From the outset, Marlon Stockinger came across as the fastest driver of the Status trio with a second place in Spain and a magnificent victory in Monaco. Kotaro Sakurai put in a range of finishes from a best of P12 in Spain and the worst of P20 in Monaco. Alice Powell, who was battling to become the fastest female driver finished twice in eleventh place, the best results for the girls at this stage in the season.

In Valencia, the Irish run team only fielded two cars and the races didn’t swing in the favour of success. Alice Powell plummeted into the rear wing of Stockinger, sending them both back to the pits. During the second race, Stockinger avoided trouble and finished eleventh but Powell had another first lap crash; this time with Conor Daly, terminating both their races.

In Great Britain, Lewis Williamson was brought in to replace the struggling Kotaro Sakurai; however it took the Brit a while to get used to his new car. In his first four races, the best result achieved was a lonesome 13th place, but the four races in Hungary and Belgium awarded Williamson with four points finishes.

After missing out on points from Valencia to Germany, Stockinger picked up a ninth place in Hungary and two points finishes in Italy. Alice Powell was still struggling, however. But then, going unnoticed by all thanks to a titanic championship battle in the final race of the year, young Alice flew to an eighth place, picking up the first ever point for a female driver in GP3.

So a season of ups and downs for Status. 67 points, two podiums and a win by the end of 2012 put Status Grand Prix sixth in the championship battle.

Season in a Snapshot

Ladder Position: 13th – 10 wins, 12 losses (91.01%)
Most Disposals: Jack Redden (549)
Most Goals: Jonathon Brown (47)
Played Every Game: Tom Rockliff, Jack Redden, Joel Patfull, Daniel Merrett, Pearce Hanley
Debutants: Billy Longer (5 games), Elliot Yeo (8 games), Jack Crisp (10 games), Dayne Zorko (16 games)

Stat Leaders:

Kicks: Pearce Hanley (314)
Handballs: Jack Redden (286)
Tackles: Jack Redden (143)
Hit Outs: Ben Hudson (453)
Clearances: Jack Redden (113)
Marks: Jonathon Brown (143)
Contested Possessions: Jack Redden (250)
Uncontested Possessions: Pearce Hanley (305)
Inside 50s: Daniel Rich (97)
Rebound 50s: Pearce Hanley (91)

Best & Fairest:

1. Joel Patfull (34)
2. Daniel Rich (32)
3. Pearce Hanley (28.5)
4. Jonathan Brown (28)
= Jack Redden (28)
6. Tom Rockliff (26.5)
7. Jed Adcock (25)
= Daniel Merrett (25)
= Dayne Zorko (25)
10. Simon Black (22)

NAB Rising Star Nominations:

Claye Beams – Nominated for his round 1 performance against the Melbourne Demons. Beams played a key role in the midfield, picking up 25 touches and laying 5 tackles. He went on to play 8 games this year, including the last 4 of the season, and will be looking to further cement his place in the best 22 next season.

Mitch Golby – Nominated for his round 8 performance against the GWS Giants. He was instrumental off the half back flank, with 24 touches of the ball. He played the first 13 games of the season, before going down with injury and will be back next season, where he should slot straight into the best 22.

How did the Season go:

The Lions had quite an up and down season, and one that showed a lot of potential at times, but was very disappointing at others. They started the season with a solid 40 point win over an emotional Melbourne outfit, before going back up to the Gabba and being thrashed by Carlton by 90 points. A loss to Fremantle the following week in which they only kicked 5 goals was very disappointing also. Matthew Leuenberger also went down in this match with an achilles injury that put him out for the year, but the team welcomed back Jonathon Brown after more facial injuries. A good win over the Gold Coast was followed by bad defeats to Geelong, Essendon and Collingwood, before a 90 point win over GWS. Around here we saw Daniel Merrett being used up forward with Jonathon Brown as a second key forward, and Merrett did kick quite a few goals. Patfull and Maguire were left to do the key defensive roles, and they held these down pretty well. Ben Hudson was also used as the first ruck, and his recruitment turned out to be a very good one after Leuenberger’s injury. Round 9 brought a very close loss to North Melbourne, where the Lions played great football for three quarters, but they jsut couldn’t finish the game out. Round 11 was probably the highlight of the season, with a 2 point win in a thriller against West Coast at the Gabba. The Lions were trailing by a few goals going into the last quarter, but they managed to come back in a 36 minute last quarter, and a James Polkinghorne torp from 60m sealed the win. This heroic win meant the Lions were 4 and 7 going into the bye, and facing a finish low down on the wrong half of the ladder. They came out after the break with a loss to the Hawks, before good wins over the Bulldogs and Demons. They were bad against the Swans, but were very unlucky against the Saints, going down by only 7 points. They had a very lucky 11 point win over the Suns in a very low scoring affair, before heavy losses to the Eagles, Tigers and Blues. But they finished the season quite well, with close 10 point wins over the Crows and Power. In the end they got 10 wins in a season that was all about development for their youngsters.
The midfield gained some stability with Redden, Rockliff, Rich and Zorko all showing they have the potential to make one of the best mid groups in the game. Down back, Patfull had an amazing year, often going to the oppositions best forwards, which was capped off with his first club best and fairest. Pearce Hanley also had a great year, where he really developed into the running half back role. Josh Drummond did recently announce his retirement though, so there is a bit of a hole left down back for the Lions to now fill. Up forward, a real replacement for Jonathon Brown when he retires is yet to be found. Jordan Lisle, Pat Karnezis and Aaron Corneilius did not come on as expected this year, and it was often Merrett who was sharing the big man duties up forward. Still, it was a good year for Brisbane, and things are looking up for them next year.

Excitement of the Season:

For the excitement of the season it is impossible to go past mature age recruit Dayne Zorko. At 23 years old, Zorko had been dominating in the Queensland competition for a couple of years before being pre listed by Gold Coast at the end of last year. The Lions traded pick 34 in the national draft to get him and it was a great trade in the end. He made his debut in round 7 as the sub, and has not been out of the team since. Every week he has been a key player in the midfield and pushing up into the forward line, dominating in the possession and tackle counts especially. He provided a great link up option down the ground and excelled at whatever role he needed to play. Of his great games this season, one of his best came in the defeat to the Swans in round 15. Zorko collected a career high 31 touches, 10 marks and 8 tackles in a display where he really stood up when his side was clearly outclassed. He had a great first year as an AFL player, and you wonder where he has been all this years playing in the NEAFL. He will make a great player in the Lions’ midfield for years to come.

Disappointment of the Season:

The disappointment for the Lions this year is Todd Banfield. A small forward who was quick and able to have an important impact in his first two years at the club, Banfield looked good going into season 2012, but he failed to have an impact at all this year. He lacked pressure on the contest and his touches just didn’t have the efficiency that they required. He played the first 7 games for the season, before being dropped. He returned in round 16 for the match against St Kilda, but could only managed 5 games before being out of the side again. He returned a total of 6 goals for the season (including 3 in the round 1 match against Melbourne). There has been much talk of him possibly being trade by Michael Voss at the end of this season, but it looks as though there is not much interest for him on the market and I would think that he will probably stay at Brisbane next year.

Where is the club heading next year:

The Lions showed a lot of improvement this year, and with the very young age of their playing group, you would think that they should do so further again next year. They haven’t been as busy this trade period as others, but have still managed to work a few deals that should go in their favour. They have picked up Melbourne’s Brent Moloney through Free Agency, who should provide a strong body inside the midfield as well as a lot of experience from a clearance specialist. They have shown interest in a few key forwards, going after Kurt Tippett, Chris Dawes and now Stefan Martin. Martin would be a potentially good fit at the club, where he could play up forward as a tall target, and do some relief work in the ruck. He looks a bit out of favour at Melbourne too, and may like the change. As the players at Brisbane get more experienced, they should start to run out games better and put in consistent 4 quarter performances every week. If we see what they did against West Coast and Adelaide again, they could have a good year. I would think 12-14 wins next year would be pass mark, and while the club will be aiming for a finals position, a place around 8th-10th is a realistic aim.

Final Say:

A lot of improvement from a young group this year, but they still have quite a way to go. A few pickups in trade week should help them out, as Jonathon Brown continues to be an outstanding leader from the front. I give the Lions a B- for season 2012.

Throughout the season, Jordá and Cregan struggled to get the most out of the car, whilst Ceccon performed to an excellent standard.

No real performance came across in Spain, but a well earned third place in Monaco, followed up by a sixth place in the second race, Kevin Ceccon put himself into the eyes of the watching world.

By the time the season had got to the halfway point in Britain, Ceccon had finished inside the points in all races apart from in Spain. Apart from one retirement in Spain, Cregan was finishing consistently between P11 and P20. Meanwhile the performance from Carmen Jordá was displeasing. Three retirements and two DNQ’s was less than impressive and the Portuguese team were expecting more.

In the second half of the season, Kevin Ceccon carried on his 100% finishing record with another eight finishes; two of those in the points. Carmen Jordá’s pace picked up slightly with only two non-finishes from Germany to Italy. The Irishman, Robert Cregan carried on his consistent pace however a serious crash in the first race in Belgium led him a little bashed and bruised. His car was in worse condition and it couldn’t be repaired quick enough for the Sunday morning race.

The final two races in Italy proved to be nothing special and therefore Ocean Racing Technology finished the season in seventh place with 56 points and one podium. Unfortunately, less than a month after the season finalé, Ocean pulled out of the GP3 championship and they will not be seen in 2013.

At the first round in Spain, all three cars of Tamás Pál Kiss, John Wartique and Ethan Ringel struggled to even get near the points. Pál Kiss performed best with P12 but a retirement in race two started off the season’s woes for the team.

Things started to improve, however. In the first race in Monaco, the Hungarian driver, Pál Kiss put in a storming drive and finished on the second step of the podium. The five other results that weekend were four non-points finishes and a retirement for Ethan Ringel as he drove straight into the barriers at Saint Devote.

The rounds in Valencia, yet again, produced a mixed bag of results. A points finish for Pál Kiss in race one wasn’t mirrored by Wartique and Ringel in race two as they both retired from the race; Wartique’s coming courtesy of a big incident with Conor Daly and Alice Powell.

The two races in Great Britain proved difficult for everybody, with variable weather conditions and numerous different tyre strategies played havoc with the racing order. The results in the first race were anything but exciting. However the second race gave Fabio Gamberini his first and only points finish of the season, in his second and final race of the season.

Germany proved to be Pál Kiss’ perfect country to race in. Sixth place in the rain hit first race was bettered by a fourth place in the Sunday morning race.

In Hungary, John Wartique was replaced by Facu Regalia; who had previously raced for Jenzer Motorsport. He didn’t meet the team’s expectations and Wartique was brought back in for Belgium and Italy.

The second half of the season starting in Germany was much like the first. Three more points finishes for Tamás Pál Kiss cemented him in 12th place in the drivers’ championship; however only one retirement across the board made the team become the most reliable unit in the last eight races.

With 39 points and one podium finish, Atech CRS GP finished the season in eighth place.

Vicky Piria was announced at the beginning of the season and she was set to become the first female GP3 driver. And she proved that it wasn’t just the men who could handle the speeds of motorsport.

In the first three rounds, Trident ran Vicky Piria and Antonio Spavone. Piria managed a few race finishes close to the points, for example in Monaco where just two more overtakes would’ve secured the young Italian a point. However Antonio Spavone had a string of finishes all below 14th with two retirements.

This called for Trident to make a decision to bring in a third driver. Giovanni Venturini was brought in when GP3 arrived at Silverstone and instantly impressed the team in changeable conditions. He lifted the team to new heights in Germany, too, as he picked up two points finishes, one being the third step on the podium.

Following the British rounds, Spavone was dropped by Trident and the team went back to the two car unit for the remainder of the season. It was at Piria’s tenth race where she picked up her first DNF of the 2012 campaign; joining this to her DNF in the final race in Italy at the end of the season, her racing record was magnificently clean.

Unfortunately, Vicky Piria couldn’t improve on her 12th place in Monaco in the latter stages of the season but she sure stamped her authority on the GP3 series.

Venturini faired a lot better, though, picking up all 31 points for the team in 2012. Following on from his triumphs in Germany, Giovanni picked up a further three points finishes, one being another third place – this time in front of his home fans at the GP3 2012 closer.

The below statement is an exclusive quote from Trident Team Manager and Managing Director, Luca Zerbini:

In the just completed GP3 season, we believe we have pinpointed our very important set objectives. From a performance point of view, already from the pre-season tests carried out by expert drivers, we were key players always obtaining top results confirming right technical choices, something not predictable considering Trident Racing’s debut in the category with two years delay with respect to the other competitors.
Lining up then in the Series two beginner drivers with very little Formula experience behind them, we had set to try to have the drivers grow as much as possible; if we were not able to bring the task to term with Antonio Spavone due to his early withdrawal from the championship due to problems with the budget, I must say that the progress made by Vicky Piria in the second part of the season, with good qualifying positions and aboveall, consistent driving improvement confirmed by the data acquisition, we were very satisfied.
With the arrival of a fast and more expert driver like Giovanni Venturini as of the Silverstone race (even if he too made his debut in GP3) a good feeling with the team was quickly found and we made our way to the top of the classification reaching two podiums in just 5 events…with the regret that if Giovanni had been with us from the beginning of the season, things could have gone differently.
We are now concentrated on the post-season tests where we will test young surely talented drivers.

Season in a Snapshot

Ladder Position: 8th – 14 wins, 8 losses (112.49%) – Knocked out in Elimination Finals
Most Disposals: Andrew Swallow (563)
Most Goals: Drew Petire (57)
Played Every Game: Andrew Swallow, Drew Petire, Jamie MacMillan, Brent Harvey, Kieran Harper, Michael Firrito, Ryan Bastinac, Shaun Atley
Debutants: Brad McKenzie (2 games), Cameron Delaney (5 games), Sam Gibson (13 games)

Stat Leaders:

Kicks: Daniel Wells (282)
Handballs: Andrew Swallow (302)
Tackles: Andrew Swallow (160)
Hit Outs: Todd Goldstein (639)
Clearances: Andrew Swallow (150)
Marks: Drew Petrie (142)
Contested Possessions: Andrew Swallow (278)
Uncontested Possessions: Ryan Bastinac (370)
Inside 50s: Daniel Wells (94)
Rebound 50s: Scott Thompson (69)

Best & Fairest:

COUNT YET TO BE HELD

North Melbourne are the only club that hasn’t held their Best and Fairest yet, but I think it will be the skipper Andrew Swallow that wins it quite easily. Daniel Wells, Brent Harvey, Scott Thompson and Drew Petrie should all poll quite well too.

NAB Rising Star Nominations:

NONE

How did the Season go:

It was an interesting season for North Melbourne, and one that was full of improvement. Coach Brad Scott was under the pump to provide results, after missing finals in 2010 and 2011. There was a change in the captaincy, with Brent Harvey stepping down to allow Andrew Swallow to become the head man. The season started in a thriller for the Kangaroos, with Hamish McIntosh missing a shot after the siren to give the Bombers a 4 point win. They backed this up with a 129 point win over GWS in a great display. They looked on fire when they beat Geelong the next week in a high scoring affair. They came back down to Earth with a defeat at the hands of the Swans. After beating the Suns in round 5, they endured a lean trot of form, with close defeats to West Coast, the Bulldogs and Port Adelaide. The Bulldogs and Port losses were poor, with the Kangaroos leading into the last quarter by a sizable margin in both games, before giving it up at the end. They almost did the same thing the next week against the Lions, but they just held on. A heavy loss to Hawthorn took them to 4 wins and 6 losses heading into the bye, and facing a bottom 10 position on the ladder again. They came out after their bye in a shaky fashion, beating Gold Coast by only 7 points. They got into some good form with wins over the Crows and Saints. They went into a game in Tasmania against the Eagles full of confidence, and it was only some Dean Cox magic in the last quarter that denied them the 4 points. They came out firing to make the final 8 after that, winning their next 6 games, including good wins against the Blues, Bombers, and best of all, a 5 goal win over Collingwood, in which Drew Petrie dominated. A loss to Freo, but a win over GWS saw them finish 8^th on the ladder and face West Coast in the Elimination Final. Travelling over to Patersons Stadium, they were very disappointing in the effort that they put up, as they were beaten in all aspects of the game and slumped to a 96 points loss.
There was strong improvement from the whole team this year from North Melbourne, and in the second half of the season, they were near impossible to beat. They were moving the ball quick, and playing a game where they handballed a lot to clear the ball, before kicking it long to pump it into the forward line. This was a tactic widely used by the Brisbane Lions back in the early 00’s, and Brad Scott, who was a part of that team, has now implemented that with the Kangaroos. Drew Petrie was probably the team’s most important player, and at times he dominated up forward, and was unlucky to miss out on his second All Australian selection this year as a key forward/ backup ruckman. Lachie Hansen and Robbie Tarrant also spent time down there in the second half of the year and were very strong. The team was well balanced this year, and they just ran out of steam at the end of the year and couldn’t make a strong finals bid.

Excitement of the Season:

North Melbourne uncovered a star when they drafted mature age recruit Sam Gibson as a rookie. After averaging 28 possessions with VFL team Box Hill Hawks and winning their best and fairest last year, the Kangaroos took a punt on the 26 year old. He got his chance after the bye, when he was called up for the Kangaroos round 12 clash against the Suns. He played well in that game, where he picked up 18 touches, and hasn’t been out of the team since. He had some great games, where he was hard in the midfield and was always in there trying to get the clearance. He had a big impact in the middle, and his hard body was one of the reasons for the Kangaroos improvement in the second half of the year. His best game came against GWS in round 23, where he picked up 32 touches, 13 marks and a goal. He has won a spot on the senior list for his efforts and will be upgraded during the National Draft.

Disappointment of the Season:

The Kangaroos had a good season and their only real disappointment came from Hamish McIntosh. He again spent most of the season injured, or out of the side, behind Todd Goldstein in the pecking order. After being injured last season, and Goldstein enjoying a breakout year, there were questions at the start of the year whether they could both player in the same team, as Drew Petrie was already used as a pinch hitting ruckman. They all played in the first half dozen games for the season, before McIntosh was dropped. He showed good form at VFL level, and returned to play in the senior team, but injured his ACL joint, and required a full knee reconstruction. A player that has so much ability and skill, hasn’t been able to make his mark on the game for really the last 2 years and as a result, he was traded by North Melbourne at the end of the season to Geelong where he can get more opportunities to play.

Where is the club heading next year:

Based on this years improvement, things are looking up for the Kangaroos and if they can start to sustain their form, they will be looking like a very dangerous team to come up against, look only at their 5 goal win over Collingwood to see why. They haven’t been busy at all in the trade and free agency periods, with only Hamish McIntosh leaving the club in return for pick 36 in the national draft. Their midfield improved a lot this year, and with it being so young, expect it do so more over the next couple of years. They have a great bunch of youth in the likes of Bastinac, MacMillan, Gibson and Atley, which goes well with the experience from Swallow, Wells and Harvey, who has just signed on to keep playing into next year. I think that if they can get some good consistency going in the team they are a real finals contender next year and have a chance to go a decent way. Brad Scott will want to start producing some real results with his side soon though, as his team at the Kangaroos must be starting to run out. I think around 14 wins and a 5th-7th spot on the ladder would be a pass mark for North Melbourne next year, if they keep improving as they did this year.

Final Say:

North Melbourne had a shaky start to the year, but really came good after the bye, where they produced some great wins. They were always going to struggle going into finals for the first time in a few years and were blown out of the water by the Eagles in the Elimination Final. Still, they showed a lot of signs of improvement this year and they became a hard team to beat by the end of the year. I give North Melbourne a B for season 2012.

Season in a Snapshot

Ladder Position: 9th – 12 wins, 10 losses (123.33%)
Most Disposals: Lenny Hayes (538)
Most Goals: Stephen Milne (47)
Played Every Game: Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna, Nick Dal Santo, Sean Dempster, Stephen Milne
Debutants: Seb Ross (1 game), Sam Dunell (5 games), Jack Newnes (7 games), Terry Milera (15 games), Admed Saad (16 games)

Stat Leaders:

Kicks: Leigh Montagna (324)
Handballs: Lenny Hayes (283)
Tackles: Lenny Hayes (130)
Hit Outs: Ben McEvoy (405)
Clearances: Lenny Hayes (119)
Marks: Sean Dempster (155)
Contested Possessions: Lenny Hayes (238)
Uncontested Possessions: Leigh Montagna (323)
Inside 50s: Leigh Montagna (94)
Rebound 50s: Sean Dempster (72)

Best & Fairest:

1. Lenny Hayes (124)
2. Leigh Montagna (121)
3. Sean Dempster (112)
4. Brendon Goddard (96)
5. Nick Riewoldt (81)
6. Jarryn Geary (80)
7. Nick Dal Santo (79)
8. Sam Fisher (69)
9. David Armitage (66)
10. Jack Steven (65)

NAB Rising Star Nominations:

Arryn Siposs – Nominated for his round 15 performance against the Essendon Bombers. He played a key role in St Kilda’s 71 point win over Essendon, as he picked up 17 disposals, including 5 inside 50s and 2 goals. He also had a very high disposal efficiency rate of 88%.

How did the Season go:

St Kilda ended last season in an interesting way, with coach Ross Lyon walking out on the club with a year still left to run on his contract with the club for the head role at Fremantle. Scott Watters came in as the new senior coach and definitely had an impact on the Saints. There was no more of the flooding defence from the Lyon days. Instead we saw some good free flowing football from the Saints who took more chances and moved the ball down the middle quick and with a good efficiency. The Saints failed to capitalise on what was a fairly easy draw at the start of the season, losing their round 1 match to Port Adelaide by less than a kick in one that they really should have won. They backed it up with back to back wins over the Suns and Bulldogs, before Ross Lyon had the last laugh with a 20 point win with the Dockers. They then went win-loss-win-loss to the bye, with good wins after Sydney and Carlton, but equally unimpressive losses to West Coast, Richmond and Adelaide. As a result they went into the bye 6-6 and were looking to improve that in the second half of the season. In a few games, like the Port and Crows games, the Saints had plenty of chances, but just couldn’t take them. They came back after the bye, and again their form was just too patchy. A loss to the Kangaroos was followed by good wins over the Bombers and Lions, before a bad loss to the Swans. They made sure they beat the bottom teams in Gold Coast and Melbourne, but couldn’t get the points against Collingwood and Geelong, meaning they just missed out on finals, and finished in 9th.
When the Saints were on this year, they were a very good team and close to impossible to beat. But the problem was that they just couldn’t sustain their good form for any amount of time, their best winning streak for the season was only 2. We saw the midfield back to almost its best with the return of Lenny Hayes after a knee reconstruction, and he picked up another best and fairest. Dal Santo, Montagna and the rest were good as always, but Goddard was disappointing to say the least compared to his form of years past. He played all on the outside, or a small role in defence and wasn’t the inspirational leader diving into every pack that we have come to expect from him. He has now taken advantage of the new Free Agency system and moved to Essendon. In defence, Sean Dempster had an amazing year as an intercept player and key defender, and his versatility won him All Australian selection. Combined with the young group of defenders, they made a strong defensive unit, though inexperienced at times. Down forward, Riewoldt, Koschitzke and Milne did their usual work, while they uncovered a pair of dangerous small forwards in Terry Milera and Ahmed Saad. They also have some good young tall prospects in Stanley and Siposs. The one player who has eclipsed anything any other Saints player has achieved this season though, is the one and only Jason Blake. Blake held the record for the most games played without a single vote in the Brownlow Medal with over 200 games without J.Blake being read out on the night of nights. But this year for his round 11 game against Gold Coast, where playing as the main ruck at not even 190cm tall, he picked up 21 touches, 28 hitouts, 8 tackles and a goal. It was enough to land him 2 votes and applause from the entire room when his name was read out on the night. A thoroughly deserving player of finally getting some votes in a career that gets nowhere near the respect that it deserves.

Excitement of the Season:

The Saints this season uncovered a gem of a small forward in livewire Ahmed Saad. A mature age recruit, Saad was overlooked in the draft a few years ago and played VFL with the Northern Bullants for a couple of years. Last year he kicked over 50, and won the VFL award for best AFL potential. (Previous winners of that award include Michael Barlow and James Podsiadly). St Kilda managed to pick him up through a trade deal with one of the expansion clubs, and he made his debut in round 6. He missed only one game for the season after that, and kicked 28 goals. He was dangerous as a small forward, and was Milne-like at times, popping up when you least expected him to kick crucial goals. His best return was 4 goals in the close win over the Lions in round 16, where he kicked crucial goals in the last quarter to give his side the win. And I think he is already the owner of the longest run up in the league. Think of Nick Riewoldt’s a couple of years back, but instead Saad walks the first 30 steps. It may take him a minute and a half to take a set shot, but he is pretty accurate and should be a good player for the Saints for years to come.

Disappointment of the Season:

It is quite fair to say that the Saints have not had many disappointments in their side for 2012, through a good bunch of youths coming into the club, while the old players are still holding up their end. One player who was expected to do better in 2012 though, was Dean Polo. Polo was delisted by Richmond after the 2010 season and the Saints shocked everyone when they picked him up in the national draft after that with pick 103. As a versatile utility that could fill a few holes around the ground, Polo played 15 games last year and definitely had his moments playing around the midfield and half back line. He provided some extra toughness around the contest and averaged over 3 tackles a game. Good things were expected this year with some more improvement from the 26 year old, but, after a string of unimpressive performances to start the season, he was dropped after the round 6 defeat to Hawthorn and only played one more game for the year. He wasn’t providing too much to the team, and in the end it became more beneficial in the long term to play some of the younger players in the side instead of Polo. At the end of the year he had really fallen out of favour with coach Scott Watters and he was delisted. It ends a career that looked to have so much potential, after he picked up 28 possessions and 3 goals on debut way back in round 6, 2006.

Where is the club heading next year:

St Kilda is in an interesting position next year. After falling down the ladder a bit this year, and just missing out on finals, it is hard to say where they will finish next season. I think it is likely that they will fall a bit further, as we see the club go through a bit of a rebuild, but it won’t be too big. The loss of Brendon Goddard to Free Agency will hurt the club, but they will get one or two first round draft picks as compensation for losing him, and they should be able to use these on some good young players. The rest of their senior players look to still be going strong, and the youth in the club looks very promising. They will be starting to look for long term replacements up forward, down back and in the middle, with stars Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Fisher and Hayes all key to the team, but facing retirement in the next 2 – 3 years. I think we will see the Saints have their good patches again, and if they are able to keep their good form up next year for more than a fortnight, they could again be a force to be reckoned with. Still, not many people are rating them a finals chance and it is most likely that they will face a bit of a slide down the ladder as other teams show more improvement next year. The club will definitely be aiming for a top 8 spot next year and I think anywhere from a 8th-10th finish with around 12 wins would be a pass for the Saints.

Final Say:

The Saints had their good patches this year, and their best was very good. At the same time, they just weren’t able to sustain their form over an extended period of time, and they were just too inconsistent. In the end this is what cost them a finals spot. The loss of Brendon Goddard next year will hurt them, but they are a big club and will be able to bounce back from that. I give St Kilda a C+ for 2012.

Season in a Snapshot

Ladder Position: 16th – 4 wins, 18 losses (67.49%)
Most Disposals: Nathan Jones (516)
Most Goals: Mitch Clark (29)
Played Every Game: Jack Trengrove, Jared Rivers, Jeremy Howe, Colin Garland
Debutants: Josh Tynan (2 games), Thomas Couch (3 games), James Magner (17 games)

Stat Leaders:

Kicks: Jack Grimes (301)
Handballs: Nathan Jones (251)
Tackles: Jordie McKenzie (116)
Hit Outs: Mark Jamar (453)
Clearances: Nathan Jones (118)
Marks: Jeremy Howe & Jack Grimes (122)
Contested Possessions: Nathan Jones (217)
Uncontested Possessions: Jack Grimes (309)
Inside 50s: Nathan Jones (73)
Rebound 50s: James Frawley (73)

Best & Fairest:

1. Nathan Jones (368)
2. Jack Grimes (348)
3. Tom McDonald (314)
4. Jordie McKenzie (312)
5. Jared Rivers    (310)
6. Colin Garland (297)
7. Jeremy Howe (293)
8. Jack Trengove (275)
9. James Frawley (266)
10. Lynden Dunn (257)

NAB Rising Star Nominations:

Tom McDonald – Nominated for his round 13 performance against the Greater Western Sydney Giants. McDonald enjoyed a good first season in defence for the Demons where he handled many different tall forward opponents. He kept number 1 draft pick Jonathon Patton fairly quiet, as well as playing an important rebounding role out of defence in only Melbourne’s second win of the season, as they beat the Giants by 78 points.

Sam Blease – Nominated for his round 20 performance against St Kilda. He played an important role as a high half forward rotating through the midfield and sparked his side to be very competitive in defeat by kicking 5 goals. It was Blease’s second nomination after previously receiving one in round 23 of 2011.

How did the Season go:

To put it in simple terms, this was the season from hell for Melbourne and I really don’t see how it could have been any worse. It all started back last year when the Cats beat the Demons by over 180 points and Dean Bailey was sacked as coach. Experienced assistant Mark Neeld came in, and wanting to make a statement straight away, told all of the senior players they were not up to the correct standard and made youngsters Jack Grimes and Jack Trengrove co-captains (with Trengrove being the youngest captain in the history of the game). Then, on the eve of the season, we were all hit with the tragic news of the passing of Jim Stynes, who lost his battle with cancer. The passing of the legend affected everyone at the club. They then had one of the worst starts to the season and were not competitive in any of their matches, being soundly beaten by all their opponents. It was around then that the Liam Jurrah allegations emerged, and it would now look as though Jurrah could face jail time for his actions. Then the Demons’ major sponsor was accused of false advertising and their CEO tarnished the company name with racist comments on social media, meaning Melbourne dumped them as a sponsor. This left them with considerably less money than they would like as well. To cap it all off, they only finished with 4 wins for the season. 3 of these came against GWS and Gold Coast, with the other coming in an amazing low scoring affair against Essendon in a match where the Demons showed they at least had some pride. But with several games with losing margins over 100 points, it was clearly not a good season for the Demons, either on the field or off it.
Many of the players seemed disinterested and looked like they didn’t really want to be playing for the club during the season, and for many of them, their hearts just weren’t in it. Look at players like Aaron Davey and Liam Jurrah, who now probably won’t get any other opportunities at AFL level. Mark Neeld also highlighted players such as Brent Moloney as no longer in his plans for the future at the Demons and didn’t give them regular games. It was an interesting way in how he went about his coaching, and as a first year coach, I don’t know if it was the right way. Still, he did things his way, made some bold statements early on, and now faces the huge job of rebuilding a club that is really struggling.

Excitement of the Season:

The excitement of the season has to be the leaping Jeremy Howe. Howe stood up in the forward line this year when no one else did, and while he wasn’t a goalkicker, he was a human highlight reel. Almost every week, Howe would take a speckie that looked like it deserved mark of the year. He ended up having 2 of the 3 short listed marks for the award as he went on it win it, as he will most likely do every year for the next decade. He picked up a bit of possession around the half forward area, and was second on Melbourne’s goal kicking table, averaging close to a goal a game. What he really brings to the team is an X-Factor that it has been missing for too long. Even though his team has had a terrible year, and they are facing a large defeat, Howe would be able to bring out one of his amazing marks, and it would give the team a bit of hope and still make some games worth watching. He will be a star.

Disappointment of the Season:

There are a few that really deserve this title at the Demons, but for me it has to be Aaron Davey. The goal sneak had been a regular at the Demons for half a dozen years, and was known, like his brother Alwyn at the Bombers, for putting pressure on the opposition defence in the forward half and kicking a goal or two every now and then. It is funny to think that at the start of the season, he put his hand up and said that he should be Melbourne’s next captain, when he has had a terrible season. He played in the losing side in round 1 to the Lions, and was one of the senior players cut for round 2 by Neeld. He returned and played from rounds 3-8, but had next to no influence on the contests, with his best game only returning 13 touches. He only played one more game for the season, which was in the win against GWS. All season, he lacked intensity, effort and the desire to play AFL football. He had taken his spot in the team for granted, and now with his age and the position he is in at the club, his AFL future would have to be clouded at best.

Where is the club heading next year:

Who knows where the club is headed next year really? We all thought that they would be pushing for top 8 contention this year, and look where they ended up. Still, it has to be fair to say that they will not do as bad next season. In trade news, the club has already lost Brent Moloney to the Lions through Free Agency and Jared Rivers is likely to go the Cats in the same way. The club has attracted Chris Dawes, who has named Melbourne as his club of choice and a trade is currently being worked out. Melbourne are also after another hard bodied midfielder, and Farren Ray has been identified as a man of interest. They were successful in gaining Jack Viney as a father-son pick with their second round selection, which means that they are set up well going into this year’s national draft and should be able to pick another few quality kids. Next year they will be looking for some improvement in the midfield, as well as a few more people to stand up in defence. Hopefully they can get a deal done for Chris Dawes and have a fit Mitch Clark, which would mean that they would have a forward line that is capable of doing some damage on its day. I think that after only 4 wins this year, the Demons would be looking for around double that as they continue to rebuild.

Final Say:

The season from hell for the Demons, not much more could have gone wrong. Only 4 wins, 3 of those against the expansion clubs and none against top 8 sides is not a good scorecard for a side that was in finals contention last year. You wonder whether sacking Bailey was actually the right move…… I give the Demons an E+ for season 2012.

Adelaide won this year’s pre-season competition, and it was a sign of things to come. The club finished second on the ladder and made it to the Semi-Finals.

Adelaide Season Review

Season in a Snapshot

Ladder Position: 2nd – 17 wins, 5 losses (132.46%) – Knocked out in Preliminary Finals
Most Disposals: Scott Thompson (737)
Most Goals: Taylor Walker (63)
Played Every Game: Nathan van Berlo, Scott Thompson, Ben Rutten, Brent Reilly, Patrick Dangerfield
Debutants: Sam Kerridge (1 game), Tim McIntyre (1 game), Luke Brown (1 game), Jarryd Lyons (3 games), Josh Jenkins (11 games), Sam Shaw (14 games)

Stat Leaders:

Kicks: Scott Thompson (410)
Handballs: Scott Thompson (327)
Tackles: Nathan van Berlo (126)
Hit Outs: Sam Jacobs (743)
Clearances: Scott Thompson (170)
Contested Possessions: Patrick Dangerfield (403)
Uncontested Possessions: Scott Thompson (390)
Inside 50s: Patrick Dangerfield (138)
Rebound 50s: Brent Reilly (80)

Scott Thompson had a year of career best form, winning the club Best & Fairest and coming tied for fourth in the Brownlow Medal.

Best & Fairest:

1. Scott Thompson (112)
2. Patrick Dangerfield (101)
3. Rory Sloane (89)
4. Sam Jacobs (78)
5. Taylor Walker (77)
6. Brent Reilly (76)
= Nathan van Berlo (76)
8. Michael Doughty (72)
9. Matthew Wright (68)
10. Daniel Talia (66)

NAB Rising Star Nominations:

Daniel Talia – Nominated for his round 12 performance against St Kilda. While he only picked up 7 possessions in that game, he kept St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt down to only 9 disposals and 2 goals. Talia went on to play many lock down roles during the season on some of the best key forwards, including a stunning display late in the season against Matthew Pavlich. Talia won the NAB Rising Star Award in stunning fashion with 43 out of a possible 45 votes.

Sam Shaw – Nominated for his round 21 performance against the Brisbane Lions. Shaw play an important role in defence, even though his team lost, and he picked up 22 possessions and 7 marks.

How did the Season go:

2012 was a great year for the Crows and one that was full of success. It started strongly with a new coach and new game style under Brenton Sanderson. The club had definitely been hurt by the introduction of GWS and Gold Coast, losing key defenders Nathan Bock and Phil Davis to the expansion clubs in the last two years. Still, the team looked full of potential with players like Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane widely tipped to break out and have good years. The Crows were also going to be helped by one of the easiest draws in the league and were thought by many to be a solid finals contender for 2012. They started strongly, winning 7 of their first 8, including strong wins against Geelong, Carlton and Sydney. Their only loss at the start came against Hawthorn in round 3, where they were soundly beaten. A bad loss to Collingwood was followed by a good win to the Dockers and the Crows went into their bye 8-2 and were looking good for finals and eyeing a top 4 position. While they won strongly against teams like the Saints, Tigers and Bombers, they looked shaky in losses to North Melbourne, Geelong and even Brisbane in the second half of the season. Still, they had done enough to finish in second place on the ladder and were full of confidence going into the finals series. They started with a bad loss to Sydney, where they had control of the ball, but just weren’t able to finish inside 50 and actually kick goals. This was followed by a narrow 10 point win over the Dockers, where they played much the same until half time, when the started to capitalise and won the game. They then played in a nailbiting Preliminary Final against the Hawks, in which they just lost by 5 points. In the end they just ran out of time in that game and played some really good football in a game in which they were very heavy underdogs. Adelaide was a disappointed football club, that they had come so close, yet so far, but really their season was a great success.
This success can be put down to a few things. Firstly, a change of coach at the club allowed a new game plan and new opportunities for different players. The second is the massive improvement of all the players across the board that came together at exactly the right time. Patrick Dangerfield was finally released into the midfield, where he belongs, and carved it up with his exciting run and pace tearing up other midfields. Around him Rory Sloane also had a breakout year, while Scott Thompson was in career best form, where he won the club best and fairest and finished tied for fourth in the Brownlow Medal. Up forward, Taylor Walker was given another chance and grabbed it with both hands, as he has done with the football many times in the Crows forward 50 this season. He was a prolific goal kicker, with 63 for the season, and at times he drew comparisons with greats such as Wayne Carey. Down back, the Crows discovered a gem in Daniel Talia, who did excellent lock down job on some of the best key forwards in the game such as Nick Riewoldt and Matthew Pavlich. It has definitely been a great improvement for the club, which will be eagerly looking ahead to next year.

Excitement of the Season:

Patrick Dangerfield enjoyed a breakout season in the midfield, finishing 7th in the Brownlow Medal.

My first excitement of the season is a man impossible to go past, Patrick Dangerfield. For years, people had been screaming for Neil Craig to put him in the midfield, but he spent the past few seasons in a half forward role, where he didn’t get too much possession. Heading into his fifth season, many said he was the player that would never break out, but this year turned out to be his year. He was put into the guts by new coach Brenton Sanderson and he tore it up. He used his lightning pace to stream away from opposition players and take the ball through a corridor in a flash. He would then use his accurate kicking skills to put the ball inside 50 with pinpoint accuracy as he combined with the Crows midfield to make the number 1 contested ball midfield in the game. He finished a close second to Scott Thompson in the club’s Best & Fairest, 7th in the Brownlow Medal with a career high 23 votes, second in the league for contested possessions and 8th for clearances. He is also now a part of the Crows leadership group.

There are so many that have impressed at the Crows this season, but Taylor Walker has really stood out as someone that has improved immensely. Only last year, when injured, he was seen drinking beers at a local club match and was reprimanded for it by the club. He developed a bit of a bad boy attitude in the media and he was definitely a fringe player at the Crows. But, in the off season he grew a mullet, and it gave him super powers for this season. He was immense up forward, a regular goalkicker every week and a huge presence that demanded attention from opposition defences. He did spend some time out of the game, being suspended for several incidents. But he managed to kick 63 goals from only 19 games, with a best of 6 against Port Adelaide in round 5. In my opinion, his best game came in the Semi Final against Fremantle. His side was trailing going into the main break, and after goaling on the half time siren, they rallied to come back and win by 10 points as “Tex” kicked 5 goals. He drew comparisons with Wayne Carey after that game and some of them are given rightly so.

Disappointment of the Season:

It was hard to find a disappointment for the Crows this year, but Chris Knights has had no impact on the team whatsoever this year. After playing 90 games with the Crows before this year, Knights had long battled injury and form issues to cement his place in the Crows’ best 22. After managing 21 games in 2011, it looked as though he could have a good year ahead of him, but he again had injury and form issues. He failed to break into the side until round 12, and only played 5 games this season. His best return was 19 touches and 2 goals against St Kilda and couldn’t keep his place ahead of other players. He seemed to have fallen out of Adelaide’s plans by the end of the season. Knights has now moved on however, through the help of the new Free Agency system. He has moved to Richmond as an unrestricted free agent, which will see the Crows receive some compensation. Hopefully it will be a good move for Knights, who can start fresh and have a new lease on life at Tigerland and put this disappointing season behind him.

Where is the club heading next year:

First year coach Brenton Sanderson was a scene of calmness at the helm this year, as he was very successful in taking his team to a Preliminary Final.

Things are looking quite promising for Adelaide next year, and I would think that nothing less than a top 4 position would be what the club is again aiming for. The structure of the team is going to be changed a bit though, with Kurt Tippett requesting a trade at the end of the season after months of speculation over his future at the Crows. At first it was thought he wanted to return home to Queensland, but he has now nominated Sydney as his club of choice. It is likely that a third club is going to need to be involved to get this trade done, as Adelaide will ask quite a bit for one of their star forwards. It is a good chance for the Crows to pick up another big forward to replace Tippett, or another big defender to help with their personnel shortage down back. 200 gamer Michael Doughty has also announced he is hanging up the boots, so there is a hole in the defensive half that needs to be filled there as well. Besides that, the Crows will not be

looking to make any big list changes, after such a successful first season under new coach Brenton Sanderson. They will look for more development from their players and improvement to come from the lower half of the list. I believe that 2013 could be a good season for the Crows, if they keep up their good form and if they come back after their pre-season, a team that is hungry after coming so far in 2012. I think they would be looking at around 15-17 wins next year and a definite position in the top 4 next year as a pass mark.

Final Say:

Great season from the Crows, coming from the depths of the ladder, to second and being a strong contender in finals. You could say it was luck that robbed them of a Grand Final spot in their Preliminary Final, but in the end they just fell short. The development of players such as Dangerfield, Walker and Talia has been amazing and the club looks in good steads for quite a few years with a young bunch of leaders now coming through the system. I give the Crows an A for 2012.

The Bulldogs faced defeat many times in an overall disappointing 2012 season.

Season in a Snapshot

Ladder Position: 15th – 5 wins, 17 losses (67.01%)
Most Disposals: Matthew Boyd (721)
Most Goals: Daniel Giansiracusa (28)
Played Every Game: Liam Picken, Matthew Boyd
Debutants: Fletcher Roberts (2 games), Michael Talia (4 games), Daniel Pearce (5 games), Clay Smith (16 games), Tory Dickson (17 games)

Matthew Boyd had a great season, where he dominated the stats at the Bulldogs. He finished it off with his third club best and fairest.

Stat Leaders:

Kicks: Matthew Boyd (374)
Handballs: Matthew Boyd (347)
Tackles: Liam Picken (119)
Hit Outs: Will Minson (667)
Clearances: Matthew Boyd (139)
Contested Possessions: Matthew Boyd (308)
Uncontested Possessions: Matthew Boyd (412)
Inside 50s: Ryan Griffin (106)
Rebound 50s: Robert Murphy (85)

Best & Fairest:

1. Matthew Boyd (168)
2. Ryan Griffen (150)
3. Liam Picken (110)
4. Luke Dahlhaus (91)
5. Mitch Wallis (88)
6. Robert Murphy (86)
7. Tom Liberatore (81)
8. Tory Dickson (60)
9. Daniel Cross (59)
10. Brian Lake (57)

NAB Rising Star Nominations:

Mitch Wallis – Nominated for his round 4 performance against the Melbourne Demons. He picked up 22 possessions, laid 7 tackles and had 3 clearances. He finished 3rd in overall voting for the NAB Rising Star Award, receiving 19 of a possible 45 votes.

How did the Season go:

This season was never going to be a really successful one for the Bulldogs in terms of winning games and it is fair to say that we saw that throughout the year. New coach Brendan McCartney came in and they were always going to be struggling with injuries in defence to key players like Dale Morris and Tom Williams, while up forward they lacked a key target who could play consistent football. They started off with 3 bad losses, the worst a 63 point loss to the Saints, before they got back to back wins against the Demons and Giants. They were competitive against Geelong and Collingwood, won easily against Gold Coast and enjoyed a very good team win over North Melbourne. A 90 point loss to Sydney took them into the bye. Things went downhill from there, with their round 12 win against the Power their last for the year. They managed to get some key player back like Tom Williams and Brian Lake which were encouraging signs. Lake did spend a lot of time forward though to compensate for the lack of a real target up there. A lot of youth was used in the backline, with Roughead, Wood and Markovic given the key defence roles each week. They got carved up back there a lot of time, but they will get better with devlopment. They have uncovered some real gems in the midfield in the likes of Mitch Wallis, Tom Liberatore and Clay Smith, who have all had an impact on the game since debuting. The forward troubles continued, with Giansiracusa, Dahlhaus and Dickson being the main source of goals, none of them tall targets. The team is certainly improving, but still has a long way to go before it is playing consistent football that can put them into finals contention.

Excitement of the Season:

Youngster Mitch Wallis enjoyed a very good season at the Dogs, finishing third in the NAB Rising Star Award.

The excitement for the season for the Bulldogs would have to be Mitch Wallis. After playing only 6 games of AFL last year, the talented teenager cemented his place in the Bulldogs best 22. At the club, he finished 3rd overall for disposals, 4th for tackles, 3rd for contested possessions, 4th for clearances, kicked 7 goals and finished 5th in the club Best & Fairest. He also received a NAB Rising Star Award Nomination in Round 3 and finished 3rd in the overall award. A father-son selection taken at pick 22 in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft, Wallis exploded this year and provided a lot of run through the midfield. He was strong in the clearances and was usually quite effective in his disposal work. He will be a mainstay in the Bulldogs midfield for a long time to come.

Another who could win this award is Tom Liberatore. He has an almost identical story to Wallis, being a father-son pick drafted in 2010 and has really made his mark this year. His record was tarnished when he was arrested by police for drug possession and missed the last couple of months of the season from a club suspension. He should come back next season a better person and player.

Another I just had to mention is of course Luke Dahlhaus. He really broke into the side last season, but his work this year in the fledgling Bulldogs forward line has been phenomenal and really deserves a mention. He has always been around, kicking goals and getting in the faces of his opponents. He makes a very dangerous small forward who can push up the ground and get some possession as well. His season was cut short as well by injury, but he will return for a full pre-season.

Disappointment of the Season:

The disappointment at the Bulldogs this season for me has been Liam Jones. With Barry Hall retiring at the end of last season, someone needed to step up to take the key forward role. After playing 20 games last year and having somewhat of a breakout season, it was thought that he would be able to step up and play a bigger role. He disappointed though, with 12 games this year, interrupted by form and injury issues, only yielding 9 goals and only one game with multiple goals.  It was not a good season for him, but to be fair it would’ve been hard taking some of the best defenders in the league every week and not really having many tall bodies around him to help. He only played 1 game from rounds 15-23 as injury hit him and other tall players like Brian Lake and Tom Williams were used in tall forward roles instead with greater effect.

All Australian defender Dale Morris will be back to the Bulldogs lineup next year, to give some stability to the backline.

Another one who has had a tough year is Dale Morris, though through no fault of his own. Morris broke his leg in a sickening clash late in 2011 and was expected to return to the side sometime late this year. He made a return to the VFL mid way through the season, but could only manage a quarter of football before he felt soreness in the leg and has since had many more complications with it. The All Australian full back has no doubt been missed by the Bulldogs this season down back with the youngsters left to hold down his old position. He is hoped to be able to return to full training sometime near the end of the pre-season and the by then 30 year old should be able to play again.

Where is the club heading next year:

Next year looks encouraging for the Bulldogs. They should get back experienced defenders Tom Williams and Dale Morris to full fitness to provide a bit of strength down the spine of the team so the younger players can develop around them. Brian Lake will not be at the club however, with it today being announced that he is being traded to Hawthorn, along with the Bulldogs second round national draft pick, pick 27 for picks 21 & 41 from Hawthorn. This ensures that the Bulldogs will be able to get in some quality youth from a strong draft, and the loss of Lake should not be too great, seeing as he only has a couple of years left in him to play AFL. This leaves the club with 6 picks in the top 50, which will be able to see them get some quality youth players into the side. They are definitely a club on the rebuild and with a group of experienced players around them, these youngsters should develop into fine AFL footballers. One thing the Dogs should look at in trade week is another forward target, possibly someone like Chris Dawes or Scott Gumbleton. This would provide another strong body and stability to the side when they really need it. It looks to be an encouraging year next year for the Dogs, who are a young side on the rebuild with a new coach and new outlook. Expect them to be more competitive next year and to win a few more games. I would say somewhere around 8-10 wins would be the club’s target and a placing around 12th on the ladder would be a pass mark.

Final Say:

The Bulldogs are a club on the rebuild and this year will probably be their lowest year as they get in a good group of youth and start to slowly rise again. They did well in their first half of the season to win 5 games, but after the bye they were disappointing, with only 1 more win to the tally. Given injuries to key players and a lack of personnel up forward, you could still say that they have had a decent season, but they have certainly had their low points that they would like to forget. I give the Bulldogs a C+ for season 2012.

Heath Scotland with the 2012 John Nicholls Medal

In what was meant to be the year Carlton became a genuine threat for the flag, the Blues fell down the ladder, finishing in 10^th place with an 11-11 record. The Blues had many chances to finish inside the eight, but continuously dropped games they were expected to win. Their effort in these games was all but non-existent as shock losses to Port Adelaide and the Gold Coast ultimately doomed their season and coach Brett Ratten.

However, all can’t be blamed on effort, as Carlton was hit by an injury curse that derailed their fantastic start to the season, which had Carlton as premiership favourites after the round 3 demolition of arch-rivals Collingwood. Key players like Jarrad Waite, Michael Jamison, Andrew Walker, Kade Simpson, Murphy, Andrew Carrazzo and Rob Warnock all missed significant chunks of the year and they are only the tip of the iceberg. Just 3 players (Eddie Betts, Jeff Garlett and Bryce Gibbs) played in every match and lack of stability prevented the Blues from getting any momentum, especially towards the end of the year when finals where on the line.

In cases like this though, injuries can allow for rookies or second string players to make their mark and impress selectors. 6 players made their debuts this season and among them, Tom Bell, Andy McInnes and Levi Casboult have shown that the future of the club is in good hands.

Bell, whilst lacking skill with his disposal, has a matured aged body and attacks the contests fearlessly. Many have likened him to club great Anthony Koutoufides and he was awarded the clubs Best First Year player award last night. Carlton have offered him a one year rookie deal, however the Bulldogs have offered him a 3 year senior deal so stay posted to our day by day coverage of Free Agency for updates.

McInnes stepped up admirably in the absence of Laidler and Henderson as the 2^nd tall defender in the latter half of the year, regularly holding opposition forwards to 1-2 goals. Unfortunately, a severe knee surgery ended his season prematurely in the Gold Coast game and he will only return around May next year.

Casboult was an instant fan favourite after his breakout game against the Bombers in round 21, where he had 3 goals and partnered Jarrad Waite perfectly in the forward line. His ability to be a pinch-hitting ruckman will make him a better option in the future than going with another ruckman to partner Matthew Kreuzer. His strong pair of hands makes him one for the future, and will no doubt be a mainstay in the forward line if he improves his kicking for goal.

However, one of the biggest stories to come out of Princes Park was undoubtedly the re-emergence of former Demon Brock McLean. Called too slow for the AFL game, McLean continued his domination in the VFL for the Northern Blues and finally got his chance mid-season and he took it with both hands. McLean became one of Carlton’s most consistent performers in the 2^nd half of the year, revelling in winning the inside ball and clearances to finish 4^th in the John Nicholls Medal and 3^rd in the Brownlow for Carlton.

His year was capped off when he was offered a contract, one many thought wouldn’t come after he failed to break into the team in his first two years at the club.

Among the low points Carlton supporters will want to erase from their memories, three stand out above the rest: the losses to Gold Coast and Port Adelaide and the now infamous chicken wing tackle.

Both losses couldn’t have been worse for the Blues, losing by 54 to the struggling Port then being knocked out of the finals race by a resilient Gold Coast side. The effort from the players in both matches was lacklustre to say the least, especially in the Gold Coast game when so much was on the line.

Chris Judd’s tackle on North’s Leigh Adams continued his tendency for brain fades, following in light of the pressure points incident and numerous misconduct charges. It also made way for Murphy to step into the captaincy and shine for the 4 games he was in charge. Handing over the captaincy to Murphy now might help Judd to prolong his affectability before ‘Father Time’ – that inevitable drop off which looms ever closer with Judd now 29.

Goal kicking was a huge issue all season long for the Blues, 10 times kicking more points than goals in a game. Kicking a mere 51% in front of goal won’t win Carlton the crucial games that would have them sitting inside the eight, so any big improvement on goal kicking may get them back amongst the premiership contenders.

Amidst the doom and gloom of the season, there were upsides to be found. The Blues proved that they can still be a force as they showed when beating Collingwood twice and absolutely hammering Essendon, but consistency is needed if the Blues are to contest for the premiership next season. Players like Dennis Armfield and Andrew Carrazzo really stepped up this year to become integral parts of the side. Scotland and Kade Simpson continued to be the most consistent performers week after week but it’s the others who need to stand up. Bryce Gibbs, Chris Yarran and Jeff Garlett are three players who definitely underperformed this season and Carlton will need the drive of both Gibbs and Yarran off the half back if they are to return to the finals in 2013.

Carlton fans can look forward to a bright future after they signed former premiership coach Mick Malthouse immediately after the season. While expecting premiership success straight away is a bit ambitious, supporters can take comfort in the fact that Malthouse won’t take lightly to players putting in as little effort as they did in games last season.

Much can be made of this season for the Blues; it could be labelled as a wasted year due to injuries or a growing year, depending on the way you look at it. Either way, expect this club to bounce back stronger than ever under Malthouse, just don’t expect them to be challenging for the premiership in 2013. Time will be needed to adjust to Malthouse’s gameplan but finals are a must for this side, which is stocked with talent.

UPDATE: The hierarchy at the club have identified a need for another key forward and defender in the summer, and the club have already contacted Travis Cloke, Quentin Lynch, Kurt Tippett and Scott Gumbleton.

Ben Sathananthan is a first year Sports Journalism student at Latrobe University. You can follow his twitter at: @bensathsports

Engines – 2012 saw the introduction of both a freshly designed chassis as well as a new engine formula. The 2.2 liter direct injected turbo engines were extolled as the saviors of the series and the first tangible link to the turbocharged past that American open-wheel racing has been angling to return to. What we received was a bit more muted than we all expected. Admittedly, no one was expecting the 900 horsepower fire breathing monsters of years past, however I still cannot shake the feeling of being somewhat underwhelmed by final product.

At 12,000 rpm, these are the highest revving direct injected engines in the world. Impressive, and technologically distinct in the motorsports world, but they don’t have that sound. You shouldn’t need to see the track to know cars are whipping around; you should be able to feel it. The exhaust-muting turbochargers don’t even give that distinctive whine heard in years past. As a visceral experience, the new engine formula never totally enveloped me when I witnessed them in the flesh. But hearing those turbos dump their boost onto the hot exhaust tips made up for quite a bit of sustained volume.

All of that is forgivable, and I hope Honda and Chevy can find some more power with the seven months of development that is the offseason. I don’t think it is totally ridiculous to ask these engines to make 600 to 650 horsepower in speedway trim and 800 for road and street courses and short ovals. Over 20 years ago, 1.5 liter turbo engines that made nearly 1000 horses in race trim were the winning formula in F1. Let’s see how far we can go with direct-injected technology; we definitely are headed down a good road with the engine formula. An indycar is supposes to be scary because of its power, not from the handling.

Chassis – What started development as an absolute pig at the Speedway, ended its maiden season proving it could attack any type of racing environment with composure and repeatability. The DW12 more than overcame the expected growing pains experienced early on. Dallara proved they were committed to the series, and the fans, by continually developing the chassis until it became the fearsome competitor seen carrying drivers to the 15 checkered flags seen this year.

Throughout the entire year, we were treated to action not seen in many other forms of motorsports, let alone our little open-wheeled haven. Barber was one of the best road races I have even seen in terms of action throughout the field. All of the ovals were true tests of driver skill, team communication and engineering acumen again, not seen in the series in quite a while. From what we were expecting when the green flag fell in St Petersburg, to what we witnessed take the checkers in Fontana, I can definitively say the car accomplished more than what I ever could have imagined Dallara could have provided.

Is it beautiful? Maybe, maybe not, but in racing form usually follows function, and I can forgive any complaints about the looks if we continue to have racing like this. Honestly, it really doesn’t look too terribly awful after watching a partial season of F1 side-by-side a full season of indycar racing. Aerokits for next year? I’m so back and forth on the subject that I don’t know if I’m totally sold on the idea we need them if it would help the entities that make up indycar help revitalize the sport in other ways. But the manufacturers have been asking for them and I doubt they haven’t already spent some cash looking into their feasibility and possible initial design concepts.

Throw a moderate horsepower increase and a hair more downforce in relation to added power onto this thing and we could have a modern day classic in the makes right before our very eyes. The chassis has proven it could use a kick in the pants and the drivers seem to think it could as well. Now, to get those pesky engine manufacturers on board…

Track Selection – Although a true 50/50 split between ovals and twisties would be ideal, the thirds method of scheduling that thrust CART into the limelight was nearly replicated in 2012. I have given my opinions as to why the thirds scheduling is not the worst idea in the world, but we are not quite there. With only three natural terrain road courses: Barber, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma, there is a very obvious hole in the “most diverse series in the world” claim. I would love more ovals on the championship trail, but balance needs to be found in other areas as well. Natural terrain road courses are often negatively lumped into the same hate-filled pile at street courses. This is unfair, and with the amount of historic and high quality road courses in North America, one would think this would be a good route to take in schedule expansion, yet we haven’t caught wind of a single one looking to be added next year. Maybe the at-the-track business model is in a bit more trouble than we thought.

—

All in all, the nuts and bolts of 2012 were pretty well in place. If we ignore the farce that was the China round and glaze over the three week hole in the schedule created by it, the racing was fantastic and the equipment proved to be up to snuff in this initial development year. Power showed that even though the schedule is twistie heavy, you have to be on your game no matter how successful you are in one of the disciplines. Exploding engines didn’t become a factor in the championship story and they more than adequately powered the DW12 into the history books as possibly one of the raciest chassis ever to be created for indycar racing.

Next Wednesday I will dive into the people and “soft” aspects of the 2012 season as well a few final thoughts about what the heck we witnessed this year. From then throughout the off-season you can expect a single weekly post on Wednesday until the run into the 2013 campaign next March. And as always, thank you for reading!

Eric Hall

Nick Tilley – Season of interruptions – wedding/ill-timed injury – that probably cost us our only defeat, should not detract from the fact he scored the highest individual score of the season (131 not out) and had the best bowling analysis – 7-31, in a game that was the turning point of the season. 9/10

Tim Alldis – Described by many opposition as ‘the man they most want to get out’. By his very high standards an average season with the bat was more than compensated with his ability to seek advice and make the right decision as skipper. Made a fleeting appearance down the order, hopefully never to be repeated again! 9/10

Pervez Aziz – Exceptional all round cricketer who always seems to be involved in the game, whether it be with the bat, ball or in the field taking some great catches. Along with Tom has provided valuable advice to his captain and many others within the club. 9/10

Thomas Jones - Didn’t quite hit the highs of recent seasons , largely due to the success of those batting in front of him. Highlight of the season was his destructive 100 not out against Basingstoke & Northants. 8/10

Adam Jones – Fashion icon and priceless all-rounder. Has developed an uncanny ability to score runs when they are most needed, highly valued by his team mates and has worked hard behind the stumps both in his keeping and vocally. 9/10

Vishy Aeri – A returning ‘favourite’ who averaged over 50 with the bat and never failed to respond to the roles the skipper threw at him, whether it be opening or batting in the middle order. Still vulnerable to ‘old sage’ wind ups about his fielding! 8/10

Eswar Krishnamurthy – How lucky we were to have Eswar walk into our club rather than any of the other local clubs in the area! He’s provided great back up with bat, ball and in the field and exemplifies the team work that this side has shown. 8/10

Tom Lambert – When I heard Tom was returning I could not control my excitement! Even I couldn’t have expected the energy and commitment he put into our cause and along with Pervez added a new dimension to our approach – ‘professionalism’ – top effort! 9/10

James Lambert – If ‘Bongi’ has had a better season than this then I can’t remember it! Has bowled with both pace and accuracy and made valuable contributions with the bat – averaging 74.00, which if you have a spare hour or two he will talk you through. 9/10

Andy Dick – The maroon, gold and green of DCC runs through his veins and he shows it every time he takes the field. Bowled some miserly spells (2.85 economy rate) and often put the brakes on, ensuring that the opposition didn’t get off to a flyer. Invaluable! 8/10

James Dick – Unbelievable that he had to wait until the last game of the season to get his first five wicket haul – 5-49, but bowled far fewer overs than in previous years. However this never detracted from the effort he put into his bowling and fielding – much improved! 8/10

Teamwork – The real star behind the success of this team has been its ability to pull together when others fail – immeasurable! 11/10

 Ian ‘Jacko’ Philpott

To put it bluntly, last season for Aston Villa was an absolute clusterfuck.  Villa ended the season in 16th place with a mere 38 points after being sucked into the relegation battle due to some shocking second half of the season form.  Quite a turnaround in fortunes considering they were challenging for Europe, League Cup finalists and FA Cup semi-finalists just two years previously.

Now that the dust has settled on Alex McLeish’s unceremonious stint and now Paul Lambert has taken the reins Villa fans will hope that this spells the start of a rebuilding process in a brighter chapter of the club’s rich history.  Furthermore, it provides me with the ideal opportunity to run the rule over the last 12 months.

McLeish’s tenure was always unlikely to be successful from the start.  While he was never going to fully win over the Villa faithful due to his connections with fierce rivals Birmingham City, it was ultimately results and the worrying future direction of the club, not tribalistic grudges, that provoked the ire of the fans.  From about the midway point is was become evident that Villa were heading for trouble, as predicted by Tom Julian

Stats don’t always tell the full story but in this case they make for stark reading.  Villa’s seven league wins was the worst in 121 years (when there were only 12 teams in the league) and the last time Villa Park crowd witnessed a victory was all the way back in November.  The 17 draws equalled the record for most in a single 38-game Premier League season and in Europe only French side Brest drew as many.  An average of 43% possession and just 37 goals scored – half as many as Messi! – saw Villa amass their lowest points tally since the ill-fated reign of Dr. Jozef Venglos back in 1991.

The fact that Birmingham were relegated last year with more points (39) shows just how close Villa came to the drop and underlines McLeish’s serial failures.  Big ‘Eck contrived to draw 42% of his matches in the last 2 seasons, scoring 0.97 goals per game – the highest draw rate and lowest goal rate of all Premier League teams.  In 152 Premier League matches with Birmingham and Aston Villa, he has accrued only 162 points and his teams have scored only 158 goals.  It is not a surprise that attendances were down 9% and, simply put, shows that McLeish is simply not good enough at this level.

So what went wrong? Frankly, a lot.

Onenoticeable and well documented area in which Villa struggled was with their SET-PIECES.  At Birmingham, McLeish forged a reputation for well organised and effective set-pieces, both defensively and offensively, and the minimum most fans expected was that McLeish would incorporate this into the Villa setup.  However, the exact opposite was true.  Villa did not score a single goal resulting from a corner and conceded a higher percentage of goals from set-pieces (47.2%) than any other Premier League team in 2011-12.  Given that Norwich conceded the lowest number of goals from set-pieces (17%) suggests that hopefully these frailties will be ironed out by Lambert next season.

Another hallmark of McLeish’s tenure was the negative and overly defensive tactics,  highlighted by the amount of games drawn.  The example that most stands out was the decision to play Heskey and Hutton on the wings in the 2-0 loss to Spurs.  The amount of times Villa went ahead first in games and then sat back at 1-0 only to be pegged back or lose occurred with a frustrating frequency and in total Villa dropped 22 points from winning positions, more than another team in the top flight.  Notable examples were the capitulation from 2-0 up at half time to lose 3-2 to Arsenal in the FA Cup and the 2-1 loss to Bolton late on in the season.  Even more agonizing was the number of times that these goals came in the final 10 minutes of the match.  The injury-time own goal from Richard Dunne against QPR in the 1-1 draw in September plus late equalisers against Sunderland, Liverpool and Blackburn highlighted Villa’s inability to hold on and grind out a victory when employing these negative tactics.

This lack of metal was endemic of what I see as a general indiscipline around the squad.  From Bannan’s drink-driving incident to the end of season scuffle involving Collins, Herd and Delph these off-the-field misdemeanours were further unwanted sideshows and to a certain extent had a destabilizing effect.  While the players have to take a degree of flak, it also represented the lack of control on McLeish’s part.

Then of course an element of BAD LUCK certainly played a part.  Darren Bent’s injury in late February ruled him out for the rest of the season and robbed Villa of their main goal threat – painfully evident considering he ended as top scorer with 9, four more than the next highest scorer.  Captain Stiliyan Petrov’s diagnosis of acute leukaemia was awful on a purely human basis but it also meant Villa lost the heartbeat of the side and crucial experience in the centre of the park. Furthermore, the loss of Dunne to injury for a while meant that at the business end of season Villa were without the spine of their team.

In a league where such fine margins can be the difference between success and failure it’s possible to look at a few moments which quite possibly ensured the Villains their top flight status.

The first was Andreas Weimann’s dramatic late winning goal versus Fulham.  In a game that looked destined for a draw, deep into injury time Bannan turned and squared to find Gary Gardner whose shot from the edge of the area was fumbled by Mark Schwarzer where Austrian youngster Weimann was on hand to force the ball into net after his initial diving header was saved.  Scrappy it most certainly was but nevertheless it was a great and thoroughly unexpected win in which three young subs combined for the winner.  That win proved to be vital as without it Villa would have only survived on goal difference.

A second key moment was Given’s late save against West Brom to keep the score at 0-0 and give Villa an all important point.  Given has been one of Villa’s better performers this season and that fantastic save in a closely fought derby late on the season seemed particularly valuable.

Finally, the third thing that helped keep Villa was Robbie Keane’s loan spell.  Although the move was mocked a bit before, the Irishman’s contribution turned out to be essential as he provided a spark of creativity that Villa were desperately lacking.  In particular the game against Wolves in which Keane scored two fabulous strikes – the first an instinctive first time swivelled strike from the edge of the area, the second a thunderbolt that crashed in off the crossbar from 20-odd yards – which gave Villa a much-needed 3-2 victory.

These three incidents, in my mind, were absolutely crucial to Villa avoiding the drop and once again it underlines just how close we came to going down.

Not wanting to sound all doom and gloom, there have been a few rays of light. The main positive has been in the form of the YOUTH in the squad.  The likes of Nathan Baker, Eric Lichaj, Gary Gardner, Chris Herd and Andreas Weimann have all gained vital first team experience and have performed admirably, especially given the circumstances, and could become important figures in the future.  Ciaran Clark was dogged with a few injures and while the progress of Marc Albrighton, Barry Bannan, Fabian Delph and Nathan Delfouneso may have somewhat stalled under McLeish they remain players who are still young and hopefully will thrive under Lambert .

However, Villa can’t rely on youth alone and need to strengthen the squad in order to give the talented players the environment to improve.  Brett Holman will join on a Bosman and Lambert has reportedly been given a 25mil war chest to revamp the squad.  How much of this is actually available is debatable but nevertheless this summer should see some new faces (which will be discussed in an upcoming blog) arrive at Villa Park.

So to conclude, it has been a season to forget by all accounts but rather than dismiss it as a one-off we must learn from previous mistakes in order to move forward.  The appointment of Paul Lambert is a massive step in the right direction and I, like many fellow Villa fans, will be hopeful of steady progress under a no-nonsense manager who is clearly intelligent, ambitious and hungry for success.

Stats provided by Opta and WhoScored

North’s season didn’t really get going until after the mid-season break. Highlights of those first 10 games included a historic 129 point win/training drill against the new kids on the block (not the band, but the Greater Western Sydney Giants), and one hell of a clutch win against the Cats at Etihad Stadium. On the flipside, you could almost certainly consider the losses to the lowly Bulldogs, where North were annihilated in contested ball, and Port Adelaide, where someone told the playing group the game finished at three quarter time to be low points. Very low.

Heading into their match against Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium, the main question was how to stop the Hawks juggernaut in athlete/phenom Buddy Franklin. Unfortunately, it appeared that someone forgot to ask the question at the match committee, and Franklin ran riot – kicking an astounding 13 goals and enabling Anthony Hudson to froth at the mouth and shriek “ThirteeeeeEEEEN!” into the microphone over and over again. North went down by 115 points, the football world booed and hissed from a distance as they would a leper, and the season – at 4-6 – looked in disarray.

Not pictured: the 21 other players North Melbourne tried to use as defenders

The season got a lot better from then on. North Melbourne decided not to be the weird kid that gets picked on a lot anymore and in an entirely metaphorical sense, stood up to the bullies. They proceeded to go 10-2 over the last 12 games of the season, sweeping aside fellow finals contenders Adelaide, Carlton, St Kilda, Richmond, Essendon and Collingwood. Their only two losses came against West Coast (where Dean Cox picked the Eagles up, strapped them onto his back and carried them across the line) and Fremantle. North Melbourne finished the season with a 14-8 win/loss record, and headed to Perth for a do or die elimination final against West Coast, where they duly died to the tune of 96 points and a heckling laughter that this author has not quite been able to scrub off yet.

What worked?
The emergence of young players, like Shaun Atley and Kieran Harper was a positive sign for North. Atley made half-back his own with lightning pace and the run and carry of Harper was a delight to North fans used to seeing the same from Brent Harvey. Speaking of Harvey, the little genius continued to show that he knows nothing of age limits, particularly during his 3-goal third quarter against Essendon which effectively won North the game. Ben Cunnington began to show signs of his top-5 draft pick prowess. Drew Petrie (a top-5 finish in the Coleman medal) and Andrew Swallow made the All-Australian squad, and the mental resilience of a side which looked down and out after halfway through the season, shone through to add some gloss to a season where North finally made finals under Brad Scott.

What didn’t work?
North made the finals and subsequently received a brutal lesson in intensity from the battle-hardened West Coast side in the colosseum-style atmosphere of Patersons Stadium. A young side ran out of legs. In terms of players, Jack Ziebell earned himself a holiday at the hands of the MRP and didn’t look quite the same bullocking player he was before the suspension. A backline which conceded the 5th most points in the competition, no real key backman to play on the gorilla forwards, and losses to teams like Port Adelaide & the Western Bulldogs were sticking points. Brent Harvey will sit out the first 6 weeks of the 2013 AFL season after a crude effort on Daniel Kerr in the elimination final.

Ziebell’s bump on Carlton midfielder Aaron Joseph which earned him a 4-week suspension

What to do next year?
Finals will again be the aim for North Melbourne. After encouraging signs this year, Brad Scott will again aim to have his troops march into September, only perhaps this time in Melbourne instead. Youngsters in the VFL like Brad McKenzie, Aaron Black, Hall-of-Famer-in-waiting Majak Daw & Aaron Mullett will surely see their chances at senior football in 2013.

Who wins the Best & Fairest?
Andrew Swallow does. The inspirational captain took his game to another level in 2012 and deserves his third Syd Barker medal.

Report card?
North Melbourne matched expectations this year by appearing in finals. Their heavy defeat displayed a tired outfit which will need to improve on this aspect in the off-season. Younger players stood up and didn’t allow themselves to be bullied, but losses in games where a win was expected are unacceptable. Must improve on this next year! All round, a solid showing.

Jordan Witte is a first-year Sports Journalism student at LaTrobe University. You can follow his inane ramblings on Twitter @wittsjw

As was in 2011, This was a familiar sight for Port fans this season (Slattery Images)

Port: 14th. 5 wins, 16 losses and a draw.

Simply by looking at the ladder you would say that Port Adelaide’s season has been a very disappointing one. However if you look a little closer you will see that 2012 has been a large step in the right direction. As bad as the Power have been this season, they have come leaps and bounds on where they were in 2011 and have shown enough to suggest that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

What went right:

Port Adelaide won two games (as well as having a draw) more than last year and jumped above the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne on the ladder. A gritty first round win over the more highly fancied Saints in round one got them off to a good start.  A number of honourable losses against Collingwood, Sydney and Essendon followed showing that the power were able to match intensity with the top 8 sides for sections of matches. The miraculous comeback against North Melbourne in Round 8 is not only a highlight but also one of the clubs greatest comebacks in their short history. Port Adelaide also managed to avenge their embarrassing loss to the Gold Coast last season with an impressive 48 point win. They showed off their rock solid defence in a stingy 28 point drubbing of Melbourne. However the highlight of the season without question is Port Adelaide’s 54 point demolition of Carlton. Not only was it their first top 8 scalp in a few years but it was a ferocious four quarter performance and an example of what Port Adelaide are capable of when at their best.  The power also managed to be much more competitive this season with their 72 point loss to Hawthorn their biggest of the season.

What went wrong:

A lot of things. The biggest issue this season was once again the inconsistency. Their ability to play like a top 8 side one week and then turning up lifeless and disinterested the next was disheartening for supporters, and sadly there were too many examples of the latter. For 5 quarters this season Port Adelaide were held goalless. Twice this occurred in the last quarter when the game was up for grabs.

There were also too many slow starts in games such as the ones against West Coast, Fremantle and Richmond. Port Adelaide’s inability to play four quarters saw them overrun a number of times in very winnable games. The biggest disappointment was once again losing to the new expansion team, this time Greater Western Sydney. The Alberton boys produced an embarrassing display that saw them go down by 34 points and including a defeatist last quarter. This game ultimately proved the end for Coach Matthew Primus who left the Power with few highlights in his short coaching career. There is also the continuous issue of low attendance. Port Adelaide achieved their lowest home crowd in history this year with a mere 13,683 turning up to see them take on the Eagles.

The players:

Once again it seems the club needs to take a long hard look at itself in the offseason and find out who is not pulling their weight. In a disappointing season, there were a few shinning lights that will help lead the power in the future:

Brad Ebert- With 17 goals and an average of 23 possessions per game he provided an X factor in a sometimes lifeless team. His courage when going for the ball and great marks will certainly help drive Power fans through the gates. Ebert is my tip to take out the clubs best and fairest after a fantastic year.

Jay Schulz: Provided a strong presence up forward all year. Was the clubs leading scorer with 42 goals and was able to provide a strong headache to opposition coaches.

Kane Cornes: Was again Port Adelaide’s leading possession winner and also the tagger on a number of occasions. The driving force in a lot of the Power’s forward attacks. It’s a shame he is in the twilight of his career.

Travis Boak: Although hampered by injury still was one of the clubs most prolific ball winners and also had the ability to kick goals. Has signed a contract with the Power for the next two years which is great news for fans.

What they need:

The clubs needs to take a detailed look at the players. Who has potential and who should be traded. Justin Westhoff springs to mind; he has so much potential and yet has produced so little. The club also needs to improve its midfield. Other than Boak, Ebert and Cassisi there is no class or well known names that can match the likes of a Hawthorn, Richmond and Carlton midfield. They also need another consistent forward. Schulz played the lone hand up there with minimal help from Stewart and Westhoff. Lastly the ruck stocks at Port Adelaide are looking bare. Lobbe and Renouf are hardly considered top ruckman and have struggled against dominate ruckman such as Dean Cox. Put simply the Power need more talent, young up and coming players that take the game on, are exciting and will bring supporters through the gates to watch them.

2013 and beyond:

Simply, Port Adelaide needs to become consistent. Beat teams that they should as well claim a couple of upsets. The players themselves need to improve their skills as they frequently turned the ball over this season. They also need to reduce the distance between their best and worst because at the moment it is much too great.

They must also find an experienced coach. Primus was way too inexperienced to deal with the struggling club. They need a coach who has done it all before, for instance Brett Ratten. For 2013 to be a success the Power must climb up the ladder and while it is unlikely that they will play finals next year they shouldn’t be too far out of the 8.

Success may still be many years away but the fans need to remain loyal and also patient. Remember since 2000 Port Adelaide have won 3 minor premierships, played in two grand finals and won a premiership. That is a lot more than a lot of other clubs have achieved in that space of time.

Prediction: 12th with 9 wins. Expect a few more wins at home next season against the lower clubs but still not enough to make the finals.

The overall lasting impression from this Spring season is that it was highly variable between what everyone loved.  Though it is debatable on what anime were blockbusters, the season remained highly variable between what everyone loved.  And while patterns existed among fans and a general trend can be determined by pooling a number of fans together, there were no clear-cut favorites like previous seasons with Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Steins;Gate, and Ano Hana.  Though Fate/Zero tends to be the most acclaimed anime of the season from my perspective on fan perception and response to this season, it never felt like as distinguished or separated from the rest of anime like the other anime were.  And because I have that in my ‘To Watch’ list (a backlog that continues to be neglected with every passing season), I cannot rank it as high as many feel it deserves.

Beyond that, the Spring season had a number of beautiful and brilliant animation, including a number showcasing retro-style character designs.  Bright, colorful palettes painted our screens this season, though that does not discount the gloomy anime which also presented talented and detailed animation in their respective shows.  Overall, the visual aspect of this season was unmatched.  The anime industry thrives on art and animation (it is its medium), and this one featured some of the best art and animation consistently across a season for as long as I can remember.  In addition, the use of sound, generally that in the form of background music, proved to be excellent, too, making this season somewhat of a sensory overload for our eyes and ears.  The characters were respectable, though nothing truly groundbreaking this season.  The plots were somewhat substandard to what I had hoped or expected but that’s just my opinion on the matter.

Every anime receives a numerical score (between 10-5 as well as a D [delayed/dropped]) and is placed in position according to how they rank against each other from top to bottom, helping differentiate position among anime receiving the same score.  Included are my favorite characters for each series as well as my opinions on the best Art, Characters, Entertainment, Sound, and Story.  Lastly, each anime is paired with its own review which provides my overall thoughts on the anime in addition to explaining my reasoning behind the score and ranking.  And with that, onto the individual reviews.

Sakamichi no Apollon – 9

Favorite Character: Sentarou Kawabuchi

Review – Rightfully earning the top spot for this Spring is Sakamichi no Apollon, an outstanding anime that tackled the highly emotional ups and downs of teenage relationships with the wonderful accompaniment of jazz.  Sakamichi no Apollon featured a fantastic art style that remained detailed throughout, never showing lethargy in style or animation, and clearly detailing the emotions of the characters through their faces and body language.  The characters felt complex through never too complicated to follow, something that allowed these people to make an impact in each other’s’ lives without stealing the show outright themselves.  The use of music, especially that of jazz during concert scenes, became the highlight of the show, being the peak of emotion and a phenomenal representation for how the relationships between the characters were played out.  You often never see music used in this way which is why it has the best Sound of any anime this season despite not being my favorite soundtrack.  I appreciate the anime taking place in a setting outside of modern, urban Tokyo and focusing on an unexplored era and location, but it almost felt underused given its potential.  And while the anime had a few flaws, often being too heavy in the melodrama and a few uncharacteristic moments, the anime was a favorite for the entire season.  It never did anything groundbreaking but it performed excellently in every key area that I look for in an anime.  Without a doubt, Sakamichi no Apollon earns the top spot this season.

Tsuritama – 9

Favorite Character: Unnamed, uncredited tomboyish girl with short, spiky, black hair who sits 2 desks directly behind Yuki at school but like disappeared after episode 3 and never really had any speaking lines but was the cutest girl in the anime (Picture of her [on the right])

Review – This anime displays the triumph of a simple story with a cast of delightful characters on a vivid and colorful palette.  Tsuritama managed to interweave the stories of four young men, each with their own personal challenges and obstacles, around a central theme, bringing everyone together for easily the best Story of the season.  The way Tsuritama incorporated all four men together and focused on each individual character and story without enveloping itself completely in these stories shows how remarkable the storytelling in this anime was.  And each story within this anime was exceptional, too, a collection of simple stories that never became too heavy or complex and felt extremely rewarding and worthwhile when finished.  The art and animation in Tsuritama was rather basic in terms of the character design, but the choice of colors blew me away with the art keeping my eyes glued to the screen.  I tend to prefer an art style where the backgrounds and sceneries outshine the characters themselves, so I felt fortunate in that regard.  And that soundtrack was marvelous; that peppy flute track still sticks with me to this day popping in my head at times that always makes me smile.  In terms of faults, Tsuritama has only a handful with most being personal nitpicks with the series.  One of the most memorable is how simple the challenges were for Yuki to overcome, never seeing him really work at fishing nor overcoming his social phobias.  Like, for a hero, I wanted to see more from him, but that’s what you get with a noitaminA anime with a limited timeslot.  Regardless, Tsuritama was an anime that made me smile throughout and barely, just barely, missed out on earning the top spot this season.

Tasogare Otome x Amnesia – 9

Favorite Character: Kirie Kanoe

Review – Tasogare Otome x Amnesia or Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is perhaps the best example of how significant the role of director is for an anime.  While the plot of the anime tells the story of a melancholy romance between a naïve boy and spirited ghost and cast with rather simple character personalities, Tasogare Otome x Amnesia blew me away in how its story unfolded and the visual mastery that accompanied this disheartening tale.  Most anime with similar sounding clichéd romances often leave me unexcited or uninspired because they deal with basic problems between the characters who act immature at all times.  And while Amnesia experimented with melodrama, it never felt overwhelming but remained gloomy and troubled throughout.  And it almost had the perfect ending, too, though some part of me finds gratification in those final scenes.  Additionally, the visual aspect of Tasogare Otome x Amnesia was unparalleled.  Not only was the use of lighting and color in every episode sensational, often creating the mood and heightening the emotion, but the selection of shots gave every scene in the anime a fresh perspective despite never leaving the grounds of a high school.  With each shot were obscure or hidden details that further illustrated the current affairs on the screen, from the shapes of shadows, to the number of props, to the placement of color or light, to even the direction the camera is facing; this is what makes an anime fun to watch.  Anytime an anime fascinates me in how it selects its shots and uses colors and light to express emotions, change things, or make the scenery gorgeous, this anime absolutely deserves to be considered for the best Art of the season and Tasogare Otome x Amnesia earns exactly that.  That being said, there is some room for disappointment in the series, too, especially with how Kirie and Momoe felt underappreciated throughout the series.  There were some issues early on with the romance but those resolved when the anime tackled the issue directly.  I know some people disliked the fanservice but it only bothered me in that it was typical anime clichéd humor which, as I recall, is never funny and never will be.  But even with those errs, Tasogare Otome x Amnesia earns an impressive 9 and will be remembered as one of my favorite anime of the Spring season.

Sengoku Collection – 9

Favorite Character: Gennai Hiraga

Review – Exploding into the upper-echelon of the Spring season is Sengoku Collection, a wonderfully refreshing anime with distinctive and ultimately fun episodes every week.  Unlike most anime which follow a cast of characters around and has a structured plot, Sengoku Collection spends every episode with a different character, learning about their transition and life in modern Japan with only a few common threads connecting the episodes.  Because of this method, every episode remains unpredictable and often special, even though the story or the characters might not be themselves.  This innovative style has captivated me.  Every new episode is thrilling in the fact that you don’t know what you’ll get yet almost every episode remains fascinating, enchanting, or entertaining in some way.  Though it is not the highest ranked anime of the season, it has quickly become my favorite for how enjoyable it is.  Perhaps one of the biggest aspects to this is that the series is lighthearted and easy-going, too, never becoming overly complicated or heavy and often humorous without being over-the-top.  It also helps that virtually every character is a young, cute maiden based loosely off famous Sengoku personalities, something that is a worn-out cliché in anime but not worn-out here since we basically get to meet them only once.  Surprisingly, the regular citizens of Japan are fantastic, too, sometimes outperforming the Sengoku girls themselves.  And given how effective the cast has been throughout, Sengoku Collection earns the distinction of having the best Characters of the season.  The animation feel somewhat substandard, never anything impressive or noteworthy, but the colorful display and use of artistic motifs, along with the varying styles in certain episodes, gives the anime a favorable impression visually.  That and there’s often zero fanservice in each episode or, if present, usually played as a joke without feeling sexualized or dirty.  Unfortunately, there are disadvantages to this series which are a byproduct of this innovative style.  The unpredictability means each episode will ultimately be hit-or-miss based on the characters and their story, so some episodes have been better than others and one was out-right atrocious (*cough* episode 3 *hack*).  Likewise, we only see each character once, so some of the ones we grow attached to over the course of the episode do not reappear, though perhaps we need to wait until the finale for that to happen.  And though that is a complaint, always meeting a new character each week has proven to keep the series original and always moving forward which ultimately outweighs the disappointment in not seeing old favorites.  Fortunately, the anime is continuing into the Summer with its second half, so Sengoku Collection has the opportunity to rise even further as we saw from the start of the season to now.

Jormungand – 8

Favorite Character: Koko Hekmatyar

Review – Jormungand is at a crossroads for me.  While I am definitely enjoying the series, there always appears to be something that prevents me from gaining the same satisfaction or pleasure as I feel with other anime.  Following the adventures of Koko and her team has proven to be amusing, especially when they’re not risking their lives to make another deal.  The characters are fun but they often feel shallow, especially compared to the leading trio of Koko, Jonah, and Valmet, who have all been given multiple episodes to explore and establish themselves.  The art style expresses animation well and plays into the comedy at specific times, so I’ve been content with that.  It hasn’t been anything astounding but it has been solid throughout.  So yeah, sounds like I should be in love with this anime, right?  Well, that’s where the plot comes in which carries the main burden of why I’m not enjoying this anime as much anymore.  Though I find most story arcs to be entertaining, the series feels unfulfilling which has tarnished the series for me somewhat.  I realize the anime is progressing with a plot in mind, but I can’t honestly say I’ve been enjoying watching Koko succeed in deal after deal in every setting of the globe.  The anime repeats the cycle of presenting Koko with a seemingly difficult challenge but her winning without doing much of anything.  And it’s the same recipe for the action, too, with Koko and her team never feeling in danger because of how invincible they are.  Seriously, there is no challenge in this anime, it’s just Koko goes here and does this and goes there and does that and everyone else who stands up against her dies.  Honestly, it’s like playing a video game without the chance of your character dying.  It really detracts from the series in how the story and action play out, but that doesn’t mean I hate the stories or the action entirely.  It’s just ambivalence which explains why this anime is at a crossroads at its halfway point.  We’ll see how it ends up when it returns and concludes itself this Autumn.

Hyouka – 8

Favorite Character: Houtarou Oreki

Review – Transitioning my view of Hyouka from a mystery anime to a slice-of-life anime has proven effective as it has steadily pulled me into its story and characters and made the anime more gratifying.  The delightful cast of characters is easy to like and show tremendous chemistry which changes appropriately depending on which characters are together.  The mysteries were somewhat lackluster and even something down-right boring, often pertaining to the trivial matters of high school teenagers, so transitioning my focus from this to that of a slife anime has given me a new appreciation of the series.  Taking my attention away from each mystery, I’ve grown to enjoy the characters more and find their lives outside Chitanda’s momentary curiosity to be more eventful and interesting than any mystery that comes their way.  However, the mysteries continue to persist in the anime as a dominant theme and, while entertaining in their own right, are my least favorite aspect of the anime.  I actually find it more enjoyable to see the three friends influence Houtarou and how he grows as a person rather than figuring out why a teacher yelled at a class after given a very specific set of observations.  The artwork is outstanding and, in terms of technical detail and animation, the best of the season.  I’ve grown fond of the soundtrack, too, though it’s more in terms of personal preference rather than anything significant to the anime itself.  The anime doesn’t often make many mistakes and is appeasing but it never has done anything that’s ‘wowed’ me or inspired me in some way.  Those aren’t marks against the series but a reason why it hasn’t placed higher given its merits.  Hyouka has been great throughout, solid and consistent, but lacks anything that motivates or encourages me.  That’s pretty much my definition of an 8 which is why Hyouka earns exactly that.

Acchi Kocchi – 8

Favorite Character: Hime Haruno

Review – Whereas most anime segregate groups of friends between all-guys and all-girls, Acchi Kocchi ignores this unspoken rule and creates its story around a close-knit circle of friends in their daily lives that includes both sexes.  And without needing to focus on the romance or sexual-tension between the characters, Acchi Kocchi allows itself to be a delightful, relaxing, and amusing comedy without doing anything stupid or distracting.  Every story focused on some aspect of the lives of these students, often at highschool or around town, and pertained to them having fun or hanging out.  With episodes focused on playing Kick-the-Can, cooking lunches for each other, or just relaxing on vacation, this anime was able to effectively communicate its humor without spending too much time on the set-up, story, or anything else that’d subtract from this anime.  The characters were all entertaining but over the course of the season, they became somewhat one-dimensional because the anime never really factored in their growth and elected to keep them the same from start to finish.  The art style was colorful and often chibi, given everything an uplifting and cute feel to it which played well into making it feel comfortable and tranquil.  As a comedy, it had some of the best humor of the season and got me to laugh or smile more than just about any other anime this season, but that hardly means it was perfect.  Many skits and jokes grew tiring as the anime continues as they were the same in the beginning as they were in the end: Io always was clueless but every girl loved him, Hime was always timid and scared of everything, and Tsumiki was never honest with anything.  It was wonderful at first but grew stale as the series finished twelve weeks later.  Although that is a huge fault for me in comedies, it was the only major mistake for this anime.  Acchi Kocchi is charming, peaceful, and revitalizing comedy that truly felt like a group of friends having fun together than any of those fake set-ups that most anime rely on for their stories.

Lupin III: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna – 8

Favorite Character: Daisuke Jigen

Review – After falling in love with the series initially, Lupin III: A Woman Called Mine Fujiko failed to live up to its potential and ultimately ended as a fine anime instead of an outstanding one.  Initially expecting all the characters to meet up in the middle of the series, have some excitement together, and then solve the mystery of the series, the anime continued to have everyone separated and spent their times on trivial matters before creating some makeshift ending with decent exposition.  But the time spent on Oscar, a character that was unnecessary in the grand scheme of things, as well as certain stories like the Cuban Missile Crisis analogue really brought the series down because of how it remove the anime from its adventurous and thrilling spirit into something boring and undesirable.  The characters proved to be strong enough on their own to support the series but the heart of any Lupin series is having everyone together, something the series chose to dismiss for the purpose of its story.  And while the story was acceptable in the end, a somewhat interesting tale that progressed as a weary pace, I felt it could have been done with everyone working together as a team than as separate entities.  The art style was fantastic given the use of heavy lines as shading on top of powerful colors.  The character designs were true to any Lupin series but carried with it a sense of detail that elevated it to a superior quality than virtually every other anime this season.  The only fault on the art was the constant presence of bare breasts, obviously a statement of Fujiko’s sexuality and charm in general, but that felt unnecessary as well.  There’s a theme here with the faults of the Lupin series and that is it included stuff it should not have, overburdening itself and including pointless elements for the sake of being artistic, being different, or simply making a statement.  The series would’ve been much better without these aspects but, because they were included, the anime falls and is placed appropriately among the middle of the anime this season.

Space Brothers – 8

Favorite Character: Masa Hoshika

Review – Space Brothers is another anime that fell over the course of the latter half of the Spring but still merits a respectable score for its overall achievements rather than its errors.  Where Space Brothers succeeds is in its cast and humor, a bunch of characters who have enough personality and flaws to make them entertaining to watch yet realistic enough to believe they are human and the competition or support for Mutta as he works to become an astronaut.  And the comedy specifically is geared toward awkward situations that are humorous because they are so relatable.  It is the humor and characters which keep this anime in a positive position.  The story has begun to crumble and the storytelling stale; an unending cycle of Mutta being faced with a challenge that spells certain doom only to overcome it in an unconventional way and remain alive in his journey to reach space.  The story has stagnated with another set of tests to end the season, something that the series hopefully grows out of soon.  We all expect Mutta to pass and for him to begin training with another set of characters, so why this has to continuously drag itself makes little to no sense after having it for almost an entire season.  Of course, one rewarding aspect of the series is how detailed and comprehensive it is, so by taking its time with its story, it has provided many overlooked aspects of the series which is something I personally like in an anime such as this one.  However, speeding itself up is something I would like, too, and that doesn’t necessarily mean a sacrifice in quality either.  Hopefully the anime can redirect itself this Summer or reinvent itself because otherwise, it’ll remain here as a low 8 or potentially drop to a high 7.

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san – 7

Favorite Character: Yoriko Yasaka

Review – Although I know a minimal amount of Lovecraft’s works, I found myself entertained and pleased with Nyaruko-san, a somewhat screwed-up comedy that excelled at parodies and satire.  The comedy in this anime proved to be effective for almost every skit and quickly became the best part of this series.  The characters, while somewhat weak individually, were outstanding together, especially when they would imitate or lampoon some specific aspect of our nerdy culture, and made the series a joy to watch.  Unfortunately, for the actual plot of the anime, a somewhat bizarre romantic harem for an normal boy with three cutesy, moe aliens, I found myself unsatisfied because it never really progressed but, as a device for comedy, it was highly effective and made for a number of witty gags throughout the season.  The art and animation was less than desirable but, for a comedy, does it really matter if we’re laughing most of the time anyway?  The failure to progress the romance was another negative but that’s also dismissed because it worked well for the comedy and that was the main reason why I watched this anime.  That being established, not every episode was as entertaining as the rest and the series alternated between hit-and-miss throughout.  Considering the number of misses and the undesirable romance elements, the series ends up as a 7 which, in terms of most comedies, is good but not as good as I had hoped with Nyaruko-san.

Mouretsu Pirates – 7

Favorite Character: Ursula Abramov

Review – Despite being a low 9 at the end of the Winter season, Mouretsu Pirates ultimately concludes its series with a high 7, showcasing quite an unexpected drop with a woefully disappointing second half.  What caused this sinking for the pirates is merely for the fact that it lost its identity by switching over to the cast of schoolgirls and their issues for a majority of the series and only reverted back to “piracy” at the end as a lame excuse to explain the piracy in this anime.  This anime never felt like it fully accepted its pirate label, even at the end when they gathered together to fight a common foe who killed pirates because they wanted to give them the choice to be pirates or something asinine.  Either way, the anime regressed in the second season.  The spotlight shifted from the interesting and optimistic Marika to Ai for some unknown reason and persisted for a majority of this season.  And while the schoolgirls make alright side-characters, they should never have been given the reigns of this anime like they were allowed.  They were all so basic and lacked any redeeming qualities, so the anime staled in terms of developing its regular cast which it desperately needed.  The lack of piracy throughout felt like a scramble for the series to re-identify itself at the end but, by that point, the series was a mishmash of various space elements strung together by a novice captain without any ambitions or direction.  My thoughts on the art, music, and setting remain unchanged from the previous reviews of this anime, all pluses for the anime.  However, the drop in characters and plot are inexcusable for this anime which is why it crashed and lands amid the 7s for a final score.

Zetman – 7

Favorite Character: Konoha Amagi

Review – Zetman was a decent anime that often fluctuated between good and bad, understandable and confusing, or enjoyable and distributing almost constantly.  Because of this variability in every episode, I never found myself absorbed in the story or the characters.  Without getting hooked in this anime, I never really felt any emotions on way or another for what difficulties the characters were going through.  Perhaps a major fault here is because the enemies they fought were random monsters that we had no reason to care about; they just appeared, attacked, and lost.  It’s almost like the anime wanted action but never fully prepared us for it nor did they explain it well in the story.  Honestly, all the enemies were forgettable in this anime which is a disappointing fact considering how crucial the fighting and action is to the anime as a whole.  I never got into the characters because their philosophies were their personalities and they seemed cold and secluded compared to everyone else, though Kouga was less than Jin.  Everyone else was underdeveloped or unimportant and everyone else felt kinda meh.  The retro art style employed in this anime was a strength for this anime and it performed extremely well in terms of animation, especially during the fights which the anime critically depends on.  The soundtrack had a number of rousing and heroic tracks which played an immeasurable role in promoting the themes and atmosphere of this anime, so it had one of the more effective soundtracks this season.  The setting with the monsters and power-suits and shounen-style fighting turned out better than I anticipated but never understanding the monsters or appreciating their shape and uniqueness really blunted this aspect of the series for me.  In the end, I’m left wondering what could’ve made the anime more enjoyable for me because I am stumped at where it went wrong.  I realize that I’m discounting the anime because of this situation but it appears to be a flaw in my mind which is why Zetman scores and places as low as it does.

Medaka Box – 7

Favorite Character: Yatsushiro

Review – Though Medaka Box appears near the bottom of my list, I personally found the anime to be delightful and found it to be satisfying based on its cast of fun characters and their wacky adventures.  The best element of Medaka Box was how the cast participated in the comedy with no character being immune and often subject to criticism on their quirks or flaws.  The comedy was often clever, too, with Medaka being in a position of power but often times clueless or misunderstood leading to a number of awkward but hilarious situations.  The cast had a respectable set of characters, even those outside the student government.  Shiranui always made me smile and laugh, a surprise for an energetic loli character who has a slightly evil side, and Medaka proved effective, too, in how clueless she was at times.  Kikaijima, Hitoyoshi, and Akune all had their moments, too, but played second-fiddle to the two masters of comedy in this anime.  It also made me happy to see characters reappear throughout the story, even when they were subjected to the background or playing nonessential parts in latter episodes.  Isahaya, the captain of the track team, made appearances and had speaking parts in just about every episode after she was introduced which showed an effective use of characters.  But beyond the characters and comedy, Medaka Box never really inspired me.  While the fighting was decent, it never really excited me like I had hoped.  The fanservice was basic and felt unnecessary at times, though I guess it played into the lighthearted nature of the anime but never was directly related to the jokes besides a few undressing scenes.  The setting, another anime stuck at a school and stuck in a club, is something I’ve grown tired of in anime, so it’s basically a mark against the series at this point.  And the plot… I don’t actually recall any plot… Unless the anime was a string of episodic stories about Medaka solving people’s problems, I have no clue what direction the anime was going in.  The art and animation were fine, mostly basic and standard, but it did lead to some amusing moments when concerning the shots it was animating.  Overall, I personally enjoyed the comedy and characters of Medaka Box, but I won’t use it as a means to advance over arguably better anime this season.

Upotte!! – 6

Favorite Character: M14 (Ichiyon)

Review – Upotte!! is an anime that really never elevated itself off the ground for me, remaining constantly anchored though proving to be worthwhile from time to time.  What gives Upotte!! this unfavorable score and ranking is based on how the anime never really entertained me or motivated me.  The comedy was often crude or plain, never really enough to make me laugh but I do recall numerous jokes that tickled my fancy and got me to smile.  The cast of characters never really had any personalities that made them memorable or distinctive; they seemed different when together but were featureless when apart.  As I recall, the anime remained haphazard in terms of its story, never really doing anything with itself besides disconnected stories about their school-life or how they were guns but also girls.  Yeah, the gimmick in this anime is what hooked me in but there was really nothing else exciting or noteworthy besides having girls that are guns who use guns to be better guns (but it turns out they can’t kill humans and only other guns but who’s keeping track).  And once you realize that they’re just random personalities attached to these labels, the anime suddenly becomes undesirable.  The art never really caught my eye with it bouncing between sad to terrible, though the fanservice in this anime was at a minimum given my expectations for a XEBEC anime, so that’s a plus.  It was still unnecessary and often detracting from the anime, but at least it didn’t become the anime like some other anime from XEBEC.  It had a few bright moments but overall, the anime had nothing in terms of characters, story, art, and sound.  Besides being entertained by the series from time to time, Upotte!! really isn’t much of anything after you get past the fact that the entire cast of characters are supposed to be guns.

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? OF THE DEAD – 5

Favorite Character: Yuki Yoshida (Tomonori, Maelstrom)

Review – Though I did enjoy the first season of Kore wa Zombie desu ka? given its style of humor and harem cast of characters, this second season destroyed the anime for me given its constant faults and other annoyances.  Perhaps the most offensive is that the anime refuses to change or progress in any way.  The characters never develop, instead acting the exact same as they always have and repeating that tired, stale humor that defines their characters to the one-dimensional anime stereotypes that they all are.  The anime depends too heavily on inside-jokes from the first season or otaku-directed humor like boobs and fanservice and whatnot as humor but these are failures because one set of jokes have been overused and lost its humor and the other set has never been funny and, unfortunately, never will be.  The anime also relies a bit too heavily on fanservice but these scenes are always the same with Ayumu getting a boner or something and the girls beating him up for seeing them semi-nude or something.  Seriously, why do anime keep using these situations as jokes?  It’s pathetic to have to sit through this crap, hoping there’s something worthwhile in the episode, only to find out that there was nothing this week but the same content and humor as the previous season.  The harem set-up has grown awful in the fact that it hasn’t progressed and all the girls won’t admit that they love Ayumu because that’s somehow good romance or good comedy.  And the animation was abysmal at times, though the character designs are still respectable and perhaps the best aspect of this franchise.  But does that really matter when all the characters are tired clichés of anime archetypes?  I honestly don’t recall any positives to this series besides a few decent jokes but that’s it.  I suppose the one good thing I can say about this anime is that I finished it without dropping it which is better than I can say about some.

Notable Spring moments:

Best OP: Tsuritama (Tsuritama was the only OP I never skipped all season.  Really enjoyed quite a few this season including Sakamichi no Apollon, Sengoku Collection, Acchi Kocchi, and many more.)

Best ED: Sengoku Collection (There were quite a few less ED that I liked this season with most of them being skipped. Zetman and Tasogare Otome x Amnesia both had endings I enjoyed.)

Biggest Surprise: Sengoku Collection (Going from off my radar to my favorite anime of the season, quite an easy decision here.)

Biggest Disappointment: Mouretsu Pirates (Despite being fun this season, it was a failure in comparison to the first half.)

Best Finale: Medaka Box (The only anime that saved its best episode for last.)

Most Hated Character: SAKO RK95 (Upotte!!) (She was a bitch.)

And so that ends the Spring 2012 Anime season review.  Much like last Spring, I did not rank a single anime with the top score of a 10 and both noitaminA shows ended with 9s.  That season, however, Steins;Gate continued to impress with a powerful Summer and ended up being my second favorite anime of the entire year.  Sengoku Collection is the only 9 that’s continuing into the Summer from this season and it was my favorite, too.  Perhaps if the anime season another strong summer, it will end up reaching the coveted 10 as well.  Of course, a few of the other Spring anime are continuing into the Summer as well, including some excellent ones in Hyouka and Space Brothers.  Should be fun to see how these anime continue, along with all the rest, in the Summer anime season which is already well underway.

Anyways, if I already had season preview posts and first look posts, I guess I should also conclude my opinion on them. Here they are, the shows that I watched in this season, in descending order of how much I enjoyed them.

Mysterious Girlfriend X

If you dropped, or didn’t even looked into Nazo no Kanojo X because “eww… drool fetish…”, then you are a prudish fanservice hater, who is even barking up the wrong tree this time. Yes, the show is very sexual. Nudity happens. Panty shots happen. Then there is the drool thing. And it’s not fanservice. It’s not gratuitous. I wouldn’t even call it titillating.

I already wrote a full analysis about one aspect of the show, it’s strong pro-abstinence message. The last episode brought up another interesting theme, that is just as rarely discussed in the teenage romance genre: the improbability of high school sweetharts staying together. The story that Tsubaki’s sister told, is definitely more common than the idealized “one true love” that anime often implies. And Urabe also thought that, the rest of the episode is about her trying to avoid this, and seriously getting closer to Tsubaki as a family member, instead of just as “that girl from school”.

I don’t hate the portrayal of one true love in anime. In fact, I like it. But pointing out that reality doesn’t work like that, just made MGX all the more sweeter, because right after making that statement , it still implied that Urabe and Tubaki will stay together.

Fate/Zero

For all the talk about how there are too many teenagers in anime, it’s pretty ironic that in this one series, everyone was drooling over the plotline about a whimpy teenage boy’s coming of age story. Well, I guess Rider balanced it out with all the GAR, but it’s still ironic.

I’ve never really understood the appeal of watching detached, battle-hardened emotionless badasses fighting against each other.   Why should I empathise with them? Urobuchi Gen also seems to understand this, because almost all the scenes with these people that even attempting to be emotional, were revolving around their relationships with Sakura, Ilya, Rin, Shirley, and… Waver. Ok, let’s face it. Waver is moe as fuck.

Hyouka

Oh, yeah, by the way, I’m also listing the unfinished stories. Hyouka was definitely one of the better things that happened in this season, and that tells a lot, because this season was generally awesome. Hyouka is probably one of the most intelligent detective anime ever. Not  just in a single obvious way, like “the mysteries are not dead dumb and obvious”, or “the detective isn’t an omniscient genius who pulls inexplicably correct theories out of his ass”, but generally, you can feel in all the dialogues, that it was written by omeone who really knows his detective mystery canon, and is really determined to share it with us. There is a huge difference between those shows that half-heartedly throw in a Holmes shout-out,  like “Elementary, my dear Watson”, or the iconic costume, and those that start an engaging description of the difference between Doyle’s and Christie’s themes, about Knox’s Commandments,   or about narrative tricks, and their role in media.

Hyouka is to the mystery genre, what Bakuman is to manga publishing, Spice and Wolf is to economy, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes is to polsci.

Maybe when KyoAni chose to adapt it, they hoped to sell it based on character appeal, and continue milking their reputation as the makers of high school club activity series, but the main story itself, wasn’t written for this. It wasn’t intending to follow a trend, but to tell an enthusiastic author’s dream story, and as such, I would respect it even if I wouldn’t actually be interested in that theme, or if Chitanda wouldn’t be adorable. (But coincidentially I am, and she is.)

Space Brothers

Well, Uchuu Kyoudai definitely isn’t an ordinary anime. Or is it? There is a reason that I placed it this high up, and it’s mostly the same what I said about Hyouka, just replace “mystery” with “space travel”. There is a strong sense of passion in how the author treats space travel, it will resonate well with anyone who shares the same feelings.

But my misgivings about it also turned out to be right, especially the one about it’s main hook: Adult protagonists. What could be a way to tell truly different stories, became just  gimmick. Mutta’s puppy love towards Serika, Serika’s food obsession, that Osaka guy as comedic foil… they could all be replaced with various teenagers from other shows, and there wouldn’t be a difference (other than in a few lines, plus we would need some justification of why they are sending teenagers to space).

It’s not exactly harming it, but it still feels like wasted potential.

Sakamichi No Apollon

First of all, I told you:

Musically, I wouldn’t expect much from it other than nice BGM, and maybe 3-4 full music-playing scenes during the whole series. Even if the show is about jazz, animating instrument usage is expensive, music recording is expensive, and for most unmusical viewers, adds nothing to the story.  It’s not like K-on had so few concert scenes only because KyoAni hates you, either.

Go, me! Anyways, I wasn’t all that interested in jazz to begin with, other than being amused by the fandom’s reactions to it. As a teenage melodrama, Apollon was a solid piece,and I enjoyed it, but I ended up hating it for the time skip in the last episode. My hatred of years-long time skips spent with waiting for each other, greatly surpasses my love of good anime. It’s just so… annoying.

Sankarea

If we would want to compare Sankarea to the original manga, (and we will, because it happens to be one of the few manga that I am reading), the anime adaptation was all over the place. It had some improvements, some failures, and some that could be interpreted as either. I could have written whole episodic summeries about tracking it, how the first episode had this high quality directing,  with Shaft-like effects and then the next episode detailed Rea’s backstory in an original, but very appropriately placed subplot. And then it was a harem comedy, with zero substance. And then there were the Mero and Wanko filler episodes, that weren’t nearly as appropriate as the expansion of Rea’s story. And then it went back to the first episode’s serious-artsy mode with the Danichirou arc’s closure, that sounded a lot less credible after all that zig-zagging.

As a result, Sankarea had it’s share of problems, but I’m still mostly thankful for at least trying to  do stuff, instead of just being a harem comedy.

Eureka Seven AO

I’m not sure if the problem with that show is that it needs more Eureka and Renton backstory ASAP, and some explanation on what the hell is going on since the original story, or it should stop calling itself Eureka, and admit that it’s an entirely different   surfing mecha series, in a world with entirely different rules and a different subgenre (with more mindfuck and secret organization politics, but less “team members trusting each other”  and “kids being heroic”).

In either case, it’s stuck between the two options, that makes it hard to enjoy.

Spring review:
A ranking list based on what series I enjoyed the most and a short reasoning behind it. On-going series excluded.

1. Fate Zero
I think it is to no one’s surprise that F/Z ranks top as it is generally the fan favourite, with a captivating story and stunning animation to back it up. Popular shows are popular for a reason, and F/Z manages to live up to the hype. I don’t really need to say more.

2. Tasogare Otome x Amnesia
TOxA comes in at no.2 simply because Yuuko is just that awesome. Although the first half seems quite random with minimal plot development, the second half is what truly made this series such a great watch once the main story came into the picture.

3. Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? OF THE DEAD
Zombie started out promising, the gags were golden, but the bizarre ending kinda affected its ratings. Despite that, the stellar cast of characters; really funny jokes still makes this a worthwhile watch for fans of the comedy genre.

4. Zetman
Surprisingly, this particular seinen show is very entertaining even though I did not have much expectations initially. As a non-manga reader I still could tell that a whole lot of content was skipped but I would say that Zetman definitely exceeded expectations.

5. Saki: Achiga-hen episode of Side-A
Little girls playing mahjong, what else is there to say? Oh they have those ridiculously overpowered abilities that take away the fun from playing mahjong though watching it on the other hand is a totally different story.

6. Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
Best parody anime I’ve seen in a while, not that I’ve watched many of these. Rather episodic in nature but the sheer amount of references, yuri and even yaoi vibes makes Nyaruko-san a decent watch at the very least.

7. Sankarea
Solid adaptation that follows the original closely, however the slow pace and inclusion of original content that felt out-of-place kinda made this a painful watch at certain times. Good standard romance with a sprinkle of comedy and fan-service every now and then.

8. Medaka Box
I don’t know what to really say about this, other than the point that I liked Medaka’s character more than I thought I would. The initial episodes seemed to be themed around school-life but the sudden shift into the shounen genre with all the fighting towards the end really make me wonder – what exactly is Medaka Box trying to achieve, and yes I did hear some stories about the manga itself regarding that too.

9. Mouretsu Pirates
At this time of writing I am still on ep 20 out of 26 and suffice to say that speaks a lot of how much I enjoy watching this anime. I know of many who enjoyed the whole space opera kind of thing, but to me the overall pacing felt too slow and slice-of-lifeish without the presence of an overarching plot. Certain arcs were boring although some of them were actually really worth the watch. I would say it comes down to a hit-miss kinda deal regarding Pirates as a whole.

On (possible perma) hold:

Jormungand
I’ve put this on hold since I’m not really a fan of guns nor the military themes., the opening episode didn’t leave an overly positive impression as well. Might check this out again before the second half airs.

Shining Hearts: Shiawase no Pan
Really beautiful visuals and animation but that is about it, I guess Tony Taka’s artwork and faithful rendition of it isn’t quite enough to get me to continue watching this on a weekly basis.

Queen’s Blade: Rebellion
The only reason why I even bothered to watch this is because of the boobs plot. Don’t ask me why but somehow I managed to finish the first two seasons in the past so not continuing with the story doesn’t sit well with me as I’m a perfectionist. Will marathon once I have the time since the subs were very delayed which is also part of the reason why.

Summer preview:
My picks and why.

Rinne no Lagrange 2
This was one of the rare times where I actually marathon a series based on what people have said about it. In S1 the first few episodes were very forgettable hence I initially stopped watching after ep1 but as there was literally not much of a conclusion in S1, hopefully this continuation will give us the answers we’re looking for.

Binbougami ga!
Comedy with a setting that is more different from the norm along with Hana Kana so why not?

Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate
Romance/Comedy + Harem + School-life + Adaptation. Although this is as mainstream as it can get, the cast is quite stellar though which is also a huge plus when it comes to genres like these.

Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru!
Romance/Comedy + Harem + Fan-service. This looks familiar (looks up), basically they’re both fairly similar with only ecchi as the main difference, the cast featured here is different but still stellar nonetheless.

Hagure Yuusha no Estetica
The title and cover picture totally misled me to thinking that this is a standard shounen; action genre type of show. Hell no, after watching the PV this is literally ecchi stacked on top of ecchi and closer to borderline H. I’m having qualms about covering this but I’m really curious to see how far will the boundaries be pushed since the level of ecchi I’m talking about rivals “legends” like Yosuga no Sora / Seikon no Qwaser (not that I’ve watched either of those).

Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai.
The lesser of two evils when compared to Estetica, but still high on the ecchi levels all the same. The main difference is what I would term as “tasteful” fan-service, in that it isn’t shoved right into the viewers face till the point where it actually gets repetitive. The manga was a decent read so gotta check out how this adaptation turns out to be.

Campione!
Finally, the typical shounen; action; fantasy-type of show that is more or less a mainstay in every season. Features a cast with big names and the premise doesn’t sound too awful so I’m giving this a watch.

DOG DAYS’
The only real reason why I watched S1 was because of the really stellar cast (biggest of the big names), the actual plot itself feels extremely lacking, but once again I do not like to leave stories unfinished thus I’m watching this to see how the plot progresses from where it has left off.

Sword Art Online
Probably the “must-watch” of the season, if you liked watching Accel World then this is definitely going to be a must since both LNs are written by the same author.

Kokoro Connect
Probably the second “must-watch” of the season after SAO. Decent cast, gender-bender shows aren’t really a common sight these days, definitely going to be an interesting watch to see what direction this anime is headed in.

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon II
Another one of those continuation-type of series that I am following. Can be extremely complex to understand at times due to the nature of the series (a LN with 1000+ pages, a whole lot of content skipped, background information not explained), nonetheless despite all these shortcomings Horizon still manages to be a good watch once a certain level of understanding is achieved (hell I still don’t remember most of the cast yet).

Closing thoughts:
This post is late, I know it. I’m still trying to adjust to this kind of weekly schedule and honestly it isn’t easy especially considering that I fall under the “lazy blogger” category. Once I catch up on the backlogs I should be alright though.

This first three months wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, at times things are smooth sailing and at other times obstacles such as fatigue; real-life commitments start to pop up and once the backlog starts snowballing it really becomes a nightmare. Fret not, I’ve learned that I should not bite more than I can chew, therefore I’m only going to cover 3-4 shows this season (with the exceptions of First Impression posts).

When it comes to writing, I’m by no means a good writer (far from it I would say), although I’m attempting to improve my writing style slowly and steadily. I’m by no means an efficient/disciplined blogger as well since I still spend hours working on a post (including distractions) as I tend to procrastinate. However deep down inside I try really hard to get the posts out with quality and not just quantity (although these days I tend to favor shorter posts with “quality” over longer posts with “quantity”).

If you like what you’ve read so far, please continue to support this site! I haven’t had the time to advertise/promote this site because I’m not too confident with my works just yet and also due to the “lack” of time. I’ll get everything up to speed ASAP so I can start to toy around with new ideas (been thinking about those for a while now). Thanks for reading and do feel free to spread the word around, I’ll deeply appreciate that!

THE OFFENCE

Normally you would see a review of the players’ individual performance thus far, but there just isn’t room for that in a blog like this. Instead we’ll look at some team statistics and overal impressions.

For the purposes of this post we’ll make the assumption that the desired end-game for the Blue Jays is playoff appearance sometime very soon. While a World Series win is the obvious goal, it may be unrealistic to expect that right away. Instead, based on the stated desires of the team’s management, we’ll analyze the Jays’ performance based on the intent to appear in the post-season. Statistical rankings are based on American League teams only..

American League Batting Stats as of June 10, 2012, organized by team WAR. Data from Fangraphs.com – full size

For those who are not comfortable with some of the more esoteric SABRmetric statistics, I’ll start off with some of the more recognizable metrics.

The team’s batting average sits at .248, ranking them 10th. That’s not a good sign, but seeing as batting average is not the be-all-and-end-all of hitting prowess, it’s not a definitively bad signal either. Texas currently leads the AL with a .282, and most of the other contenders are in the mid-.260s. On-base percentage numbers are significantly more important, but the Jays aren’t much better here – ranking 10th at .314. Usually a team needs to be in the .325 range to remain competitive.

The Jays do rank 2nd in homeruns, with 85 to the Yankees’ 92. Hitting homeruns is good (and fans sure do love seeing them), but excelling at this stat is not remotely necessary to indicate success. Scoring runs is significantly more important, and the Jays rank 3rd in this category, with 293. The team ranks 6th in both the slugging (SLG) and on-base-plus slugging (OPS), which is a very encouraging sign. Sadly, in the case of slugging, three of the team’s division rivals (Boston, New York, and Baltimore) rank above the Jays. In OPS, both Boston and New York rank above Toronto.

Getting into the more rare Sabremetric stats, we start with ISO. I like to include Isolated Power as a stat primarily because it measures some of the most exciting moments in a baseball game, extra base hits. The Jays rank 5th in the AL, at .170, and that is also encouraging, though not surprising with the high homerun total.

But as we get farther away from the generic stats, and move into the deeper parts of baseball analysis, we show why the Jays just are not the dominant team they must be to continue their hopeful rise to success.

BABIP (batting average on balls in play) numbers are down all around the league, but the Jays’ .275 mark (ranked 12th) is troubling. This means the team, when hitting a ball into play, is only successful 2 3/4 times out of 10 (should be much closer to 3 times out of 10).

Fortunately that’s the worst news for the Jays, as far as advanced statistical analysis is concerned. The team ranks 6th in wOBA, wRAA, and wRC; 5th in my favourite category, WAR; and 7th in wRC+, and WPA. Unfortunately, in all of these categories, there are two or sometimes three other AL East teams ranked higher than Toronto. This is usually Boston or New York, with the Tampa Bay sneaking in too.

THE PITCHING

American League Pitching Stats as of June 11, 2012, organized by team WAR. Data from Fangraphs.com – full size

There’s no doubt that the Jays’ pitching started off as the team’s strongest aspect. That may have softened a bit, but the club still boasts some encouraging numbers in the more analytical stats.

The Jays ranks 7th in ERA, with the Red Sox (no surprise) as the only AL East team not ranked higher. Not striking out a lot of batters ins’t particularly indicative of anything meaningful, and the Jays rank 11th in that stat. Leading the AL in walks per 9 innings, and having the worst strikeout to walk ratio, are obviously nothing about which to be proud, and the pitching staff will have to improve on that through the rest of the season. The team is also 10th in WHIP (walks plus hits, divided by innings pitched), which indicates they do allow a lot of baserunners (more on that later).

Pitcher BABIP is the first stat where the Jays start to look decent, ranking 2nd, only behind the White Sox at .271. Only the New York has a better left-on-base percentage (LOB%), and the Jays sit at 75.5%. This number is about 3-5% higher than historical averages and goes to show that their inflated WHIP numbers might not be that serious.

Numbers for both FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) and xFIP (Expected) do not engender any confidence. The team is dead-last in the former (at 4.68) and 10th in the latter (4.25). This is the mark of what the team’s ERA ought to look like based on performance on balls in play being at the league average (FIP), and then a regression of that stat which more accurately diagnoses homerun susceptibility (xFIP). Historical league average is around 4.00 for both stats.

Given that the FIP/xFIP numbers are so low, it should come as no surprise that the Jays rank last in the league in tERA, the stat that attempts to show a team’s true runs allowed. It’s similar to FIP/xFIP, but does take into account what kind of balls in play a pitcher allows (ground balls being better than fly balls).

Last, but certainly not least is WAR or Wins Above Replacement. The calculation for this is probably closer to magic than something I can easily explain here (just kidding). The pitching staff isn’t knocking the lights out in this category either, and rank 13th, only beating out the lowly Minnesota Twins. This WAR stat seeks to ask how much value the team would lose if they had to remove their entire pitching staff and replace them with “fictional” AAAA or bench players. A pitching WAR of 2.3 indicates the Jays wouldn’t lose much.

THE DEFENCE

There are not a lot of meaningful defensive stats in baseball, so I won’t provide a chart for this section. However, I should point out that defensive runs saved, or DRS, is probably the Jays’ strongest suit thus far. They easily rank first, at 58, the next closest being the Red Sox at 35. League median is around 5, and the Yankees have the lowest DRS at -20.

The Jays are middle of the pack in ultimate zone rating (UZR), but do thankfully carry a plus rating of 4.4. It’s a little early to put too much stock in any of these stats, and when the TZL (total zone location) and FSR (fan scouting report) information comes in we will know more.

WRAP-UP

So where are the Blue Jays so far?

They rank in the top half of the league in a lot of offensive categories, but it’s not much help when their competitors for a playoff spot in the American League are generally doing better. If the on-base percentage numbers do not improve there is no hope for this team this year.

Some of the pitching stats are downright scary, but others are encouraging. Keeping runners on base, and getting outs when balls are batted into play are important, but allowing runners on-base (especially so many walks) is inherently dangerous. Keep a close eye on the xFIP numbers to see if this staff can improve.

The Jays play the defensive shift very often, carefully studying the spray charts of their opponents and setting up accordingly. This is why you see players where you wouldn’t likely expect, though perhaps not as much as their division rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s encouraging news, but defence cannot win you games…it simply helps to keep you in the game.

In short this team needs to improve its run differential in comparison to their division opponents. Looking back over the history of baseball, the ability to score many runs, and allow as few as possible, is the hallmark of all successful teams. It seems stupid and obvious to say it, but it is nonetheless true and bears repeating.

Appearances: 21          Goals: 10

Second Half of the Season

Appearances: 22          Goals: 3

Daniel Sturridge has been a case of two halves for Chelsea this season. He was Chelsea’s go-to man in the first half of the season as he won rave reviews for his goal-scoring, leading Chelsea’s charts and many times single-handedly carrying the team. Winners, equalizers the kid was doing everything right.

But cue poet-December and it seemed like he just disappeared. Plagued by inconsistency and poor finishing he endured a spell of 17 games with just a solitary goal against Birmingham (a very good header at that though.)

Yet it was not the lack of goals that got Chelsea fans riled up, if so Torres would be somewhere else, but the one single trait of Sturridge that the fans began booing was his selfishness. He just seemed to never pass the ball and fans all over the world, me included began to get fed up with his refusal to pass and insistence on running with the ball himself and launching shots from outside the box. A prime example of this was in the 5-3 defeat to Arsenal; in the first five minutes of the game Sturridge had two opportunities to set up Torres who would have been primed to score but he instead pulled the trigger himself and invariably missed.

While goal poachers are a distinguished breed, Sturridge seems to almost take them to a different level and when he does decide to pass, they tend to be poor and vision-less barring a few of very high quality. Having said that, his pass completion rate last year was close to 81%.

So is this something Chelsea should be worrying about? Is his stubborn and unyielding nature a cause for concern? It should also be noted that he only has a year to run on his current Chelsea deal and that only complicates matters. I personally think he should be given more time and here’s why.

Daniel Sturridge is an extremely impressive player and the statistics he put up last year in 28 Premier League games –  11 goals and 5 assists – in his first full Premier League campaign are very good. Of course there are issues with his passing and shot selection but I’d rather put up with them than not have him at all. He’s 22 remember and he has much time to hone his art.

Daniel offers me a few of the characteristics I had with Hulk when I was with him in Porto. I use him on the right so he can come in on his left foot, but the good thing is he creates unpredictability when he goes on his right and uses his pace. Daniel adds technique to his pace and it’s good to have that as well. Sometimes you can have players with pace and when they get to the ball they’re so quick they struggle to control it and move it forward. – Andre Villas-Boas

I was a huge fan of AVB and still am; I feel he was hard done but the point is that we have our English homeboy being compared to Hulk in the inverted winger role and that Hulk is supposedly one of the best in the world.

The problem could lie in that Sturridge sees himself as a center forward and not a winger. This belief is what fuels his rather selfish play and I’m not overtly worried because players tend to be fiery and obstinate in their youth.

I do still see myself as a striker but I am doing a job for the team and I’m enjoying doing it”. Sturridge also said that he models himself on  Thierry Henry who, “played wide for Juventus and then went to Arsenal and played as a centre-forward.

What I see in Sturridge is hunger – a hunger to play the game, to start and to score. He’s young and has bags and bags of potential. Chelsea can sign whoever they want but they shouldn’t forget this young Birmingham lad because he is definitely special. We have a winger and back up center forward in him and do remember his position and style of play follows a very similar carrer trajectory to that of a Portuguese player who goes by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has the skill and temperament to be a world class player for England and Chelsea. Don’t let him go Stamford  Bridge, you’ll only regret it. Here’s a final show on why he should stay.

Not the best video ever taken but it shows Chelsea what this kid is. He’s cocky, confident and sure of himself; we need that.
Man City and Liverpool are supposedly bidding north of 15 million pounds for him but unless somebody offers 30, we’re not selling him. Thats all. What do you think?