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!!
