Aussie Rules World Cup III - Everything Thread

[Baggieland]

[Baggieland]

Group C.

TJUN-ia 14.23.107 def. Sannyamathland 8.6.54
United States of Devonta 6.4.40 def. by Central Antarctic Peninsula 15.26.116

*                                 Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Sylestone                        4   4  0  0  658 207 +451   16
2 TJUN-ia                          4   3  0  1  428 276 +152   12
3 Central Antarctic Peninsula      4   2  0  2  438 355 +83    8
4 United States of Devonta         4   1  0  3  177 518 −341   4
5 Sannyamathland                   4   0  0  4  214 559 −345   0

[Baggieland]

Group D.

Ecabo 9.0.54 def. by Ko-oren 26.27.183
Quebecois Acadiana 4.2.26 def. by Juvencus 25.20.170

*                        Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Ko-oren                 4   4  0  0  584 207 +377   16
2 Kriegiersien            4   3  0  1  533 307 +226   12
3 Juvencus                4   2  0  2  473 358 +115    8
4 Ecabo                   4   1  0  3  293 557 −264    4
5 Quebecois Acadiana      4   0  0  4  194 648 −454    0

[Sylestone]

Group A
Islands of Ventro 4.2.26 def. by HMS Onslaught 23.22.160
Alaska Hawaii and the Aleutes 12.2.74 def. by Baggieland 25.12.162

Group A                          Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Baggieland                         4   4  0  0  644 208 +436   16
2 Hebitaka                           4   3  0  1  474 278 +196   12
3 HMS Onslaught                      4   1  0  3  346 432 −86    4
4 Alaska Hawaii and the Aleutes      4   1  0  3  308 542 −234    4
5 Islands of Ventro                  4   1  0  3  181 493 −312    4

Group B
New Jacobland 2.9.21 def. by HUElavia 33.18.216
Sarzonia 20.25.145 def. Alice Bay 6.0.36

Group B              Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 HUElavia               4   4  0  0  618 244 +374   16
2 Sarzonia               4   3  0  1  651 149 +502   12
3 Alice Bay              4   2  0  2  495 325 +170    8
4 New Jacobland          4   1  0  3  165 743 −578    4
5 Kandonica              4   0  0  4  147 615 −468    0

Knockout Games:
Baggieland - Sarzonia @ Albion
HUElavia - Hebitaka @ Hawthorn
Sylestone - Kriegiersien @ Kirkham
Ko-oren - TJUN-ia @ Betham

[Sarzonia]

If the Sarzonian national Aussie Rules Football team are going to recapture the magic of the inaugural edition that saw the Stars win an improbable title, they're going to have to get through their archrivals to do it.

Sarzonia easily defeated Alice Bay 145-36 in the Group B finale in what was being dubbed a do-or-die contest. They finished as Group B runners up behind HUElavia and get set to battle Group A winners and co-hosts Baggieland. Now every remaining match will be a single-elimination battle for manager Katie Sampson and her charges.

"If we'd lost this one, we would have been sent packing," she said. "We treated this match as the start of the knockout rounds, because it was for us."

The Stars (3-1) hope they created enough momentum with three victories from three matches since opening the third Aussie Rules World Cup with a stunning 102-99 defeat to HUElavia. Their wins include a tournament record 253-point margin of victory as Sarzonia demolished New Jacobland 260-7.

The battle against Baggieland will certainly add a chapter to what is emerging as one of the fiercest rivalries in this code of football. The Stars dealt host nation Baggieland their first-ever defeat during the group stage of the inaugural edition, then defeated them again in the final. Baggieland earned revenge against Sarzonia by knocking the Stars out in the semifinals of the second edition. Sampson said her team didn't need added motivation to face Baggieland.

"It's a rivalry match. It's the knockout rounds. It's going to be in a hostile environment in Albion," she said. "If I need to motivate these players with those things in mind, then I need a whole new set of players."

[HUElavia]

HUElavia Dominates and Sweeps Group B!

HUElavia 164-48 Kadonica
(Dartmouth Hill, Hawthorn, Baggieland)

New Jacobland 21-216 HUElavia
(Dartmouth Hill, Hawthorn, Baggieland)

HUElavia came into Matchday 4 and 5 with a well rested squad and looking to secure their spot into the Quarter-Finals. With victories over group favorites Sarzonia and minnows Alice Bay, Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos were in control of their own destiny. The two matches coming up were against Kadonica and New Jacobland, with HUElavia seen as the heavy favorites to win both matches. The two games were set to be played at Dartmouth Hill (97,842), in Hawthorn, Baggieland once again. A strong presence of HUElavian fans were present for both matches, where the teams were feeling like they were at home.

In the first match against Kadonica, it was strong domination from the start, with HUElavia putting points on the board. Ruiz Vaz, Valdes, and Cavalcanti Caetano were the main scorers for the team, with players passing the ball around to get in scores left and right. While Kadonica tried early to keep pace, they were no match for the HUElavians, as they had the fans cheering to motivate them to score and expand on the lead. Ultimately, HUElavia won 164-48, in what was a blowout victory and the pass for HUElavia to play in the Quarter-Finals.

The second match versus New Jacobland was much more of a blowout. In fact, the local media saw it as a humiliation, as New Jacobland had next to no response to stop the HUElavians. Charpantier, Portier, and Camargo de Freitas were the main scorers throughout this match, but special honors went to Clemente Moreira and Martinez, for also scoring points as well. Runs and passes were a plenty as the crowd eventually calmed down to just claps for the points scored. At the end, HUElavia finished with a obliterating and blistering 216-21 victory over New Jacobland to win Group B with a perfect 4-0-0 record and 16 Points.

With the Group Victory, HUElavia will now play against Hebitaka, who advanced out of Group A as the Runners Up with 12 Points (3-0-1), losing only to hosts Baggieland. The match will be played at Dartmouth Hill (97,842), in Hawthorn, Baggieland once again for the last time in this tournament that the stadium will be used. The winner takes on the winner of the Match of the Round, Co-Hosts Baggieland vs giants Sarzonia, in which one of those two heavy favorites will be going home early. Regardless, fans will be flocking to cheer on Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Baggieland]

[TJUN-ia]

So...yeah. Sorry about the long wait but, as you all know by now, we all had some issues in U1 that needed to be taken care of. But now, after all this radio silence, Footy Watch is back and just in time for the stage everyone wanted the see: the Finals? But how did the Jags bounce back from their heavy loss to Sylestone on opening day?

Well, after a bye spent in total reflection on how dominated we were, David Scott and his men were looking for revenge and the three unranked teams in this group had to pay the price. Up first was our 2nd game in Avondale against the United States of Devonta, who were 1-1 entering this one, but they would stand no chance here as the Jags routed them out by a staggering 135 points. USD would only manage to score on 8 occasions throughout the entire game while TJUN-ia reached the opposing total score of 18 in the space of 5 minutes and didn't look back from there.

After that came a trip to the Arena of Sentients in Kirkham for the final 2 games, with the Central Antarctic Peninsula up first, a nation who actually thinks that the flag of TJUN-ia might be copyrighted material. Spoiler alert, guys: it's not this flag that's copyrighted at all, but the one from the U1. Anyways, this game was pretty tight and the CAP certainly showed their potential, with Sleverstein Wateersson leading the charge with 23 points, but TJUN-ia used their experience and the absolute ability of one Gregor McHulton to prevail by only 10 points. TJUN_ia won this battle, but the CAP were certainly victors of the future: they are a team to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Finally, it was winless Sannyamathland - a team who hasn't enjoyed their ARWC debut at all despite the best efforts of manager Liam Cotchin. His team would produce a good performance today at 54 points, with 3 of their 8 goals coming from one Archil Garibashvili, but even an inaccurate Jags performance (14.23 oof) was enough to produce a big win heading into another Finals. Hit the music!

THE CALL
The Jaguars are here to win it all,
For TJUN-ia, we'll play for all!
Our flag is raised, Orange and Blue,
And we all know just what to do!
We'll fight, fight, fight and we'll win, win, win
Until the flag is ours to win!
So come aboard and sing, sing, sing
FOR THE JAGUARS ARE HERE TO WIN!

So, we're back and now we are aiming for our first Finals win once again in this sport. Our opponent will be one of the big boys in #4 Ko-oren, unbeaten in their group and certainly looking to join the champions club this time around. The Eagles will be hard to beat, but not impossible...and that is what Scott will be gunning for. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group C, Sylestone)
MD1: vs Sylestone (1) - Capital Stadium, Avondale L 8.12.60 def. by 15.16.106 (4th)
MD2: BYE
MD3: vs United States of Devonta (UR) - Capital Stadium, Avondale W 22.21.153 def. 2.6.18 (2nd)
MD4: vs Central Antarctic Peninsula (UR) - Arena of Sentients, Kirkham W 16.12.108 def. 15.8.98 (2nd)
MD5: vs Sannyamathland (UR) - Arena of Sentients, Kirkham W 14.23.107 def. 8.6.54 (2nd/3-1/+152PD)
---------------------------------------------
QF: vs Ko-oren (4, 4-0 in Group D) - Merindah Stadium, Betham

[Kriegiersien]

The Roaring Rugby Rowdies

Your truthful source for All Rugby

And most likely the last time our Aussi Football team will play and fight. After the clear loss against Ko-oren in the group stage, champion Sylestone awaits.


Kickout Games:

Baggieland - Sarzonia @ Albion
HUElavia - Hebitaka @ Hawthorn
Sylestone - Kriegiersien @ Kirkham
Ko-oren - TJUN-ia @ Betham


The semi finals are effectively already done. The question left is only how good the underdogs can defend themselves and how high will they lose? Who will lose with the smallest margin and stay closest to the Top? Favorite to win this price is former champion Sarzonia, who may even win again against Baggieland, but we will see. May the next carnage begin, before the fight for the championship starts.

[Ko-oren]

Eight teams left! And they're, well, pretty much the teams we expected at this point. The Eagles will be taking on TJUN-ia after taking down Ecabo 183 to 54, an almost perfect game to prepare for the knockouts. Unfortunately for us, Ecabo were flawless in the few attempts they had from within our 50, put all nine of their shots through the middle goalposts, and where a team with a worse day would have gone 0.9.9, they went 9.0.54 instead, making it very clear we need to do something about our goalline stands. Also, going forward, it's not enough to simply outscore the opponent, you have to actively prevent the other guys from scoring as well. You can't roll up to a game and expect to win by a hundred (or, if you're HUElavia, by 195) anymore: whatever comes next, it'll be close. Something for the neutral fans to enjoy: Baggieland and Sarzonia will play each other in the quarterfinals, as Sarzonia finished second in their group behind HUElavia, in probably the biggest upset of all World Cups so far.

The goal for the Eagles is pretty easy to guess. With one of the contenders out early, this is our chance to creep closer to the top three and maybe creep up to third in the overall rankings. That, however, relies on us pretty much winning the trophy, which we don't see this team do just yet. One reason is the shoddy defending on the goal line (at least touch the ball for a behind rather than let it fly in for six!), the other is the inaccurate goal kicking.

26.27.183
18.15.123
26.16.172
14.22.106

In two games, Ko-oren scored more behinds than goals. It's still a win by almost 100 points in all cases, but it could've been so much better. Twenty-six goals is just unheard of in our own league, but if you consider you had another 27 behinds on top of that: why not take fewer shots and make sure they're goals? The opener saw 14 goals and 22 behinds - in the two games between those, we did get more goals than behinds but things were far from clean. Trutman and Girault especially keep trying to go for it from the 50, and they're the main reason behind our unimpressive goal:behind ratio, but even Wanbin, who tends to kick for goal from very close range, isn't as accurate as he can be. Luckily, this is what we're up against:

14.23.107
16.12.108
22.21.153
8.12.60

Apart from their opener (versus Sylestone), they've easily outscored their opponents but also suffered quite a bit from getting singles rather than sixes. Then again, it's alright that the goal:behind ratio is close to 1 - that's how it is for most teams, domestic and international, anyway. If we can just push that up to 1.05 or even 1.1 going forward, we've got a decent chance of making the final for the first time.

[Baggieland]

Quarter finals.

Sylestone 12.18.90 def. Kriegiersien 12.12.84

Ko-oren 16.13.109 def. by TJUN-ia 18.8.116

[Sylestone]

Baggieland 10.6.66 def. by Sarzonia 20.15.135

HUElavia 11.17.83 def. by Hebitaka 21.6.132

Semifinal
Sarzonia - Hebitaka @ Avondale

[Sarzonia]

It's funny how perceptions of a tournament can change in a blink.

It appeared at first blush that the quarterfinals field in the third Aussie Rules World Cup was going to be the usual suspects leading to an eerily similar result as the first two tournaments. Ko-orenite media bemoaned the effects of having essentially the same teams consistently winning on future competitors.

Then the quarterfinals happened. Only co-hosts Sylestone held serve in a close contest. TJUN-ia knocked out the Eagles in their quarterfinals tilt. Hebitaka stunned Group B champions HUElavia, sending home Los Armadillos in a result few saw coming.

And Sarzonia stunned archrivals Baggieland 135-66, a result that was a shocker not just because the Stars defeated the other co-hosts, but also because a match that was expected to be yet another close battle turned out to be anything but. The Stars (4-1) sent Baggieland out of the Aussie Rules World Cup by more than doubling their score, resulting in loud disapproval from Baggieland supporters and an enthusiastic response from the Sarzonians in attendance.

"We wanted to send a message," Sarzonia manager Katie Sampson said. "We've been in a do-or-die mindset ever since we faced Alice Bay in our group stage finale."

The Stars' result over previously undefeated Baggieland may not have been as much of a blowout on paper as that 145-36 win over Alice Bay, but in its own way, it was even more impressive. Sarzonia held Baggieland to only 10 goals and six behinds, totals that would have been considered a slow half for arguably the founding nation of this code of football.

It was all part of Sampson's focus on defence, as Sarzonia wound up with the largest point differential in the group stage at plus-502, aided by their historic 253-point blowout of New Jacobland in a 260-7 victory. They also held Kandonica to single digits with a 147-4 victory immediately following their three-point opening match defeat against HUElavia.

"It was no accident," right back Dani Sayers told the assembled media. "Losing to HUElavia put a burr in our saddle and made us want to prove ourselves." Even if the competition in the next two matches weren't exactly worthy of holding Sarzonian jockstrap?

"We wanted to put emphasis on defence," Sayers said, specifically refusing to address the question or its implication. "Look, it's still early enough in the competition's history that a new team can do damage. If we weren't motivated, we could easily have been sent home already."

For now, Sarzonia have a date with Hebitaka in the semifinals, and Schmidt wants nothing to do with talk of a possible collision course with Sylestone. A meeting between Sarzonia and Sylestone would be the first in the ARWC's history, improbably enough.

"We've got to beat Hebitaka first to make anything happen," Sampson said. "We'll cross that bridge if we get there."

[Hebitaka]

Hebitaka Hits the Semi Finals

Finishing Second in the league, Hebitaka qualified for it's first ever knockouts against HEUlavia. The nation did not have a good record against this team, facing it once in the 2nd ARWC losing 157 to 44 making it Hebitaka's biggest ever loss in any Aussie Rules international game history. But even after all this, the team was determined. And that is why they gave all of themselves and waving away the odds, Hebitaka registered a decent victory of 132 to 88. A clean victory. The HEUlavian players struggled as the once weaker Hebitakish players kept smashing in the goals scoring and finally as the whistle of the last quarter blew, the team rejoiced for their first victory against the HEUlavians. And this victory took the Hebitakish team to the Semifinals of this tournament. The Hebitaki team is currently paced in the 7th position.

The opponent in the semi final is terror. Placed in the second position internationally, Sarzonia has already met against Hebitaka in ARWC II and as you might've guessed, that meeting wasn't quite good for Hebitaka as the team lost bitterly at a score of 128 to 68. But this time the Hebitaki might try to turn things around. As the team is now more highly trained and stronger than the last time. Hence we are ready to face Sarzonia once more. And even if the chances are slim, we're never givin up. Go go Hebitaka!!

[TJUN-ia]

After 3 straight wins bounced us into another ARWC Finals, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia headed out to the Merindah Stadium in Betham to try and make history and break a curse that has plagued David Scott's team since the beginning. Ever since the ARWC has come into existence, this team has reached the Finals every time...but they have also lost every final so far. For the previous 2 competitions, TJUN-ia showed their promise in the Group Stage but didn't do quite enough to take down one of the big boys in the knockouts themselves. That was a cycle that many wanted this team to break in the near future but to do that today, the Jags were going to have to beat the Eagles of #4 Ko-oren - a team who didn't lose a single game on route to winning Group D.

As many expected, this game of football would be a very tight one indeed. TJUN-ia got more accurate in their goalscoring in time for this game and Ko-oren would certainly push them on in this very tight affair. The first half was dominated by 2 men in the form of TJUN-ia's Logan Jackson and Ko-oren's Kagageera Wanbin, who would produce point after point and help in goal after goal - with practically nothing separating the two on the field. The scoreline would be a dead heat throughout and with Ko-ren holding a 3-point advantage at half time, it was defiantly still anyone's game. The 3rd period would see more of the same but Gwddnhewch yFwstedd would certainly help keep the lead with the Eagles for now and with only 20 mins left in this contest, Ko-oren led 89-86. The 4th period would be the determining factor in who won this contest and the numbers speak for themselves: while Ko-oren scored 20 points in the 4th, TJUN-ia scored 30. The key man in this victory would be an interchange player in Liken Davidson, whose fresher legs allowed the Jags to overcome the odds to secure the 7-point upset. The curse is dead. TJUN-ia have won a finals game. HEY, YOU BUGGER, PLAY THE BLOODY MUSIC!

THE CALL
The Jaguars are here to win it all,
For TJUN-ia, we'll play for all!
Our flag is raised, Orange and Blue,
And we all know just what to do!
We'll fight, fight, fight and we'll win, win, win
Until the flag is ours to win!
So come aboard and sing, sing, sing
FOR THE JAGUARS ARE HERE TO WIN!

Now that history is out of the way, it's time for a little bit more. We vanquished our Finals curse and now, we head to Baggieland to face Sylestone for the 2nd time this tournament. In order to fight for the crown, we must beat the current monarch. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group C, Sylestone)
MD1: vs Sylestone (1) - Capital Stadium, Avondale L 8.12.60 def. by 15.16.106 (4th)
MD2: BYE
MD3: vs United States of Devonta (UR) - Capital Stadium, Avondale W 22.21.153 def. 2.6.18 (2nd)
MD4: vs Central Antarctic Peninsula (UR) - Arena of Sentients, Kirkham W 16.12.108 def. 15.8.98 (2nd)
MD5: vs Sannyamathland (UR) - Arena of Sentients, Kirkham W 14.23.107 def. 8.6.54 (2nd/3-1/+152PD)
---------------------------------------------
QF: vs Ko-oren (4, 4-0 in Group D) - Merindah Stadium, Betham W 18.8.116 def. 16.13.109
SF: vs Sylestone (1, 4-0 in Group C) - Waverley Oval, Albion, Baggieland

[Baggieland]

Semi Final.

Sylestone 18.13.121 def. TJUN-ia 12.8.80

[Sylestone]

Sarzonia 27.24.186 def. Hebitaka 7.4.46

Final
Sylestone - Sarzonia @ Albion

3PPO
TJUN-ia - Hebitaka @ Chamberley

[Sarzonia]

The best way to define a great team is to find out how it handles adversity.

The Sarzonian national Aussie Rules Football team faced adversity in this third edition, courtesy of a shock three-point defeat at the hands of groupmates HUElavia. Los Armarillos ended the group stage undefeated whilst the Stars entered the knockout rounds with a 3-1 record.

The Stars are back in the finals for the second time in three tournaments after demolishing Hebitaka 186-46, setting up their first meeting with co-hosts Sylestone, who punched their ticket to Albion for the final with a 121-80 victory over TJUN-ia.

Sarzonia's victory give Katie Sampson's charges an overall mark of 19-3, with the team's only losses to Ko-oren, co-hosts Baggieland and HUElavia. For their part, Sylestone only have one defeat in their history, a 65-58 loss to Baggieland in the first semifinal in ARWC history. Sylestone have played 21 matches in their history and have won 20 of them. That's a fact Sampson is well aware of, but says she's not intimidated by.

"We knew going in they were a great side. Their record speaks for itself," she said. "We'll be playing in what I'm sure will be a hostile environment in Albion since we beat Baggieland there." Sampson said she was informed that ticket distribution for the final would be mainly Sylestone, Sarzonia, and Baggleland supporters and grimaced, saying "that means we consider it an away fixture."

Regardless of whether the Stars will have the benefit of crowd support, the team join Sylestone as one of only two teams to have qualified for all three semifinals. Baggieland have advanced to two semifinals and one final. This will be both Sarzonia's and Sylestone's second finals appearance and the first encounter between two of the three teams that make up the so-called Big Three of the sport. Baggieland have a 17-4 record overall with three of their four losses against the Stars.

Right wing Keiana Briggs expressed surprise that the Stars had never faced the Hawthorns.

"Wow, I didn't realise that!" she said. "That's a match that has rivalry written all over it."

It may still be early to talk about rivalries in earnest unless you're Baggieland bemoaning their 1-3 all time record against Sarzonia, but Sampson said the matchup with Sylestone was one she was looking forward to.

"I mean, c'mon. It's the final. It's Sylestone. It's arguably the greatest team in this code and we're right behind them," she said. "It's enough fun and excitement even if you've never watched a match in this code in your life."

As for Sarzonia supporters, a gentleman by the name of Joseph Lee will be there kitted out in Sarzonia attire, hoping he can get an opportunity to use his now-infamous catch phrase in response to, "how the fuck did you win, mate?"

"How the fuck should I know?"

[Baggieland]

[Sarzonia]

The question caught Sarzonian national Aussie Rules Football team manager Katie Sampson off guard.

"What do you make of The Daily Boing report that Baggieland Australian Rules Federation are interested in you to be their next manager?"

Sampson's eyes widened and her head physically moved backwards by a centimetre. She blinked for a moment, then stayed silent for a few seconds. She then finally replied.

"Well, obviously it's flattering that they would think about offering me the job," she said. "Baggieland are a premier programme in this code. I'm deeply honoured that there's even talk that they would consider me."

Another reporter asked Sampson to comment on Throttles fan Vinny Roberts' objection to having a foreign-born manager take over for the fired James Kennedy.

"Oh well. His loss," she said. "I've got a job here and we're doing well, so an offer would have to blow my socks off to even consider leaving this team. Besides, I'm rather busy getting us ready to face Sylestone."

It won't be the only thing that keeps the Sarzonian manager busy in the coming days. Sampson is set to meet with Incorporated Aussie Rules Federation officials to discuss a contract extension and a "massive" salary increase.

"We obtained the salary figures of Kennedy and [Sylestone national team's manager, whom the Sylestonean Federation have refused to name, even going so far as to redact any mention of the individual's name, gender, or species]," said James Franklin, the IARF chairman. "When we looked at their compensation package compared to ours, we were embarrassed.

"Katie is one of the best managers in this code, and we need to pay her accordingly."

The IARF are also going to ask Sampson to consult with them about the prospects of establishing a full professional league in Sarzonia. Kennedy also said he would invite Baggie domestic league officials to those deliberations as well.

"This sport has a bright future in Sarzonia," he said. "We need to cultivate that."

[Sylestone]

Hebitaka 8.17.65 def. by TJUN-ia 20.8.128

Congratulations to our third-placed finisher!

[Baggieland]

Congratulations to a team beginning with 'S'.

Sarzonia 17.12.114 def. Sylestone 9.22.76

[Sarzonia]

If there was any criticism that could be leveled upon the Sarzonian national Aussie Rules Football team during the third edition of the Aussie Rules World Cup, it was that their group stage victories were against teams that were hardly worthy of even being on the same pitch with them.

Even a shockingly easy result over fellow Big Three member Baggieland during the quarterfinals did little to quell the nagging criticism from some observers.

The final against defending champions Sylestone ought to silence those critics for good. Sarzonia dealt the Hawthorns just their second defeat in history with a 114-76 triumph that gives the Stars their second championship in the Aussie Rules World Cup out of three competitions.

The result was historic in a lot of ways. For starters, Sarzonia held the Hawthorns to their lowest point total in the entire competition and scored the most points against Sylestone in history. The margin of victory for Sarzonia marked the first time the Hawthorns were on the wrong end of a decisive result.

Manager Katie Sampson credited her team's defence, pointing out that Sylestone scored fewer than 10 goals for just the second time in history, after Baggieland held the Hawthorns to six goals in their 65-58 win during the ARWC I semifinals.

"It was a point of emphasis for us," she said of the defensive effort. "They say offence wins games, but defence wins Championships, and we proved that adage right."

Sampson said she wasn't that concerned about Sylestone scoring 22 behinds to Sarzonia's 12.

"If they're going to score on us, we'd rather concede behinds than goals. We held a prolific team to nine goals and we scored 17 against an extremely stingy defence. I'll gladly take it."

When a reporter from The Daily Boing caught up with Sarzonia supporter Joseph Lee, he was able to point to Sarzonia playing aggressively and taking the action to Sylestone. He observed that the Hawthorns were limited to their lowest point total since the ARWC II final and that the Stars scored the most points ever against Sylestone.

"Do you think you'll actually be able to start a full league in Sarzonia?" the reporter asked. Lee smiled. Now he finally got a chance to use the catchphrase that became famous in the first edition. At that point, all he heard about the prospects of an actual professional league was speculation. He knew the Incorporated Aussie Rules Federation would meet with Sampson to discuss a contract extension with a massive salary increase. She also would be consulting with the Board of Governors about possibly establishing a new league. But he realised now might be the last time for his catchphrase, so he decided to take full advantage.

"How the fuck should I know?"

[TJUN-ia]

After finally winning a finals game in the Aussie Rules World Cup, the journey for TJUN-ia would end in Baggieland after a 3rd tournament which finally saw the emergence of the TJUN-ia many hoped we would become.

In Albion, we played the long-awaited rematch with defending champions Sylestone and David Scott was certainly trying to produce the upset that we couldn't produce on MD1. But in the end, the defending champs were defending for a reason and they beat us by 41 in the end - a good showing for a team that is finally starting to move up in the world of Aussie Rules Football.

We then played a 3rd place playoff game against Hebitaka, the runners-up of Group A, and in this game with little to fight for, we excelled in a 63-point demolition of the team ranked only a few spots behind us in the rankings. Killian Clegg was just assisting for fun during most of this one and Steven Cox delivered most of the goods as TJUN-ia secured a first-ever bronze medal in any team sport. You all know what that means...HIT THE BLOODY MUSIC!

THE CALL
The Jaguars are here to win it all,
For TJUN-ia, we'll play for all!
Our flag is raised, Orange and Blue,
And we all know just what to do!
We'll fight, fight, fight and we'll win, win, win
Until the flag is ours to win!
So come aboard and sing, sing, sing
FOR THE JAGUARS ARE HERE TO WIN!

After stagnation for the first two tournaments, ARWC3 finally saw us break through the Finals duck and claim a deserved 3rd place overall as Sarzonia took the crown for themselves this time around. What will the 4th tournament bring for this team? We'll just have to wait and see. See y'all in 2 years...GO JAGS!

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SCHEDULE (Group C, Sylestone)
MD1: vs Sylestone (1) - Capital Stadium, Avondale L 8.12.60 def. by 15.16.106 (4th)
MD2: BYE
MD3: vs United States of Devonta (UR) - Capital Stadium, Avondale W 22.21.153 def. 2.6.18 (2nd)
MD4: vs Central Antarctic Peninsula (UR) - Arena of Sentients, Kirkham W 16.12.108 def. 15.8.98 (2nd)
MD5: vs Sannyamathland (UR) - Arena of Sentients, Kirkham W 14.23.107 def. 8.6.54 (2nd/3-1/+152PD)
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QF: vs Ko-oren (4, 4-0 in Group D) - Merindah Stadium, Betham W 18.8.116 def. 16.13.109
SF: vs Sylestone (1, 4-0 in Group C) - Waverley Oval, Albion, Baggieland L 12.8.80 def by 18.13.121
3PPO: vs Hebitaka (9, 3-1 in Group A) - Chamberley Cricket Ground , Chamberley W 20.8.128 def 8.17.65