The coach with the most! Ep 14: This is Mission Impossible

Here's the rub: Even though I won last week, I need the following to happen this week if I am to stand even within sniffing distance of the finals.

I need to win against Griffith Sux in a major way. 

I need Crippa to lose, in a major way.

I need Brandos to lose too, just because.

Oh and I need to find 3 new Forwards this week because the ones I have are on holiday this round.

Not even Tom Cruise would be keen to take on this mess.

Almigo, I am not keen. - TC

And things were looking okay for a while too. Could we be in any more dire circumstances than this?

With just two more rounds before the top five make the finals, here's our situation: 

A win for me and none for Crippaaa this round means I go into sixth place. If I win spectacularly well and Brandon loses just as badly, I may sneak into 5th too. Then I have to hold the fort there in round 14 which is another kettle of badly smelling fish entirely with the BYE round system already throwing a massive bag of spanners my way. 

Because with the next lot of teams taking a break this week, this is my entire Forward lineup: 

Yes, just Dustin Martin. That's all I have. And it's not like he can score 4x to cover everyone missing. Not even a spare FWD on the bench to sub in either. 

And as good as Dusty is, the predictor has me set to lose massively if I don't do something about this lack of forward line quick smart..

Chops and changes

Broad who hung around for the length of a cup of coffee is gone back to the Free Agent List and gives me a chance to grab a new FWD. So joining Dusty is fellow Tiger:

CALLUM COLEMAN-JONES (RICH) FWD/RUC

His history is not great, he's only played two games this season. Luckily there were over the last two rounds and since he did okay, maybe he can impress team selectors for the next two weeks to help get me through?
It's a lot to ask, I know but there really aren't too many spare Forwards left with any decent history this year so I'll take what I can get..

McCarthy who lasted just as long as Broad did also goes hunting for another team, which allows another Eagle to hopefully soar:

JAMIE CRIPPS (WEST COAST) - FWD

A full playing history, not a great one. While I'm not expecting him to perform miracles (no wait, I am) I am hoping Jamie provides something up front. 

That just leaves Dale to worry about. His AVG is good so I don't want to part with him yet but I need to find someone close enough to him to be part of the team so someone else will have to pack their bags.

Robinson, I know you've just showed up but things aren't looking great for your career with this team all of a sudden..

Hardly a wicked Wednesday    

Curious to see if anyone of note has showed up in the Free Agent section so I can patch up my undermanned Forward line, hilariously the first name of someone who fits that bill turns out to be Duryea. Who I would welcome back, were he not about to take a week off for his own bye.

This close to welcoming you back

Luckily there's a spare Cat in there who could prove handy in a pinch. Sorry Robinson, it's time to go to make way for...

TOM ATKINS (GEELONG) FWD

A pretty average season for Tom with a couple of glimpses of high scores, hopefully another one for this round (please mate, it'd go a long way in helping..)

But the good news is, we sport a full team again! Will it be strong enough against Griffith Sux though?

Computer says:

No.

Even with two players short, the computer is predicting Rod's team to win by just 28 points. But we shall see computer, we shall see..

FALL SHORT FRIDAY

It's a good news/bad news scenario start to this round (and the return of AFL Thursday nights).

The good news: Griffith Sucks is three players short which will hopefully go a long way for a victory on my side.

The bad news: Well that would be new recruit Atkins..

...who obviously misheard my request to 'go out there and give it your all', somehow hearing 'Get out there and make up the numbers!'

Predicted to make 76, he doesn't cough up even half of that with a lowly 35. Not the massive launch into this round we needed at all..

THE REST OF THE WEEKEND

I don't know how many times I checked the Supercoach App over the long weekend, only to find that the margin between Rod's group and myself changed all the time. Sometimes a sizeable gap, sometimes close. Once a game was over, we'd get a wildly different prediction which led me to ultimately give up the random checking.

And so with the washout of the weekend, let's throw over to....

Wait, who's doing it this week?

Actually did you organize someone again Bull Man? Please don't tell me the wheat loving farmer is back for another run..

Sorry boss, it's Disco's turn. I let him know we needed someone a week ago.

Oh god..

Boss, it's all good! Allow me to introduce the 2012 runner up of the Spiritual Advisor of the year Southern Hemisphere competition and green for life advocate Sensual Moonbeam!

Wait, what?

Blessed greetings to you all, children of the Earth! Tis I, Sensual Moonbeam, daughter of the moon, beloved of the sun and warrior of the healthy boom, ready to look at the challenges of the weekend and sort the mung beans from the tofu, the soy from the smog and the chai lattes from the kale smoothies..

Oh for fuc-

Peace, love and a bag of harmonized beans to you Coach Almigo. I'm sensing some negative vibes emanating from your aura so maybe it's time to realign your chakras? If you like I can lend you my charged stones to get your mood swings under control? Anyway, let's look at how things rolled out when the men took to the field and danced the dance of competition over the last three days.

We've already reflected on the misgivings of young Atkins but experience brings wisdom and my circle believes there is more to come for this young man that the planet Mercury has a soft spot for. Edwards with a score of only 57 was not favored by the planet Mars it seems but that's the Aquarius star sign at play during a warm moon weekend.

But the blessings of Mother Earth reached deep into the locker room of the players souls this weekend and brought forth a bounty of good scores and for Pendlebury, a double blessing of  167 points! That's like an extra big spirit stone charged by the warmth of the sun and providing good vibes for all. A recharged Martin achieved 110 while Hurn reached down to the depths of his goodness barrel and brought forth more overflowing cups than necessary for 122.

Okay, no more expert selections for you Disco..

On the other side of the meetings of the football dancers, beloved Rod struggled with players not resisting the temptation of a all you can not touch Reiki weekend and as a consequence, he ended up five players short. 

These gallant soldiers of the soil did try in an effort to make the stars and the universe thank them for their attempts but with a high of just 110, the poems of life by Team Almigo were just too harmonious.

The final score was 1307 to Rod's 824 but I think we can all agree that we're all winners when the kale comes out in season.

Romped it in! And not only that, but managed to get the highest score of all coaches this round (that's a first!). A much needed win here helps us climb and gives us a slightly firmer chance of finals. 

I just have to beat Tyson with a team that's three quarters missing due to the last BYE round. But hey, that's next rounds problem.. 

Up next: I've opened up the hatch and a few familiar names have had to parachute out into the free market skies. But can the recruits taking their place stand up to the task of getting us to the finals? And what plot twist is Tyson about to throw into this mix? Find out here!