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

AGM Minutes: Wednesday 1st of May

Attendance: Chris Ende, Matthew Hamilton, Matthew Finn, Joshua Phipps, James David, Ashley O’Sullivan, Zane Quinn, Phil English, Mark Jessup, Josh McIntyre, Andrew Gosbee, Bobby Jackson, Michael Kramer, Chris Palazzi, Ricky Hazelton

Meeting opened 18:50

TSVL - Townsville Super Villain League

·         The committee is looking at introducing a higher level league.

·         League Directors will be Matt Finn and Scott Adams

·         The goals of the league are to create some structure amongst the players that want to participate at tournaments and to give local players something to move on to after one or two beginner level seasons.

·         The league will be a draft selection and will require a minimum of 44 players.

·         It is envisioned that players wanting to play at Halibut and Nationals will be drawn from this league first and players travelling to Regionals and Halibut will be the first in line for QUDA travel subsidies.

·         Expected Start date will be June 2013.

Indoor

Indoor pickup went well from December to April and it certainly gave those of us around for the summer holidays something to do. Unfortunately with the lack of interest we’re going to put Indoor off until there is more interest/better facilities to accommodate games in the middle of summer.

Indigenous League

·         The start up of the Indigenous League has hit a snag. Initially it was viewed that six teams would be very achievable however since the Football season has started only three teams could be made.

·         It was determined the league should wait until October (after the footy season) before trying to get the season started. We’ll be providing coaching support, skills training and league development advice.

·         We hope to have several players join the Halibut team.

Halibut

·         Halibut is coming up again in August and will most likely be in Brisbane.

·         We’re definitely sending a team down.

·         If you’re interested please talk to Matt Finn or Chris Ende.

NQ Hat

·         It’s Townsville’s turn to host the NQ Hat!

·         Chris Ende will be the TD.

·         QUDA have confirmed that the June long weekend is a good date.

·         We will need volunteers to help out. If you’re keen to help let Chris Ende know.

Bid for hosting Mix Nationals

·         Chris Ende has been working on a bid for Townsville to host Mixed Nationals in 2014.

·         John Hempel from AFDA has provided guidance by looking over our bid and is very supportive of the bid.

·         Fields have been booked (Queens Park and the Sports Reserve).

·         We will need a lot of volunteers to make this work

UNI Games

·         Matt Finn is organising a team to go to uni games this year. This will be the first time that we go to uni games since 2007(?).

·         If you’re keen contact him.

Thank you to captains

Thank you to the captains for your continuing support and assistance in growing Townsville Ultimate whilst keeping it fun, socially inclusive and for upholding the ‘Spirit of the Game’.

Nominations

Treasurer:

Matthew Hamilton accepted the nomination from Chris Ende, seconded by Ashley O’Sullivan, passed unanimously

Secretary:

Phil English and Josh Phipps accepted the nominations for join secretary from Chris Ende, seconded by Matthew Hamilton, passed unanimously

President

Ashley O’Sullivan rejected the nomination from James David and Zane Quinn

Chris Ende accepted the nomination from Matthew Finn, seconded by Josh Phipps, passed unanimously

Meeting closed 19:15

Townsville Ultimate Disc League Round 4

Game 1 - Mitey Discs VS Robust Fawn

Game one of this week saw a hard fought contest between the red Mitey Discs and orange Robust Fawn. Robust Fawn started the game with a killer cup on defense, knocking floaty passes out of the air left and right. Robust Fawn managed to edge out Mitey Discs in the first half and lead 7-6 at half-time.

The second half saw more back-and-forth play between the two teams as the exchanged points. However, Mitey Discs managed to gain the upper-hand with the score tied at 10-10 to race away to a victory.

Final score: Mitey Discs with a second half come back to win the game 13-10.

Game 2 - Tie Dynosaurs VS Seagulls

Game two saw the Finns face off against each other in a tightly contested match. Brother Finny took on sister Deanna as Tie Dynosaurs look to take down Seagulls. Dynosaurs started the game fairly strong and were 2-0 up in minutes. However, Seagulls quickly evened it up and manage to take the first half 7-5. Seagulls' players were extremely energetic and were running full speed all game, keeping a tight man-mark on the Dynosaurs and making Finny work hard than usual. 

Tie Dynosaurs showed plenty of patience on the disc and threw a fair few stall-nine conversions.
Scott Adams, a new player from New Zealand, showed us how good he is with his handling skills and he even managed to throw a stall-nine hammer conversion over Rob Dehollander (those albatross arms). Ross and Damo were absolute beasts on those deep cuts on offense and superb playing in the gut in defense. Grace, Tonje, and Corrie were also making amazing cuts throughout the game.

Seagulls managed to stretch the lead to four at 9-5 but Dynosaurs rallied and managed to tie it up at 11-all. It was anyone's game at this point and both teams were going for the win. Damo made an insane lay-out catch which was called out and that might have given Seagulls the psychological edge.

Final score: After an intense and exciting match, Seagulls manage to beat Tie Dynosaurs 13-11 and take their unbeaten streak to four. 

Game 3 - Django Unchained VS Fluro Fantasy

Fluro Fantasy are quickly establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the league, and a victory over Django Unchained on Wednesday has further solidified their position at the top of the table. Fluro Fantasy used a mixture of zone and man defense to keep Django guessing and to prevent rethem from adapting to any one style.

Despite Django's best efforts, Fluro Fantasy continued to pile on the pressure and stretched the lead further and further. But Django refused to give in that easily and played their hearts out.

Final score: This match was so intense and hard fought that it didn't even make it to 13 points. Fluro Fantasy managed to beat Django Unchained on the time-cap rule 12-6.


Game 4 - Blue Crush VS Purple Haze

The only upset this week came in Game Four when Blue Crush put one over Purple Haze. Blue Crush had to play with two girls - Torunn "Valkryie Beast" Lervik and Caroline "Madison" Broshat - the entire game due to no-shows from the rest but they put in the most hardworking performance I've ever seen. Blue Crush, perhaps fired up by their girls, put on an impressive and merciless performance in the first half and managed to lead 8-2 at half-time.

During the half-time team-talk, Purple Haze rallied and talk tactics and managed to put up a fight at the beginning of the second half with three quick points that left Blue Crush scrambling for answers. However, captain Timmy's sly team tactics proved too much for Purple Haze.

Final score: Blue Crush "crushed" Purple Haze 13-6 to record their second win of the season.


Game 5 - Cockwalas VS Grapists

This game started off with plenty of promise but became one-sided in the second half. Both teams were fighting toe-to-toe for the lead in the first half with Cockwalas taking the lead at certain points and Grapists taking the the lead at other times. Grapists had a distinct advantage in the handling department; it was Jazzy, Phil, and Brandon up against Dave Dehollander; and they used it to their advantage in the half. With a distinct height advantage, they managed to swing the disc around the line of scrimmage and break the cup when forced to the sidelines. Excellent give-and-go play was seen between Jazzy and Phil and their partnership is really starting to flourish. Cockwalas managed to take the first half 7-6 but their cup was run ragged.

Cockwalas captain Dave then decided to change their defensive set-up by switching to a man-marking system and it proved to work in Cockwalas' favour. New signing Paul Martin brought his rugby experience to to the team and his positioning and cuts helped Cockwalas both on attack and defense. Cockwalas put on a tight man-mark on Grapists' players (except Dave who was repeatedly trying to poach Phil) and that really shut down Grapist's handling game despite Grapists' Josh Stine's and Emily's best effort to get into good positions.

Final score: Cockwalas' man-marking defensive set-up really helped them in the second half and they managed to win 13-7. Side note: this is Nickers' last game of the season and the league wishes her all the best and hopefully we'll see her back next season!

Round 4 Preview

Hello Townsvillains! I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter weekend. I know I did, which is why this post took a little longer because let's face it; when you have chocolate eggs buried in your backyard, you drop everything you're doing and dig that delicious confectionery up. And then you proceed to chow down on those goodies and spend the entire day after that wallowing in guilt.

But I have decided to pull myself off my bed, shake off my sugar crash, and bring you guys this week's preview of the games!

Game 1 - Mitey Discs VS Robust Fawn

With the return of Chris Palazzi last week, Robust Fawn have become a very, very strong team. Their victory over Grapists could be a sign of more victories to come. However, their defense needs a little more work because they only won be a mere two points last week.

Mitey Discs are an equally strong team. They have a very consistent core group of players who have been playing together for a long time. Mitey Discs have shown that they are capable of scoring by bringing the game all the way to the wire despite losing last week.

Prediction: This game will come down to which team wants it more. I suspect that Mitey Discs will be hungry for victory especially after a bitter defeat last week. Mitey Discs to win 13-10.

Game 2 - Tie Dynosaurs VS Seagulls

This is the match I look forward to most this week. Tie Dynosaurs have a real chance of shutting down Seagulls' winning run this week. Seagulls are already starting to develop an air of invincibility and many pundits are convinced that they will be unbeatable all the way to the Grandfinals.

I myself am hoping for a Dynosaurs upset. Don't get me wrong, I love the Seagulls and their brand of Ultimate and I think everyone on their team works extremely hard for every point in every game but a defeat for them would make the league even more exciting.

I have personally played on Finny's team before, and I am familiar with his style. Not only is he a great player, he is a great coach as well and he has the ability to coach the best out of his players. Tie Dynosaurs are still finding their feet at the moment but will no doubt become a great side in the near future.

Prediction: This is the best time to play against Tie Dynosaurs; before they find their groove. With Seagulls in a magnificent start-of-the-season form and Dynosaurs still looking shaky, this is no doubt an unlucky time for the Dynosaurs to face the Seagulls. Seagulls to win 13-9.

Game 3 - Django Unchained VS Fluro Fantasy

This will no doubt be the most exciting match this week. Captains James and Ash are friends off the field, but I have a feeling their friendship will be put to the test in this one. Both are extremely competitive and play to win and both have a strong mix of players on their team.

Fluro Fantasy is the only other team to have an unbeaten streak this season and they play a style of Ultimate that is fast from start to finish. This means that they put opposition teams under pressure and will race ahead if given the slightest opportunity to do.

Django Unchained, despite a loss in their first game of the season, have won their previous two encounters. Both times they were down at half-time but started the second half strong to ultimately emerge victors. They are a true representation of "it's not over until the fat lady sings".

Prediction: Last week Django Unchained managed to overcome a 7-2 first-half deficit to win the game. However, I feel that Fluro Fantasy have enough composure to win this game. Fluro Fantasy to win 13-10.

Game 4 - Blue Crush VS Purple Haze

Blue Crush played hard last week and came away with a score that didn't really reflect the effort they put in. They are well-rounded in all aspects of the game; athleticism, speed, and ability but they are turning the discs over too many times. Purple Haze can put on a mean defense, and with players like Ryan and Shane, they have the ability to shut down Blue Crush's long plays.

After an amazing come-from-behind win against Mitey Discs, Purple Haze have shown that they are capable of playing some fluid, flowing frisbee. I foresee that Purple Haze will throw fewer hucks than Blue Crush because they prefer the short game. If they can put together what they did in their last three points last week, Purple Haze will be unstoppable.

Prediction: This is a tough game to call and it will ultimately be won by the team that can find that magical final pass.  A Blue Crush victory is long overdue. However, Purple Haze are simply too mouthwatering at the moment. I predict a 13-8 Purple Haze victory.

Game 5 - Cockwalas VS Grapists

Cockwalas take on under-performing Grapists in the fifth and final game of this week. Cockwalas will definitely be looking to bounce back after last week's cruel loss to Django Unchained. Phangbang will be reprising his role of being a handler this week and is definitely the weak link in an otherwise strong Cockwalas lineup. Expect Cockwalas to play an extremely defensive game and look for the break on turnovers.

Grapists, as I've mentioned before, might be the dark horse this semester. They have shown last week that they are capable of getting the disc into the end-zone, managing to accrue 11 points before succumbing to a defeat against Robust Fawn. They might surprise us this week with a victory against Cockwalas.

Prediction: Grapists have yet to win a single game whereas Cockwalas have won two of their last three. I think that Cockwalas will be able to beat the yet unproven Grapists 13-9 in this game.

I hope everyone's ready to shed all that extra weight they've gained over this Easter weekend because Wednesday promises an even more intense round of Ultimate! With teams having been exposed to the different kinds of setups, there will be more variety in the plays and... who knows what could happen!

Townsville Ultimate Disc League Round 3

I thought I've seen it all in Townsville Ultimate but this week's games offered up some surprises. Huge layouts, intense rallies, surprise comebacks, and even a Callahan were had in Round 3 of the Townsville Ultimate Disc League.

Game 1 - Django Unchained VS Cockwalas

Cockwalas' winning start to the season came to a crushing end last night with a devastating loss to Django Unchained after an intense, epic, and grueling game last night. Cockwalas started the first half in the exact form that saw them win their previous two games. Despite dropping the first two points, Cockwalas quickly regained their composure and organised their zone set-up. Cockwalas found the perfect cup set-up with Mitchell, Josh, and Janelle which put a huge amount of defensive pressure on Django's handlers. The Cockwalas did what they did best on offense with their signature continuation play, which was quick and fluid as usual, and they managed to take the first half 7-2.

Confidence was high in the Cockwalas camp and it looked like they were about to take down another "W". However, do not discount James' ability to rally his team with a half-time pep talk (some say the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson took motivational courses from James).

And rally them he did. Django Unchained came out guns-a-blazin' in the second half and scored five points in succession. Cockwalas were befuddled at this point in time and were unable to come up with an answer. Some would have expected Dehollander to call a time-out but to the surprise of most, he didn't. Cockwalas suffered throughout the second half and matters weren't helped by newbie handler Phangbang dropping more discs than he should and throwing away a couple of easy throws.

Whilst Phangbang and his team were being woefully wasteful on their possessions, Django Unchained fought for every disc. Rob and Rowan, and even newcomer Laurel Zaima, were putting their bodies on the line with sliding catches and lay-outs. Nittya played extremely well in the gut, making well-timed cuts to help Django advance the disc up-field during possession.

Final score: Django Unchained's organisation and patient play helped them make an incredible comeback in the second half. Cockwalas on the other hand looked unsure and were hasty on the disc when they should have been patient and were too lacklustre on turnovers they should have been quick on. 13-9 victory to Django Unchained.

Game 2 - Blue Crush VS Seagulls

Despite losing big man Damo to Tie Dynosaurs in a transfer move, Seagulls were still widely tipped to win this game. However, Blue Crush were determined to prove the pundits wrong and started the game with two quick points by smashing through Seagulls' cup defense as they struggled to adapt a zone set-up.

Seagulls captains Robert and Deanna then made a decision to switch to a more familiar man-marking defense which worked extremely well in their favour and effectively shut down Blue Crush's offense for the rest of the half. Seagulls scored seven points in a row to take down the first half 7-2.

After the half-time break, Seagulls switched back to zone defense in order to familiarise their players with it. Seagulls employed the puppy fence instead of the traditional zone defense and this proved to be very effective in upping the defensive pressure, forcing Blue Crush to drop many crucial passes.

The highlight of the match came when Seagulls' new player Todd scored on a Callahan grab. A Callahan, for those who are not aware, is when a player makes a defensive grab in the opponent's end zone, resulting in a straight point.

Blue Crush were determined to fight back and they upped the ante by putting on a hard zone which allowed them to score three points in quick succession. However, momentum was on Seagulls' side and they managed to hold their ground en route to another victory.

Final score: Although not many would be surprised by the Seagulls' 13-5 victory, the scoreline did not do Blue Crush justice and certainly did not reflect how close the game actually was.

Game 3 - Tie Dynosaurs VS Fluro Fantasy

The game that was tipped to be the most exciting game this week certainly lived up to its hype. Both teams went toe-to-toe from start to finish and it was difficult to tell both teams apart throughout the entire match. Both teams seemed to adapt to the zone well and Fluro Fantasy did well to keep up with Tie Dynosaurs despite not having captain Ash for the first five points. With Fluro Fantasy trailing by one at 3-2, Ash managed to make it to the fields to join his team.

With the addition of Ash, Fluro Fantasy began playing with more gusto and even managed to open up a slight lead. However, Tie Dynosaurs managed to clean up their act and that enabled them to take the first half 7-6.

Both teams came out after half-time looking to reach the magical 13 but it was Fluro Fantasy that looked like they had more energy and enthusiasm. Not much more can be said about Austin, who put his body on the line and pretty much layed-out for anything that looked like it was within a one-mile radius of him. Magical work from Fluro girls on the wings, both on offense and defense, helped Fluro Fantasy outscore the Dynosaurs to reach 11-8 at one point in the second half.

However, you should never let your guard down, especially against the Dynosaurs, as anything can happen. And it was just that; Fluro Fantasy thought they were going to cruise to a victory but the Dynosaurs scored three quickfire points to draw the game at 11-11.

At 11-11, Fluro Fantasy stopped being complacent and started playing better Frisbee by looking for those 100% passes and high percentage hucks and managed to take the lead once more.

Even though Fluro Fantasy are a point away from victory, Tie Dynosaurs can still turn the tide. And things were certainly looking that way until Andy Gosbee managed to break away from Finny on a deep cut. Ash spotted his cutter and hucks a long bomb. All seemed over with deep player Finny 20m away; however, never discount the speed Finny has in those chicken legs. Sprinting his guts out, Finny managed to chase the disc down and get fingertips on it to tip it away from its path. Everyone thought that was the end of that play, but not Andy; he took two steps forward and grabbed the dropping disc with a one-handed lay-out for the winning point and possibly the best layout ever seen in Townsville Ultimate Disc League. The crowd went nuts at that play and that grab definitely wins the play of the day.

Final score: In a match that could have swung either way, it was Fluro Fantasy that showed more grit and mettle to take it 13-11.

Game 4 - Mitey Discs VS Purple Haze

Credits to Purple Haze captain Swan for employing her mind games in this match. When Mattie walked up to her for the toss, she cried: "oh we don't have a lot of players tonight so we won't be able to sub much and our players will probably have to play a lot!" Mitey Discs captain Mattie, in spirit of the game, decided to play with four males and three females throughout the entire game even though they would have fared better with five males and two females.

Even though they weren't playing with their best lineup, Mitey Discs started the game fairly enough. The first few points were all Mitey Discs as they broke through Purple Haze's zone defense to score and boxed in Purple Haze with their own zone defense to limit the Haze's scoring. Mitey Discs were high on confidence at this point and probably fully expected to win.

Purple Haze then introduced a surprise player, Tyson Buhagiar, from Charters Towers. Tyson is rock-solid as a handler and lightning quick as a cutter, plus he has a big physical presence to boot. Tyson helped Purple Haze reorganise itself into the formidable team they were supposed to be and helping them score a few points in succession to bring the score to 10-8 in their favour.

Mattie then decided to switch up his handlers and put himself in a receiver's role to get his middle poppers moving. An extremely bold move by the Reds' captain but one that proved effectively as Mitey Discs took the next four points "boom-boom-boom-boom" to bring the score to 12-10. Victory was just a point away for the Reds at this point and it looked like all hope was lost for Purple Haze!

What happened next went on to shock the players, the spectators, and the pundits alike. Swan worked her charm on her team and what happened next was pure, unadulterated, classic Purple Haze frisbee. Purple Haze were unstoppable as they took the next three points to take the game from right under Mitey Discs's nose!

Final score: Purple Haze with a late rally to win the game 13-12. Easily the most exciting match this week, this is exactly what Ultimate is all about! 10/10 for heart, 10/10 for intensity, 10/10 for spirit and definitely 10/10 for fun!

Game 5 - Robust Fawn VS Grapists

With the return of Chris Palazzi, Robust Fawn added another experienced player to their team. However, Grapists are not without their own key players. Captain Chris Ende is himself an experienced player and excels well as both a handler and a cutter. Brandon Gatzke is good on the disc and extremely fast off it. Big man Phil English is also an adept handler and his ability to read the game is amazing.

Both teams adapted well to the idea of playing zone. The disc was swung brilliantly by the handlers on both sides and cutters were making good cuts into open spaces as well.

Robust Fawn, perhaps with their two experienced players, managed to get the upper hand early in the game. Grapists conceded an early lead to allow Robust Fawn to take the half.

Grapists clawed their way back in the second half and the game got a little physical with a few collisions throughout. However, great spirit was observed as the players would help each other off the ground after a collision. A spirited Grapists performance late in the second half forced Robust Fawn to really work for their last few points.

Final score: Robust Fawn hangs on to emerge 13-11 victors in a game that was somewhat physical. However, great spirit was shown by both teams. Grapists definitely surprised us with their 11 points scored and I have a feeling they might be the league's dark horse this season.

This week featured extremely well-fought and close games. Some teams adapted well to the zone and some teams took a little more time to get their zone going. It is now up to the captains to decide which strategy works best for them. Next week promises an even more exciting round of games with teams possibly mixing up zone with man. 

Round 3 Preview

Round 3 of Townsville Ultimate action is almost upon us and now that we're two weeks in, it gives us a better idea of the teams and how they might perform. With that being said, here's an "expert's" predictions on this week's matches.

Game 1 - Django Unchained VS Cockwalas

Now this is an interesting game to watch. If you have been following this blog, you will know that, even though they lost in Round 1, James David's Django Unchained are a force to be reckoned with. But Cockwalas have two wins under their belt and they will look to continue their winning form.

With Rowan Hall and Gibbo back in the line-up after missing the first game and new addition Aaron Hynds, Django Unchained have a strong team in terms of physicality and athleticism. Defensively, Django Unchained will undoubtedly shut down Cockwalas' long game with captain and world-record high jumper James David sitting deep.

However Cockwalas are not without a few threats of their own. Big man Josh McIntyre is fast developing into an all-round Ultimate player that possesses speed, height, and physical prowess. Cockwalas also feature a hardworking female line-up with Laura Knecht bringing with her the experience of the previous semester and Chi MaGee's excellent reading of the game together with the engines Sheona, Biz, and Janelle. Cockwalas are capable of working the disc even without captain Dave Dehollander.

Prediction: This is a tough game to predict, if Cockwalas maintain their form, they will be "bringing it" and will be looking to upset Django Unchained. However, Django Unchained looks too formidable at the moment with James, Gibbo, Aaron, and Rowan and I predict a 13-8 victory for them.

Game 2 - Blue Crush VS Seagulls

Arguably the strongest team at the moment, Seagulls have blown away all their competition in the league thus far. The morale in the team will undoubtedly be extremely high this week following their previous two victories. Expect them to come out in force once again with captain Robert Dehollander and up-and-coming Australian Ultimate star Deanna Finn dictating the pace.

After a promising start to the season, Blue Crush succumbed to Fluro Fantasy in Round 2 after an exciting match that went down to the wire. I'm sure Timmy and his team will be looking to bounce back after last week's defeat. I predict a few long plays will be seen in this match with Timmy looking for the speedy Rob Davies on those puts. New players Torunn Lervik and Miguel Yagual look extremely promising for Blue Crush and you can expect them to bring their A-game.

Prediction: Blue Crush look determined to erase the memories of last week's defeat but I think Seagulls' excellent form will see them take this game 13-9.

Game 3 - Tie Dynosaurs VS Fluro Fantasy

A clash between the Tye Dynosaurs and Fluro Fantasy see two of the best handlers in the league Finny and Ash go up against each other. The Dynosaur's captain Finny will be looking to employ the short give-and-go game with his team, a play he has perfected over the years which many other teams still find difficult to beat. With the introduction of the zone, expect to find Finny sitting deep and cutting off the opponents' long plays whilst organising his defense. Josh Phipps of the Dynosaurs has been working on his handling game and inside sources reveal that he can throw a bullet of a flick; which will be useful if Dynosaurs' receivers manage to get on the end of them.

On the other hand, Fluro Fantasy captain Ash will have an array of tricks up his sleeves. Backhand, forehand, hammer, scoober, thumber; you name it and you can expect Ash to use it. Sabrina Beer, who scored five points in the first round but had to sit out against Blue Crush due to an illness is expected to make a comeback. Captain "Ash" has labelled her his "go-to-girl", and you don't need a cryptologist to tell you what that means

Prediction: Another tough game to predict, this game promises excitement for start to finish. I suspect the teams will match each other point for point but I think Finny's tactical experience will give Tie Dynosaurs the edge in this one. Dynosaurs to win 13-11.

Game 4 - Mitey Discs VS Purple Haze

With probably one of the strongest female line-ups in the league, Purple Haze will be looking to beat the Mitey Discs this week after their encouraging performance against Django Unchained in Round 2. There are no stand-out players in Purple Haze but as a team, they are certainly impressive. Aline and captain Swan will be looking to dominate Mitey Discs' female players. Purple Haze pack a pretty strong male line-up as well, featuring the speed of Shane, as well as the physical presence of James Murr and captain Ryan.

Physically, Mitey Discs aren't the best team in the league. However, Ultimate is not about physicality but more about skill, and teamwork; something which Mitey Discs possess in abundance. After last week's glorious victory against Tie Dynosaurs, Mitey Discs will want to ride on the euphoria of the previous week to another victory. In an exclusive interview, Purple Haze captain Swan revealed that she will be poaching a lot and the Mitey Discs will definitely want to take advantage of that.

Prediction: With the introduction of the zone defense, I think Purple Haze, with their slight height advantage, will be able to take this game 13-10.

Game 5 - Robust Fawn VS Grapists

Perhaps the most fortuitous match-up this week. The last game of Round 3 features two teams who have lost in the previous round. Expect Red, Andy, Nathan, and captain Kramer of Robust Fawn to come out playing this week after last week's unfortunate loss. Handling specialist Zane Quinn will once again look to utilise his experience and handling skills to swing this game in his team's favour.

After a disappointing start to the season with two losses, Grapists will want to erase the memories of their previous games and get their season started this week. Hopefully captain Chris "Jazzy McGee" Ende will have sorted out tactics for his team and be able to find one that suits Grapists best.

Prediction: Although I really want a Grapists victory, I can't see that happening this week. Robust Fawn to win it 13-6.

I look forward to another exciting week of Ultimate. If I didn't tip your team to win, it's because the laws of the great state of Queensland state that pundits must be "professional and impartial in their predictions". Remember, however, that everyone loves an underdog win so let's go and play some disc!

Let's Talk Zone

Week three of Townsville Ultimate Disc League is always abuzz with excitement and anticipation because this is the week where teams will begin incorporating zone offenses and defenses.

Are you tired of jumping into the stack every time a pass is made? Is chasing a player who seems like he has ingested the red blood cells of a million young puppies exhausting? If you answered yes to these questions, then you most likely will look forward to playing zone.

What exactly is "zone" you ask? Well put some ice in your shirt and cool your tits because that's what I'm here to do in the first place.

Let's talk about zone offense first. A traditional zone offense will have three handlers, two wing players, and two players in the middle.

In case you are confused, here's a really simplified diagram of a zone offense. Players 1, 2, and 3 are the handlers, players 4 and 5 are the poppers in the middle, and players 6 and 7 are your wingers. I could go on to tell you what the roles of each player is, what cuts each player should make and when they should make it but I think I will leave that task to your captains.

Defense is the best form of offense, or so they say, and having a good zone offense will all be for naught if your defense can't keep up. Zone defense has almost the same positions set up as zone offense in the sense that you will having three players running the "cup", two on the wings, one in the middle and one sitting deep.

Notice how players 1, 2, and 3 of the blue team are surrounding or "cupping" the handler of the red team. Their job is to prevent them from throwing to the "break" side, i.e. force them to throw to the side of the field that your team is forcing. As for the other players, I think your captains can explain their roles better than I can.

That's if for Let's Talk Zone. I hope everyone's fresh and eagerly anticipating Wednesday for another round of exciting Ultimate action!

Townsville Ultimate Disc League Round 2

Here's Week 2's review of the games!

Game 1 - Robust Fawn VS Cockwalas

Cockwalas VS Robust Fawn was an interesting game, with three players fatigued but fresh with new experience from Northern Regionals going head to head. Both teams have extremely athletic players and this match was always going to be fast-paced from start to finish.

Robust Fawn started strongly and raced to a two-point lead within the first ten minutes with backhand specialist Zane Quinn dictating the play but Cockwalas rallied which led to a long and grueling third point. Cockwalas then picked up momentum with captain Dave Dehollander utilising the wind to huck the disc which was chased down by speedsters Mitchell and David Phang; a tactic which worked well for the Cockwalas and saw them take the first half 7-4.

The second half saw a much closer contest as Robust Fawn began to play with more spirit and confidence. Cockwalas, not surprisingly, decided to run the same play that helped them take the first half, employing Dehollander's strong throwing hand and the speed of Mitchell and Phangbang. However, Robust Fawn were ready for this and had their own bunch of speedsters in Andy, Nathan, and Red. Captain Michael Kramer closed down Dehollander's long looks with tight marks which forced Cockwalas to play a shorter game.


Final score: After a hard fought game, Cockwalas took the game 13-9. Both teams displayed their physical prowess and it will be interesting to see where their potential takes them.

Game 2 - Blue Crush VS Fluro Fantasy

Game 2 of this week saw a match-up between the Blue Crush and Fluro Fantasy. Fluro Fantasy have a strong lineup featuring the superior handling skills of captain Ashley O'Sullivan and Andy Gosbee, and the strong physical presence of Riley. However, Blue Crush have their own big man in the form of Timmy Roland. They also have agility and speed of Rob Davies on their side as well as some hardworking, ass-busting female players!

The whole match was evenly matched and the first half was taken by Fluro Fantasy through two break points. However Blue Crush started the second half strong and managed to take two break points of their own to tie the game 7-7. Both teams then went point for point and during this exchange the match saw both captains look for long options. However, the wind proved to be an obstacle as hucks were misthrown and discs were dropped. Wind or no wind though, let us not take anything away from Wes Monts who ran down and caught a full-field Hammer with a glorious dive at the scoreline. At 10-10, Fluro Fantasy rallied and strategically took down the last three points to race to a victory.

Final score: In a very closely fought game, Fluro Fantasy managed to edge out Blue Crush to a 13-10 victory. Side note; Aggie Dehollander needs to start catching the disc and stop flirting with Riley!

Game 3 - Seagulls VS Grapists

Talk about a shutdown! Only one team turned up for this match and no prizes for guessing which. Seagulls, high on last week's victory over Django Unchained, looked to make it two in a row with a victory over Grapists. With experienced handlers such as Deanna Finn and Robert Dehollander, Grapists would've found it difficult to stop Seagulls working the disc up the field and they did. Seagulls looked dangerous as they swung the disc back and forth among the team and up the field with fluid and precise efficiency.

Not only did the Seagulls bring the heat in offense, they set up an ice wall of a defense. A tight man-marking defensive play saw Seagulls limit Grapists to only two points in the whole match. To be fair to the Grapists, they managed to work the disc up the field a number of times but just couldn't find that last pass. Or they would have the disc and get too hasty and throw it away.

Final score: Seagulls with an overwhelming 13-2 victory over Grapists. It will be exciting to see the Deanna-Rob partnership develop over this season. Grapists definitely have great potential and all they need is a little more practice and patience on the field and I dare say they'll be a force to be reckoned with!

Game 4 - Django Unchained VS Purple Haze

To be honest I wasn't expecting Purple Haze to put up a fight in this one, which was why it surprised me when they went point for point with Django Unchained. Captains Liss "Swan" Bowden and Ryan Miller kept Purple Haze tight and organised and surprised the pundits even more by snatching two quick points at the end of the first half to seal it 7-6.

Now for those of you who aren't aware, James David's black team has always been imposing throughout the seasons. With their inspiring all black kit and formidable field presence, some have compared the All Blacks to James' teams and have said that's how the Kiwis got inspired. Thus when Purple Haze took the lead at half-time, most neutrals were salivating for an upset.

But alas, tonight was not the night Django Unchained would be denied. They came out steamrolling in the second half and scored a couple of quick points right off the bat. Maybe that had a psychological impact on Purple Haze because it appeared as if they switched off for the second half which allowed Django Unchained to completely neutralise the Purple Haze offense and power to a victory.

Final score: In a game that held so much promise for Purple Haze, Django Unchained managed to hold on and emerge as 13-7 victors.

Game 5 - Tie Dynosaurs VS Mitey Discs

A meeting of two friends turned into a battle of two enemies in the Ultimate arena. Long time friends and captains of their respective teams Matthew "Finny" Finn and Matt Hamilton went up against each other in Round 2 of Townsville Ultimate League.

The first half saw an efficient Tie Dynosaur side methodically picking apart a careless Mitey Discs side. Finny used his incredible handling abilities to swing the disc back and forth between his team and this allowed the Dynosaurs to quickly work their way up the field and score some quick points to take the first half 7-3. Mitey Discs were dispirited and thought that the first half was the beginning of the end of their game, and the Dynosaurs thought they had the game in the bag.

How wrong they were! Mitey Discs came out firing on all cylinders in the second half and we soon had a game on our hands. With 10 minutes left on the clock, Mitey Discs managed to tie the game up at 11-11 and two subsequent quickfire points ensured victory for Mitey Discs. What a day it was for the Mitey Discs and what a great victory it was for captain Matt Hamilton to be able to put one over Finny!

Final score: Mitey Disc came back miraculously to beat Tie Dynosaurs 13-11. A high intensity game was played by both teams all the way to the finish and rock solid performances were put in by all the players. In the words of Mattie Hamilton: "The Huddle stank but that's when you know everyone gave it their all!".

It was great to see the spirit everyone brought with them and the heart they put into training and playing. We will be introducing the zone offense and defense next week and it should be interesting to see the teams adapt and adopt the strategies which suit them best. That's all we have for you for this week's games. Check this space for fixtures and pundits' predictions of Round 3 of the Townsville Ultimate League. Until next time, see ya!