It's time.  Coming soon.

A week after last week's blockbuster top-of-the-table clash which was just a week after their last bye, the Thunder have another bye as they say bye to last week's blockbuster which was a week before a bye and a week after a bye.  Confused?  Us too but be rest assured the Thunder aren't playing tonight.  Other teams are too so it'll be worth a look if you're not doing something else but if you are, check it out on Arjay TV and if you can't find the app, look harder.  Kayo schmayo.

Can we get a Jultopia update?  Anyone?  With no news since a cryptic post on 11 March and less than 3 months to the opening tip, more info would be good so starting today, we'll post a Jultopia update each Sunday even if we don't have an update.  So with only 12 weeks to go, stay tuned for next week's update on the 2024 Jultopia Geelong Supercats Pivotonian Bells Beach Corio Bay Sleepy Hollow Reg Hickey Charles Brownlow Ablett Family 119-Point ACH Domination Army Recruitment Podsiadly Memorial Free Breakfest Where's Junior Habadashery and Homewares Carnival.  Anxious times, anxious times.

The ninth of our weekly Cryptic Saturday stories from our bothan spies.  Yet again, we have a picture with no words, no explanation, no clue, no nothing.  To be fair, it's a gif so is a moving series of pictures but it still doesn't help much.  This week it's a clip from Top Gun Maverick where Maverick hits the brakes and he flies right by.  Is it Maverick?  Is it a reference to the F14 or in this case, the F18?  Rooster?  Tomcat?  The numbers 14 or 18?  Jester?  Viper?  Goose?  Hangman?  Maybe it's all of the above?  Yet again, we have no idea.  Interesting times, interesting times.

Ready:  For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.–2 Timothy 1:7

Set:  Every once in a while we encounter an opponent in competition who, by all accounts, is unbeatable, and it prompts fear in our team. Some opponents seem to grow larger and larger as we approach game day. The media reports and general word-of-mouth discussions depict them as giants. How should we approach such an opponent?  Your opponents on the athletic field are worthy of your respect. They are not, however, worthy of fear! The work of God’s Spirit within us does not bring fear. It brings courage.  Instead of fear, God has given us:

Then there were two.  The third round of the finals (aka semi-finals) is complete with another two teams gone fishing whilst the remaining two compete for the ultimate prize in WCB NBA Fantasy basketball.  On one side of the draw, an injury depleted Tanking for Wembanyama couldn't keep up with a surging Big Girls Don't Kawhi, falling short by by 166 points.  It's fair to say that was the lesser of the two finals though because the other game was an absolute ripsnorter.  Captain Collo came in with a 100% healthy lineup led by Wembanyama himself whilst our Hoxley Tigers came into the game losing players left right and centre, pruning off the injured and dead and replacing them with the traditional late-season additions that none of us have ever heard of or have just signed 10-day contracts or both.  The Tigers fought back after a large deficit early in the week and then it happened - Collo took a 83 point lead into the final game as AD took the floor.  To be fair, AD has been injury prone over the years and with LBJ out already, it was anyone's guess as to what would happen but with twin 108-point performances in his previous two games, it looked to be the Tigers to lose.  AD scores 30 in the first quarter and things are looking good and then it happened.  We didn't know what it was but in an important game for the Lakers, AD stopped scoring.  No minutes, no stats, just gone.  Then the news broke - he was smacked in the face by a former Captain Collo player in Kyle Anderson, and was out for the game.  Like a Shakespearean tragedy, the Tigers fell 49 points short of a chance to go three-in-a-row.  To the winners the spoils and Captain Collo will take some beating, with almost 500 more points than Big Girls Don't Kawhi but finals are a two horse race and it's anyone's guess who will get the final win.  Commiserations to the real Twin Towers and their teams, and all the best to the remaining sides as they chase fantasy gold.  Interesting times, interesting times.

Captain Collo 2106 d Hoxley Tigers 2057
Big Girls Don't Kawhi 1617 d Tanking for Wembanyama 1451

Each Wednesday we'll publish the WCB A Grade Men premiership ladder here because well ..... just because.  OK, it's because we're old and can't work out the app but we have managed to work out how websites work.  Next stop is to give away our cassettes and start using CDs but we're not sure the technology will last.  We shall see.  With no further adieu, here's the full A Grade Men premiership ladder.  Enjoy.

1. Gateway Thunder 9-0, 27pts @ 138%
2. Revolution Bullets 7-2, 23pts @ 118%
3. Futures Pioneers 5-4, 19pts @ 99%
4. North Western Mavericks 4-1-4, 18pts @ 94%
5. Futures Hornets 2-1-5, 13pts @ 87%
6. Seaton Stars 1-7, 10pts @ 84%
7. Futures Grizzlies 1-7, 10pts @ 73%

This could be the quickest game review ever.  "There were a lot of threes.  The Thunder won."  That though doesn't tell the full tale of the tape but a quick look at the boxscore sure helps.  Revolution Bullets made 19 threes, 5 twos and 5 free throws.  The Thunder made 14 threes, 18 twos and 3 free throws.  In total, there were 33 threes, 23 twos and 8 free throws.  Yes, more threes than twos and ones combined though two and one do make three but we digress.  It was that kind of game and when Thunder veteran centre James Smith opened the game with a triple in his new role as point guard, you knew it was going to be one of those nights.  Thunder guard Jonty Smith was spectactular all game long, finishing with 9 triples and 36 points, whilst Bullets guard Joel Horskins had a similar purple patch out of the half for his own 9 triples and 27 points.  Ultimately, the Thunder pulled away down the stretch as they got stops and continued to score, the final margin reflective of a 10-point win throughout the third quarter that actually wasn't the third quarter because we play halves.  Final score Gateway 81 (Jon.Smith 36, McKinnon 14, D.Smith 14, J.Smith 14, B.Smith 3) d Revolution Bullets 72.  After playing with only five players, the Thunder remain hopeful of having a bench in a fortnight's time, next week being a team bye.  Good times, good times.

It's been a patchy few weeks with team byes and now a grade bye for Easter but the action is back tonight when last season's grand final combatants go at it again.  No introductions are required except we hear there may be a new player or two playing ... or not.  That's the fun of our previews.  We have no idea, we write some stuff and pretend when we know when in fact, we don't but don't tell anyone.  Two teams enter, one team leave. With no further adieu, we present to you Gateway v Revolution Bullets.

LAST FIVE GAMES HEAD-TO-HEAD
12/2/2024: Gateway 82 (Vucetic 27, D.Smith 25, Penn 15) d Revolution Bullets 62
11/12/2023: (grand final) Revolution Bullets 57 d Gateway 56 (Jon.Smith 20, D.Smith 14, Vucetic 12)
30/10/2023: Gateway 52 (J.Smith 17, Penn 10, Sleep 10) d Revolution Bullets 48
4/9/2023: Gateway 60 (D.Smith 21, Penn 12, Sleep 9) d Revolution Bullets 54?
26/6/2023: (grand final) Gateway 70 (D.Smith 23, Jon.Smith 11, Penn 9) d Revolution Bullets 48

OUR PREDICTION
Which team comes back from the Easter break the best?  Our bothan spies will be without at least two players and maybe more, at least two overloaded on chocolate and struggling to shake off the extra kilos.  Credit to the team for insisting they sit the week out as punishment - you've got to have standards if you're going to win - but it leaves the blues undermanned ahead of a critical match that ... OK, it doesn't mean that much as we know ultimately these two teams should make the finals and that's where the season is won and lost.  The Bullets continue to do one of two things each week - win comfortably or narrowly - so which Bullets team arrives tonight?  And which Thunder team too?  Our tip?  Thunder by 4 points.  Now that'd be good.  Let's hope so.  Nervous times, nervous times.

We got it right.  3 weeks ago, we tipped "Tasmania in 5 games, the home teams winning Games 1234 and Tasmania with the upset series-deciding win in Game 5 on Melbourne's home court."  Whilst we got the home team call wrong - it went home home away away away - we got the winner right in 5 games.  With thanks to LOBOSEF, we now announce our immediate retirement due to the significant bet we made on someone else's lounge.  #gambleresponsibly  But seriously, for those who watched the series, you saw something special with the last three games all absolute nailbiters.  Ultimately there could be only winner but it was really that close.  From everyone at leaguelineup.com and the Thunder, congratulations to the NBL on an incredible series and to Tasmania on the win.  Good times, good times.

The eighth of our weekly Cryptic Saturday stories from our bothan spies.  Yet again, we have a picture with no words, no explanation, no clue, no nothing.  This week it's not even a gif but rather a still-shot of Darius Butler on the Pat McAfee show, holding a card saying wa-cheetah with AJ Hawk's head on a punching bag in the background.  Is it the Pittsburgh Steeler's helmet?  Is it a strange Lleyton Hewitt reference with the cap backwards?  Is the date of 21 November 2023 the key?  Is the wa a reference to Western Australia?  Do cheetahs run fast?  Maybe it's all of the above?  Yet again, we have no idea.  Interesting times, interesting times.

Then there were four.  The second round of the finals is complete with another four teams gone fishing whilst the remaining four continue on in the quest for WCB NBA Fantasy gold.  Two games were easy wins - North Tower surrendered early v Captain Collo, whilst your Hoxley Tigers were in a different league to Mr 66.  The other two games saw Miles Ahead fall short to Tanking for Wembanyama but to be fair, he had a real crack at it but couldn't get over the raging hot favourite.  In the final game of the week though, it was Big Girls Don't Kawhi v Hoxley Cubs and all the Cubs needed was for Sabonis to outscore Fox by 20-30 points.  Wrong.  Fox goes ahead and turns the tables on the Cubs, outscoring Sabonis by the same, a narrow victory turning into a close loss that will leave the Cubs wondering what if.  Final four time though and our Hoxley Tigers are still in the race.  Let's hope so.  Nervous times, nervous times.

Hoxley Tigers 1566 d Mr 66 1068
Tanking for Wembanyama 1876 d Miles Ahead 1542
Big Girls Don't Kawhi d Hoxley Cubs 1597
Captain Collo 1796 d North Tower 856

We pause our regular programming to reflect on the Western Australian football experts rating the best players in the WAFL.  First up was The West Australian newspaper which rated East Perth midfielder Mitch Crowden as the 4th best player in the league.  Look, that's three spots lower than we rate him but we move on.  Then the folks at sportfm.com.au (read the article at https://www.sportfm.com.au/post/wednesday-wafl-top-40-2024) rate Mitch as the 14th best player in the league.  14th.  They have a guy called Luke Meadows at 3rd when those of us in the know are fully aware that Mitch Crowden IS Meadows.  We're not sure what they're drinking in the west but we'll have some too please.  From everyone at leaguelineup.com and the Thunder, we wish Mitch all the best for the upcoming WAFL season and look forward to him appearing in a Port Adelaide guernsey in the AFL sometime soon.  Go get 'em, Mitch.

Wow.  If you weren't watching Game 5 of the 2023-24 NBL championship series, you missed out.  Get yourself a replay and watch now.  Spoiler alert - the Tasmania Jack Jumpers won.  The games were won by 23, 5, 2, 2 and 2 points respectively.  Check that again - the final three games were 2-point wins.  So close and an enthralling contest that thankfully saw our second-team - there are 3 South Aussies playing - win the Dr John Raschke trophy.  From everyone at leaguelineup.com and the Thunder, congratulations to Coach Scott Roth and all the Tasmania Jack Jumpers.  Wow indeed.

The Thunder enter the quiet part of the draw tonight with an Easter bye, followed by a game, followed by a team bye.  Enjoy the night off, folks.