Four weeks after winning his first Mongrel Midfield Title, Clayton Oliver has shown no signs of slowing down.
When he won the title, defeating Sydney’s Chad Warner back in Round Three, I can remember thinking we may be in for a lengthy reign – seldom does Clarrie get comprehensively beaten – and in order to take the title off him, you have to beat him AND have your team win.
With the all-time record for defences at 13 (Tom Mitchell back in 2018), Oliver is starting to look like the man who could establish the type of run that will be give the record a shake.
This week, he takes on the Gold Coast Suns’ young guns, Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell, who are fresh off tearing Richmond a new one. Can they upset the champ? Or are they just another stepping stone for Clayton Oliver as he continues to reign as the king of AFL mids?
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. It’s called the champion’s advantage.
So, who will dominate the midfield in the 2023 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?
