AFL WOMEN'S WEEK. PunchDrunk still leads the way.

OK, so having a woman leading is just too tricky for Australia as a whole. At PunchDrunk we're man enough and woman enough to delight in Leah forging the way. That, of course, doesn't mean we're not going to get the steak-knives out and try to Rudd her, we're not that bloody delighted. We're all in this thing to win it.

11 years ago, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, we press-ganged Caro Wilson into PunchDrunk as the sole female in the comp, I think she came last. The fact she was a hack had nothing to do with gender and everything to do with the fact she's, well, a hack. None-the-less let's celebrate evolution. This year, apart from Leah, we have Cath comfortably in the 8, and Lex, Kate and Titto well within striking distance of at least a finals berth.

I'm not sure whether the AFL's Women's Week is pure marketing tokenism (well actually I think I am) but at PunchDrunk we live, breath and drink gender equality. Let's raise a glass to it. Get us a beer will ya luv?

And so: pretty much straight lines from last week ti this... makes my job easier.
This week the jackpot is finally back on the table, sitting at $220.

This week is the week to nominate if you want to take the finals discount pre-paid. (well, prior to next week's games). More details here. Again.

Tonight's Gig Guide:

Did I say New Dawn...? This won't be as big as last nights big gig for sure, but for the first time ever we can have a live game on while we talk shizen.

UNION CLUB HOTEL, Cnr Webb and Gore St Fitzroy. From around 7.00.

Normal transmission resumes this week, full teams abound.
Some good games coming up, including top of the table red and blue affair of Demonskis v Champanzees. Demonskis have great form and bat deep, the Champs seem to be there only through a bit of good fortune and a bit of gravity-defiance.
Rob's DonPeps are up against the Brenna's. Can Rob cement a spot in the 8, or will he leave the ajar for Brenton?

ANOTHER NEW DAWN, LET'S DRINK.

Finally all the problems of the world are behind us.
The Dees will soon have another saviour, Adrian Bayley's locked up, St Stephen can (no doubt) prove his alleged innocence, and the Age has informed us that Tony Abbott will be the 'thinking person's PM'. And to think I was a small bit worried.

Last week, or the week before, I got my dates muddled. Seems I was looking in the wrong birthday book, but all is fixed now.

Here's the Drink:

Give me a clue if you can make it, I'll get you a chair. If Fordy can come we can even finally do the hand-over of The Cup for last year.

DRUNK ON A LADDER ROUND 12

As Leah puts a small slice of distance between herself and the rest of the pack, so there appears to be a definite top 3, and for that matter, top 8.

On that point, at the end of this round you should nominate, and pay, if you want to put your hand up for the 'pre-paid' finals+home&away price of $70 all inclusive for the year.

If you're new, or didn't quite get it last year, here's how it works:
If you reckon you're a certainty, or a fair chance to make top 8 this year, you can pay $10 now (along with your $60 for the season proper) and thereby gain a $10 discount on finals payment. If you don't actually make the finals stiff, you don't get your money back, but if you do you save $10.

Of course you can always wait til the home and away season is done and dusted and still play finals footy if you make the 8, but it'll cost you $20.

More details here: Prizemoney.

One more round of this bye craziness to go then bring on reality. Well, fantasy reality anyway.

This week's games:

Hamando v Heylow
It's the long-awaited, eagerly anticipated World War Ian, as Ian Ando does battle with Ian Stewart. Ando's put in a HUGE pre-season and come out bouncing. Pep-tides? You be the judge. My tip: Ian.

Don Peptides v 70cheersfor70years
Both coaches, like most of us, look like having decimated midfields this week. The 70s rucks may struggle, but can their backline hold it together? No one knows. Yet.

Pitches Princesses v RockyMountainHigh
Ladder position and form may be brushed aside by absenteeism v turnupism here methinks. Can the Rockies scratch together a competitive team? We're itching to know.

NADTCA v Brennas
A couple of comparatively full teams by the looks. Brennas on form.

Panzeronfire V WhatEverItTakes

You'd think this is Dirk's Panzers best chance to take Loggers boys. Both will be running thin teams, but as the Champs found out last week even a part strength Whatev's takes a bit of knocking off.

Terrific trio V JoelCoreyEnrights

JCEs are one of the true form teams of this comp, but the Terrif's seem to have been set for this week, like a Bart horse coming into Cup Week. Sammy's got rucks and forwards galore but looks to have a few too many holes in the middle, but can quality overpower quantity? An interesting question, if you're interested in such things.

Champanzees V CREATR

Champs look the goods here at this stage, but you never can tell. R10 we managed to contrive only 2 out at selection but had 3 last minute withdrawals, then a sub and sub-out, so no-one's safe in the evil land of the bye. Let that be a lesson.

Cheesedale V The Code Hoppers

The marvelous Cheesies look to have the Codehoppers on toast... on form, players available, superior dna, the works. They just may be the super race.

Catfish V Demonskis

Demonski's coach looks safe. They're having a grand year, and while Coxy's abroad continuing the Irish experiment, he may have just taken his eye of the ball for this weeks game.

DEES GET A SMALL WIN, AND LEAH THREATENS TO WRECK THE JOINT.

WARNING ANOTHER DEMON-FLAVOURED RANT FOLLOWS. PLEASE IGNORE FIRST HALF AT WILL:

Good to see the Dees get a small win this week. Not on the field but in the ongoing battle against the media.

Fun to see the hacks and the hyenas camped in the cold all day outside Dees HQ while the board warmed their toffy arses by the Longroom fire. And for what? Nuthin'.

Oh Hell hath no fury. No headline, only a non-headline. A horde of journo's days wasted for nought. 5 bitter articles full of moral indignation in the Age alone. One even referenced 'many respected media football commentators' with a link to a Caro article. Ha bloody Ha.

The problem was the board didn't obey the endless media prompts and ditch the guy (as they were encouraged to do last time with Dean Bailey, thereby giving the lazy scribes another cheap story).
Of course that previous media-sponsored sacking is now used as part of the journo's evidence of MFC's pathetic rabble-dom, lack of loyalty. It's true they are an undeniable rabble of course, but go fark yourselves fellas.

And take Kennett with you. His most recent pieces of advice include merging the Dees with the Roos or moving them interstate... Now he wants the job to actually do it.

RANT ENDS.

And now, here's the news:

Leah is in serious danger of destroying the joint. Of course I'm paraphrasing Sydney's Queen-Bitch. No, not Lee, Phil, Juzzy or Paul, or any of the Swannettes. But the piece-of-shizen shock-jock and his attitude to female ladies of the opposite sex. Yes, he who solicits under-cover bobbies in London toilets, that rabble-rouser of Sydney gutterazzi, the ubiquitous West-Sydney/Shire bogans and flag-wearing nazi-fodder..... oops, I guess that turned into something of a rant too...

... Anyway, back to the point: Leah has been thereabouts every year since she joined and once again is showing distinct form. She's led momentarily before but could she be the Julia Gillard of the Drunk. I think we're ready.

Oh, and the jackpot's off the agenda for the next 3 week cos there are only 6 games each week, but when it's back on it's up to $220!

Here's the pre-season catch-up I promised you some months back. Hey it's late, but at least there's a whole heap more to talk about. So come along and talk about it.

Please come or Luke might get cross: like this. Interesting side note, check the scores...

NB: The date is Thursday 27th, not 28th as originally stated. Thanks to Stanlee for pointing out the error in my ways. If there's one thing The Drunk needs it's a proofreader. Not to mention an internal editor.

As an even playing field DreamTeam is harder to read than the 12th green at Royal Melbourne.
For example, here are the Champs sitting high and mighty atop the Drunk tree while in Loggers League, against many of the same coaches and teams, they are languishing at 14th below all of Demonskis, the Whetevahs, Cheesies, Brennas, DonPeps and the Pitchesses. Based on points scored they'd be 6th and 7th which is why the DT competition season is 17 rounds long, not 8.

And it's about to get a helluva lot more dicey as we enter BYE BYE BYE land.
Is there a way to deal with having your team pool third-imated for 3 weeks in a row? Maybe, maybe not... Do you write off one round? Take a middle line and cross your fingers?
Stay tuned, cream floats, but sometimes turds do too.