What in Hades is going on here? We have a team as usual but there are some very strange aspects to it.

All have represented the mighty Demons, but we have a mix of current players, past players and one at another club.

Some players are in their normal position and some are decidedly not.

There is no coach selected. How can the side possibly be expected to know their roles?

And did the author not get the memo about there being five on the bench as from 2026?

The Temptation's to say that the whole thing is just a Ball Of Confusion.

B:	Christian Salem	David Neitz	Jared Rivers
H/B:	Steven May	Rod Grinter	Colin Garland
C:	Jacob van Rooyen	Angus Brayshaw	Blake Howes
H/F:	Jack Viney	Jeff Farmer	Ben Brown
F:	Caleb Windsor	Koltyn Tholstrup	Liam Jurrah
R:	Xavier Lindsay	Allen Jakovich	James Harmes
I/C:	Jack Watts	Max Gawn	Harrison Petty

If you can tell me what links the above players, let me know VIA A PM ONLY. You know the drill by now.

One incorrect response so far (that the players named in their correct position goaled with their first kick).

To be continued.

Be advised that the solution is very much football related.

One of these days I'm going to make a team where the player numbers in position work out as a correct sudoku, and get everyone else on Demonland to pretend they got the answer and just @Demonstone can't get it.

Things are a bit quiet around here.

People are probably spending too much time thinking about the players and their careers instead of looking elsewhere.

21 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

Things are a bit quiet around here.

People are probably spending too much time thinking about the players and their careers instead of looking elsewhere.

Confirming, Il Patrone, I am recused?

But I'm humbly PM-ing you as to how you could fill that bench and sit a great coach beside them, for your delectation(?)

Yes, @Timothy Reddan-A'Blew isn't allowed to play because he had prior knowledge of the point of the exercise. PM replied to.

A submission that all in my team played a game without a senior coach is, alas, incorrect.

The answer requires some lateral thinking as it doesn't relate to the individual players themselves.

That man on the telly, @Roger Mellie is on the brink of being the first to crack the puzzle.

For any others still pondering, here is some information that will either make the answer obvious or infuriate greatly.

James Harmes could replace Jack Watts on the bench while still retaining his spot as rover, thus simultaneously filling two positions in the team. What the?

Edited January 29Jan 29 by Demonstone

And so it came to pass that @Roger Mellie went beyond the brink and came up with the answer. Congratulations to him.

I haven't mentioned the three emergencies for my team.

They could well be James Frawley, Clint Bartram and Jeff Garlett.

As mentioned, the players names aren't relevant. What they are wearing is germane.

Well played, @Roger Mellie!

A suggestion has been received that the players wore multiple jumper numbers.

Although that is not correct, it's so close to the answer as to be on the hot side of warm.

2 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

A suggestion has been received that the players wore multiple jumper numbers.

Although that is not correct, it's so close to the answer as to be on the hot side of warm.

The suggester either missed my last conundrum, or they were vying, rather belatedly, for its 6th prize and mis-addressed their PM! 😄

The responses have picked up in volume, but not in accuracy.

It doesn't relate to a mathematical concept nor to postcodes.

Remember, it is footy related and it's rather obvious by now that it is based on jumper numbers.

Is it significant that Christian Salem and Jacob Van Rooyen both made their debut for the Anzac Eve game against Sydney?

No?

Didn't think so.

@Little Goffy is spot on!

It's not significant.

Welcome @deemoralizing67 to the podium for what I think is the first time. Their persistence eventually paid off.

Third spot still up grabs. It would help if you read each line out aloud. I think.

Let's wrap this one up this evening, shall we? While we're still young and all that.

If your goal is to score a place on the podium, I've totally said everything I can to point you in the right direction.

Reveal to be posted around 7.30pm.

Edited January 30Jan 30 by Demonstone
Giving the answer away. C'mon!

I'm truly gobsmacked that more of you didn't work this one out, particularly given the gimme clues provided.

Each line, based on jumper numbers, is a football score.

Back: Salem Neitz Rivers is 3.9.27 Half-Backs May Grinter Garland is 1.14.20 ... and so on.

You should know by now that I like to confuse matters a little to make the teaser more challenging.

To that end, I used Jeff Farmer's #8, Liam Jurrah's #48 and James Harmes's #43 (could also have been #4 instead of Jack Watts).

Particularly sneaky was the late addition of the emergencies Frawley (8) Bartram (19 - his first number) and Garlett (67 - worn in one game).

Anyway, thanks to anybody who had a look. Over and out.

edit: @Bombay Airconditioning came up with the answer while I was posting this. He comes home with a wet sail to take out third spot.

Edited January 30Jan 30 by Demonstone

👏 to all winners, particularly, to the triers, and of course to Our Puzzle Patron.

As with the other time I was recused, I'm not sure I would have got it. But I'll pretend I would have!

So my sudoko notion wasn't far that off, really.

Are they famous scores from history @Demonstone ?

Perhaps some of our 2025 scores judging by the inaccuracy in some of them..

Nah, nothing significant about the scores. They were just numbers that worked.