forrestville Stadium
Headslammers 9.8.62 v Keswick Krill 13.7.85 - Pain Park

ROUND 12 - June 13
Krusty's Klowns 14.14.98 v Headslammers 12.3.75 - Circus Ring
The Lechers 9.5.59 v Dixon Dragons 14.7.91 - Rampant Road
Keswick Krill 12.4.76 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 18.12.120 - The Barracks
The Cockneys 13.4.82 v South East Warratahs 20.9.129 - Cocksville Stadium
Black Angels 15.7.97 v Plympton Panthers 16.7.103 - Forrestville Stadium

ROUND 13 - June 20
Dixon Dragons 9.5.59 v Krusty's Klowns 16.8.104 - Jurassic Park
South East Warratahs 11.8.74 v Keswick Krill 12.7.79 - Blue Lake
The Lechers 11.7.73 v Black Angels 13.6.84 - Rampant Road
The Cockneys 5.2.32 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 7.5.47 - Cocksville Stadium
Headslammers 10.2.62 v Plympton Panthers 6.2.38 - Pain Park

ROUND 14 - June 27
Headslammers 9.8.62 v Dixon Dragons 8.4.52 - Pain Park
Krusty's Klowns 17.8.110 v Keswick Krill 16.8.104 - Circus Ring
The Cockneys 8.9.57 v The Lechers 11.8.74 - Cocksville Stadium
South East Warratahs 11.9.75 v Plympton Panthers 11.5.71 - Blue Lake
Black Angels 15.11.101 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 12.12.84 - Forrestville Stadium

ROUND 15 - July 4
Plympton Panthers 2.5.17 v Krusty's Klowns 10.4.64 - Airport Oval
Kropley's Krippled Krows 9.2.56 v Headslammers 6.1.37 - Hallett Cove Oval
Keswick Krill 14.8.92 v Dixon Dragons 13.4.82 - The Barracks
The Lechers 8.3.51 v South East Warratahs 7.5.47 - Rampant Road
Black Angels 12.6.78 v The Cockneys 7.10.52 - Forrestville Stadium

ROUND 16 - July 18
Krusty's Klowns 14.6.90 v South East Warratahs 13.10.88 - Circus Ring
Dixon Dragons 8.6.54 v The Cockneys 12.10.82 - Jurassic Park
Kropley's Krippled Krows 16.7.103 v Plympton Panthers 6.2.38 - Hallett Cove Oval
Headslammers 10.10.70 v Black Angels 26.11.167 - Pain Park
Keswick Krill 16.8.104 v The Lechers 4.2.26 - The Barracks

ROUND 17 - July 25
Plympton Panthers 7.2.44 v Keswick Krill 17.5.107 - Airport Oval
Krusty's Klowns 23.5.143 v The Lechers 9.5.59 - Circus Ring
The Cockneys 10.4.64 v Headslammers 8.5.53 - Cocksville Stadium
South East Warratahs 22.9.141 v Kropley's Krippled Krows 10.14.74 - Blue Lake
Dixon Dragons 16.8.104 v Black Angels 5.4.34 - Jurassic Park

ROUND 18 - August 1
Headslammers 6.3.39 v South East Warratahs 9.7.61 - Pain Park
Kropley's Krippled Krows 8.9.57 v Dixon Dragons 7.7.49 - Hallett Cove Oval
The Lechers 6.11.47 v Plympton Panthers 14.12.96 - Rampant Road
Black Angels 32.12.204 v Keswick Krill 9.10.64 - Forrestville Stadium (highest GFL score ever!)
The Cockneys 11.2.68 v Krusty's Klowns 9.8.62 - Cocksville Stadium

ROUND 19 - August 8
Qualifying Final
Kropley's Krippled Krows 10.14.74 d. Krusty's Klowns 8.10.58
Elimination Final
Dixon Dragons 14.6.90 v Keswick Krill 12.5.77

ROUND 20 - August 15
Semi Finals
Black Angels 19.10.124 d. Kropley's Krippled Krows 9.5.59
Dixon Dragons 20.13.133 d. Krusty's Klowns 12.10.82

ROUND 21 - August 22
Preliminary Final
Dixon Dragons 17.7.109 d. Kropley's Krippled Krows 6.10.46

ROUND 22 - August 29
G R A N D F I N A L
Dixon Dragons 16.7.103 d. Black Angels 15.9.99

It was another dynamic year in GFL that culminated into one of the greatest Grand Final Games ever between the two traditional GFL rivals, Angels and Dragons. Just four points separated the two GFL powerhouses in that penultimate game and the winner was the team which came from the Elimination Final, having to win every finals game to take out the flag - an indication of what can be touted as one of the great efforts ever. Now a quick rundown on each team in the order they finished the season (as shown in the ladder above).

DIXON DRAGONS were the team which had mixed fortunes throughout the year, holding onto the top spot on the ladder for the first 13 rounds before finally starting to slip on their laurels. The Klowns took top spot away from them and a lull in form from Modra and injuries to other key players gradually the inevitable slide down the ladder from 1st to 4th at the time the major round commenced. But living on the tradition of superior performances in the finals series, the Dragons would not be written off by even the most modest of supporters. Going into the Elimination Final there were already pundits saying they could go all the way and achieve the impossible. Yet again their finals performances were legendary and one by one the Dragons disposed of their opposition until they were destined to meet their most rival enemy, the Angels on that fateful day that would see a replay of the inaugural '95 GFL Grand Final. What transpired was stuff that dreams are made of, and not until the final siren blowing had there been any real indication of who would take home the pennant. The Dragons achieved the impossible and not only beat the best team in the league all year but did it all from the Elimination Final.

Black Angels were arguably the team of the year, repeating some magical performances that inspired them as the greastest GFL side in the inaugural year. The thing that stopped them from being on top all year were a few early losses that just had them on the back foot, in spite of the fact that - other than the first round where they kicked 9 goals - the did not kick under 12 goals for the entire season. Teams had lucky wins against them at times and the rivalry against the Dragons always looked it would climax on that last day in August! Lockett was superb at times throughout the year, taking a special liking to the Headslammers kicking 10 and 12 on the two occasions throughout the year, while other players including the cameo performances of Lyon ensured the team had some big games through the year. On six occasions they held some huge 20+ goal scores including three that were the highest ever in the League. The Krill being taken to a liking on a couple of occasions. In Round 9 the Angels pulled out one of these efforts against the Krill bagging the biggest ever win in the GFL comp with 141 point margin. But fittingly the Angels took the minor premiership in the very last round of the competition, thanks largely to the Klowns loss but also to their ability - again against the Krill - to kick the highest ever GFL score since its inception (the highest ever score in any of these types of leagues!) with 32.12.204, just shy of that unofficial trial match score in '95!! The Angels took the shortest route from there into the Grand Final where they met arch enemies the Dragons and as has come to be expected of these two rivals the game was an absolute bottler affair. The Angels finishing just shy of the mark but far far from disgraced!

Kropley's Krippled Krows were a team of unadulterated champions, form reversals and bonding! Put simply the Krows achieved the same sort of status that Melbourne did in the AFL this year (coming from the depths of the ladder the previous year and finishing in the Preliminary Final) and were undoubtedly the great improvers of the competition. It was touted at the beginning of the year that this might happen but never to such an extent as this one. The Krows coach chose the former team of the BarnesStormers, wooden spooners from '97 as the team which would make the best effort in his eyes - remarkable given that he declined invitations of appointments to two other teams who had Dunstall and Hird in one and Carey and plenty of support in the other. From the word go the team showed its stuff and continually managed scores around the 14 goal mark, enough to win most of its games against quality opposition. More impressive about this feat was the absence of a real noted spearhead in the side and instead players like Watson, O'Loughlin, Kelly and Chris Grant put their hands up to provide consistent goalkicking efforts to continually get the team over the line throughout the year. Since the coaches of the Krows and Klowns were siblings, there was an intense rivalry between the two sides when they met through the year. In the minor round series the Klowns clearly held the edge winning both the matches, but it was the Krows who started the Klowns downfall by defeating them in the Qualifying Final. Unfortunately they had to come up against the Dragons and Angels in the major round and no one was going to be able to beat those two. The Krows finishing a very impressive third without a real noted spearhead in the side.

Krusty's Klowns had a year that in the end they would rather forget. They quickly asserted themselves as one of the teams to beat from the commencement of the season, always breathing down the neck of the Dragons who were throned at the top of the ladder. The Klowns had the likes of Cummings, Rocca, Whitnall and Burns as their top four contributors which made them annoyingly hard to topple at any point throughout the season. It needed sterling performances from other heavyweights like the Dragons, Angels and Headslammers to really keep them honest throughout the season. Round 4 was their loss against the Dragons which ultimately determined who was going to sit on the throne - at least for the next 9 rounds anyway. But after that they had pegged that Dragon percentage back and from Round 14 took centre stage by holding down top spot for the remainder of the minor round except the last. The Angels were then the team who had made up for some early season blemishes and were clearly rampaging through the season for the top spot. The Klowns did very little wrong through this minor round challenge, dropping only a couple of matches but alas the fact that the Angels kept winning lead to the Klowns final demise at the end of the minor round when they lost their throne - a totally demoralising stance. The Klowns coach was furious and the team never recovered, going out in very disappointing fashion, straight sets in the finals series - finally succumbing to his brother's team and then being belted by their nemesis the Dragons. In the end an extremely sour finish to a season that should have handed them their first premiership. After all they had played and lost the '97 Grand Final and by tradition should have had this one on toast (teams that won the premiership, had lost the Grand Final the year before!). Complacency was a very hard pill to swallow in the Klowns camp.

Keswick Krill had a year also that ended sourly - culminating into a hat trick of Elimination Final losses! So how does one assess a team's performance who did no better or no worse in the end than it had achieved the previous two years as well. Consistent? The Krill were anything but this throughout the year, with Heatley, Jarman and Richardson as their focal points (Carey was in the squad for the first half of the year before being traded to the Warratahs for Richardson) they were capable of amassing some big scores throughout the year but equally on the flip side, with these three injured, out of form or playing up the field could also be disappointingly embarrassing at times - none more so than the 1.4.9 effort agains thte Angels in Round 9 and now being remembered as the team which copped the biggest hiding in the League's history! Coaching philosophy surrounded recruitment of raw talent and this meant that the players rarely played and if they did were doing their apprenticeship in the backlines. The Krill were then noted for dropping players after losing patience with them only to find them kicking a few when they were picked up by other teams later. The team certainly had a year it would rather forget and one got the feeling that the team left the League this year feeling almost as if it had been just a waste of time.

Headslammers had the ability to ruin the day of even the most resisting opponent but through form slumps and injuries just did not have what it takes to become a finalist in this cut throat competition. T.Standley returned to the league to be appointed in place of Huppatz at this team's former identity as the Huppatz Headslammers dropping the coach name but retaining the team's actual mascot. With Dunstall and Hird in the line up looking to fire we were all looking at possible premiership bets for this side. When the team picked up Mitchell at the delight of other coaches (the draft proceedings were momentarily suspended until the packed room cleared of laughter) and then to everyone's astonishment started consistently bagging multiple goal efforts, all teams were sitting up and taking notice. By mid-season the Headslammers were looking the goods and their name was being tossed up as flag contenders alongside the Klowns, Dragons and Angels and for once we had a four horse race that looked remarkably even. But suddenly the wheels on the Headslammer machine fell apart and the team found itself hovering on fifth spot until just before the end of the season. Dunstall fell to injury as did Hird, and Mitchell was rarely cited in the goalkicking contributors after mid-season. All of a sudden the Headslammers were fighting for their very existance. Finally they succumbed to the Krill outfit and fell from grace within the last couple minor rounds, finishing a disappointing and injury marred sixth.

The Cockneys were about as erratic as they come, again mainly due to injury. The Cockneys were the reigning premiers and were looked upon as either possibly taking the next step and becoming a super power team or succumbing to a hangover and again find themselves in the doldrums - they opted for the latter. Neitz broke his leg early in the year, Roberts and Heady were MIA, Lynch played only very few games up foward and while Lloyd had some good games he had some poor ones as well. Consequently the Cockneys looked the goods at some points and were particularly ordinary at other times throughout the season. Finishing 7th was probably an indicative conclusion to their season that saw them able to take out the likes of the Klowns but fall to the mercies of the Panthers. The paper weight was so heavy that it never got off the desk and the team really struggled to maintain efficiency and competitiveness throughout the year.

South East Warratahs were a new team name that replaced its former identity as The Cartel and added some country life to the competition with the coach stationed in Mount Gamiber. The Cartel were always known as under achievers and lacking in substance in spite of the likes of Carey/Richardson in their side. These two were traded with each other in a deal which saw the Krill grab Richo and Carey come to the Warratahs. After a slow and agonising start to the year the Warratahs looked like they would simply continue down the same road as their former identity did with losses that kept them perched on the steps midway between the back room and the cellar. But the mid-season swap that secured Carey saw somewhat of a turnaround at the club and they became much more competitive in the last half of the season. Wins were still hard to come by but higher scores ensured that some four pointers were added to their premiership table tally. But it was the finals series that was probably their most disappointing cause, for had've they made the finals they would almost certainly have gone all the way into the Grand Final. The first three weeks saw potential scores of 20+ goals with Carey going beserk and Lord finding form in the goalsquare. But it wasn't to be and a disappointing ending for their efforts was 8th place on the ladder.

The Lechers were a team that hardly made the effort throughout the year and finishing 9th was probably more impressive than their efforts really showed. 11.8.71 was the team's highest scoring point of the year, the lowest of any team in the League, and probably the lowest ever. Six times the team managed scores of 10 goals or more which included 11.7, 11.6 & 11.5 but never did the team really grab a stranglehold on a match and outclass its opposition - more a case of dragging its opponents down to their level. The lowest point of their season was undoubtedly their role in the lowest ever GFL scoring match when they beat the pathetic Panthers even though they kicked just two goals - the most effective yawn inducing match of the century. The crowd was actually locked in that match, and those that attended never recovered from the mental scars that were inflicted from watching such a screamingly frustratingly boring affair. But five wins were still achieved throughout the season that really flattered what the team should have obtained and it really was a case of the ends justifying the means. No one in the team contributed much in terms of goals other than McKernan and Holland who held the side together during these troubling times. No wonder the team found a new identity the following season.

Plympton Panthers had the worst possible scenario facing them at mid-season - a 0/9 record of wins to losses, unsurpassed in this league to date. More unfortunate was the fact that on paper the team really wasn't that bad and at the same time the previous year with the same line up could well have had 5 or six wins to their name! So the big pre-season clean out resulted in pitiful performances from players who were touted to do better. At mid-season time the Panthers faced the prospect of holding not only a wooden spoon but also the most pathetic record in the history of the competition - especially after coming off the lowest ever score in their history of 1.1.7 and the lowest ever GFL scoring match when the Lechers could only kick 2.4.16 themselves! So the stocks were utterly cleaned out, with 75% of the team either being traded or delisted, no player's position was safe, other than say Vardy and Farmer who had probably single handedly kicked the Panthers accumalitve points for anyway. The recruitment process was exceptionally well executed with a number of newcomers who could actually kick goals getting a guernsey in the team. From then on the team had trouble selecting its 8 each week with an abundance of talent to choose from. The ploy immediately played dividends with a win over the eventual premiers, Dragons and then the Cocks who were the reigning premiers were dealt with and in the third successive winning week the eventual runners up were disembowled by the Panthers. Unfortunately the Panthers were not able to win another match until the final minor round and again lost the plot a little but at least four wins gave them some respect. But as it happened, there winless record up til mid season had done the damage and even a reasonable last half of the season could not get them up off the bottom of the ladder.

#	Team	W	L	D	R/T	C/P	For	Agst	%	PTS
1	DIXON DRAGONS	14	8	-	1746	97.08	1695	1411	120.13	52
2	Black Angels	15	5	-	2589	86.37	2236	1418	157.69	60
3	Kropley's Krippled Krows	13	8	-	2174	75.67	1546	1533	100.85	52
4	Krusty's Klowns	14	6	-	2366	81.76	1811	1456	124.38	56
5	Keswick Krill	9	9	1	1759	85.47	1406	1636	85.94	38
6	Headslammers	8	10	-	2112	74.67	1356	1297	104.55	32
7	The Cockneys	7	11	-	1752	84.63	1189	1402	84.81	28
8	South East Warratahs	6	11	1	1807	87.72	1186	1220	97.21	26
9	The Lechers	5	13	-	1411	85.83	987	1480	66.69	20
10	Plympton Panthers	4	14	-	1351	97.19	933	1401	66.60	16