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!