It seems crazy that in the seventh season of the Mongrel Punt Midfielder Championship Belt, we’ve never had it strapped around the waits of one of the most consistent performers in the game…
… but Clayton Oliver has it now, and he is going to be damn hard to remove as champ.
It was a toss up as to which Melbourne midfielder was better in their win over the Swans, and the dethroning of Chad Warner. Christian Petracca – already a champion in 2022 – topped the disposal count, but for me, it was the scoreboard impact of Clayton Oliver that got him over the line.
As the Dees put the hurt on the Swans, Oliver claimed his first-ever Mongrel Midfield Title, ending the ten-defence streak of Warner, who proved to be a pretty damn strong champ.
Oliver’s first defence comes against the wounded West Coast Eagles this weekend.
The Mongrel Punt Midfield Championship is a bit of fun – let’s be honest, but it’s a bit of fun that adds a little bit of interest to each and every game the champ competes in. Who, if anyone can beat the champ?
Each week, the champ defends his title in this system. In order to unseat him, firstly, the challenging team has to win. Like in Pro Wrestling, the title cannot change hands on a disqualification, so if you have a great performance, but your team loses, you cannot win the title. You have to beat the champ in a win. You have to outperform the champ in a win to take the title off him.
The individual win has to be comprehensive. If a challenger has 26 touches and a goal and the champ has something similar, we call it a draw and the champ gets the benefit of the doubt to retain the title. You either win decisively, or you don’t win at all.
So, who will dominate the midfield in the 2022 season and turn back challengers week after week? Who will reign like Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair? And who will be an interim champ… like Kane, or the Iron Sheik?
Let’s jump in and find out.
The Mongrel Punt Midfielder Championship Belt is a column for our Mongrel Members. The title history, dating back to 2017 remains locked for members and come the 2023 season, the entire article will be locked for them on a weekly/fortnightly basis. With four years of results below, this is where the value comes for our Mongrel members. You should join, huh?
