Attention All Ladies!

A new team is forming in Townsville! If you would like to know more, read the flyer! :)

State of the Villainous Empire! Part 3

Part 1 Can be found over here!
Part 2 is this way!

Now to conclude where we currently are at:

Halibut is looking to be one of the biggest spectacles for the year. North Queensland will be sending three teams (two from Townsville, one from Cairns) which is a massive achievement! QUDA will be subsidising any QLD player that needs to travel more than 500kms to get to Brisbane. THANK YOU QUDA! In other news, the jerseys look amazing (massive props to Alysha Broit for the original design)! Just don’t stare at the centre for too long!

Nicky Smith has been extremely busy drumming up support for the Women’s Development Conference that is to be held in September this year. The goal of the conference is to improve recruitment and retention of women in Ultimate. Topics for discussion will be the possible restructure for the Women’s Season, recruitment strategies, the impact of Uni Games changing formats from mixed to Open and Womens, and barriers facing Women from regional areas. If you’re keen to help out, please contact me townsvilleultimate@gmail.com.

Semester 2 League has commenced! Thank you to all that participated in Market Day and for coming down for the first come and try night. The league will formally kick off on Wednesday the 14^th of August. I believe the pub crawl has been scheduled in for Friday the 30^th of August and that the theme is, Zombies. Not sure how the, “If you come dressed the same as someone else you’ll have to have a drink off” will work… Perhaps it’ll be amended to the “survivors that are too lazy to make a costume”… I’m sure we’ll find out one way or another!

Canberra will be hosting Mix Nationals this year and I’ve confirmed with AFDA and QUDA that Townsville will be sending a team. Unfortunately the Townsville City Council Travel Grants that we’ve received in years past have had a significant cut to its funding. What was about $150 per person for interstate national tournaments, has been reduced to $200 between four people. There are provisions for larger grants for larger groups but it’s not guaranteed. We might need to look at fundraising. Thoughts and ideas are always welcome so let Finny or I know.

2013 has been an eventful year so far and there is still plenty to come! If you want to become involved with the club have a chat with Finny or I, there is always something to be done….. muhahahhahahahahaha

Chris

 

State of the Villainous Empire! Part 1

The year kicked off with the locals partaking in some pick up indoor ultimate at the Aitkenvale PCYC. It was great to try a different form of Ultimate but unfortunately the venue really wasn’t up to scratch. We’ll look into this again after the semester 2 league and hopefully we can find a more suitable venue.

Shortly before the semester 1 league kicked off, Duncan informed us that he was leaving for WA (I’m really concerned about this trend of President’s moving to WA….). Duncan has been with the club for many years and has been a great contributor to the sport, not only at JCU but also through his work and community engagements. You will be missed sir!

Our Regionals campaign had a somewhat slow start this year with QUDA giving people minimal notice of when (and where) it would be held. Fortunately this was offset with a generous subsidy from QUDA which was around $150 per person to attend (Thank you QUDA!). A full write up by David Phang is available on the blog http://townsvilleultimate.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/northern-regionals-2013.html

The QUDA AGM was held on the same weekend as Regionals and the QUDA committee had some fresh blood elected in.

President - John McNaughton - president@quda.org
Secretary - Jo Ashdown - secretary@quda.org
Treasurer - Myall Hingee - treasurer@quda.org
General Members - Chris Ende, Emma Briggs

A part of my role is looking after Regional Development. At this stage that has primarily been securing funding for regional teams to attend Halibut, assisting with the establishment of Mackay as a new club, and supporting the group in Charters Towers to establish some regular pickup. In the not too distant future I hope to see a School program being rolled out and hopefully some support for players wanting to try and make the U19 team next year. If you have any ideas or concerns, feel free to contact me townsvilleultimate@gmail.com. 

Semester 1 League was the largest Townsville has seen, 173 active members across 10 teams (we wanted to push for 12 teams but with Duncan leaving we didn’t have the captaincy capacity)!  As far as results go, it was certainly a motley arrangement with the undefeated Fluro Fantasy going down to the bottom placed Purple Haze in the final round robin round. This result cost Fluro Fantasy the minor premiership and seemed to have a cascade effect as they narrowly lost to Tie Dyenosaurs in the semi-finals. It only goes to show, you gotta win them all! Congratulations go to The Seagulls for winning the final over the Tie Dyenosaurs.

Townsville had two representatives attend the U23 training camps, Dee and Matt Finn. By all accounts both played extremely well and it is encouraging to see Townsville players being considered for National Team selection. I have no doubt that Dee can make the team in 2015 if she keeps at it. Hopefully QUDA will attempt to bridge the gap between regional centres and high level ultimate player development in the coming year.

2013 was the first year that Townsville (and Queensland) sent a team to Division 2 Nationals. The team was formed with the strong core of Townsville players from Regionals and members of Firestorms Ignition, UQ Lovers and Griffith A-Team. Undoubtedly considered the underdogs by many, the team jelled together extremely quickly and we showed how strong we can be once we unleashed our inner mongrel!  A full write up by our injured correspondent David Phang (for those interested, rolling your ankle two weeks before Nationals is not a recommended training regime) is available on the blog http://townsvilleultimate.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/nationals-division-two-mens-open.html

Part 2 will be next week so until then, scheme well!

Evil Genius

Semifinals Preview

There has been a lot of hype surrounding this week's round of games as teams vie for a spot in the Grand Finals. A poll on the Facebook group has hinted that the league thinks Seagulls and Tie Dyenosaurs will be facing off in the Grand Finals. However, if this season is anything to go by, we can never be too sure about predictions as some teams have the ability to toss up a few surprises!

Semifinals Game 1 - Seagulls VS Django Unchained

It's light against dark in this one as the white Seagulls take on the black Django Unchained. Seagulls have shown fantastic form in the second half of the season and have not dropped a game ever since their loss to Fluro Fantasy. The fact that they have beaten most teams by a comfortable margin should also be an indication of the threat they will bring to the field. Seagulls also have a slight advantage in physical prowess with a number of tall players on their team which will certainly prove to be an obstacle to Django Unchained.

Although Django Unchained have not been as remarkable as Seagulls during the regular season, they have shown tremendous form in the first round of the play-offs. Not many players on the Django team can say they have Rob Dehollander's height or insanely long arms, but what they lack in physicality they make up for in athleticism. Daniel "Jonesy" Jakob was in good form during play-offs week and if he continues his form he will certainly bring heat to the game.

Semifinals Game 2 - Fluro Fantasy VS Tie Dyenosaurs

In their last meeting, Fluro Fantasy narrowly beat out Tie Dyenosaurs 13-11 and although they still managed to win, it was by no means a walk in the park. Fluro Fantasy missed out on the minor premiership with a surprise loss to Purple Haze in the last round of the regular season but managed to exact revenge in their play-off game with a narrow 7-6 victory over the purple team. Captain Ash has done well to nurture Fluro Fantasy into a team capable of playing Ultimate at the top level but will they be able to handle the pressure of the semifinals and make it a double over the Dyenosaurs?

Tie Dyenosaurs are another team that have come together well. In their 13-2 loss to Django Unchained it was painfully obvious that at that time, they were a one-man team (ala Finny) but the Tie Dyenosaurs that played in the playoffs last week showed some incredible synergy and teamwork. The Dyenosaurs will be itching for a win after narrowly losing out to Fluro Fantasy in the regular season and it remains to be seen if they will make it to the Grand-finals.

Losers' Bracket

While the top four teams battle it out for a spot in the Grand Finals and ultimately, champions, the bottom six teams are at the other end of the spectrum fighting to NOT win the infamous Wooden Spoon. Rumour has it the captain of the team awarded the Wooden Spoon has to take a paddling to the ass but that rumour remains unproven. Match-ups for the losers' bracket will be announced tonight at the fields so make sure you get there early!!

Notice that the games have no predictions and that's because they are too close to be called! This is by far one of the most exciting semifinal rounds the league has had to date. If you feel like you can accurately predict the score, leave a comment or tweet @TsvUltimate on Twitter with your predictions! Let's get keen for some Ultimate and see you guys on the fields!!

North Queensland Hat Competition Details

Escape the winter cold in the south and come to sunny and warm North Queensland! A high of 25, a low of 14, it's a long weekend and there's a tournament, what more reason do you need? The NQ Hat is a one day tournament with an optional skills clinic on Saturday and optional Beach Ultimate on the Monday! Also feel free to take the rest of the week to book in for a reef or a rainforest trip.

The NQ Hat will take place on Sunday, the 9th of June at the JCU Oval 3. Townsvillains and members of the Townsville Ultimate Disc League will know where it is, but if you're not from the area, directions to the fields can be found here.

The skills clinic will be held on Saturday, the 8th of June and Beach Ultimate will take place on Monday, 10th of June. The tournament party will be held on the night of the 9th. Details of the tournament after-party are still being sorted out but we guarantee you won't be disappointed!

In order to register for the NQ Hat, you will first have to register with the Australian Flying Disc Association (AFDA) and then sign up for the competition. Tournament fees are $35 and that gets you a free tournament t-shirt, free lunch and dinner on the tournament day as well as lunch on Beach Ultimate Monday. Players who register to play are also eligible to attend a free skills clinic where they will learn from some of the best ultimate players from around the region.

Registration at AFDA can be done at http://www.afda.com 

After you have registered at AFDA, you can register for the NQ Hat here.

If you have a twitter account, follow us @TsvUltimate and spread the word about the NQ Hat with the #NQHat hashtag!

Let's get keen to play some Ultimate!!

Round 8 Review

Heartbreak and jubilation are the two words that most aptly describe this week's round of games. The much talked about game between Cockwalas and Tie Dyenosaurs certainly lived up to its hype. Django Unchained once again demonstrated just how good they are with an incredible comeback over Blue Crush. And Purple Haze showed us that miracles do happen with their win over Fluro Fantasy.

Game 1 - Django Unchained VS Blue Crush

The game started off really well in favour of Blue Crush as they utilised the speed they have on their team with some fast running and precise long throws to score point after point and to open up a huge lead against Django Unchained. Despite Django's best effort, Blue Crush were able to take a comfortable 7-3 lead at half-time.

With Blue Crush's small team size, they would always run into the risk of tiring themselves out too quickly and this was what happened against Django Unchained last night. Django, not short of players, took advantage of Blue Crush's diminished numbers and ran them hard in the second half to start their comeback.

The game ultimately went down to universe point (12-12) and both teams were slogging it out trying to score the final point for victory. Ecuadorean Miguel played his heart out and definitely put in a man of the match performance. However, it was Django Unchained that had the edge to close out the game and take down a W.

Final score: This match had plenty edge-of-the-seat stuff from start to finish and Django Unchained's manpower advantage over Blue Crush allowed them to narrowly win this game 13-12.

Game 2 - Fluro Fantasy VS Purple Haze

My oh my oh my! What a game this was! Fluro Fantasy have finally succumbed after a successful, and unbeaten, season to minnows Purple Haze. Nobody in a million years would have predicted this outcome. Purple Haze looked like a different team this week compared to last week not just in terms of field performance, but also in personnel. By my count, Purple Haze certainly looked like they had a full team on the fields this week and the addition of Tyson provided the link in the chain that Purple Haze needed.

Purple Haze started the game well and were up 3-2 before I even had a chance to look. Tyson and Johannes handled well together as a pair and Purple Haze receivers such as James, Bevo and the super awesome Meg Landis did well with under-cuts and deep cuts to provide their handlers with plenty of options. Ryan Stokes and Mike played some awesome defense to deny the opposition some crucial points. Fluro Fantasy, for the first time in the season, found themselves playing catch-up throughout the match. However, the yellow chimera still played extremely well, especially in defense, with their cup being well-organised and hardworking. Andy and Sabrina once again displayed their awesome skill on the field with Andy being solid in handling and Sabrina making some excellent runs.

A mix of emotions erupted on the field when Cara Thompson caught the disc in the end-zone for the final point. Purple Haze players were ecstatic in their celebrations whereas heartbreak was seen on the Fluro Fantasy team. No more can be said for captain Ash who played an amazing game of frisbee, leading his team well despite trailing for most of the match.

Final score: Purple Haze have achieved the most incredible upset of the season by beating Fluro Fantasy 13-10. It seems that these two teams will meet again in the first game of next week's double header. Will Purple Haze be able secure slay the giants again, or will Fluro Fantasy exact revenge? Only time will tell!

Game 3 - Cockwalas VS Tie Dyenosaurs

This was a game that both teams wanted to win badly. Cockwalas started the game extremely well and managed to score two quick points. However, a few crucial mistakes allowed Tie Dyenosaurs to tie the score at 2-2. Damo then suffered an ankle injury in a collision with Mitch which forced him out of the first half. Cockwalas took advantage of his absence and managed to race to a 6-2 lead by playing their trademark continuation frisbee. Cockwalas were also able to shut down the Dyenosaurs' long game with some tight man defense and rookie Oscar Stahl certainly put on a great show with his defensive pressure. In their rush to take the half, however, Cockwalas slipped up and allowed the Dyenosaurs to unexpectedly score five points and take the lead 7-6 at half-time.

The second half was an entirely different game as the Dyenosaurs came out looking like a different team. Damo managed to recover from his injury and we saw him link-up with Finny in their traditional give-and-go game. This allowed them to quickly work the disc up the field and tire out the Cockwalas defense. Dyenosaurs also took advantage of several mismatches to put the disc long and score. Despite a few morale-boosting plays, such as Chichi's layout grab for the score, Cockwalas made too many uncharacteristic mistakes and Tie Dyenosaurs took advantage of that to win the game.

Final score: A game that was very hyped up certainly delivered as Tie Dyenosaurs beat out Cockwalas to a 13-9 victory despite missing key players Corrie, Matt, and David. The Dyenosaurs will definitely be a team to look out for in the finals!

Game 4 - Robust Fawn VS Seagulls

Robust Fawn go into this game with a strong cross wind blowing across the field and missing key player Chris Palazzi. However, they have the ability to play with a strong gust especially with strong handlers such as Jenny and Zane. This setup allowed captain Kramer to spend more time in the stack as a receiver. The return of Alyssa also helped to lessen the effects of missing Palazzi.

When the wind died down, Seagulls managed to find their footing and were able to play some classic Seagull frisbee. Deanna did well on defense getting tons of blocks on Zane and Fran dawg managed to surprise Robert Dehollander by throwing out several footblocks to stop his throws.

This well-spirited game even had a point where both teams played with six girls and one guy and ended with a line-out style play (ala Rugby Union). There were definitely plenty of skillful plays and a lot of running seen in this game as both teams tried to go for the win.

Final score: Seagulls beat Robust Fawn 13-4 but I feel that wasn't a true reflection of the amount of skill and hard work put in by the players in orange.

Game 5 - Grapists  VS Mitey Discs

The first half looked like it was Grapists VS Mitey Discs VS the wind. Both teams came out with a strong zone D which made any long throws highly contested and more for field position rather than scoring. Both teams traded points despite the numerous times the disc went into the ground or was simply dropped. But Grapists were able to take half 7-6.

The half time banter ensued, and by the time both teams lined up at their end zones, the wind had stopped. It was zone defense against zone offense with no wind and that made for some very interesting and challenging plays! The Grapist's forced the turn and then the play that no one expected, a midway cross field hammer to the end zone from Phil to Emily for the score. I'm pretty sure the Grapist's were as stunned as the Mitey Discs when that happened!!

The game continued in high spirit and high intensity with the Mitey Disc girls making some great cuts and scoring some well deserved points. However the Grapist's stayed out in front all the way to the end to wrap up their round robin campaign with a 13-11 win.

Final score: Grapists with a narrow 13-11 victory over Mitey Discs.

That's all for this week! Get ready for for more intense frisbee action as all teams head into finals week to vie for a place in the Grand Finals. This is turning out to be one of the most amazing Ultimate seasons in the league's history!!

Round 8 Previews

The last round of games of the regular season is finally upon us! This is the last chance for teams to secure a better position for a more favourable finals match-up. Here are this week's predictions!

Game 1 - Cockwalas VS Tie Dynosaurs

The long awaited game of the season (for me anyway). The protege takes on the master as Finny goes up against Dave. Both teams have had solid seasons up until now and amazingly, have had the same results. Both teams have won and lost against the same teams but Tie Dynosaurs are further ahead on the table due to point differential. This is the match that will separate these two teams and determine which is the better side.

This game will be be won be whichever side has the least turnovers as both teams enjoy playing the short game and walking the disc into the end-zone. Finny will be looking to exploit Cockwalas' inability to make the open-side swing pass whereas Cockwalas will be looking to take advantage of Finny's low release flicks. Both teams have their share of good players and it will be exciting to see who will emerge victorious.

Prediction: Tie Dynosaurs to win 13-9. I predict Damo will be the deciding factor in this match.

Game 2 - Fluro Fantasy VS Purple Haze

First place Fluro Fantasy take on last place Purple Haze in the biggest mismatch of the season. Hopefully Purple Haze will have some more players this week. One thing's for sure though; Tyson is back and will be looking to help Purple Haze secure a favourable position for the finals. Fluro Fantasy have already secured first place in the league and the outcome of this match is unlikely to have an effect on their finals match-up but they are a competitive side and will be looking to finish off this season strong with an unbeaten record.

Throughout the season, it has been the girls of Fluro Fantasy that have given them an edge over their opponents. Will Purple Haze be able to stop Fluro Fantasy or will Fluro finish the season unbeaten?

Prediction: I really want Purple Haze to stop Fluro Fantasy in its tracks but my bet is on Fluro Fantasy beating Purple Haze 13-9.

Game 3 - Django Unchained VS Blue Crush

After suffering defeats in their respective games last week, both Django and Blue Crush will be looking to bounce back with a victory this week to secure a more favourable position for the finals. Django have had a surprising season and are languishing somewhere in the bottom half of the table. Blue Crush find themselves in a similar position as the regular season draws to a close. On paper, both teams have similar abilities but we know they can each turn up the heat on the field if they want.

Timmy will find it hard to play it hard to play a long game against Django due to the defensive capabilities of the team, and particularly James. A tight cup defense seemed to work well for Cockwalas against Blue Crush's handlers last game and it might work for Django this week. Blue Crush will have to put pressure on Django receivers and force the turnover if they want to increase their chances of winning.

Prediction: Blue Crush are too suited for the long game and I have a feeling they will stick to that strategy which i think will be easily defended by James and his Black marauders. Django Unchained to win this one 13-8.

Game 4 - Robust Fawn VS Seagulls

Second place Seagulls take on Robust Fawn. Seagulls will want to finish the regular season with a victory as they head into the finals so we can expect them to come out strong. Robust Fawn will have to watch out for Seagulls receivers such as Cooper and Renee who are excellent both in offense and defense. Rob, Deanna, and Genge are expected to be handling and they are without a doubt one of the strongest handling lineups in the league. Robust Fawn will be using Zane, Jenny, and possibly Kramer to handle, leaving Chris Palazzi in a receiving role.

A man defense would work well against Seagulls as it would limit their running. On paper, Robust Fawn have the players to handle Seagulls and should not be facing a mismatch on the field. But will they bring the heat against Seagulls or go out like Bambi's mom on a snowy winter night?

Prediction: If Robust Fawn bring their A-game tonight, I think they might be able to beat the Seagulls. However, looking at form and previous results, my money is still on Seagulls to win it 13-7.

Game 5 - Grapists  VS Mitey Discs

Mitey Discs have had a very good season thus far and should finish in a comfortable top four position for the finals. Grapists on the other hand, have had an unfortunate season where they came close to winning many games only to lose out at the very end. With Bobby Jackson's injury adding to their woes, Grapists have a tough end of the season match. Both these teams like to mix up their play between short and long, and man and zone defense so it will be very interesting to see how they adapt to one another and the flow of the game.

Prediction: Mitey Discs to close out the season strong with a 13-10 win over Grapists.

Townsville Ultimate League Round 7

Yo yo yo! Another week has passed and another amazing round of Ultimate was witnessed by all. Round 7 of the league presented little surprises as top teams secured victory over the lower-placed teams. All teams showed immense spirit in this round of games and that was definitely heartening to see.

Game 1 - Seagulls VS Purple Haze

The return of captain Swan from Nationals did little to help the cause of Purple Haze as they were severely lacking in manpower on a night when they needed everyone there the most. Having only eight players present meant that Purple Haze only had one substitute for the entire night. Despite being short-staffed, Purple Haze still went into the game looking to make an impact. However, second place Seagulls proved to be to formidable and they easily swept Purple Haze aside.

Final score: Seagulls with an easy 13-3 victory over Purple Haze.

Game 2 - Django Unchained VS Mitey Discs

With Pete the Doctor back on the lineup, Mitey Discs were ready to bounce beat from last week's defeat to Team Riley Smith. The game started fairly even with both teams showing some tenacity but Mitey Discs eventually managed to pull away a build a substantial lead. Mitey Discs never looked like they were in any trouble throughout the game and comfortably put this one away.

Final score: Mitey Discs beat Django Unchaned 13-6.

Game 3 - Cockwalas VS Blue Crush

Proponents of the short game vs the long game - game 3 was a match that featured two teams with vastly differently playing styles. The dangers posed by the running of Blue Crush players such as Wes, Rob, Torunn, Miguel, Hossain, and Aggie were evident from the get-go which was why Cockwalas set up a zone defense right from the start. With Phangbang back in (limited) action and running the cup, Mitchell playing in the gut and Dave sitting deep, Cockwalas put some serious pressure on Blue Crush and forced many turnovers near their end-zone. This setup allowed Cockwalas to score some quick points and race off to an early 4-1 lead.

The second half started a little differently as Blue Crush started to assassinate Cockwalas captain and key handler Dave, and they scored a few quick points to turn the heat up. Cockwalas then switched to secondary handlers Mitch and Phangbang which allowed Dave to fall into a receiver role and helped Cockwalas to regain momentum. Blue Crush then started exploiting Phangbang's limited running abilities which forced him to sit out the rest of the match but he had already imparted his infinite wisdom upon the team.

Final score: Cockwalas beat Blue Crush 13-8 in a match where the score didn't really reflect the actual intensity that was on display.

Game 4 - Robust Fawn VS Tie Dynosaurs

The return of Finny and Damo meant good news for Tie Dynosaurs. With their two main players on the team, the Dynosaurs quickly went to work on Robust Fawn with their trademark short game. In the first half, Robust Fawn could do little to stop Tie Dynosaurs defensively and offensively they could do nothing at all.

With experienced handlers such as Palazzi, Zane, and Kramer, Robust Fawn were determined not to go down easily and came out in the second half looking for a way back into the match. They started mixing their game up with short, fluid plays and long throws when the opportunity presented itself.

As a defensive division 1 level player, it will be near impossible to beat Finny when he is sitting deep in the zone unless you are Chris Palazzi. Palazzi, a top-ranked Ultimate player, showed the Tie Dynosaurs just how good he really was with some amazing scoring catches over Finny.

However, the Dynosaurs had built up a comfortable lead, so much so that Finny could afford to take time off to heckle the game beside them and the result was one that would not have surprised many.

Final score: Tie Dynosaurs back on the romp with a 13-7 victory over Robust Fawn.

Game 5 - Grapists  VS Team Riley Smith

Grapists put up a surprisingly good fight against Team Riley Smith (TRS) this week and definitely gave them a run for their money. TRS went into the match with the knowledge that if they win then they win the match they win the Minor Premiership, so they had a lot on the line. However they didn't start the match like a team ready to be champions as Grapists raced to an early 3-1 lead which left captain Ash shaking in his pants.

After a quick pep-talk, TRS managed to turn the game around and take the half 7-4. This game saw both teams running tight man-defenses which meant a lot of running and a lot of tight plays and this match definitely saw it's fair share of blocks and layout defenses. Both offences managed to overcome that by throwing some really good throws in what was and end-to-end game. Once again, TRS girls won the game for them with some really good offensive and defensive plays.

Mad props to Grapists' Bobby Jackson who suffered a fractured wrist halfway through the game but still soldiered on with some insane O and D. Also, shame on you Phil English for letting Sabrina catch a disc over you.

Final score: Team Riley Smith win the Minor Premiership with a 13-8 victory over Grapists.

The finals week are almost upon us and all teams still have a shot at winning the tournament. To the lower-ranked teams, keep your chins up and don't give up! To the top teams, don't get complacent and let your guard down; we all know what happened last season when Green Gobbies and 50 Shades of Hakuna Matata made it to the Grandfinals.

To those who haven't been showing up to games for your team, NOW is the time to change that and help your team's bid to make the finals! Your team NEEDS you, whether you're playing or just on the sideline heckling! (unless you haven't paid your league fees, then you are dead to us. LOL jokes.)

Stay tuned for more exciting updates on the Townsville Ultimate Frisbee League!!!

Townsville Ultimate Disc League Round 6

This week the league served up yet another exciting round of frisbee. All teams have found their groove and synergy and are starting to play some really high level Ultimate. Without further ado, here's this week's wrap up!

Game 1 - Blue Crush VS Grapists

The game that went for the longest this week was also the most spirited. This game featured two teams that were pretty evenly matched in terms of skill level and physical ability but it was Blue Crush that managed to race to a 7-1 lead at half-time. Things looked over for Grapists but they refused to give up and came out firing in the second half. Blue Crush took their foot off the pedal and started making unforced turnovers such as dropping easy catches and throwing away easy passes. Bobby Jackson of Grapists was being an absolute beast on defense and shutting down all of Blue Crush's long puts with huge sky grabs and layout swats. Grapists turned the tide as Blue Crush continued to slip up and managed to wrestle victory away from the blue team.

Final score: Grapists put another W on the board as they beat Blue Crush 13-10 to make it three in a row.

Game 2 - Django Unchained VS Tie Dynosaurs

Talk about a blowout! A Tie Dynosaur team playing without captain Finny AND Damo is like a bunch of babies trying to drive an M1 Abrams tank. Tie Dynosaurs were hopelessly lost and Django Unchained wasted no time taking them apart.

The Dynosaurs played well but the lack of handlers meant that they couldn't complete passes despite their receivers getting into good positions. Josh Phipps had the opportunity to lead the team this week which provided him with a good learning experience.

Final score: Django Unchained sweeps Tie Dynosaurs aside 13-2. I am honestly surprised the Dynosaurs even managed two so I guess they can take this as a moral victory.

Game 3 - Cockwalas VS Seagulls

Cockwalas come back from the break ready to play some frisbee and Dave's boombox busting out war tunes is a sure sign of their seriousness. The game, however, did not start in Cockwalas' favour. Seagulls raced to a 2-0 lead within minutes as Cockwalas struggled to keep up. Even without Deanna, Genge and Rob manage to work the disc well. Seagulls also have an extremely athletic breed of players. Cooper and Renee were catching everything thrown to them which made it extremely difficult for Cockwalas to shut down long puts. Cockwalas managed to put up a fight in the second half but the massive lead established by Seagulls proved too great an obstacle for Cockwalas to overcome.

Final score: Seagulls defeat Cockwalas 13-7 as they maintain their place in second.

Game 4 - Robust Fawn VS Purple Haze

The most exciting game this week saw Purple Haze go up against Robust Fawn. Missing various key players such as James, Ryan, and Swan, Purple Haze did not look ready to play during the warm-up. Stand-in captain Tyson was lamenting his lack of players during the pre-game session. Robust Fawn started the game with a vertical stack offense and the lack of a gust meant that they could work the disc easily up the field. On defense, they played a mongrel man defense which shut down Purple Haze's offense and allowed them to easily race to a 7-1 lead at half-time.

The second half started a little differently; Purple Haze, now warmed up, put on an organised zone defense which forced several turnovers from Robust Fawn and allowed them to score five points in succession to bring the game to 7-6. Tyson found a perfect offensive partner in Bevo and his sweet handling skills combined with Bevo's ridiculous disc-reading helped Purple Haze keep up with Robust Fawn. Purple Haze managed to pull away at 11-11 by scoring to make it 12-11, but Robust Fawn refused to give up what could have been their win and scored a point of their own to make it universe point at 12-12. 

The game winner came when Tyson threw a long bomb which looked like it was going out until Bevo jumped up and caught it above and behind his head to the eruption of cheers from the sideline.

Final score: In the greatest comeback this week, Purple Haze beat Robust Fawn in a hotly-contested match 13-12.

Game 5 - Mitey Discs VS Fluro Fantasy

League leaders Fluro Fantasy take on fourth-placed Mitey Discs in a highly-charged match which saw its fair share of collisions. It was surprising to see Ash and Andy on handling duties because I would have expected the super awesome Riley to be taking up the role. The match started out pretty evenly matched and both teams matched each other point for point throughout some long rallies.

Fluro Fantasy then started being more scrupulous on calling fouls and that gave them the edge in many turnovers. This might have thrown off Mitey Discs a little and disrupted their momentum. However, Mitey Discs dug in and played some sick man-marking defense which forced a Fluro Fantasy to make a fair few incompletions.

The game started to slip away when Mitey Discs started to look disheartened and Fluro Fantasy took full advantage of that as they raced away to yet another victory.

Final score: Fluro Fantasy maintain their unbeaten record with a 12-7 victory over Mitey Discs.

That's all for this week! Stay tuned for more updates on the league; will Purple Haze mount a late season comeback? Will Fluro Fantasy stay unbeaten and win the league this semester? Only time will tell!

Round 6 Preview

Hey ho frisbee flingers! I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing lecture recess because Ultimate action is set to resume this week. All the teams look really strong and it will be a very close race to the end of the season.

Game 1 - Blue Crush VS Grapists

Both teams in game 1 of this week have enjoyed a good run of late. Blue Crush are really starting to come together as a solid team and the players are improving in terms of skill level. Grapists won their first two games in the previous week and they are hungry for more.

Both teams are capable of working the disc but Blue Crush throw more hucks; a strategy which works well for them because they have many players capable of running down the disc and making the completion. Grapists, on the other hand, prefer to play the short game and like to "walk the disc in".

Grapists, however, need to find the elusive final pass. As a team they work the disc up the field well, but the final catch in the end-zone has always been their Achilles' heel. With only three games to go, they have to make better completions if they want to make it to the Grand-finals. 

Prediction: Blue Crush to win 13-10.

Game 2 - Django Unchained VS Tie Dynosaurs

I hate to say it but the Dynosaurs are going to have their work cut out for them. Captain Finny will be away "chasing Nationals glory" with Slamtown which means Tie Dynosaurs won't have an experienced handler. Will Damo be able to step up to the plate, or can Josh Phipps fill in in the absence of Finny? As far as receivers go, Dynosaurs have a pretty solid lineup featuring the likes of Lucas, Jessup, Corrie, and the super beastly Julianna who will catch everything thrown to her. 

Django Unchained currently lie eighth in the table, which is surprising. However, their current position belies the true abilities of the team. The absence of Dynosaurs captain Finny means that this is the perfect time for Django to mount a comeback in their season.

Prediction: Django Unchained to sweep aside Tie Dynosaurs 13-6.

Game 3 - Cockwalas VS Seagulls

Cockwalas have suffered a slip in form recently when they lost both of their games last week. What started off as a promising season has slowed down for the green marsupials. The loss of Phangbang through injury was just too much for the team as they were cut down to just one handler. There have been rumours of a Cockwalas training camp being held over lecture recess but nobody knows for sure. What is certain is that if Cockwalas don't pick up the pace soon they'll be out of running for a shot at the Grand-finals.

Seagulls were defeated in the last round by Fluro Fantasy and this will be their first match after the loss. Will they be able to bounce back or will the season slip away from them? Interestingly, the captains of both teams happen to be brothers; will Dave prevail or will Rob be able to put one over his older brother?

Prediction: Cockwalas will struggle against a fully-fit Seagulls team. I think Seagulls will take this one 13-7.

Game 4 - Robust Fawn VS Purple Haze

Last place Purple Haze take on Robust Fawn in this one. Purple Haze will be missing one of their captains Swan as she heads to the Nationals but the team will be helmed by the other co-captain Ryan and Tyson. The wind and rain might have affected Purple Haze's performance in the last round but if conditions are good, expect them to come out firing and looking to get out of the last place.

Robust Fawn is one of the teams that is really starting to come together this season. Led by Chris Palazzi, Kramer, and Zane, the team has an incredible throwing and catching game. Definitely one of the speediest teams in the league at the moment, Robust Fawn will look to go deep if they can. 

Prediction: If conditions are right, Purple Haze will be able to put up a strong fight against a well-synergised Robust Fawn side. However, I think this game will ultimately go in Robust Fawn's favour 13-9.

Game 5 - Mitey Discs VS Fluro Fantasy

What can I say about this game other than the fact that Riley will dominate? With new experience from Division 2 Nationals, Riley is now super confident in his abilities as a handler. But he is still unproven on the fields and his ability to stick it in the hole is still very questionable. Will he be able to extend Fluro Fantasy's winning run or will Fluro suffer their first defeat this week under the hands of Mitey Discs?

Not a team that really attracts a ton of attention, Mitey Discs have been somewhat consistent in their performances and now sit comfortably in fourth. Teams that don't take them seriously will be in for a big surprise because Mitey Discs work hard and they will make you pay if you are complacent.

Prediction: Fluro Fantasy to extend their winning run with a 13-9 victory over Mitey Discs.

Remember that the day after this week's games is ANZAC day. So don't be in a hurry to go home; hang around, chill out, talk to people from other teams, and get your party on!!!

Nationals Division Two Men's Open

Townsville Ultimate! Sorry there has been no previews/reviews this week. Things deviated from the norm when the league decided to play two games on Wednesday instead of the usual one and it was just too much to keep track of all the games. Plus I had to go down to Melbourne to cover Townsvillains in the Nationals Division Two Men's Ultimate Tournament. This tournament saw a fair few Villains veterans participate and it also featured rookies Riley Smith and Josh Mcintyre in their first tournament. The Villains team also had the opportunity, and luck, to recruit players from Brisbane like Ashley Donaldson, Dan Cohen, Brenton "Moto" Mottershead, Luke "Staarky" Lynch, Tim Webb, Keegan Miskimmin, Tyson Buhagiar and Slamtown veteran Alistair Don. All in all the Villains were packing a pretty strong line-up and were ready to bring the heat to grey and windy Melbourne.

Day 1

Game 1 - Townsvillains VS Funny Duck
Townsvillains win 11-9

The first game of any tournament is always testy. Teams will be fresh on the field and looking to assess their opponent's ability and this game was no different. Funny Duck started strong enough and took two points right off the bat and left the Villains pondering their chances in the tournament. Thankfully it was just a sluggish start. The Villains quickly hit back and managed to tie the game up 2-2. After that it was a point-for-point rally between the two teams as they tried to pry the downwind break point from the other team. The Villains managed to hold on to a slender lead and went into half-time 8-7 up. The second half saw more of the same rallies but the Villains ability to switch between a vertical stack offense and a horizontal stack offense kept Funny Duck guessing and prevented them from getting into their groove. Although a little hesitant at first (maybe because of the wind), the Villains eventually started looking for open long puts and managed to stick them. It was an exciting point-for-point exchange until the Villains managed to pull away at 10-8. It looked like victory was within grasp but Funny Duck somehow managed to steal a break point and had the advantage playing offense downwind with the score at a nail-biting 10-9. However, the Villains  managed to keep their wits about them and were able to take the game 11-9 at the end of the time-cap.

Game 2 - Townsvillains VS Head of State (HoS)
Townsvillains win 12-10

Townsville once again started extremely sluggishly in this match. Maybe they let their first victory get to their heads and allowed HoS to go 6-1 up within 15 minutes of the game. Morale was low in the Villains camp at this point and the players thought that the match would be over soon. However, Finny decided to make a radical call and play a puppy-cup defense. It was a bold move cotton, I can tell you that, but it certainly paid off. HoS, perhaps getting a little too complacent with their early lead, crumbled under the pressure put on by the puppy-cup. The tides were turned and the Villains soon had complete control of the game and put in point after point to lead 8-6 at half-time. The second half saw more of the same plays with the Villains' puppy-cup forcing turnovers from HoS. The match should have been over when Tyson managed to intercept a swing pass from HoS handlers in the end-zone but he failed to convert a two-handed Callahan grab (he tried to grab it but it slipped out from his grasp). If he had managed to do that it would've been morale-crushing for HoS and the Villains would've stomped all over them. Although HoS managed to score four more points, the Villains were in too comfortable a position to lose and they were able to win the game at the end of the time-cap.

Game 3 - Townsvillains VS Karma
Karma win 15-7

Game 3 took place after lunch. Everyone was feeling a little sluggish, lost 15-7. Villains played hard but just couldn't come away with a result. Nothing much else to comment on.

Day 2

Game 4 - Townsvillains VS Duff Punk
Townsvillains win 13-12

As usual, the Villains started this match slow and allowed Duff Punk to score some quick points to go 4-0 up. Villains tried different set-ups but were unable to to catch up to Duff Punk and ended up trailing 8-3 at half-time. Chins were pretty down at this point but Finny and Al put in a good half-time pep-talk to light the fire in the team once again. Villains put on a tight man-mark and went mongrel on the Duff Punk boys to really pressure them into throwing away the disc which the Villains gladly capitalised on. Duff Punk held the lead by one point for most of the point but Townsvillains managed to draw the game at 12-12 to bring the game to universe point. A forced turnover and a good put saw the Villains take down this match to win 13-12. A lot of bold calls were made in this match which went in the Villains's favour but still, they took every chance they had and played extra hard to earn this victory.

Game 5 - Townsvillains VS Wild Chilly
Townsvillains win 15-8

This was an important one for the Villains because it determined if they would make it to the semi-finals of the tournament. The Chilly team are a pretty well-known team in Melbourne and their first team recently came second in the Brisbane-Canberra Invitational. So despite this being a third-string team, the Villains were still cautious going into this match and had to make sure they did not get overly complacent. The game started in a surprising manner as Townsvillains went up 4-0 before Wild Chilly called a timeout. For the first time in their tournament, the Villains were not the first team to call a timeout and morale was high in the team huddle and everyone was sure of themselves. After the timeout, the Villains came out looking to score another point but Wild Chilly surprised them but putting one on the scoreboard to make the score 4-1. Townsvillains were still pretty confident at this point and thought "hey no big deal we've got a decent lead". The Villains managed to put a few more points on the board but Wild Chilly managed to get a few break points of their own. Townsvillains then decided to put on a strong offensive line to close out the game. An easy game and a well-deserved win to earn a spot in the semifinals.

Semifinals - Townsvillains VS Nova
Nova win 13-8

The semifinals of the Division Two Nationals Men's Open saw Townsvillains go up against a Kiwi team from Wellington. The Villains wanted to bring the heat against a Kiwi team that were used to the wind and rain and cold. That was, however, not the case. They put an extremely hard mark on Finny who had a been a beast as a receiver in previous games. Maybe they scouted a few of the Villains games before and saw Finny in action, we'll never know; all we know is they had their best defender not more than a meter away from Finny all game long. Nova managed to establish a lead and the Villains had trouble catching up and eventually lost the semifinals.

3rd/4th place playoffs - Townsvillains VS Ballarat Ultimate
Townsvillains win 13-8

The game of truth. Will the Villains go home with a bronze medal or empty-handed? When the horn sounded to signal the start of the match, both teams were still finishing up their lunches so it was perhaps fortuitous that the Villains weren't going to be the only team that would start the game without warm-up. The Villains started the match strongly by scoring two points to take a 2-0 lead but Ballarat quickly evened up by scoring two after. The match then went point for point with Townsvillains keeping the lead but the Villains eventually managed to snatch a break point to lead 8-6 at half-time. The second half saw more of the same exchange until Ashley Donaldson, who injured himself in the first game and had to sit out most of the tournament, made a surprising comeback into the lineup. Some swift passing saw the Villains move the disc to the edge of Ballarat's end-zone before Ashley Donaldson made a cut to the back left corner and Al Don hit him with a backhand huck. It looked like a sure turnover as the huck was floaty and two Ballarat defenders converged on the disc but Ashley managed to jump over both of them and grabbed the disc one-handed for the point. He proceeded to spike the disc while still falling and the sideline erupted in cheers. That play might have given the Villains the extra momentum they needed as they raced away to take the game 13-8!

Villains take home the bronze in an amazing, frisbee-filled weekend that was fueled by jagerbombs, jars, buckets, and buffalo wings. Finny was awarded tournament MVP and Alistair Don was the first runner-up in the MVP awards. Kudos to their amazing performances on the field and congratulations to both of them. Townsvillains would also like to thank all Brisbane players for joining the team, as well as an unforgettable weekend!