Man of the Year: March

Another nominee for the homeruns and hailmary's man of the year with the homeruns and hailmary's man for March.

Phil Hughes:

Australian Cricket selectors throughout the years have been notoriously conservative rarely do they pick people just out of their teens in test match squads and rarely do they get picked in the starting XI, but when a 20 year old Phillip Hughes scores 891 runs from 13 innings @ 74.25 in a struggling NSW shield side the selectors hand was almost forced.

the selectors must have been worried 10 minutes into the South African test series when Hughes was back in the sheds for a duck after getting caught behind playing a jumping cut shot, but anyone who has the confidence and panache to play a jumping cut shot 4 balls into their test career isnt something to worry about its someting to fear.

Hughes next innings of 75 spokes volumes showing that he was able to put the 1st innings disapointment behind him, yet it was his remarkable second test that was unbelivablely his smashing 115 including two consecutive sixer's to bring up his maiden test hundred, then to show it was no fluke brought up his second two days later, becoming the youngest player to score two centuries in the same game and the youngest Australian since Doug Walters to score a test Century.

Hughes finshed the three test series with 415 runs at 69.16 and all but rewarded the selectors faith , showed he was a future 10 year test prospect and all this when most people suggest that he only has a cut shot.
But who cares when you can play it as well as him.

another worthy man for the man of the year.

Man of the Year: February

Another month, another Man of the year nominee, yes it maybe a month late but it should in no way weaken the prestige of this glorious award.

Barney Stinson:

So yeah i hear you all going hes not a real person how can he be nominated, i beg to differ.

Barney Stinson the unoffcial star of the hit comedy How I Met Your Mother is an inspiration to men all across the globe, hes a womanizer, hes got a shitload of cash, he does what he wants when he wants but why is he man of the month and not richard branson.

Barney wasn't always so 'awesome', during his young adulthood he belived in peace, harmony, a hippy who worked in a coffee shop who only lost his virginity at 23 to a 50+ manmaker.

Its these unglorious roots that makes barneys rise all the more inspirational, now in his early thirties he enjoys a life of booze, women and freedom backed by his enormous pay packet at a global finacial firm.

However its Barneys universal appeal that make males everywhere envious, nerds are attracted to barney for his love of laser tag, the life size storm trooper in his loungeroom, dorks love the fact he has a blog, the jocks are attracted to his knowledge for sport, fruity men love his fashion, freaks see his porn enthusiasm as a way to connect to the man, everyone appreciates his quest for women.

Barney is essentially a man for all men, like the best friend you wish you had and makes him a perfect candate for the Homeruns and Hailmarys Man of the year, and Februarys man of the month.

http://www.barneysblog.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDwZsaWb6pY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg9jjs-o35g

Man of the Year: January

Here at Homeruns & Hail mary's we like to honour those who for better have had an impact on us through their sheer awesomeness, people who make you go 'yeh im a full grown male but i want to put your picture on my wall', people who make you wonder 'howd he pull a chic like that?', everyone develops a man crush at some point of time so we here at homeruns and Hail mary's have developed the Homeruns and Hail Mary's Man of the Year.

Each month there will be one man cast Homeruns and Hail Mary's Man of the Month who will go in for the Chance to be coverted the Man of the Year.



However as two months have past already this year its time to do some retrospective awarding so first up is Januarys Homeruns and Hail Mary's man of the month.



:Mitchell Johnson:







For about two years now Johnson has been a stable fixture in both Australias Test & one day cricket sides, though his bowling can be at times erratic and wide, he has always managed to generate great speed and gain a steady flow of wickets.

However its the summer of 08/09 were Johnson has really come of age.

In the absence of Brett Lee & Stuart Clark, Johnson led from the front this summer with the ball taking important bags of wickets, none better than the spell in Perth where he tore the game apart with 5/2 in 4 overs.

Yet its not his bowling prowess that gains him the January man of the month, while this summer some of the most revered Batsman Australia has produced like Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey failed to get the ball off the square Johnson trotted in at number 8 and smashed the South African attack with proper cricket shots.

Johnson was strongly making claims for all rounder status, fast forward 2 months and we know how true that is.



Johnson is an entertaining player who seems to pull out heroics in the most needed of times which makes him a perfect fit for the Homeruns and Hail Mary's Man of January.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2HiqaNzIW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSLT7PJXSrg

Why Brett Lee shouldn't be in the Ashes squad and why Stuart Clark should be 12th Man.

After Australias recent test series victory alot of attention and media media focus had been on 20 year old Phil Hughes who in hes debut test series has amassed 350 runs @ 87.5 vidicating the selectors bold decison to pick the young player and silence the very few Matthew Hayden should still be in the test side.

But is it the Batting and the inclusion of Hughes and North that Australias stunning turn around or is it the Bowling.

In the Sydney, Johannesburg & Durban tests that Australias won South Africa has only managed to make over 300 on 4 out of 6 occasions while in there wins in Perth & Melbourne managed to score 400 twice, not including a 181/1 in Melbourne to wrap up the match.

South Africas wins in both Perth and Melbourne were won cause of the sheer fact Australia didn't have the fire power or balance in their bowling attack to truly test the South Africans over 5 days.

fast forward to march and youll see that in the past three tests a new look bowling attack including the likes of Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Andrew McDonald and Doug Bollinger have worn down the South Africans of Good Fast swing bowling with the new ball and super tight bowling througout the innings.

in those three tests the bowlers returns have been

Peter Siddle 19 wickets @ 16.63

Mitchell Johnson 16 @ 23.13

Ben Hilfenhaus 5 @ 46.47

Andrew McDonald 8 @ 24.75 with an economy rate of 2.08.

Looking forward to the Ashes assuming both Brett Lee and Stuart Clark are fit who in the side are they going to replace?

Brett Lee in his old age bowls low to mid 140kms and in close to 10 years of international cricket has never been able to swing the ball, Peter Siddle on the other hand bowls high 140kms and in only 6 tests has developed both an inswinger and an outswinger, added to that Siddle doesn't seem to lose his pace throughout the day and has a happy knack of picking up that partnership breaking wicket. In only 6 tests Peter Siddle and at 24 years of age is close to undroppable.

Ben Hilfenhaus however hasn't quite established himself as undroppable but his performance in the two tests to date have shown why he is a must for the ashes, he is the first quality genuine outswing bowler Australia has had since Terry Alderman, if you want a history lesson on why this is significant coming into the ashes, Terry captured 40 wickets in both the 1981 and 1989 ashes tour of england after missing the 1985 tour with injury.

Swing bowling is what killed the Aussies in the 2005 both by not having one and not being able to play the likes of Simon Jones, Matt Hoggard and Freddie Flintoff.

Stuart Clark by rights should be in the Ashes team come July however in my opinion i'm not so sure. Clark's contribution to the australian team since his arrival in 2006 has been exemplery tours of South Africa and an Ashes tour of Australia showed what a class bowler he is, yet since the West Indies tour of 2008 Clark hasn't been that same bowler, with cronic elbow problems that show no sign of healing and at 33 years of age maybe its time to put an end to Clark's short but fruitful test career.

But is that the right thing to do? Andrew McDonald who is currently occupying that medium seamer position has been serviceable without being outstanding his test career economy rate is a staggering 2.08 and his 8 wickets have come at very handy times, but there must be doubts on his front line status? can a bowling all rounder at state level become one of the four quicks Australia pin there Ashes hopes on?

Thats why Stuart Clark is a must to be in the squad for the Ashes a proven Bowler who could come in and provide a decent account of himself for maybe one or two tests if the McDonald experiment doesnt work.

It's an intresting time coming up to the Ashes and it will be interesting to see whether the selectors will opt to for the new exciting attack or the old proven one of yesteryear.

AFL Dream Team & Supercoach Watch: Ruck's

Last post i focussed on the bargin backman in this years AFL Dream team and supercoach competitions, this week the topic is Ruckman.

In Dream team terms Ruckman should be likend to the fat kids left till last when picking teams in the playground, liabilities but you have to pick them.
It's probably advised to leave your Ruckman to last then using your salary cap remaining to purchase the players accordingly because as always theres very few ruckman that scream bargain and only one who screams must have, a one Dean Cox.

Assuming you will pick a player who has averaged 100+ for the past 4 years including a staggering 106 average with a broken bone in his foot for half a season, you only require one more field ruckman and two bench ruckman.

Aiming at a average of approximatly 80 here are the best picks.

Hamish McIntosh: $296,600

After Averaging 80 in 07, McIntosh struggled with injury throughout 2008 in which his dream team average took a battering and subsequently his price.
But with injury behind him a 2009 full of promise beckons and makes him pretty much the only proven ruckman priced under $300,000

Cameron Cloke: $328,300

Though classified soley as a ruckman expect for Cloke to play at centre half forward for the majority of the season in a role similar to his Collingwood brother while Matthew Kruzer, Shaun Hampson & the much hyped new recruit Robbie Warnock rotate ruck duties.
This new role should result in more points, or aleast more points than he would amass in the ruck.

Josh Fraser: $336,400

Not so long ago Fraser used to average close to 100, though this may have been due to playing virtually 100% time on ground as the absoulute Kevins know as Steve McKee and Guy Richards provided negative support to the Collingwood Ruckman.
Nowdays however with players like Cameron Wood & Chris Bryan being good enough to offer some support Fraser finds himself on the pine longer per game than he did per season 3 years ago.
Yet Fraser espically with his endurance and abilty to find space can rack up some tidy numbers and after an average of 75 last year shows he hasn't been abysmal in the last few years either.

Brad Ottens: $329,000

another who used to average major numbers a few years ago, has struggled with injury in the past two years whilst his team mates have struggled with very little.
Despite Geelong have no great dependency on Ottens anymore, he is still a very important player for them whether it be in the ruck or as a marking target up forward.

Jamie Charman: $278,300

Another who suffered with injury in 08 Charman has the ability and time on ground each week to average around 85, espically when you consider the best averaging ruckman in the past few years have come from sides in the dark end of the ladder, which is what most pundits expect Brisbane with reside this year, makes the big man an attractive pick for under $300,000

Others considered too expensive:
David Hille: $381,400
Sandilands: $363,000

Bench Considerations:

Ayce Cordy: $98,000
should play sometime during the year going on pre-season form and the Bulldogs perrenial lack of quality big men.

Jesse White: $137,500
Space up for grabs with the retirement of Spida Everitt & only other competition a Canadian Rugby convert with only two games of AFL at any level under his belt.

Todd Goldstien: $162,700
Has Impressed all Pre Season.

John Meesen: $86,600
Former top ten pick has chance with the retirement of Jeff White.



*all prices at AFL dream team currency. Supercoach price may differ slightly.

AFL Dream Team & Supercoach Watch

Bargin Backs:

With the AFL pre-season in full swing its time to start organising your dream team and supercoach teams, in perticular those players under $300,000 which make up the core of your team and in reality make or break your team.

Its not going to matter wheather you can't decide between Judd or Ablett cause they are going to input the same and won't drastically hurt you if you choose one or the other but when it comes to deciding whether to pick Nick Malceski or Ben Rutten you have more of a educated decison to make.

So to help you in these decisions here a few bargin backs who you should strongly consider in your dreamteam & supercoach squads.

Andrew Raines : $188,100

After dislocating his knee in 2008, struggled to regain his form of 2006 where he was 2nd in Richmonds B & F and runner up in the NAB rising star.

Important for Richmond with his run and carry has averaged 25 touches so far in his preseason and a steal at only $188,100.

Josh Drummond: $304,100

averaged 86 in 2007 dropped in 08 but will definatly score well in 2009 had 30 touches last week and kicks alot as the Lions like to use him coming out of defence.

Nick Malceski: $295,800

Averaged 87 in 2007, before doing his ACL last year returning mid season and not quite being up to the pace of AFL.

A full Pre-season and the retirement of Tadgh kennelly makes Malceski one of Sydneys most important players, who will definatly be used in a attacking defender role which ussually equates to big scores.

David Mundy: $312,400

Capable of big 100 +scores is another player who is cast in the running defender role with a penetrating kick.

Stephen Hil: $142,600

Young, cheap & will play.

that alone should be enough for you to have this guy on the bench but that fact he has looked right at home on the wing for fremantle in their first two practice matches makes this guy almost a priority.

Jack Grimes: $186,400

After a injury riddled first season where he missed all the pre-season with a back injury, Grimes has relished his first full pre-season culminating in two steller practice matches to date running through the midfield.

Will definatly play this year the only problem being whether you have him on the bench or in the side.

Beau Waters: $305,600

Averaged 79 in 2007 and copped injurys all last year, should rebound with an average around 85.

Jed Adcock: $313,800

One of the biggest fantasy disapointments of 2008 after a amazing last half of 2007 was expected to take the next step into the midfield.

however early 09 signs show that he may be more than capable of taking that step this year, with a new coach and a new found responsibilty in the midfield as the powers and blacks start to get older.

Also consider:

Graham Johncock: $339,700

Chris Johnson: $338,100

Adam Houlihan: $244,900

Courtney Dempsey: $201,900

Leigh Harding: $292,800

Daniel Pratt: $330,100

Alex Rance: $89,600