Gold Coast Ultimate

post-Halibut- 2011 BPL Season 2..... wait for it.....

2011-08-19T02:29:00.001-07:00

......
POWER RANKINGS!!!

After a long off season, most of the SEQ ultimate community emerged on the GC for the 15th Annual Halibut. Halibut's Got Talent.... 15 Minutes of Fame was a great success for GC Ultimate, and of course QUDA, and if ya missed it.... shame on yourself. It was a goody..... and those champs sure looked good. whoopwhoop.

But as PTD set in, it was easier than normal to get through a post tournament week, as I was able to get excited for Thurs.... BPL in-season Thurs. My week pretty much revolves around it as my source for excitement, camaraderie, and hard workin' competition.

BPL is back..... yeeeeww!!!!

And though my frequency will not promise to be as prominent as seasons past, I will still put my two cents in here and there to keep our fingers on the pulse.

After 3 weeks of play it's tough to say how things are lookin..... we're still waiting on an official table for confirmation... but I'm gonna have a stab at it without proper stats.

So with out the glitz and glamour of past Power Rakings, here is this weeks edition:

1 DOJO MOJO - The defending champs are undefeated, and as was the case last season, they'll remain there until knocked off their stoop. Always a strong roster out of the DOJO, but they have lost the services of potential Dingo Cunliffe to expansion, and potential Dingo Pete to extended overseas work/play. That said, the DOJO's depth is their greatest asset, and they are still a lineup with out a sniff of a liability. DOJO have had their way with Blitz, Bandidos and the Cobras thus far, and will hope to continue against the rising Heroes next week.

2 SLAMTOWN FLATBALL CLUB - The Flatballers are back with a vengence, and have been dominant in their first three appearances. The Cobras, Heroes and Blitz have all fallen to SFC by significant margins. Still healing from the stinging defeat in last years Grand Final the flatballers are keen to find ways to rise to the next level. Some observant recruiting finally sees SFC with a pair of handy fellas that play above the 6' bar. New kid on the block Rob Weins, and the Gold Coast's hidden gem in Adrian Gepp. The balla's get set to take on the uni crowd Bandidos next week in what promises to be a fun game.

3 HEROES - After playing Heroes in week 2 (their first game) I would not have expected them to be up here in the ranks this soon after a below average performance. In week 2 the Heroes were lacking cohesion, and were easily overcome by SFC. At the onset of the game Jangles essentially challenged his team by telling them they were 'all talk' in the spirit circle. But a week later, and the Heroes are doin some walkin' with a huge, and unexpected win over the mighty Buggs... Maybe their first against the Buggs?? The Heroes continue their run of tough opponents with the champs up next, but after that they have three games that they would likely declare winnable with Cobras, Bandidos, and Blitz to round out the first half of the season.

4 MORETON BAY BUGGERS - The Buggs came out with a big win and a forfeit victory to sit at 2-0 before going into this weeks action. They were delivered a wake up call by the Heroes this week, and though it didn't cause a plummet towards their potential initial ranking... it did drop them one spot. The Buggs have a very experienced core once again, and some new athletic lookin fellas. It goes without sayin that they miss the services of Bugg No. 1, while the heart of the league has him in their thoughts. The Buggs continue to play a gritty game, and though there was an early setback with the loss to the Heroes, Stu has just amped their roster with a pom import. Buggs got Blitz next, and then a rumble with the Bandidos.

5 BANDIDOS - Gref's Bandits have opened the season with a pair of losses against perennial winners MBB and DOJO, and have had a chance to lick their woulds and recover with a week 3 bye. Th UQ crowd will have their hands full after their bye, against a GC crew that they played well last season. Last years 'Green Machine Runner Up's' are going to need to use their entire roster to 'move on up' in this league and rely less on key players making huge plays as their best chance of winning. Los Bandidos will hope that the tough early-season schedule will have them hardened for what promises to be a hotly contested season.

6 BLITZ - Blitz have played the toughest schedule, and as an expansion team in this prestigious league, you would have to expect for them to be struggling statistically... and they are. But they do have a very important element that every great team needs.... wait for it.....
POTENTIAL! ... and a shitload of it. They are tall, they have Chris Cunliffe, the return of Brock Cunlifffe, and the eventual return of Johnny Mac. That's going to be a handful on any given day. Still finding their legs, Blitz are certainly struggling, and might have an extended rough patch with CC heading to Italy this week... but Blitz will be a tough contest in the late season... mark my words.

7 COBRAS - Well, I only put them in the basement because the snakes seem to like the cold, damp environment. They basically slithered themselves here with a week 2 forfeit. The Cobras enter the season with a lineup that has been even more depleted than last. Buuuuuut...... they still have a boat load of talent. With Reece, Finn, Kailin, Trachter, and Jk there is no reason for this team to be the leagues rented mule,........ but for some reason they are. If they can make attendance a priority, and play with a positive vibe... the Cobras could be the force that they were not long ago. Rumor has it that Trachter has withdrawn??? Any truth to that? The Cobras get next week off, and return to face the Heroes with a chance to regain control of that match up.

Well folks, there ya have it..... have a good week.... and keep lookin forward to Thurs.

new draw -

2011-08-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

hey gang,

here is the 'revised' draw... really just the sunday times are changed. we will still try and push sunday lunch, and the last two rounds slightly forward. We will try and start the final about 30min earlier if possible... but for now, this is it. (final would be the empty 16:00 slot)

Halibut Draw

2011-08-01T02:06:00.000-07:00

Here it is:

Captains meeting at 8:00am sharp on Sat morn.

Slamtown Flatball Club - BPL 2011 season 2

2011-07-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a long off season, and our recruiting of new players lasted until just the other day to now have a very solid looking roster.

With 10 returning players from our roster that went all the way to the Grand Finals, we are in good shape to continue our winning ways into this season. And though are losses are significant in the way of Mike Morgan and Jody Thomas, our new recruits are looking like they might add to our overall team dynamic.

Here is our 2011 season 2 roster:
Stefan Rappazzo (C)
Kevin Stahlman (A)
Abra Grafield
Troy Zernike
James Larkin
Isaac Stone
Michael Bienstock
Nandor Locher
James Gransaull
Alistair Don
Adrian Gepp
Phil Stocks
Rob Wiens

Adrian's return to play, and joining our squad will add great strike options both with and with out the disc, and he'll be able to neutralize or take out many opposing recievers.

New find Rob Wiens has promising skills in many areas of his game, but his height, ability to read the disc, and soft hands are what got him noticed for a spot on the team, and we're hoping we can fit him into the system nice and quick.

Phil's return will also have us sticking to a very systematic offence as we strive towards this years championship.

There is also a possibility that aL will be back with us before seasons end and will provide a lethal potency to our game in the pointoy stages of the season.

With most of my current attention being focussed on Halibut, this seasons BPL has seemingly snuck up on me.

But don't you fret, the boys in Orange are ready, and looking forward to our first clash with the Cobras on Thursday night.

You can expect the Power Rankings to come a week late, and to be fortnightly at best for the 2011 second season.

Gref.... a preseason look by your perspective? BUB?

Halibut - Official Seedings and Pools

2011-07-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

Halibut is just more than a week away!!

And after many calculations, and a coupla beers, we've come up with this as our final seedings and respective pools for Halibut.

Seedings
1 - Team Plank
2 - Fun Police
3 - Blue Steel
4 - Torpedo of Truth
5 - Burley Griffins
6 - Short Skirt, Long Jacket
7 - DTF
8 - Funny Duck
9 - The Ville
10 - Bondage
11 - Heroes
12 - Obama's Disciples
13 - QUT
14 - Griffith

Pool Milli
-Team Plank
-Torpedo of Truth
-Burley Griffins
-Funny Duck
-The Ville
-Obamas Disciples
-QUT

Pool Vanilli
-Fun Police
-Blue Steel
-Short Skirt,Long Jacket
-DTF
-Team Bondage
-Heroes
-Griffith

Draw to be released soon. Top two from each pool advance to crossover semi's.

Palmy Aarmy takes down Australia

2011-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

The Australian National Beach Ultimate team were in the Gold Coast on the weekend for their thrid and final training camp in preparation for the Beach Ultimate World Championships coming up in a few weeks on the North Eastern Italian beaches.

After a long weekend of hard running, the national team were faced with a short rostered local team of preverbial punching bags.

But much to their dismay, this group of punching bags were not as much of a push over as they may have hoped. They punched back, and then punched holes through the Australian Open team. With only one sub, the 6 man Palmy Aarmy ended up being up by 5 points the time the game was called.

The Palmy Aarmy side was comprised of Kev, Badman, Troy, Abra, Pete A, and myself.

We hope that the result can serve as a wake up call, and the Open team will bounce back in Italy, just as the Wallabies did against South Africa after an unexpected loss to Samoa.

Good Luck

Halibut 15 ...... Your Thougts.

2011-07-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Halibut is just more than 2 weeks away.

If you've had a look at the AFDA site, you'll know that we have 14 stronng teams competing.

Lots up for grabs... Spirit, Talent/Party, and of course the Ultimate.

Who will win? Who will lose?

Can you rank the teams from top to bottom in each category??

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Whats happenin' in Slamtown

2011-07-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

The Mayor has returned from an epic journey in the far north spending time in both Vancouver and Toronto, and having the luxury of playing a bit of ultimate both top quality, and or recreational quality while at home. Of note, I was perusing the VUL (Van Ulty League) online and was astonished to know that on a single night, there were 47 games being played in nearly 20 divisions!!

Outrageous!

Well the sad news first, our transient beach community has lost a few more of our regulars, and major contributors.

The best tan in Australian Ultimate is back up for grabs as Jody Thomas (our black guy) has moved back to Toronto. Jody was a BPL MVP, who had a viscious OI flick, a mean read on the disc, and could jump like a brotha.

The Morgans - One of the Gold Coasts most celebrated sibling couples have moved south together in Phamaceutical pursuits of grandeur. Both Mike and Terri have represented the GC as members of nearly every team in the past 4 years, as well as being integral parts of the GC leagues both in terms of onfield presences, and administative excellence.

All three will be missed, though we're planning on getting the Irish settlers back in a year.

Halibut is fast approaching and with 16 teams regoed, it's poised to be a big one! Having it back in the GC has attracted a wealth of Interstate teams, and the Talent theme has got things buzzing. Stay tuned for a team by team breakdown... and hopefully one from the BUB too!!

GC league, is set to start next week, with a final game of pick up as our launching pad to a draft league. Numbers have been slowly increasing, and with all the regulars back, things are starting to look good again. The debut of the port-a-field was a hit at last nights pick up, and we're very greatful for the kind donation from QUDA.

Beached as bru - Beach Ultimate is live and kickin in the GC... but it just happens to be all Brissy folk playing... next week will be different... so Brissy folk... keep coming down, and we'll be sure to bring along some GC'ers to play nice with you all.

BPL starts in about 4 weeks... recruiting has been interesting... and ongoing... but we're looking forward to going one win deeper than we did last year.

That's all for now .....

Cheers

The One That Got Away

2011-06-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

What a disappointment last Thursday night was for SFC and their supporters.

In a game where SFC were most certainly touted as the underdogs, the Annerly crowd was let down as the the Flatballers were most certainly flat.

On a cold winters night (Queensland standards), the Dojo Mojo asserted themselves right from the word go. Aggressively hucking to their A-Grade mismatches, while continually getting turnovers to their advantage either by way of a defensive playmake, or by way SFC unforced errors.

Internally we kept composed, we properly addressed the issues, and then continually got beat in the air, or made very similar looking mistakes. On a night when the Dojo were in top form, and we forgot to turn up at all... a very lopsided score was the end result.

Congratulations to my old club, the Dojo Mojo, whom have now repeated as Champions, all the while winning the Minor Premiership. To add to their trophy case, the Dojo have come full circle to win the Spirit, and Fatty came outta nowhere to win the MVP race.

SFC do still take some comforts in the game, and most certainly the season of which we are now putting behind us. A season which featured our first semi finals appearance, our first semi finals win, our first 7 game winning streak, our first time to have beaten every team in the competition. Many very exciting firsts.

We now look to the future, and begin to assess our losses and how we might move forward. With Jody gone, and Morgs gone for a year... we are left with two gaping holes in the roster. aL is not yet able to play and will in all likelihood miss at least one more season. Those were 3 integral parts to our success this year. But we are still confident that the system we're working in can recover, be competitive, and improve on this season by one more win.

Having aL, and Mike on our roster will work as recruiting gold. A chance to get some new players to step up, or to perhaps lure away members of opposing teams. We can work new talent into the system knowing that we'll get some of the states best players returning to us in one and two seasons time.

We are very aware of the difficulties involved in winning a championship, even getting back to the big game will be a hell fight. But that is our aim, and we will diligently work towards returning to the big show and redeeming ourselves. We still have our eye on the prize, and though change is abound, we know that it is for the better as Slamtown continues to move forward.

Eeeeere we go!

Halibut's got a Logo

2011-06-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

Halibut's got Talent..... and a logo

We've already got 10 teams registered, over 2 months in advance!! And I must say, a couple really good lookin' rosters. (how bout them Fun Police)

Party Venue is nearly firmed up, and will be an absolute cracker....

A talent show will bridge the limbo contest into dance floor mayhem,.... I've already heard some of the acts to be on display, and they promise to be entertaining at minimum.

Remember, each team is responsible for a 2min act.... of any nature....the judges will have a gong or a hook to keep things real.

Menu's are looking good already, and the gift will be an absolute gem as always.

Get your tickets booked to the Gold Coast!!

We're playing at Carrarra.... the park next to the stadium where the Suns play... and the Geelong Cats happen to be in town that night.... so you can get your footy fix and still hit the party.

Don't forget the surf and sun too.

Get a squad together, and see if you can represent your region/state at the best tournament of the season.

You'll not wanna miss it.

Register here:

BPL Power Rankings - Season Finale

2011-05-16T00:27:00.000-07:00

With only one week remaining in the regular season, this will the final ranking of Power before heading into the semi finals.
Three teams have already claimed a playoff berth, and one team has already sealed the wooden spoon, and though the semi finals fate of these aforementioned teams is not likely to change…. They all still have games to play. But the big story in this the final regular season match up is that between the current 4 and 5 seed. It’s the battle to be the real Green Machine, and most importantly, to take the final allocation into the semi finals.

And as much as this math up between Los Bandidos and the Heroes is most certainly the Game of the Week, there is much at stake for the rest of league as well. The Buggers look to find form, losing 2 of their last 3, with the reigning champs in their way before semi’s. The Dojo will hope to punish the Buggs after years of Grand Finals appearances being foiled by the hardened exoskeletal crustaceans. The Cobras will look to play the spoiler, and find a way to win another game since their 15-1 win to open the season. While the Slamtowners will look to maintain their winning ways since Nationals.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (1) - Slamtown Flatball Club (7-2) – Slamtown have been solid since Nationals and are currently riding a 5 game winning streak that covers every team in the league; their last loss to the Buggs nearly 2 months ago. With aL sidelined for some post-op recovery, the flatballers are going to need to find ways to continue winning without the spoon that stirs they’re offense. This weeks match up against the Cobras will be interesting to see if SFC can close out the season strong, or if they play to the level of they’re opposition. Looking forward it’s all but assured that SFC will meet MBB in the semi-finals.

2 (3) +1 Dojo Mojo (8-1) – The Dojo have bounced back from they’re only loss of the season with consecutive, and convincing wins. They will miss Jules in the late stages of the season, but most certainly have enough fire power to defend their title. Disastrous outcome aside (forfeiting their last game and a huge SFC win), It’s all but in the bag for another Minor Premiership. This presents an opportunity for the Dojo to win both for the first time ever. They have won plenty of Minor Premierships thus far, but have never backed it up to win the out right title. They’re tilt with the Buggs will be very telling of what to expect from the Dojo in the second season.

3 (6) +3 Heroes (2-6-1) – Finally, some respect for the Heroes, with a close contest, and a big win in their last two games, the Heroes seemed to have hit form, and not a moment too soon. The Heroes have copy cat blogged from the Buggers to promote they’re own feeling of playing a ‘full game’, and got through a game without some of the unforced errors that have stifled them in the past. Holding this form is now the key as they square off with the Badidos in a match that will springboard the winner into the semi’s while the season will be over for the losing side. Last time they played it was a draw, and if that were to occur again, I understand the Heroes would go through. The Heroes are going to have to prove they can beat someone other than the Cobras.

4 (4) - Moreton Bay Buggers (6-3) – The Buggs are trying to get used to playing without the services of the leagues most dominant player. And though the void will not be filled, they still remain a pesky, and gritty team who will fight to the finish. They proved this last week after falling behind 10-4, and then making things interesting as they clawed back to a 14-11 loss against SFC. The Buggs will be fighting tooth and nail to try and steal one from the Dojo, but will have their hands full with the Kenshi roster. Again, the Buggs are already assured a spot, and it will appear to be against Slamtown.

5 (2) -3 Los Bandidos (2-6-1) – Los Bandidos have cooled off a bit since our last post losing to Slamtown and then Dojo, with a difficult stretch of schedule. Gref and company will have to regain their form from a few weeks back if they’re going to get up on the Heroes in the battle for Green supremacy. Will the big 4 step up?? (Gref, BW, JJ, Alex) Will there be an unsung ‘Hero’? Or will it be a case of close but no cigar? Whoever does win this game will move into the semis already having an elimination game victory under their belt. This will provide for as much of an advantage as possible for a #4 seed before they lock horns with the Minor Premieres.

6 (5) -1 Cobras (1-8) – Well, not since week one has this team done anything noteworthy. Their attendance has been dismal, they’ve been the only forfeit of the season, and they have lost 8 in a row. But with nothing to lose, and the wooden spoon already locked up, this team becomes a very dangerous spoiler. With SFC already in the playoffs, they can still stand to spoil their momentum, and salvage some pride with a bookend season. In all reality, the Cobras will be looking to next season, to recruit, expand, and improve in hopes of returning to glory next year. Wetnose??

This will be the final rankings of the season, though we do hope to find time to do our own little playoff synopsis.

Halibut's Got Talent.... 15 Minutes of Fame

2011-05-03T15:27:00.003-07:00

That's right everyone,

The premiere tournament of the season is now in the GOLD COAST and with the now powerful influence of entertainment media, it seemed obvious that this years Queensland Extravaganza be introduced to you as .........

Halibut's got Talent....
15 minutes of Fame.

Teams and themes will not only choose to emulate some of the medias shortest lived celebrities, but they will also be required to put together an act to fill a 2 min slot at the party to be judged in true 'star search' fashion.

Teams can choose to perform all together, in a small contingent, or even as a solo act to represent the entire team. But every team will have a 2min slot to fill.

Judges will be brash, witty, smarmy, and quick.

Your act could be of any nature .... song, dance, spoken word, magic, comedy, feats of strength, balance, consumption or flexibility... whatever you think will win the judges over.

This years tournament is going to be huge, prizes will be awesome, and the party will be mental.....

What will you make of your 15 minutes of Fame???

Will you be the next William Hung, or Susan Boyle?? .....

Will you be remembered for an underarm bowl like Trevor Chappell, or will you end up with a gold medal around your neck like Stephen Bradbury?

Will you get exposed like Milli Vanilli, or will you flourish in the industry like Chumbawumba??

You could be the next 'Chk Chk Boom' chik!!!

Only time will tell.

For now, save the date, put together a team and get registered.

Halibut's got Talent.....
15 minutes of Fame
August 6-7, 2011
Carrara Sports Park

http://www.afda.com/rego/showcompetition.php?competitionid=1001

It already seems that we have 2 interstate captains, and 4 teams already registered and we're still 3 months away.

Much more juicy information to come... but for now... get on board!

Please forward on to every one who has ever played ultimate.

BPL - Power Rankings - 2011 - Week VII

2011-04-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

After a 3 week post-nationals hiatus, the power rankings are finally back!

Much has transpired within the league, since Nationals, Los Bandidos came from behind to draw the Heroes a few weeks back, and have since followed it up with 2 more wins. Another major shake up had defending champs, and undefeated Dojo playing below full strength, and were dismantled by the Flatballers.

The bye weeks are nearly over, and with a month to go before semi's everyone is jockeying to make sure they'll have a spot. The Heroes worries now shift from taking the 4 spot from the Cobras, to preventing the new kids on the block from becoming the REAL Green Machine.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (3) +2 Slamtown Flatball Club (5-2): This is the first time anyone other than the Dojo has been top ranked since last season. But after beating the Dojo convincingly, taking the outright ladder lead, and going 3-0 since Nationals, Slamtown now gets the view from the top. With a bye week coming up, and then the red hot Bandits to contend with for Power Ranking bragging rights.

2 (4) +2 Los Bandidos (2-4-1): As mentioned in the intro, Los bandidos have come outta no where and have become a threat to any team they play. The come from behind draw against the Heroes was a bit of a surprise, then beating the Cobras on universe point to get their franchise first win, and then following it up with a 3or4 point win against the mighty Buggs(sans Mike). The Bandidos are playing exciting ultimate, and are in my mind the leagues new Green Machine. With an upcoming bye week, they return to action in two weeks against Slamtown.

3 (1) -2 Dojo Mojo (5-1): The kenshi have finally faltered, and with their track record, it's probably better for them to take a loss in the regular season. The absence of Fatty, Cunliffe, and Flan was evident, and the rest of the kenshi just couldn't close the deal without their sharpest swords. The Dojo are still poised to take out the Minor Premiership, but it's not quite as in the bag as it was before the loss. The Dojo return to action this week against the Cobras which is always a fiery affair.

4 (2) -2 Moreton Bay Buggers (4-2): The Buggs were beaten by the Bandidos on Thurs night in a game where Mike was sidelined and reduced to becoming a spectator. But with a very deep, and experienced roster, (Buzz, Stu, Special, Mat Ryan... just to name a few) the late game crowd was still expecting more outta the Buggs. Maybe it was just an off week, maybe they simply need the resurgence of Bugg #1,.... whatever it is.... we're certain that the Buggs still have plenty of fight left in this campaign. They play the Heroes on Thurs night and hope to remain undefeated against them.

5 (6) +1 Cobras (1-5): That's right the snakes have done nuthin but lose, and they still jump a spot. Why you ask? Well for two reasons. 1) Because they're last game was a fight to the finish (v Bandidos) 2) They might just start to see a full roster for the rest of the season. The Cobras have failed to get more than 3 of their "marquis" players to a single game since Nats and it's reflected in their demise in the rankings. With a full team, they might just make things interesting against an evidently depleted Dojo side on Thurs night.

6 (5) -1 Heroes (1-4-1): Well the Heroes find themselves back in the basement. They really did have a chance to make something of this season, but it seems they let it slip away in the final moments of their game vs the Bandits. The draw nullified a would be 2 point swing, and has sparked a streak that has seen the tequila bombers jump them on the ladder. The Heroes need to make something happen soon if they're still hoping to feature in the semi's. This week against the Buggs they'll have to prove they can do the same thing the Bandidos have done.

We're Back!!

2011-04-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

After an exciting win at Annerly last night, I feel it's necessary to re-emerge from blog hiatus. The Slamtown Flatball Club came out swingin against the Dojo last night, and didn't stop fighting till they won.

This is the first time that Slamtown has beat the Dojo, and the first time they have strung together 3 in a row.

Slamtown moves to 5-2, and after a Bugger loss, the top of the table is getting interesting.

I hope you like our new look, and I hope you log on, on Monday to see the resurrection of the Power Rankings.

The Mayor-Wanna

2011-03-17T05:38:00.001-07:00

The Mayor wanna give mad shouts out to Manuel and Spinner for inspiring this blog post.

Was good to catch up.

The Slamtown Flatball Club worked some shizz tonight, in taking Los Bandidos to El Cleaners to the mariachi tune of 15-4.

At one stage it was 5-3, and after a long 6 turnover point, the flatballers finally converted ant took a 6-3 lead. From that stage Slamtown scored on two very early turnovers in a row after pulling and quickly took the half.

Then it was all Slamtown with stifling D, and 'efficient enough' O. Granny opened the half with a Callahan (also known as the Granahan)on the first throw from the pull, and we went on to score another two in a row before the Bandits put their final score on the board.

There were plenty of standout performances, and we are very much looking forward to what will undoubtedly be a fierce tilt with the Buggers next week. Until then, I bid you adieu.

BTW, SFC fact - not only was Granny the first to get a SFC, BPL Callahan, but also the recipient of the first ever SFC goal in the league against the Cobras just over a year ago.... who threw it to him??

Cheers all, can't wait till Nats.

Yeew!

BPL - Power Rankings - 2011 - Week III

2011-03-13T00:44:00.001-08:00

Good evening folks, I hope this finds you well.

It was a big weekend for ultimate, and all eyes were down in Canberra for the BCI. I was quietly cheering for Firestorm to get the job done, and though they didn't get the result they would have wanted, I'm sure they took plenty of positives out of the ordeal.

They lost by a handful to Plunder (eventual champions) in the opening game, then lost to Chilly (perennial contenders) by a point. A bit disappointing I'd imagine, but not horrendous by any stretch. They did end up beating Fyshwick (eventual finalists) in their final pool game, which proved that they were most certainly in the stronger half of the draw. I would imagine that they found form in this game... and they'll hope that they can harness this in three weeks time. The rest of the details are cloudy, but I know they ended up having a second chance at Chilly, and beat them in the 5th place game. If the rego page is accurate, they were playing without Mike, Fatty, Culiffe and Finn, all of which could impact significantly at Nats. On a side note... is Gammin a pick up team?? at an Invitational?? WTF?

This has nothing to do with the BPL Power Rankings, but seeing that Firestorm players make up for such a large portion of the league, and it's the most competitive tournament in the country, it's definitely worth mention.

Meanwhile, Slamtown had a good turnout over at Miami, and relished in their win over the Heroes from last Thurday. The Buggs got another win, but the Bandidos earned a bit of respect putting a respectable 9 on the board, and the Cobras came out swinging only to have Dojo end the game with a 10 point run. It was a beautiful Thursday night up in Brisbane, giving every offense a legit chance to score on every given possession.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (1)- Dojo Mojo (2-0) The Dojo prove formidable once again, it normally takes about 10 points to warm up after forgoing a standard pre-game warm up. This being the case the Dojo made the Cobras look like Daniel Larousso on the beach at the hands of Johnny Lawrence, before Miagyi showed him the way. A 10 point run to win the game bodes well for the premieres as they look to go 3-0 with the Heroes on deck.

2 (4)+2 Moreton Bay Buggers (2-0) The Buggs regain the number two spot, with another win and an undefeated record. Collectively, the Buggs opponents are 0-4 thus far, but this is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. The Buggs win the games they're meant to win, and until the have a blemish on their ladder, they will continue to sit in the good seats. The Cobras slither into the Bay this week for the leagues GOTW.

3 (2)-1 Slamtown Flatball Club (1-1) Slamtown got their first win of the season, and though it was close in the first half (8-5), they did take care of business in the second half only allowing 2 points. Effective pulling and savage chase helped to account for a few SFC points in the latter stages, but a calm, collected offence was the difference in the end. The Coasties have the Bandits up next and smack talk has already commenced with 3 key Bandits training with SFC for Nationals.

4 (6)+2 Los Bandidos (0-2) The Bandidos scored the most points of the three losing teams, and they improved the most from week one. At this pace, if the Bandidos can improve by a point differential of +8 every week, it will spell strife for the rest of the league. Though the previous scenario is very unlikely, it is important for the Bandidos to continue to build on their early improvements. As mentioned in the above ranking, the Los Bandidos will have to contest with the Orange Tide in week 3 action.

5 (4)-1 Heroes (0-2) The Heroes are already counting on winning the last two games of the round, and seem to have already accepted defeat with next rounds looming opponent. The Heroes are most definitely improved, but for a team that has won a single game in the last 24 BPL outings, counting on 4 for the season is ambitious before the next one happens, regardless of what those super intelligent punters are saying. The Heroes face the Dojo next and will hope to continue to improve.
6 (3)-3 Cobras (1-1) The Cobras were in a dawg fight, that turned into a drubbing. I'm not sure as to how it all went down, but it must have been disastrous. The Cobras have plenty of great players on that roster, but it seems they need to sort out some of the chemistry at present. On our opposing sideline, I overheard talk of Reece being 'too young to lead the Cobras', though I disagree. The Cobras, very much like MasterChef are hot and then cold, they're yes and then no, they're in then they're out, they're up then they're down. .... weak I know... But really, I don't suspect to see the Cobras down here when all the dust settles, but for now, after a woeful endeavor... they'll occupy the Rankings basement.

That's all for now folks, as always, feel free you leave your opinion of my opinions in the comments section below.

BPL - Power Rankings - 2011 - Week II

2011-03-05T23:17:00.000-08:00

An epic downpour set the tone for the first week back in action. While the combatants were all extremely saturated by the end of it, it was by all accounts, a wonderful evening for some ultimate.

The reigning champs had their hands full on opening night only just getting past the South Coast Ballers, The Buggs seemed to Heroes figured out, and the Cobras made it clear that their registration shortcoming are in no way a reflection of what they are capable of.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (1) - Dojo Mojo (1-0) As mentioned in the intro, the Dojo most certainly had their hands full in week 1, but at the end of the day they did get the win. And as champs, until they are beaten, it's likely that they will stay a top these rankings. They played very tall, and got away with a lot in the air against Slamtown. Jules and Cunliffe seemed to fit in seamlessly, and Pete Allen was awesome in the air. They will once again feature in the game of the week (GOTW) as they take on the Cobras in week 2.

2 (3) +1 Slamtown Flatball Club (0-1) Hmmmm, how can we put a winless team above 2 undefeated teams?? Well, it's because of the quality of the game played. Though the Flatballers haven't found the win column on the ladder yet, they did prove to be able to go toe to toe with the leagues best, and because of it, they will occupy the number 2 position this week. Slamtown looked good against the zone, and were fast defensively. aL and Abra made their presence felt and gelled with the team quickly, while Jimmy Larkin's return had him playing some inspired ultimate in the Orange shorts. SFC will have to prove that they belong up here with a win next week against the Heroes.

3 (6) +3 Cobras (1-0) The Cobras still only have 4 players regoed (shame on you all), but I guess they are getting enough out to win by 14. Word on the street is that they have picked up a handful of Canadians, and are definitely a team to be weary of. Scott Stinson will present a major intimidation factor, and Kailin will be able to neutralize many of the leagues top flight receivers. The Cobras will have a chance to take the Top Rank if they can find a way to dismantle the Dojo in the upcoming week.

4 (2) -2 Moreton Bay Buggers (1-0) This seems preposterous. How does a team entered the league ranked at number 2, win with a comfy margin, and still drop 2 spots? Well, it's just that difficult to separate right now. The Buggs looked good every time I had a chance to have a look on the neighboring field, and Buzz didn't seem at all bothered by his hand the few times I saw him effectively dispense the disc. The Buggs will face Los Bandidos in the second game, and should see themselves moving to 2-0.

5 (4) -1 Heroes (0-1) The Heroes hype has taken a bit of a hit after an unimpressive first game. Granted they were missing James and Bevan, but the bottom line is that they were not able to put up formidable resistance, and hence were never really in it. The potential is definitely there this season, the Heroes are looking to find a way to gel quickly and get some wins. The Heroes will hope that the season picks up for them as they poise to play SFC in week 2.

6 (5) -1 Los Bandidos (0-1) Apparently the scoreline didn't reflect the game... It was close early at 1-1, but the 14 point run really hurt. It may end up being a long season for the Bandits, but they will potentially be dangerous in the later stages. Not to count them out all together, but they're going to need to post a few more points over the course of the season if they are to earn some respect. They have a chance this week against the Buggs.

That's all for this week, as always your opinion of my opinion is welcomed in the comments section.

Have a nice week.

Blame it on the Rain......

2011-03-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

well... not really... we're not passing blame here... I just wanted to get a plug in for Milli Vanilli.

On a very wet season opener, it was great to see many of the familiar faces from
around the league. There was a good vibe at Annerly, and it was good to arrive at the fields to a Firesotrm training session in full swing. There was some excitement in the air as the remaining players from each team arrived, and the Firestorm group divided itself amongst the teams of the league.

Slamtown was pumped, we always are after a long drive, and we were stoked to see our new recruits kitted out in their sleek orange garbs. With the rain at a consistent drizzle, we squeezed in a quick warm up, had a quick stragegic chat, called the other team a bucnch of c*unts, screamed our team name a few times and took to the line.

We knew we would have our work cut out in taking on the defending champs, but we were ready.... after a slow start, we managed to come back from 0-2, and eventually took our first lead at 5-4. From that point on, the game see sawed back and forth, though it was the last lead we had. The Dojo were up by two at 11-9, and SFC clawed back into it tying it up at 11. From there the Dojo dictated the exchange of points right up until time expired and they got away with a 14-13 win on universe point.

The game was certainly hard fought defensively, and though there was consistent defensive pressure from both teams, I'm sure that both teams would have loved to just maintain possession had they known the last three points would average out to around 8 turnovers/point. The rain picked up, and by the end it was a downpour.

The Dojo did get away with their fair share of big sky's in this battle of short vs. tall, but everyone of them was well contested, and none guranteed. SFC on the other hand kept the hucks to a minimal, and were consistent in stringing together a fast paced offense with lots of touches producing some very open scoring strikes.

It was a well spirited game that had potential to go pear shaped, but everything was handled with class and good spirit. The Dojo remain the only team in the BPL (except the new Los Bandidos), that SFC has not beat.

We look forward to having another crack at the champs, and to playing out this season. Next up for the Flatballers are the the 'should be improved' Heroes.

It will be hard to separate the top 4 teams on this weeks Power Rankings with Cobras and Buggs coming off convincing wins and the Dojo and SFC playing a very evenly matched battle. If you're keen to see how they pan out, check in Sunday evening and have a squizz.

BPL - Power Rankings - 2011 - Week I

2011-03-01T01:53:00.000-08:00

The new season is nearly set to kick off, with only the Cobras keeping people guessing with their would be line up. The Dojo have even got around to submitting a roster, and with 3 days to spare until competition kicks on. The Heroes don’t look likely to take the brunt of anymore of my criticism with an ever improving core and the return of some of their pillars. The Buggs still have Mike, SFC picked up a pair of shooters, and the Lovers have a young Latin feel about them... er I mean Los Bandidos.

As is always the case in this competitive league, anyone can win it. The hype is winding up with numerous clubs announcing their rosters around the blogshperes, and Gref has even returned from blogger hiatus to enlighten us on his thoughts for the season over at The Friz.

It will be tough job to separate some of these spots, but someones gotta do it.

As I explained last season, these pre season rankings are essentially a prediction for finals rankings based on paper rosters, but after 2 seasons of Ranking Power, my predicted winner has not yet even appeared in the Grand Final.

Let’s see if this year is different.

1) Dojo Mojo – The Kenshi will be back with a vengeance, and will for the first time in their colourful history be wearing the target. First time defending champions, everyone will be out to prove something against the Dojo, and to try and knock off the Champs. Besides Coops, Daz, and Rohan, I’d have to say the other 11 are over 6’!! Adding Jules to the roster makes for a Sensei wet dream coming true, and an in-form Cunliffe for the year is yet another handy tower. It seems that Cola will be missed after his orbital injury, but it seems they’re depth will handily compensate. The only thing that might slow the Dojo down is their attendance, with 14 on the roster an evening of perfect attendance, coupled with not warming up could be the only thing preventing them from getting into rhythm. Their first hit out will see them face up against many a past team mate as SFC gets the first crack at the champs.

2) Moreton Bay Buggers – As mentioned on the Friz this roster seems to have incurred the least amount of change, even after holding public invite trials. They have a wealth of experience which inevitably come with some rusty wheels. But they also have a very balanced looking lineup with handlers, defenders, and cutters all being very distinguishable throughout the lineup. The two main factors for this team to return to glory are as follows. 1) the Mike Factor – If Mike is at every game, then there is a very real chance that they can win every game they take the field for. 2) The Maradona factor … no, they haven’t acquired a short, fat, coke hungry pimp…. The Maradona Factor refers to the ‘hand of god’ … seeing that Buzz was born in the same hospital as god, and that his ailing ‘throwing’ hand has been an issue, will he be able to produce a steady supply of lofty hucks for number 1 to turn into goals? If so, look out for the Buggs. First up for the crustaceans are the new and improved Heroes.

3) Slamtown Flatball Club – The Flatballers have picked up some star power, in aL and Abra. The two national reps have become immersed by the beach culture of SFC and are keen to provide some much needed stability to the offence. SFC have never been seen as a tall team, and with Joelly’s move to Melbourne, and no real big air receiver, this team has already had fingers pointed at them for failing in the height department. But vertical challenges aside, This team has most certainly shown improvement from last season, and are poised to make their first post season appearance. As far as some anonymous critics are concerned the SFC are the c*nts of the league, but as far as we're concerned, those are for smashin'. SFC open the season up against the champs and will be tested early to see how their team stature stacks up.

4) Heroes - That's right, the Heroes are lookin to start filling up the win column this year, after a dismal season on the ladder last year, the Heroes now have a lot going right. The return of George and Myall gives them a speedy tandem of first cuts, while the rest of the team has benefit from training with Firestorm except two by my count. Matt Boevink and Captain Dan are the only two not in season training right now. Mat will add some stable 'old guy' handling wile Dan will add a very slow paced post game speech. They have a chance to break into the win column this week if they can boil the Buggs.

5) Los Bandidos - This team looks very UQ to me, sure they aren't the Lovers, but they are undoubtedly a team representing the university. Gref seems to have dropped all the old guys, and replaced them with a bunch of young legs. Though there are a few recognizable names, the bulk of this team haven't seen too many games at this level. Much will rest in the hands of the few experienced players on this team if they are to get their team off on the right foot and develop a winning team culture. Gref, BW, and Alex Livingstone in particular are going to have to lead through example to inspire this team to a handful of victories. I'm just keen to see what their uniforms look like, with only 6 teams in the league, it's interesting to see them take to the Hero colourway. The Bandits open up against the Cobras with a chance to keep them in the basement.

6) Cobras - Now, I'm not even too sure if I believe this, but with only 3 on the roster currently, we have nothing to really go on but hearsay and speculation. Here's what I do know, they will have two of the Firestorm captains in Reece and Trachter, to steer the ship while Dingo hopeful Jack, and Finnn will use their FS Ignition chemistry to work out of the stack, Earhardt will be there for the dump, but I just don't know what else will be happening. The big issue for the Cobras is what they have lost. Abra was wooed by the Coast, Wetnose, Dan Yong, and the leagues most spirited player (Mike Nolan Jr.) have all left Brisbane. The serpents will have a chance to shut me up this week if they can put the newcomer Bandidos in their place this Thurs.

Well, that's where we stand for now, as always, feel free to leave your opinion of my opinion in the comments section below.

See you on Thurs.

BPL - The new look SFC

2011-02-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

With another season set to spring upon us, the countries most competetive league is shaping up to be another cracker of a competition.

There are still a handful of unknows as to how some of the rosters will shape up, but one thing that is for sure is how the SFC roster will look.

We have acquired a few, and lost a few, and all up, we are a very different looking team than last year. It has been a difficult task to cut out this roster as there are many on the GC whom have put their hand up to get noticied. Without further adieu, here is the 2011 Season 1 roster.

aL Don
Abra Garfield
Mike Morgan
Kevin Stahlman
James Larkin
Jody Thomas
Michael Bienstock
Issaac Stone
James Gransaull
Troy Zernike
Nandor Locher
Stefan Rappazzo

We have set our goals on making the playoffs, and will not sell ourselves short from there as we believe to have as good a chance as any of taking out the title.

New additions in al and Abra obviously bolster our lineup in terms of offensive efficiencey, mongrel, and big game experience. The return of Jimmy will provide us with a very handy all rounder, and some young legs from Byron Bay will help us cover the pitch as Issaac Stone gets his first non Cobra BPL campaign and a chance to enjoy playing in the league.

Let's remember that reigning BPL MVP Jody Thomas will be bringin the swagger in this his final BPL season, and will be looking to make an impression.

The remaining SFC stalwarts are all poised to coninue to improve into our third season, and our training toward our Nationals campaign, as well as for our BPL season will hope to provide the cohesion and chemistry to hold it all together.

Please stay tuned to the GC blog for the much anticipated return of the Power Rankings.

Open Season

2011-02-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

In a year already marked by disaster in Queensland, with the floods, and now the cyclone, it might seem that competitive ultimate is the last thing on any Queenslanders minds. This, my faithful readers, is very much a fallacy.

Though our routines may have been shaken, our priorities altered, and our thoughts and prayers with those who have felt the brunt of these disasters, I know full well that the state of open ultimate in Queensland continues to flourish.

With two weeks to go until Regionals, I’m getting very excited about our Nationals qualifier up in Yasi torn Townsville.

First off, I’d like to send my warm wishes to all those in TSV affected by the Cyclone, especially those that are amongst the ultimate community, and that are no doubt working around the clock to keep this tournament on amidst all the recovery.

With each passing week, I’ve paid great attention to the rego page, and with today being the registration deadline, it seems fitting to give a little publicity to this upcoming event. This year is the first time ever(?) that the qualifiers have not been held in Brisbane, and it’s delightful to see 6 teams vying for a chance to play at a rare home nationals, evidently held in Brisbane.

Now before I get into an analysis of the teams, it’s important to note the uncertainty surrounding the ability to qualify. As of now, it seems that there is only one available allocation for nationals, however, JDR (formerly of the BUB) has mentioned that there is ‘potential’ for up to 3 teams to qualify. Any light on what needs to happen in order for these allocations to increase from 1 and upwards to 3 would be very much appreciated in the comments section.

Also, in my ignorance, I’d also love to see some form of commenting on regulation surrounding playing for one team at regionals, and then another at nationals. Or simply picking up players for nationals that didn’t play at all at regionals. As you'll see in the team analysis to follow, these will be applicable in more than a few instances.

Now that I’ve aired my uncertainties about these regulations, let’s have a look at the combatants. The way I see it, there is one clear cut favourite, three teams that will be tight in competition, and two who will be trying to hand the wooden spoon to the other.

Let’s start at the top:

Firestorm A: This is stellar collection of experience, athleticism, speed, height, and mongrel. Everyone on the roster is dangerous multiple regards, and knowing what their training regimen entails, you can expect them to be fit, and focused. I suspect that they will have one of their best campaigns ever, even in the absence of spiritual leader, and team founder Cheeseburger. Two of their best active players won’t be joining them in TSV in Mike Neild, and Abra, but there is still no worry about qualification. FS is likely to use this as a training camp, and get some team hardening fitness, and game time cohesion up in the tropical sun.
Players to watch:
Chris Cunliffe – After a year hiatus, Chris’ game is looking very polished and he can burn you as a receiver or a handler.
Salvatore Colagelo – The virtual unknown on FS proved himself in BPL and will provide some excellent mismatches in favour of FS for any who underestimates.

Firestorm B: This squad pales in comparison to their training compatriots, but still has enough firepower to go toe to toe with the rest in the competition. Though there are a few names of which I am unfamiliar, there are plenty of names that certainly catch you attention. If this is any indication of the way they might perform then they might have unbalanced lines, or will have top line players overun and fatigued by the end of the comp. Of note, Finn and Jules will be the ones to watch out for, I’m a bit confused as to why they are not on the A squad, hence my regulations query regarding nationals eligibility.
Players to Watch:
Bevan Rudolph – BPL standout Bevan looks to prove himself on the tournament stage as a well rounded player capable of inflicting damage on many fronts.
Sebastian Brown – Another Hero gone FS, Spazz will cause problems if he can use his height effectively.

Towns’Villains: The host team has got all the pressure to qualify as they have the advantage of having all of their players available without expense. That said, I already recognize two Brisbane-ites on their roster. There was a wealth of smack talk between TSV and SFC down at the Melbourne hat, with claims that Hamish would be joining them… but I don’t see him on the rego. Sureley they wouldn’t add him after their self imposed deadline?? Regardless, TSV has been looking good as of late, and are coming off a great mixed campaign down in Bathurst. Mike Larson will always be a handful, and if he gets enough support from his crew, there is no reason this team can’t feature in the final.
Palyers to Watch:
Hugh Osborne – Hugh will look to take advantage of his matchups when Larson garners the attention of top ‘tall defenders’
Paul Sanguinetti - The west coast yank is a hard worker on D and a safe effective cutter on O who can keep possessions alive.

Slamtown Flatball Club: Being very familiar with the likes of this team, I could go on forever about my thoughts and expectations, but I won’t. In keeping it brief, SFC have worked hard through recruiting and training to boast a team that can put any 7 on and play any given scenario. With a focus on fitness, this team is most certainly hungry for a spot at nationals, and would be elated to push the likes of FS into a tight game or two. Geographically, the mayors constituency runs from the Spit down to Broken head, and this team is very representative of that GC/Byron region… with a few cheeky pick ups.
Players to Watch:
Jody Thomas – Best tan in Australian ultimate, Jody has raw athleticism of which he is starting to harness.
Kevin Stahlman: Kevvy comes into the season as the most decorated Alderman, with a fresh head, and as fit as this young Steelers fan has been in years.

The Quinns Strike Back: Townsvilles seconds team are virtual unkowns to me. These are the players who were obviously too cool to play with the Villains, and are most likely there to have a leisurely jaunt, while the aforementioned teams amp up their intensity. In all likelihood, this team will need to make some additions to the roster just to get to the end of the tournament, and we’ll all be hoping to see that happen.
Palayer to Watch:
Zane Quinn: The team carries his namesake… he has to be watch worthy.

Cairns Axis of Awesome: The first Cairns team ever to play at Regionals??? As far as I know they are. It’s great to see a nucleus of players turning up from Cairns, and it’s great to see support from veteran savvy Brisbaneites to get them across the line. There are a few players on this team with enough ability to ruffle the feathers of some of the second teir squads, but not likely to have the depth to beat any of them…. But you never know what might happen.
Players to Watch:
Dave Watson – Fresh off his BPL final MVP performance, Watson can get it all done.
Jay Sansness – he has a lower AFDA number than Watto.

Heroes – whatever happened to the Heroes bid?? Did they become FS B? Not long ago on the BUB they were touting themselves as favourites to advance, and have now slipped off the radar.

SEQ Ultimate Wikileaks

2011-01-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

So over the course of the summer, I found my self compelled by the Wikileaks phenomenon. All of the lies, scandal and propoganda we were being led to believe as truth has been uncovered as sinister and the finger pointing is very much defaming some of the globes most influential characters.

As I became wrapped up in this phenomenon, and continued to delve deeper into what truth lied beneath I stumbled upon some interesting information sources of my own, and through the inspiring wourk of Julian Asange I've decided that it is my civic duty to reveal the facts, rumors, and scandals right here in SEQ ultimate.

Opt out is a brain control mechanism - The upcoming ADBUC has all the makings of an exceptional tournament, but with the amount of temple rubbing caused by the opt out program, pshycologists have confirmed that it appears to be a mind control ploy directing players to spend more time with their pants off.

Cobras shed Skin - My leak sources tell me that with the departure of captain wetnose, and the hijacking of star player Abra, the Cobras will disband and look to form a new team or beg to go back to the Buggs.

aL Don left Lovers for keen sense of fashion - It's become common knowledge that aL's push to get residencey at a GC hospital had nothing to do with his new breakfast view of the Palm Beach groin, and everything to do with his yearning to embrace the orange which 'so brilliantly contrasts my eyes'... as he is quoted saying.

Sexy bitches too hott for their own men - apparently there was a bit of a 'bitch-off' in the SB camp as last years champions slipped from 10 players to 7 and have respectively slipped to 8th seed of 9. My sources tell me that the two prominent southern players had backed out of the competition because Jangles lost his touch when it came to post game celebrations.

Rob Lowe steps down from treasury due to intolerance of flatulence - Rob's decision to step down as QUDA treasurer has been well masked until now. But truth be told, his intolerance for JDR's rampent, suffocating and consisten flatulence during meeting was in fact the real reason for his departure.

Dojo Sensei caught for match fixing - We have recieved footage of Stephen Cameron paying for Gref's girlfriends party, and thus insisting that he be with her to enjoy rather than to show up to the Finals match to play against the Dojo. This will surely put a blemish on the Dojo's rise from the depths of their follies, and will once again give us reason to cheer against them in the future.

In Wikileaks we trust.

BPL - End of Year

2010-11-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Well another season has come and gone in the BPL, and by all accounts, it was another good one.

End of an Era - A congratulations to Stu Austin as he finished his reign as BPL big boss last week. Stu was very dilignet in refining the BPL to a more stringent, and thus more efficient, and 'professional' league. As Stu steps down, we anxiously wait for the next LD to step up and into some rather large shoes.

Reverse the Curse - If you weren't there to see it yourself... well you really missed out. The Dojo Mojo ended their Grand Finals hex and pulverised the Lovers in the second half to win the game. The Dojo have waited a long time to get their hands on the Dog Cup, and you could feel a sense relief from the Kenshi journeymen as they lifted the weight of this long time monkey from their collective backs. As much as it was with great relief for Sensie to lift the Cup, it probably came with great dismay for Stu to have his final act as LD to be handing over the grand prize to his administrative nemesis, but he did it with class nonetheless. He even got the name of the winning team right. As a bonus, Sean Flanagan broke the league pulling record as he surpassed Buzz with 1,000,008 lifetime pulls on the final point of the game. .... CAN YOU BELIEVE IT.

Spirits anyone?? - In a major shock the Slamtown Flatball Club took out the spirit prize!!! Can you believe that shit!! We won a bottle of top notch Vodka, and Kevvy fell outta his seat.

MVP - The SFC cleaned up the prize department as Jody Thomas (the dark fella) won the highly coveted BPL MVP trophy and adds his name to a list of well accomplished players.

What's Next?? Well we know the league will be running again next year... there is no doubt about that.... but how will it look? How many teams will we have? What players will move? Will teams fold? Will new teams emerge? Will the Gold Coast become a host venue? Who will be LD?

SFC - The Slamtown Flatball Club are very keen for next season, though we will have a new look squad once again.
Player Departures - It's very sad to announce the departure of two of our strongest team members.
Lee O'Dwyer has accepted a position in Sydney, and the SFC stalwarts services will be sorely missed. Over the years Lee has brought a wide array of skills and athletic prowess to our club, but more than anything Lee brought a chip on his shoulder, some viscious mongrel, and a winning attitude.
Joel Buikstra had skyrocketed onto the scene at Big Sky 9's since then he has had the daunting task of defending the most threatening 'tall' on every team. He was thrown into the deep end and kept his head above water. Joel is now a dominant reciever regardless of what kind of attention he draws and will be very difficult to replace. He has been accepted to med school and will be leaving to Melbourne in the new year.

New Additions -
We are happy to announce the new signings for Slamtown 2011.

aL Don will be relocating to the GC to get his hands on a pair of Orange shorts. It seems playing for SFC was his top priority, and a bonus that he can get some hospital work here too.
Abra Garfield will be our only non-geographically based player for 2011, as we wooed him onto our team with the prospect of free sausages.

Both Abra and aL very much fit the SFC attitudinal mold and will be welcomed additions to the squad.

Enjoy your holidays.

Grand Finals Preview

2010-11-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

After a long 9 weeks of jostling for position, our rain dampered season has now taken on an identity, and has risen from the floods with two teams remaining. Two teams whom have both been around for a very long time (since the beginning of the BPL?), but have never met one another in a Finals.

UQ Lovers v Dojo Mojo

With a split season series this game could go either way. The Dojo won the first meeting and the Lovers won the second, which ended up being the last game of the season. The Lovers are defending champions (well... kind of), and the Dojo are perennial Finals losers. This season is different as the Dojo enter the finals for the first time in a long time without being the Minor Premiership winners. Can anyone remember the last Minor Premiership winner to have gone on to win the Grand Final??

UQ Lovers

Strengths - Well their big name roster certainly isn't a weakness. With aL Don steering the ship, he has plenty of impact players who can act as threats throwing or receiving. A deep roster with plenty of awareness of what role each players is expected to play.

Weaknesses - Julian is still playing on what would be a tender ankle. Additionally, some of their 'role players' may be put into positions to make big plays with big marks coming from the Dojo, this could play into the hands of the opposition. Though the depth of the Lovers is admirable, they do have a few players who don't match up favourably.

Players to watch -

Brenton (BW) if he can stay solid alongside aL, and help to effortlessly distribute the disc up field, the Lovers should come out on top.

Dan Henbest - Dan will likely garner the least defensive attention when the likes of Jules and Gref are on, if he can claim his skies, he'll help to alleviate the pressure on the UQ big threat receivers.

Dojo Mojo

Strengths - Roster depth in terms of height and handling. The Dojo have played with one another for years now, and not only know how each of their teammates operate, but also know how to effectively employ a wealth of strategies both offensively and defensively.

Weaknesses - Choking, I hate to say it, but the pressure is on for the Dojo to reverse the curse. Along with a hampered throwing hand on Fatty, the Dojo will need to really dig deep and stay mentally strong to cross the line for the win. Also the exclusion of Chris Cunliffe isn't helping any.

Players to watch -
Pete Allen - If Pete is on he can not only nullify big threat recievers, but can also turn swilly throws into scores. This a handy weapon for the Dojo handling unit.

Cola - A new face to BPL ultimate, Mr. Colangelo is more than capable of being the quiet killer, the Italian all rounder has added another rung of depth to the Kensi attack, and will be a handful if understimated.

Predictions -
I my professionally esteemed opinion the Lovers will win. I want the Dojo to win, and I think it will be close, and though it will do nothing for their reputation in the end, it should not be considered a choke if they lose to the favorites..... but it will.

Final score 15-12 to the Lovers.

Prove me wrong Dojo.

Slamtown....... wins again.

2010-11-15T03:05:00.000-08:00

Check out the controversy over at the BUB!!!!

In earlier Power Rankings, I once claimed that SFC would have to win out the season to get into the playoffs. And we won, but we didn't get in. Some interesting discussion has come of it. I know that we are lyin in the bed we made, but I also know that the Buggs are well aware that we got the best of them on a season series, tied their competition points, and that they have gotten in by the hair of their chin.

Such is life.

Slamtown is looking to springboard into 2011. While a slight restructuring of the roster is imminent, SFC are confident they will bring an improved game for 2011.

Eeeeeeere We Go!!!!!

Badman's Birthday Bash

2010-11-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

So this was potentially the party of the year in '09, and has the potential to be even bigger this year.

All we're missing is you.

It's gonna be a cracka of a weekend, so be sure you are in attendance.

Leave your lame excuses behind, and come forget your troubles and indulge in some ultimate bliss down in beautiful Byron Bay.

Bring your surfboards... swell is lookin good.

Rego here:

Do it now!!!

Missing Shed!!!

2010-11-02T04:44:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Though it's really the least of my worries after such a wonderful tournament, I am missing a container in which I call 'the shed' after the Big Shy's weekend.

The shed is aptly named as it is full of tools.

However... not your run of the mill tools.

The shed itself is a transparent Glad brand plastic container. It's contents would include, some small white papers with adhesive on one side (not post-it notes), a nearly empty ziploc bag, and a 'Slamtown Orange' bic lighter.

All of these items are not important, there is however one item in there that is very dear to me. And could be very dangerous should it fall into the wrong hands.

'The Six Shooter' is a timeless weapon, its smooth spinning cylinder, and heavy barrel are very defining features in this smokin' piece.

Both the 'Six Shooter' and 'The Shed' were last seen together next to the orange boat right before the conclusion of the final.

If you have any information as to the whereabouts of the shed, or more importantly the 'Six Shooter', please don't delay and get this information back to the Mayor as soon as possible.

KIND regards

Be Excellent to Each Other

2010-10-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, The Gap filled up with frisbee enthusiasts for the second edition of the the Big Sky's. This years Big Sky 10's was another amazing tournament.

From a Slamtown perspective, we were there to help out a friend. The fact that we could have kicker of a good time doing that was a bonus.

Once again Mat, Tony, Gen and Sandra did a magnificent job in putting together a well formatted tournament with the potential to generate funds.

Well done, we had a blast.

The Slamtown contingent were keen on providing a fun loving, and welcoming atmosphere. We had some shady palms, boats, surfboards, and some pumping tunes. We also put a bit of an accuracy shoot out game together and participation helped us put a little extra towards Mike and Stacy.

On the pitch, SFC travelled well through the bulk of the pool play winning our first three games in convincing fashion. Our final pool game was against Stacy's All Stars, and we knew they would be tough. We took the lead at 1-0, and we did have moments of nice looking ultimate over the course of the game. But in the end, the All Stars were way too stacked, they took the game away from us quite quickly, and finished with a resounding 10-3 victory.

The final had the top seeded Big White Dream Bus taking on SAS. I had the privelge of calling the game, and it was a cracker. The Dream Bus took an eraly lead, and the game looked as though it would just be a points trade till the end with the Sydney crew in the lead. But the good guys dug deep, and Mike himself made some game changing plays. The All Stars went on a big run, and managed to win the game as Mike came down with a signature Big Sky.

Back in the Clubhouse, the Tournament Comittee gave out prizes for ultimate and raffles before Mike took the mic. When Mike spoke, everyone was hanging on his every word, he gave a heart felt address about some of the diffuculties he and Stacy are enduring. But what I took away from it more than anything, is what Mike mentioned that Stacy would want from everyone. To do some good.... to do good things.... wether it be for friends, family, strangers, communities or the environment. The way I took was to simply be a good person as a part of your daily life.

I will do my best to oblige.

I was once again thrilled to have a Gold Coast crew be a part of this event, it was heaps of fun, well organised, and emotional. We wish all the best to Mike and Stacy, and look forward to helping out as best we can in the future.

All it would have taken was a call to the Mayor....

2010-10-28T05:03:00.000-07:00

SFC were electric tonight... leaving early, as specified on the team thread.

Weary of the potential for field closures, the Mayor of Slamtown checked his email and trusty web sources at 5:20pm before meeting up with the Byron folk who had already traveled about an hour to get our take off point.

As it turns out, we showed up to a flooded and light-less Annerly, with a whole lotta head scratching goin on. Things had been called off after 5:30 by email, and word just didn't get out quick enough.

Though SFC made the most of it (preparing to construct Slamtown at Big Sky 10's), they feel robbed of a game.

This post is now an official petition to reinstate the SFC forfeited point from their earlier no-show. SFC was the only team to show up on a night, when poor communication cost us the same inconvenience previously bestowed upon the recipients of our forfeiting.

It's simple, point differential doesn't change, we just get our table point returned.

It seems the obvious answer.

Have your voice heard over on the poll.

Big Sky 10's

2010-10-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

See below for a message from the TD's..... You'll notice some activity mentioned from Slamtown... that's right, get excited to come visit Slamtown on the sidelines, we'll have plenty of entertainment, and a chance to win some prizes. Bring some extra cash as all proceeds will go straight towards this exceptional cause.
------------------------------------
G'day folks,

We are just 4 days from Big Sky 10s.
Things are shaping up nicely for a great day, and the weather forecast is for a fine day.
Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Some quick reminders about the day:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Helping our Mates:

This tournament is all about demonstrating our support for our mates Mike and Stacy Neild in their battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
Stacy was diagnosed with MND in 2009 and continues to fight this battle with the loving support of her family and friends.
Last year, Stacy's friends, including her extended Frisbee family via the Big Sky 9's tournament and other activities, raised over $20,000 to help.

These funds allowed Stacy and Mike to visit Stacy's family in the US, and to participate in a number of treatment programs both in Australia and overseas.
They have also assisted Stacy and Mike to move into accommodation better suited to Stacy's physical condition.

One year has passed and whilst Stacy's needs have changed, the need for support has not.

The Big Sky 10s tournament is a call out to all those friends and supporters to dig deep again.
And it doesn't matter if you've never met Mike and Stacy.
They are a part of our community and this is our chance to demonstrate what a great community it is.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Donations:

Any players or non players are welcome to donate directly into a support fund.

Account Name:......Brisbane Ultimate Disc Association
BSB:....................484-799
Account Number:.. 047728107

(Please include the message/reference "Neild Donation".)
Please note that donations are NOT tax deductible.

We will also take cash donations on the day.

Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who you feel might be interested - irrespective of whether they are a frisbee player or not.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Player places still available!!!

One of the teams has pulled out at the last moment.
So there is room for another team to register.
There are also a number of other teams who would be happy to have some additional legs.

If you have a team ready to go, sign up now.
If you're an interested individual please sign up to the pickup team ("I'd like to play") and we'll sort you out.

http://www.afda.com/rego/showdivision.php?divisionid=1471

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4. Tournament Information.

Who .......................EVERYONE is eligible to play, including elite superstars and rookies alike.
Where.................... The Gap Soccer Club (Glen Affric St, The Gap, Brisbane)
When..................... Sat 30th October, arrive 8.00am, Captains meeting 8.20am, Game start 8.50am
Cost.......................$50per player (all profits to Mike and Stacy)
Incudes...................All games, lunch, dinner, party
Bring.......................Towel and party clothes (showers available at the fields).
Format....................Mixed (4:3) in short format ... 45min games with 45min break.
Extras.....................Some added fun games will be run on the sideline including a longest huck comp and some random Gold Coast sponsored activites (wtf???)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK folks...
Thanks for your participation in what will surely be an excellent day of frisbee for a worthwhile cause.

See you round.

Mat, Sandra, Gen and Tony
TDS.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week VIII

2010-10-17T00:46:00.000-07:00

With two weeks to go in the competition, there are still many questions surrounding potential outcomes. So, on a day when I had to miss ultimate to sit inside and do a work related course, I am excited to load up the six shooter, and and least get a bit of ultimate participation in, via blog.

In last weeks action, the Flatball Club laid a beat down on the Heroes coming out 8-2 to take half, and closed things out at 7-2 to conclude a quick game. We had the pleasure of settling into some post game tomfoolery whilst watching the last 5 points of a hard fought game between the Buggs and Lovers, the players no doubt noticed us as spectators, and to credit them as entertainers, it was well worth watching as it came down to universe point. In the end it was Brenton the Bulldawg whom hustled around the field and finally threw an OI backhand to Nathan(??) to end the game. On the far field, The Dojo once again came from behind and won against the Cobras, and though it was a hard fought game it seems things ended with a bit of animosity on the final point.

This week offers much jostling of position, and presents some exiting match-ups for the week after Nationals.

1 (3)(+2) UQ Lovers (5-1-2) Although they only just beat the Buggs, they did do it without aL and Dan. An impressive win over what appeared to be a full strength MBB squad. BW definitely stepped up in aL's absence, and the Lovers used their whole roster to get the job done. They need to be sharp again as they come face to face with an equally hot Dojo squad after the AMUC break.

2 (2)(-) Dojo Mojo (6-2) I watched the last few points of a pesky Cobra v. Dojo game where spirit seemed to take a late turn for the worse. That said, the Dojo looked sharp as usual when they were able to keep their heads. The addition of Cunliffe compliments their already tall and handle savvy roster, the Dojo will hope to gain some momentum and cohesion in their last two games before the semi's as they hope that this season might be the one they shed the monkey from their backs. As mentioned, they'll have a tough match with UQ on deck.

3 (1)(-2) Moreton Bay Buggers (4-2-2) The Buggs were dealt a bit of a blow on Thurs as they were sent a wake up call by UQ. What appeared to be a full strength squad had their late season momentum halted as the table points were stolen from them on the final point of the game. The Buggs will no doubt be training on the 'off week' in hopes of recapturing form to round things out. The Buggs will face SFC in a repeat of a drawn match earlier in the year.

4 (5)(+1) Slamtown Flatball Club (3-2-3) The boys in green didn't have Jangles, but regardless of the roster, SFC looked sharp as they dismantled the Heroes 15-4. Slamtown haven't lost a game that they have taken the field for in the second half of the season, and hope to continue this right into the semis. As is always the case, this will be no easy task as they need to get through a tough opponent in MBB to keep the streak alive.

5 (4)(-1) Cobras (4-4) The Cobras have lost two in a row,to the Buggs and then Dojo. With two games to go, the Cobras need to reverse their current fortune and get some wins. The snakes are undoubtedly still in the hunt, and they'll look to take out their frustrations on the Heroes in hopes of finding some winning ways before the playoffs.

6 (6)(-) Heroes (0-8)In a game that many thought was the one for the Heroes to get over the line, they were dealt a disappointment filled blow on Thursday night as they just never found any rhythm. The Heroes will be hoping that Jangles' belly takes a turn for the better as they'll but putting it all on the line in their final two games as they push to crack the win column.

Don't forget to vote inn this weeks poll, and let us know your thoughts all things BPL.

How about AMUC??

2010-10-16T06:27:00.000-07:00

So... just in from some drinks, but whilst emptying some bottles, I happened to notice that the Australian Mixed Ultimate Championships, (AMUC), otherwise known as Mixed Nationals are on this weekend, and Queensland is sending 4 teams.
Towns'Villain's qulaified up north, while Sugar and UQ rounded out qualifications in the major Queensland region.

The championship team in the region was John Doe, a team I am excited about, and I play for. We head down to Bathurst this weekend with hope and ambition. It's a stiff competition as far as the rosters would tell, with strong entries from all states... NSW with a few.

John Doe come off wins at Halibut and the SEQ qualifier, and hope to earn some respect while battling in Bathurst.

I wish all the best of luck to all of the teams in the region, and I hope we (John Doe) do the state proud.

Get behind us, we're workin hard.

EEEEeeere We Go John Doe!!

Stretchy Lines

2010-10-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight's action in the BPL was exciting as we won a spirited and clinical game against a Jangless Heroes squad, the aL-less Lover erked out a win in an entertaining game against the top ranked Buggs, and the new look Cunliffe Dojo took down the Cobras by 3 or 4.

But the story of our game ended up being the size of the field. It was far too big, I assissted in setting up as Morgs and I stretched the tape a full 2m past the sideline with the metal benches, and still well past half way of the soccer goal on the other end (another 2-3m). So it is definitely larger than regulation, but tonight they proved dangerous as SCF's #7 Mike Morgan took a catch in bounds and had no time to do anything but shin smack the metal bench with good speed .... it opened him up, and is gonna leave a good mark.

So I vote we start using cones until the port-a-fields can be re-adjusted to regulation.

(Hey Stu, sorry to put it on the blog first as it is complaint based, love your LD work... just thought all should know.)

Cheers all.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week VII

2010-10-09T01:08:00.001-07:00

After a long hiatus, the Power Rankings are back!!

I had many reasons for my recent lapse in posting. The AUG bye week certainly one of them, but it was the week before that, in which a set of rankings were omitted. It was another week of play in which I was out of country, but I once again had detailed reports from both aL and Mike about the outcome of both their games. What I didn't have was a report of my teams game. Slamtown pulled the unthinkable, and though I cannot point the finger at anyone on the squad as one of the non attending members, I can apologize to the league for such a disappointing effort on our behalf. As such, I didn't have the motivation to post a ranking. I suppose there was some bias in doing so, but that's the privilege I'm afforded as the author.

This week's rankings will be a continuation from the last posted rankings, though I will take into account the results of the previous week. As this week kicked off, there was some excitement getting back from the bye week, and what a week it was. The Buggs took another stride towards finding form as they knocked off the pesky Cobras. Dojo once again weathered an early storm, but were able to put the Heroes to rest in the end. And SFC and the Lovers slugged out a high turnover-count draw.

So... with three regular season games remaining, I bring you the return of the Power Rankings.

1 (3) (+2) Moreton Bay Buggers (4-2-1) - The Buggs keep winning, in the last two weeks they've knocked off competition sluggers in Dojo and then Cobras. As their blog would suggest, they are starting to find form, and not a bad time to start firing, as long as they don't peak too early. Word is that they are even showing an intensity in warm up as they have employed a 'do it for Mike' mentality. Let's hope that's enough to get the over the hump as they have another tough game coming up this week as they face the Lovers.

2 (1) (-1) Dojo Mojo (5-2) Though falling victim to the Buggs, the Dojo responded well with a comfy win over the Heroes. The Buggs are the only team to have beaten the Dojo, and though one was via forfeit, the Dojo have not lost to anyone in the league except for the Buggs. This is normally a tactic that the kenshi save for the finals, so it may be an omen for a reversal of fortunes to come. The Dojo have a massive game up this week as the Cobras try to slither back up to their once held top rank, if the Dojo have any ambition in keeping their minor premiership homes up, they'll likely need to win the season out.

3 (2) (-1) Lovers (4-1-2)UQ haven't been overly impressive as of late, but even still they have managed 5 out of 6 available points in the last two games, a win against Heroes, and a draw against SFC. Rather ordinary results based on the look of the table, but in a league as competitive as ours, teams will just have to take points where they can get em. Next week will be a huge game for the Lovers as they take on the top ranked Buggs in a game I tipped to be a preview of the final at the start of the season.

4 (4) (-) Cobras (4-3) The Cobras got some big help from us Coasties when we decided not to show up and play, both in terms of table points, and point differential. But any advantage they gained has since been forgotten after being handed a loss this past week from the Buggs. The Cobras will have their hands full with the Dojo this week as they try to recapture their winning ways.

5 (5) (-) Slamtown Flatball Club (2-2-3) SFC dealt themselves a serious blow by sacrificing a point on the forfeit. And though many tipsters may have believed that the Flatballers were down and out, SFC showed their grit by slugging out a draw with the vengeance seeking Lovers. Slamtown is well aware that a berth in the semi-finals will require a near seamless finish to their season. The next task at hand is staying perfect against the Heroes, as they hope to carry some momentum into the final stages of the season.

6 (6) (-) Heroes (0-7) The Heroes are still looking for that elusive win. And though they have suffered another loss at the hands of the Dojo, they may be happy to see the only other team on the outside looking in as their upcoming opponent. If the Heores were going to erk out a win, most might pick this as the week to do it. The continual improvement has been noted, and SFC will not be taking them lightly.

Have a look at our poll... see ya at the fields.

BPL Power Rankings VI

2010-09-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

It's been an ordeal to get around to this, and it won't be the flashy and sensational league news provisions that you are used to, but I've made it online with enough of a clear head to bring you the Power Rankings. Also a thanks to Mike Neild, Al Don, and the SFC mailing list for providing sufficient detail to make these legit.

Last weeks games saw Dojo once again winning, in a game that they fell behind in to start. The Buggs have returned as they found dominant form against the Heroes, and the Lovers finally hit stride while simultaneously giving the Cobras a wake up call. After the first round of action only 2 points separate 1st to 5th on that other table, and an MVP race that has over a dozen players vyying for the once tarnished trophy.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (1) - Dojo Mojo (4-1) The Dojo fell behind early, and allowed the flatballers to get up 6-4, but true to form of a top ranked team, they found a way to win in the second half. A suffocating zone and great care of the disc were enough to springboard them to a 11-6 lead and a 7 point run!! That was enough to seal their fate and keep them atop the list for a 3rd consecutive week. Next week the Dojo will face off with the Buggs for a chance to rectify their only blemish of the season... you remember, that week 1 forfeit.

2 (4) +2 UQ Lovers (3-2) The Lovers seem to have found form just in time to make a strong push in the second half of the season. With some crisp offence, and the benefit of some snakes errors, the Lovers dominated the second half. UQ revisits their first half campaign this week with a second date with the reeling Heroes, and a chance to extend their winning streak to 2.

3 (5) +2 Moreton Bay Buggers (2-2-1) Buggs are back!!??!! Well, that will be determined next week if you ask me, but a handy win over the Heroes was enough to bolster their own confidence, and have them moving into the second half of the season with a bit momentum. The Buggs scored 7 first half point from their own pull, and even with a healthy lead, continued to pour it on in the second half. Next week versus the Dojo in a big one, hopefully Chaddy shows up as his attendance is thus far synonymous with not losing.

4 (2) -2 Cobras - (3-2) .... or as I like to call them, the Abras. Well, even with Abra making plays, they were not quite enough for the new step Lovers. The snakes traded early, but as the Lovers continued to score, the Cobras found themselves resorting to the 'single throw score' all too often, which happened to be their undoing. With Trachters hand X-rays on Facebook, I'd have to imagine that his attendance will dwindle in the second half. Next week against SFC will be a big game if the rain holds up.

5 (3) Slamtown Flatball Club (2-2-1) The Flatballers had their chance to get above the hump, but a bit of internal combustion, and mental breakdown from team philosophies were enough for them to hand over an early lead. Though there was definitely a major breakdown, SFC did clawback at the end and kept the margin to 3 points, a respectable loss to a number 1 seed. Though losing respectably is not nearly enough as SFC will aim to right their wrongs next week against the Cobras.

6 (6) Heroes (0-5) The Heroes will be looking to get it done in the second half of the season as they were not able to get much going in the first half. They will face an uphill battle knowing that each team the play has already beat them once. But a win in this second half could prove a costly spoil for whomever they face. They'll need to revisit their week one game tape, in order to concoct a game plan to beat the red hot Lovers.

Sorry... no poll... unedited... gotta go.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week V

2010-09-13T04:12:00.000-07:00

Firstly, apologies for the delayed posting. It was a fun-filled weekend with Lovefest turning into Kevvy's 40th, turning into a Sunday session, turning into complete and utter annihilation. This coupled with my upcoming visit to Canada (in two days time) has me with a few things on my plate to clear..... but don't fear (dstrel), the Power Rankings are here for your reading pleasure.

Secondly, I'll need my trusty BPL captains to be emailing me game briefs for the next few weeks if you want these Power Rankings to persist whilst I'm getting maple glazed in the land of the Beaver.

Anyhow, let's get down to business.

This seasons BPL had already provided some unexpected results, and in comparison to last seasons strong holds of the number one spot, it has been very much up for grabs every given week. That is, up until now. The Dojo beat a full strength Lovers squad in a game the very clearly brought out some frustrations. As the BUB comments would indicate, in terms of spirit, the Kenshi lost their Mojo, and UQ left the Love at home. The Cobras did not let history repeat itself and were sure in constricting the Heroes, and the Buggs and Slamtown would not give the other an inch as they slugged out 28 scored points in a nailbiting 14 all draw.

With the last game of the first rotation of the season on deck, all of the teams are starting to get a pretty good feel for one another, and it is becoming more and more evident, that a mediocre performance will not quite cut it in this league. With things heating up, let’s have a look at how they rank leading into this pivotal week.

1 (1) – Dojo Mojo – (3-1) – The Dojo are rolling, and with their only blemish coming as a week one forfeit, they have not ‘actually’ lost a game. The Dojo were a part of another game with plenty of controversy, and with a low spirit score, and Gref’s finger pointing comments, the Dojo are beginning to fall behind in the spirit race that the sensei had lobbied for to become public on a weekly basis. Next week the Dojo will look to extend their run at the top with out Fatty as they take on less spaztic SFC.

2 (3) +1 Cobras – (3-1) This time around, the Cobras did what they were supposed to do and beat the Heroes. The Cobras are in many ways a more matured team this time around, and have employed more consistency with Abra's attendance, which has proved a winning formula for them. With their only loss coming by way of the Dojo, the snakes should be considered slight favourites to beat the Lovers in week 4’s GOTW.

3 (4) +1 Slamtown Flatball Club – (2-1-1) – Though SFC didn’t win last week, they haven’t lost since opening week when they faced the Cobras. Last weeks battle with the Buggers was a hard fought draw, and though the result was not the one most desired, it sure as hell beats a loss. SFC will be without captain for the next two weeks of play, and with Dojo up next, they’ll have to be at their best to upset the top seeds. Rumor has it JD has intentionally missed his flight, and may be dawning the orange shorts on Thurs night.

4 (2) -2 UQ Lovers – (2-2) The lovers have already lost twice in the first half of the season and still need to play the Cobras to round things out. It is early season, but this game could be crucial in how the season shapes up for both these teams. With 6 games remaining in the season, its due time that one of the best looking rosters in the comp find their form. A win however would springboard them right back into this competition, and would keep the pack very leveled at the halfway mark.

5 (5) – Moreton Bay Buggers (1-2-1) – Like the Lovers, the Buggs have realistically underachieved thus far. They have not quite gelled, and though they only got away with a draw against SFC, I reckon they are a bit more content about the form they are starting to show. No one would have predicted that the Buggs would have gone this far into a season without a legit win, but despite their slow start, only a fool would count this team out of the race. This weeks match against the Heroes is a must win for the Buggs, and likely a spark to provide some much needed momentum.

6 (6) – Heroes (0-4) – The Heroes are still fighting, and I can imagine, they are getting sick of seeing themselves in the PR basement. Even more so, they are not likely happy about the fact that each week my rant carries the same message. This again is no different this week. The Heroes are making a season of ‘close but no cigar’, and they need to get over that hump. But with a Buggers squad playing with desperation, I don’t likely see this happening too soon.

As always, your comments are welcomed, and your input on the poll valued.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week IV

2010-09-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

In this weeks edition of the Power Rankings, there is again a new number one. In four weeks of ranking, we have had four different owners of the number one spot. None have been able to hold on for more than one week. We are also at a stage where there are no remaining teams with undefeated records. With the Cobras losing to the Dojo, they not only gave up their highly coveted number one spot, but also the potential for an undefeated season. The Lovers redeemed themselves for the upset defeat in week two and gave it to the Buggs to put them in hot water. And SFC pulled off a win in less than stellar fashion, against a team of Heroes with some new born scrap in them.

Here are this weeks Rankings:

1 (3) +2 Dojo Mojo (2-1) - The Dojo get away with being tall and fluid. While all the talk in the preseason was about all the moves around the league, Dojo sneaked in under the radar. They haven't properly lost this year, and with Cola added to their team, and Watto now training and playing more with his Sugar campaign, the Dojo are once again the team to beat early on in the season. Dojo face the Lovers in this weeks GOTW.

2 (4) +2 UQ Lovers (2-1) - The Lovers certainly made amends for their week two demise with a convincing victory over the slow to gel Buggs. The Lovers will still likely be awaiting the services of Jules, and would gain massive confidence in beating a 'tall' team without their main tall.

3 (1) -2 Cobras (2-1) - From what I've heard their loss was hard fought, but they just couldn't get the stops they needed to shut down the Kenshi. Though they have slipped in the ranks, this still remains a team that can beat any opposition, on any given night. However, this weeks match up with the Heroes, also reminds us that should this team lose focus, they are vulnerable to upsets.

4 (2) -2 Slamtown Flatball Club (2-1) - To win and drop 2 spots doesn't seem right, but the manner of victory, nor the margin were enough to boost them, and with more impressive performances around the league, it only seemed fair to drop the coastal cruisers down to 4th. Their win against the Heroes marked their first back to back wins in this league, as well as the first time they have batted better than 500. This weeks battle with the unstuck Buggs will be another tough test.

5 (5) - Moreton Bay Buggers (1-2) - When asked about the manner of the loss, Buzz told it to be a story of sodomy including a 'black man's penis'. Ouch. The Buggs were at full strength, and were beaten up by the Lovers. With the Buggs only win coming by way of forfeit, they will be putting it all on the line to come good this week against the GC.

6 (6) - Heroes (0-3) - Though the Heroes are mighty proud of their efforts, and they are 'finding ways to win (again)'.... they haven't yet won again. They are indeed improving by leaps and bounds, but it will take a full scale upset, and not just a scare to get them out of 6th.... could it be a repeat of last season, as they take on the snakes this week?

As always, your comments are welcomed. Please have a look at our new poll, and let us know which team you think will end up most spirited.

tooo high not to blog

2010-09-03T02:31:00.000-07:00

The ecstasy of last nights win, has me high on an adrenaline rush like I've never experienced before..... well, not really. The title might be based on something completely different all together.... man.

However, SFC won again. The first back to back wins manufactured by the club in BPL history, and the first time the club has had a winning record in club history.

It's only week three, so nobody's getting too excited, and we didn't win in the manner in which we hoped, so we are humbled after our week two triumph.

To the Heroes credit, they played well, and caused for a lot of our misfortune. On the same note, we made plenty of errors, and were still able to dictate the pace of the game, while not at our best, to walk away with the win.

Next week brings another huge challenge for SFC, and although the Power Rankings will sway in SFC's favour based on the season thus far, one would be silly to consider SFC the week four favourite. .... but ya know what?? we're fine with that.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week III

2010-08-29T03:24:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of play, a lot is being learned in this young season. And what the bottom line is seemingly saying is that winning is becoming more and more of a cherished delicacy, and predictions are becoming a lot more difficult. This weeks action had Slamtown upsetting previously top ranked UQ in the Gold Coasts maiden win over a UQ opponent in the BPL. The Dojo actually turned up and walked a way with three points for their efforts, and Cobras are the only team to maintain an undefeated mark after only two weeks of play.

This weeks edition of the Power Rankings see plenty of shifts, and the power for now is very much up for grabs, but for the time being…. Here’s how I’d rank em’.

1 (2) Cobras (2-0) (+1)– After a pleasant conversation with Wetnose after last weeks effort, I can only congratulate him and his team for knocking down the highly touted ‘Mike Machine’. Cobras are the only undefeated team remaining in the comp after only 2 weeks. They face the Dojo this week in what will be an exciting contest and for the Cobras, another GOTW.

2 (4) Slamtown Flatball Club (1-1) (+2) – SFC pulled off the unexpected upset whilst simultaneously recording their first victory against a UQ opposition in BPL play. The flatballers played with 8 men but were effective with their opportunities. Next week against Heroes will be a test for consistency that Slamtown is poised to ace.

3 (6) Dojo Mojo (1-1) (+3) – Dojo followed up Week 1’s loss with a commanding victory in Week 2 over the Heroes. The casual confines of the Dojo way have seemingly attracted some quality recruits. The Dojo will face newly top ranked Cobras for a shot at revenge from last seasons ousting.

4 (1) UQ Lovers (1-1) (-3) – Lovers lost a game they were supposed to have won. Yes, Jules and Dan weren’t there, but Lovers just couldn’t get it done. They are no doubt still in the hunt, and will certainly be finding win’s over the course of this season, but for now they are humbled, and will be seeking revenge against a familiar foe as they square of against the stumbling Buggs in week 3 action.

5 (3) Moreton Bay Buggers (1-1) (-2) – The Buggs were dealt a blow on Thursday as their first ‘proper’ game ended as a loss. Although the Bugg’s are 1-1 they haven’t actually ‘won’ a game yet, and with the Lovers up next they will have their work cut out for them to actually ‘earn’ 3 points in week three.

6 (5) Heroes (0-2) (-1) - The Heroes are still hoping to upset their opponents, and though a good start against the Dojo wasn’t enough to get them the victory, they continue to improve. The boys in green were not likely stoked to see SFC hit form on Thurs as they are up next for the Heroes.

Don't forget to vote on this weeks poll for who you reckon will win MVP, if you vote other let us know who your vote is in the comments section.

Cheers

BPL - Power Rankings - Week II

2010-08-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

The first week of the season didn't have too much fire works, two expected results, and a forfeit in what would have been expected to be the most interesting game of the lot. The Cobras managed to get up on the beach boys for the first time in their playing history, and the Lovers got over the Heroes in a relatively quick game. What has become the big story of the week is the Dojo's inability to put seven on the line. In a league where some players are traveling more than an hour to get here, this should not be taken lightly. The zero points awarded, and -15 point differential should only be the tip of the iceberg, a second time offence should warrant more harsh penalties in my opinion.

Anyhow, it's early in the season, and jockeying for position is already1 tough to differentiate, but this is how I see it.

1 (2) UQ Lovers (1-0) The Lovers did what was expected, they beat the Heroes and they did it by a double digit margin. The impression I got at the end of the game was that they didn't quite hit stride, but they certainly did enough right to stay well ahead and get the comfortable win. The Lovers move into week two with a game against SFC, and as far as the preseason predictions would tell, their first two games serve as an easy entrance to the round robin, though the bottom feeders may have other plans.

2 (4) Cobras (1-0) Cobras had a character building win as far as their perspective would have it, they went down early, and despite my spirit gripe, they clawed their way back and stole a win against a fired up SFC. If the Cobras can play a whole game the way they finished up on Thurs they might find themselves looking down on the competition. Was it Jacks limited second half play that made the difference?? Cobras will be tested this week as they will have to face the brunt of an MBB squad who were sent down the ranks as no fault of their own.

3 (1) Moreton Bay Buggers (1-0) No discredit to them for having a forfeited opponent, and though they have reaped the benefits on the standings table, I am not able to reward them as kindly on the Power Rankings. Though I'm sure the Buggs would have performed just fine, it is only speculation as an exhibition is not perceived as powerful a rank as a round robin victory. They still stay ahead of the losing three squads and will hope to be able to play a full squad in their second at bat. The newly whitened Buggs face off with the Cobras in what I would consider the upcoming rounds 'Game of the Week'.

4 (5) Slamtown Flatball Club (0-1) Gripe aside, SFC were happy with their outing in the early going, adjustments are being made to avoid late game collapse, particularly in their offence, but no hung heads in this camp as everyone was pleased with the effort put forth over the course of the game, particularly on D. Now embracing the role of underdawgs, the flatballers are keen to provide their first spoil, and would love for it to come as early as week two when they square off with currently top ranked UQ.

5 (6) Heroes (0-1) The Heroes find themselves in a similar predicament as SFC, and are taking preparations quite seriously in order to topple one of these giants, and to maybe catch one off guard. It seems each and every outing, and even more so each and every season, the Heroes are getting tougher to beat. All said, winning might get a bit easier this week if Dojo stay true to seasonal form and rock up under staffed.

6 (4) Dojo Mojo (0-1) The Dojo have let themselves, their many fans, and the league down. Weather it was the lines of communication leading into the game, or maybe just a lackadaisical approach to this years season, it is really inconsequential, the result is crap either way. Who is to blame?? Watto?? Wallsy? Don't tell me it was the God Squad. In the first season in a long time where it appears the Dojo will not be prime candidates for the Minor Premiership, they should hope that the precious points they have just forfeited don't come back to haunt them. This weeks tilt with the Heroes should hope to be an awakening.

Well that's all folks, don't forget to play with spirit, and to leave your bullshit at home with your devils sticks.

See ya at the beach.

Spirited Recollection

2010-08-23T02:47:00.000-07:00

Now, I've been called out before for getting on 'the soapbox about spirit' whilst being 'the captain of such a poorly spirited team', not surprisingly, it was an anonymous call out. Knowing that in this sport you have to be accountable for your 'refereeing' I will subject myself to the potential for further criticism as I am quite happy with the way I conduct myself and of the expectations I have of my team.

With all the controversy swirling on the Brisbane Blog with regards to spirit and the likes, I thought it would be a good time to chime in with a few sentiments of my own. Not too peculiarly, they happen to stem from our outing on Thurs night against the Cobras.

With the new weekly spirit publishing, it almost seems necessary to justify what you've given every time it is not over 8. And on this particular occasion it wasn't, we scored the Cobras a 6.5.

First I'll give credit, as the Cobras mounted an 11-2 run to erase an early 7-4 lead that SFC fired out of the gates to take. The Cobras played hard and aggressive and really did earn the win.

now here's the BUT....

There were a few calls that were in question, 2 in which negated scores while SFC still had the lead, and a few others along the way. It's not abnormal for opposing teams to see things differently, and for them to disagree on a call.

On this particular evening, my gripe, which had me quite vocally finger pointing was the manner and timing in which fouls were called. To me, it seemed very automatic that certain members of our opposition were simply calling to advantage themselves, immediately when it was a line call or contact foul, and with a bit more delay (after a score) when it was on a travel. This I found drove the teams spirit score down.

It seemed to me that the play itself was being overlooked in order to make an advantageous call, and the advantage it would provide was the prize that would be erroneously insisted upon.

end of gripe. well, kind of.....

Because we have over an hour in Granny's XTrail together on the way home (you should see the panoramic sunroof... amazing!), we did all agree upon what I wrote at the top, and we got into a conversation about not being 'push overs', and standing up to 'aggressive calls', but a smoky haze somehow brought out the more spirited blood in all of us, and we agreed that this kind of a retort would not benefit anyone, we simply needed to work our way to the proper call being made. We did however have a recollection of a similar incident... one that happened to be documented, and one that I am now going to share with you.

Have a look at the following sequence of 8 pictures from a regionals a few years back.

Here is a synopsis sent in by the receiver in yellow.

"To round out the play, dude in yellow got up and called a 'force out foul' and defender in black contested the call!

Defender's team made him recall his contest and the hero in yellow scores the goal for Thor...

Hero of light would like to add that when people make poor spirited calls or unfair challenges in ultimate, its not just that they are frowned upon, its that they rob everyone else playing the game the chance of a truly great game of ultimate."

As always, feel free to voice your opinion on any of the above material as we are always happy to engage our readers.

Power Rankings are just around the corner.

Have a nice jay.

BPL - Power Rankings - Season II

2010-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

With all the excitement of the Second Season of BPL about to begin, it's about time for the second season of the BPL Power Rankings to start sizing teams up. This season sees plenty of change from last, most notably a decrease in the number of competing teams. With the UQ merger we have shrunk from 7 to 6 squads, and with a very similar player base amongst those 6 teams the competition will be heating up. Last seasons champions are not in the competition, so a title defense is one outcome that I can assure will not happen. In the early going I find my job difficult in separating the top 4 teams, but we all know that the nonsense put in writing doesn't count for squat if you can't get the wins on the field. That said, the content of this this season opener Power Rankings is purely dependent on my opinion of what might happen based on how each roster looks on paper. I suppose these preseason Rankings are a direct reflection of my predictions for the season, this is a clean slate, not a continuation from last season..... so let's get into it.

1 (-) Moreton Bay Buggers - As far as my BPL tenure goes back a Buggers team has been in the finals nearly every season, sure they weren't last season, but a major paralleling factor was the absence of Mr. Nield. With his return, and the re-acquisition of Buzz, this team looks to be the goods. Looking down the roster, there is a wealth of speed, experience, and athleticism. With names like Stu Austin and Graham Prickett as 'supporting roles' you know that this team is deep. Expect MBB to contend for an undefeated season, they will undoubtedly make the semi's. Their first game sees them rumble with the Dojo in what was once known as a preview of the finals.

2 (-) UQ Ultimate - With the 'rise and fall of UQ Passion' combining forces with the best of the Lovers, this team will be tough to beat. Though the skills of the Cheesburger will not be on display this BPL season, we are all well aware that the UQ powers run far deeper than just him. With aL, BW, and Nathan bringing their Love to combine with the Passion of Jules, Gref and Henbest this team has the leadership to combine with some speed and height. If anyone is going to knock off the Buggs... UQ is you best bet. UQ will look to jump up the Ranks early with an expected marginal victory over the Heroes.

3 (-) Cobras - Last seasons Cobras took some time to gel, but in the last half of the season they were on fire. Though they lost in the final, they came within a single point of a championship season. Although there was an attempted poaching of their star player, Abra has committed to another season with the serpents. The Trachter needs to have another big season, and with the Japanese takeover of Dan Young, Wetnose will really need to take control of the air if the Cobras are going to get a second trip to the finals. The addition of Kailin and Finn's all around game will need to be in check to make a legit run for the glory. The Cobras will face SFC in their first tilt and hope to get their first ever win against the GC crew.

4 (-) Dojo Mojo - What to say about the Dojo?? Are their days done?? Well I for one don't think so, but with a few trips to the finals foiled, and a semi finals exit after yet another minor premiership this is a squad that might be internally defeated. Again, I don't think so. With all of the height and experience on this roster, the Sensei can surely churn out another winning season from the kenshi. Fatty, Pallen, and Wallsy will again lead the charge as mismatch nightmares. Making the semis seems like it should be a given, but what happens from there is beginning to look doubtful if you put any faith in history. Dojo will be looking to get off on the right foot and take a piece out of league favourites MBB this coming week.

5 (-) Slamtown Flatball Club - The Flatballers have had a dramatically altered roster, for one reason or another the services of stalwarts Phil Stocks, and Donny Moss are not available, as well, Jody, Levi and Brad G will not be with the club for the season. And with two 'hold-outs' the Flatballers are currently below the league min with only 10 currently on the roster. The services of Badman and Bienstock will surely help, but this team will be looking to add some legs as playing savage will not help them move out of the lower ranks of the league. This squad will need to lift if they expect to be in the hunt come semi finals time. If their climb is to begin in week one it will mean staying perfect against a quiver of Cobras.

6 (-) Heroes - The Incredible Huck and friends will be looking to improve on last seasons single win effort, this team has also made some changes in hopes of climbing the ranks, but I'm still a skeptic of how much winning they will be capable of. With Silent George removed, Jangles will be hoping that new additions can make immediate impact if the Heroes have plans to silence their critics. With Mat Boevink coming out of retirement and a couple of Passion add-on's this team may have added some much needed experience to get them over the hump. Nothing will come easy in such a competitive league, and the Heroes will be looking to hold their ground against a strong UQ side in week one.

Well, there ya have it....

Let us know your thoughts, and I look forward to another season of competition and opinionated reporting.

GCDL - Teams

2010-08-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we selected teams for our draft season, which will effectively begin this Wednesday. Each team has a coulour and a team name, and will be getting jerseys from Zone Ultimate as part of their rego.

The captains were each asked to submit their rosters, as well as a blurb about their selection process and how they hope to operate.

Here's how it panned out:

CUP (black)
Captain: Phil Stocks
Michael Bienstock
Joel Buikstra
Adam Campbell
Dion Daals
Lauren Emmett
Sam Gauthier
Chris Link
Jack Smith

Speed, height, skill and raw sexual magnetism were the guiding principles behind the selection of CUP, and nothing is sexier than a team that plays as a team rather than a bunch of talented individuals. Look for a fast-moving, dynamic squad practising Total Ultimate.

----------------

We're called The Budgees, we're Yellow and the team includes:

Terri (C)
Brad (VC)
Jody
Danny
Martin
Camillo
Dale
Liz
Jacqui

We've got height this season, (i'm pretty sure Danny and Brad are the two tallest players in the league) so i'm excited. This should give us an advantage against the emmm somewhat "shorter" teams. It was hard to pick a team but I think i've made some very good choices this season. I picked height, experience, good spirit and athleticism. I also picked players I rarely get an opportunity to play with or who rarely get to play with eachother. Hopefully we'll gel fast and have a good season.
Along with height, our boys are experienced, fit and fast. Our girls are athletic, enthusiastic and got some skills that should serve us well.
Our offence should be fluid. We've got the handlers to work it up field and players that will give good options down field. We're going to bring patience to the game too, making less gambles with hucks, only going to put them if the option's really there.
Our Defence is going to be pretty strong. Our zone will have deeps that will make the huckers a bit less confident with their puts. Our cup/ puppy fence should be pretty strong with the girls up front and the boys shutting down any options down field. We're a fast team this year so our man D is going to be tight tight tight!!
All our players are punctual and rarely absent to league so our turnout should be pretty good every Wednesday.
ALL IN ALL, we're going be confident and competitive every week.....but we'll bring a spirit to the field that will make every game enjoyable for the other teams too!!
BRING IT!!

Terri Morgan ( Captain Budgee)
------------------------

Team name: Envy

Team colour: Green

Team List:

Captain: Kevin Stahlman
Troy Zernike
Mike Morgan
Glenn Stewart
Peter Hicks
Paul Maguire
Andrew Badman (post draft acquisition)
Cherie Sadler
Sonia (???)
Jake McKinnon

Team Motto: Don't hate us cos you ain't us.

Blurb:This team was selected by using 2 sets of criteria, the first one being of a physical nature: Can you run, can you jump, and can you throw? Once these boxes were ticked, I moved to the 2nd criteria : The dual faceted question, Are you a nice person, but would you do nearly anything to win? If that box was ticked, and you hadn't already been picked, you made the move to ENVY.

ENVY hopes to live up to its name this season, we want to defeat every team in such a fun and precise way that you can't help but sense that dirty little feeling of ENVY rise in you, and wonder, what if?
----------------------
The Chosen Ones

Colour: Blue

Captain: Stefan Rappazzo
Bronwyn
Chris Soo
Lee
Levi
Nandor
Rhys
Sian
Teresa
Will

This team was selected to be well rounded players right from the get go. The thought process was to put as many players on the roster with as much versatility as possible. I aimed to acquire as much ultimate 'know how' as possible without having to choose specialty players. I think in doing so I ended up with some strong athleticism as well.

With the selections going to plan, we will aim to be very versatile in terms of strategy as well, with ambition to be able to effectively play a variety of defensive and attacking formations.

The Chosen Ones were indeed chosen for a reason, and that reason is to hoist the Bondage Cup at the end of the season.

------------

Let us know how you think it'll play out.

GCDL - Gold Coast Draft League

2010-08-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

After the success of the BPL interim draft coupled with the need to mix things up on clique driven GC circuit, new LD's Brad and Cherie have launched the GCDL.

The four captains Kevvy, Phil, Terri, and myself had a relaxing Wed evening on the sideline, selecting our teams while everyone played pick up.

In the first two rounds each captain had to select first opposite gender and then same gender, before we were able to select at will.

The four teams look to be very competitive as we enter what I suspect to be the closest GC league ever.

Teams, names, colours, rosters, and mantras to be relesed soon.

The next two weeks will be training driven, and we will then get into the serious business.

Cheers

Halibut XIV - Checkmate - Wrap Up ... the novel.

2010-08-02T02:35:00.000-07:00

After a few months of preparations all the nerves, anxiety, and speculation were put to rest as Halibut Checkmate XIV managed to live up to it's storied reputation and treat it's participants to an ultimate weekend.

It all began at the Chalk Hotel on the Friday night as a committed crew of tournament revelers showed up to talk a bit a smack, and knock back a few bevvies. A bit more of an intimate affair (in comparison to Sat. nights main event) made it easy to get to know some out-of-towners, and catch up with local faves.

As Saturday morning finally came, so too did the hordes of disc junkies ready to feed their addiction while simultaneously abusing their bodies. Equipment was collected, and as we got to the fields the TOC got rolling, and as it so commonly happens at these functions, everyone lent a hand, and things were underway.

The fields were gorgeous, and our field transition to accommodate to the hockey tournament was seamless. Our Captains meeting was relatively brief, but everybody must have got the gist, as I did not hear of any missed games. The facilities were exceptional, and I was glad to hear of many a trip to the pool for a swim.

I was happy to hear that everyone was pleased with the 'black game shorts' as the player gift. Zone were also incredible with their quality, speed of delivery, and professionalism in all our dealings. They were very generous and gracious in sponsoring us with gloves, and cleat bags for prizes, as well as providing uniforms for the 'Zone Ultimate State of Origin' game. (gratuitous naming rights).

As Saturday progressed, Subway lunch was served and RedBull had their presence felt with their massive tent and heaps of cold beverages to give us much needed wings. We had a chance to meet the Origin Teams as they were presented their jerseys and squared off a few glares at one another for a photo opp.

After a exuberant first day of play the clouds had threatened, but never opened up. The Halibut vibe was on, and everyone had settled in. Our wonderful volunteers fired up the barbie, and we were able to feast on an array of salads and exotic snags while the Blues and Maroons put their state pride on the line. In a very entertaining game, all the State of Origin participants lifted to give the crowd a great show. Having a megaphone was great, so it only seemed natural to commentate on the action while I settled into the early stages of a buzz and watched the very worldly Blues to get up on the Maroons by 3. As the game ended, our field crew had packed everything up, and it was off to the party.

The venue was a fantastically set loft atop the Urban Hotel, the balloons were a hit and the bartab got things cookin'. The crowd was dressed to impress with get-ups that were really stretching to meet the chess theme, but made for excellent eye candy. The dance floor was pumpin, and the patio was bumpin. The limbo contest had everyone on their feet, and the wedding downstairs had some unexpected, and under dressed company.

Blurred memory....

On Sunday morning most teams finished off their round robin games and we headed into the pre-semis where Byron and Team Hill Sprints were both rewarded a 'bye' going undefeated. John Doe beat TownsVillains, and Team Canada beat Barrell of Monkeys to set up our Semi Final. In the first semi, Byron Bay dismantled Canada by more than 10, while John Doe outlasted Team Hill Sprints in a war of attrition.

The finals were set, and all the other games had been underway early so as to not miss much of the re-match between Byron Ultimate Disc who had been the story of the tournament, and John Doe who were expected to be the story of the tournament.

It was a fantastic game to be a part of, and from what I gathered the crowd were pleased too.

But this was not to be Byron's day as John Doe were polished in this final and would use a late run to close out a hard fought 15-11 victory.

In the end everyone gathered around as we thanked for support and hard work, and rewarded for excellence in a multitude of areas: (a few were missed on the day... but not now) Here are the results and thank you's.

Ultimate:
Champions: John Doe
Runner up: Byron Ultimate Disc
Bronzed: Team Canada

MVP's:
Male: John Damiani (BUD)
Female: Maylin Chuah (JDO)

Party: as chosen by committee
Champion: Byron Ultimate Disc
Honorable Mention: Team Hill Sprints

Costumes: as chosen by committee (not awarded at the comp..I owe you a cleat bag each)
Male: Jason DeRooy (BUD) as the king (Elvis)
Female: Maylin Chuah (JDO) as a busty Porn (Pawn) Star.

Spirit Award: Heroes

Thank you's to the following for making this event so spectacular.

Susan, Inci, and Han as our Sat volunteers.

Ava West: as our DJ.

Nathan Litzow: as our dinner delivery dad.

Paul McGuire: for his logo design.

Dave Bowman: for assistance in attaining equipment.

Amanda Rappazzo: for her Physio Service

Jason DeRooy, Peta McNaughton, Madeliene Young, Matt Boevink and Rob Lowe for their advice and support.

Ben Adivi: for organising the St. John's Ambulance.

Maylin Chuah: for organising the billet arrangements.

Megan Barnes: for her work on the party and decorations.

Dustin Czok: for his work on the party, decorations, and accommodations.

Cherie Sadler: for her work on the catering, team packs and her Sat volunteering.

Brad Andrews: for his financial expertise, team packs and his Sat volunteering.

Adilia Murabito: for her help with lunch catering and for taking over nearly everything on Sunday.

Mike Morgan: for his help on equipment transport/set up/take down, awards and prizes, field services and organising his team of Slamtowners to be chief assistants.

Phil Stocks: for his help on equipment transport/set up/take down, putting together the draw, arranging the swimming pool services, putting together the field documents, and even driving back to Fairfield to collect the missing scoreboards.

Everyone: for helping out all around.

Finally, to our sponsors, Carmans fine food and Zone Ultimate for helping to make this an amazing event.

I will post some pics soon, and hope to see many more from all those cameras I saw along the way (unless you had a camera out at the party ... those pics need not be posted). Please let me know if there is an available forum to see some of the shots.

I hope that you enjoyed your Halibut experience as much as I did, and I hope to see you next year when Halibut is rumored to hit the coast.

Until then, I bid you adieu.

Stefan Rappazzo
Halibut Checkmate XIV TD

Wee Twinkle goes Golden

2010-07-26T04:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard the news that the Australian Under 23 ladies have taken home the Gold Medal at the World Championships in Florence Italy, I'm happy to put you in the loop.

We are proud of the whole team. But one Golden Girl in particular has not only done herself proud, but so too has she put Gold Coast Ultimate on the map.

Terri Morgan began playing ultimate here on the GC about 3 and a half years ago. It is an understatement to say that she has developed into an incredible player.

Terri and the Aussie girls lost two round robin games to Canada and Japan, only to beat those same two team in the elimination rounds.

First they beat Canada in a semi, and then the undefeated Japanese on a very long universe point to bring home the bling.

We are all very proud of you Terri, and can't wait for you to come home and show off your hardware.

See you soon Budgee.

Congratulations.

Halibut - What you REALLY need to know.

2010-07-24T04:06:00.000-07:00

Here are your Checkmate Halibut XIV vitals.

Stuff to bring
Mess kit – recommended – bowl, spoon, fork, frisbee
Opaque plastic cups which conceal contents (ps – no alcohol on the grounds)
Togs – each of you will get a wristband that entitles you to the use of the adjacent heated community pool as well as their toilet and shower facilities.
Spirit – you are useless without it at this tournament.
Spirit prizes and games – do you intend on winning?? Go the extra mile.
Costume – make sure your team is organized to dress up ridiculously and have a shot at the party award.

Agenda Beyond the draw

Friday –

7:30pm – welcome drinks, feed, and catch up at the Chalk Hotel.

Saturday –

8:30am – Captains meeting (even if you have a first round bye)

9:00am – Round robin begins (see draw)

10:45am – Field and rego table rearrangement (hockey players leave)

12:15pm – lunch, some chess, presentation of jerseys to State of Origin combatants.

1:00pm - round robin continues

4:30pm – State of Origin Game and BBQ

7:00pm – Party at Hotel Urban … be there early and reap the benefits of the bartab.

12:30am – (still Sat to me) party closes – stumble to the after party (location to be reveled on the night.) convince yourself you are still sober enough to get in…. rejoice on the dance floor.

Sunday –

8:30am – wake up … thank person laying next to you, morning quickie, ask for cabfare, call original flatmate and have them bring your gear to the fields. Withhold details.

9:00am – games begin (refer to Sun draw)

12:15pm – lunch

3pm - Grand Finals and Halibut dinner

4:30pm – awards presentations and thank you's.

5:00pm – good byes, clean up, enter PTD

Halibut XIV - Checkmate - seedings, draw, and more

2010-07-20T00:57:00.000-07:00

With less than 2 weeks to go, this 10 team tournament is shaping into a beauty.

The seedings have been difficult, and with major variation from one captains input to the next, I had to put my foot down to come up with these, the absolute final draft of the pre-tournament seedings. Note each teams 3 letter code.

1 - John Doe (JDO)
2 - Team Hill Sprints (THS)
3 - Team Canada (CAN)
4 - Barrel of Monkeys (BOM)
5 - Byron Ultimate Disc (BUD)
6 - Slamtown Flatball Club (SFC)
7 - Towns'Villains' (TSV)
8 - Mr. Brurns' Casino (MBC)
9 - Heroes (HRO)
10 - Fish n' Discs (and Vinegar) (FND)

The pools are as follows:

Black Pool:
JDO
BOM
BUD
MBC
HRO

White Pool:
THS
CAN
SFC
TSV
FND

Draw: Click image for a closer look.

Seedings are very speculative, if for no other reason, merely to divide pools evenly. Any team can advance, top three in each pool after round robin still have a chance to win the tournament.

Get excited.

State of Origin

2010-07-07T02:23:00.000-07:00

Good evening all,

Tonight marks Rugby Leagues game 3 in the State of Origin. A game hinged on pride, passion, and intensity, where state lines separate mates from whistle to whistle. And though the game of Rugby league embodies virtually none of the characteristics that define ultimate, it remains a rivalry worthy of mimicking.

In the upcoming Halibut, the Sat evening marquis game will be a gripping tale of this very blue print.

A Queensland team, made up of true maroon blooded warriors, will defend their home turf, and try to capture the same winning form as their Rugby League namesakes. The cockroaches from NSW will have a few imports to fill out the roster, but will be playing to win back the pride of which has been otherwise stripped.

Zone Ultimate has proudly sponsored this game, and will be providing each of the seasoned combatants with a representative jersey, this to add to their already stellar sponsorship of our event.

The rosters have been selected, and as with tonight's game, there is nothing left to do except salivate with anticipation, and mentally prepare to heckle for your state.

QLD MAROONS
Coach - Tony Ross
Mike Neild
aL Don
Buzz Burwell
Mat Ryan
Julian 'Julz' Sacre
Lee O'Dwyer
Adam 'Jangles' Beu
Maylin Chua
Bronwyn Geddes
Suze Facy
Madeline Young
Kaitlin Richards

NSW BLUES
Coach - Simon Wood
Abra Garfield
Owen Shepherd
Andrew Badman
Donavan Moss
Robbie Trachter
Mike Larson
Dan Henbest
Notty Nott
Jo Creswell
Megan Barnes
Terri Morgan
Cassie Berquist

This will be a game for the ages, and one not to be missed.

Will you be at Halibut??

If the answer is no.... Do something to remedy that quickly.

Register here:

http://www.afda.com/rego/showcompetition.php?competitionid=578

The Mayor

Halibut -

2010-07-06T00:27:00.001-07:00

Hey All,

This is what is happening.

1) Party venue has been sorted thanks to Dusty.

The Loft, Hotel Urban
345 Wickham Terrace Brisbane QLD 4000
http://brisbane.hotelurban.com.au/

It looks amazing, he's posted some pics on the facebook events page.
Will be an early start party... get there early, take advantage of the bar tab!!!

2) Sponsorship!!

Carman's Fine Foods will be providing us with our breakfast muesli!!

Zone Ultimate has provided us with sponsorship for our MVP's as well as for outfitting
our entire marquis game!!

3) Marquis Game - State of Origin

After much debate I will personally select teams based on being a QLDer
through and through vs. NSW plus imports. Clearly a much more honorable appointment as a
maroon.

Teams will be officially announced soon, and each will earn a Zone Ultimate rep jersey.

4) Congrats to Team Hill Sprints and John Doe for being the first two teams completely
paid up. That earned them some free beer.

Checkmate Halibut XIV

2010-07-03T00:06:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

All the focus of the ultimate world is most definitely in Europe right now as Australian representatives gear up for WUCC in Prague, and U23’s in Italy.

We wish everyone the best of luck, and a speedy return so that they will be able to join the masses in what promises to be the mixed tournament of the year.

Checkmate!!

Halibut XIV, July 31 – Aug 1, Brisbane

This years CHESS theme is really shaping up, and our newly modified logo has been sent to all sorts in order to provide our players with exceptional mementos to go along with their even more exceptional memories.

There are already over 100 players!!!! Still a few more teams rumored to join on!!

We will max out at 12 teams, so don’t delay register today!! Registration DEADLINE is JULY 10!!!

We have a billet placement/finding spreadsheet available for your convenience as well.

We also have a State of Origin game at the end of Saturdays round robin, and prizes for just about everything, from best costume, to MVP’s, Champions, Spirit Awards, even an award for a Chess competition!!!

And lets not forget the PARTY, we have a few very promising venues, and though we are not yet able to be conclusive on the location details, we are very much able to let you know that there will be a heart warming bar tab.

The reason for this is to reinforce the concept of ‘WINNING THE PARTY’.

The team that wins Spirit, wins it on the pitch. The team that wins the party wins it at the bar.

Does your team have what it takes to win the party?? Will you be the last ones standing? Will you be the last team to put 7 on the bar? Will you do something so ridiculous that it launches your entire team to Party Award glory?

Is is possible that one team could go home with the triple crown of Championships, Spirit, Party??

Time will tell, but one thing’s for sure…. You’ve got to be in it to win it!!

So don’t miss the boat…. Get onboard and be a part of the tournament that everyone is talking about!!

Halibut XIV Checkmate

Checkmate Halibut XIV

2010-06-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to present you with our first official release for Checkmate Halibut XIV, to be held July 31-Aug 1, at the State Hockey Centre!!

That’s right, this years theme is ‘CHESS’ and it will be this seasons premiere mixed tournament leading into mixed nationals. For those not going away to Worlds, this is the place to be!! For those going to Worlds, this is the reunion party. Get organized and get registered!!

Prizes, Catering, Parties, Billets, and Players Services are all actively being taken care of by our wonderful TOC!!

There are already 8 teams registered!! We're sure that number will grow as some usual suspects have yet to get their teams up.

As of now, we can already confirm these ground breaking amenities:

Halibut is now Family Friendly!!! Do you have little ones?? Have they prevented you from playing tourneys before?? … well not anymore. For a small charge, registered professionals can care for your children. Please indicate if you might take advantage of this service through email to srappazzo@hotmail.com.

We also have on field DJ’s and product, dynamite catering, theme tying decorations, and much, much more.

And let’s not forget the party….. CHESS style….. how will your team come dressed?? Medival? In accordance with your team name?? The possibilities are endless.

Party venues to be announced soon.

Other player services will include St. John Amulance on site as well as registered massage and physio therapists.

There will also be a Marquis game on Sat evening, with the likelihood of a post game pool party.

But you’ll have to act soon!!!

With so much to organize, registration deadline is July 10!!! That’s 3 weeks away!!!

Go here to register http:

Don’t forget to put your waist size...... as our player gift will prove strategically sensible.

$80 player fee or $45 for one day.

Captains, please collect team fees, and pay them to the following account.

Gold Coast Ultimate

BSB- 034234

A/C - 2567215

See you there!!!

Slamtown Shutdown

2010-06-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

It's sad but true, the Gold Coast annual tournament has been hampered by scheduling, competing tournaments, and it's last minute organisation. We regret to inform that the interest garnered is not sufficient to run the tournament, and thus has been canceled.

That said, Halibut is taking exceptional shape with 8 teams already registered!! I know of a few more in the works and am hoping to attract a few more out of state competitors to come join us.

An official press release will be unveiled soon with news of Halibuts exciting new theme, while our TOC works frantically to ensure that this is THE tournament of the 2010 mixed season.

Stay tuned.

BPL Grand Final

2010-06-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Since being officially ousted from the competition it has been very quiet in the Mayors office. Though it seems there has been plenty to write about.

As I was not able to see the games, I am not in the best position to comment on what has happened in the Semi's, what I do feel more confident to blog about is my opinion as to what will happen in the Grand Final.

Cobras vs. Passion

Season series favours Cobras 2 games to none. In the last game of the regular season, 2 weeks ago, the Cobras beat Passion 13-10, and in week seven, Cobras handed the previously unbeaten Passion their first loss to a 12-9 scoreline.

Cobras - (7-1-5) 4 seed
Strengths - The Cobras have started to click, and with the consistency of Abra showing up, they now have someone to lead by example. They are a deep team, with few 'liability' players. A defensive minded team able to effectively employ an array of zone or man configurations. Offensively safe, with a workman attitude and a great mix of handlers, receivers, and all rounders.
Weaknesses - Spirit, though Mike Nolan Jr strongly disagrees, (as do many anonymous posters) it has been accepted league wide that the Cobras are the low grade for spirit, and controversial calls have been the focus of a few of their recent victories.

Players to watch in the finals

Abra Garfield - As an ex Dingo, the New South Welshman will surely attract the defensive attention of JMac in what will be a very telling match up.
Dan Young - He will have to nullify the Passion height as best he can, if he can win more than half of his air battles, then the Cobras might cross the line.
Wetnose - In close games that have been decided late, Wetnose has been an impacting figure.

Passion - (8-0-5) 3 seed
Strengths - The men of fist thrive in the air and have a tall roster from tip to tail of their roster. Against a man defence, the Passion line looks to have an advantage on the deep threat more often than not. And with the best handler in QLD in JMac throwing, those threats become very real.
Weakness - A light roster will have Passion tiring earlier than the Cobras, but most of all the weakest area of the Passion game is Aarlen's pre-point bellowing which should be outlawed.

Players to watch:
JMac - if he is on, bad things can happen.
Jules - Once a dominant receiver, Jules now plays more of a handling role, if he keeps his defender guessing it can account for some scoreboard damage.
Tomsteve - An ex-BPL MVP, Tomsteve is often overlooked, if he can get away with making safe plays, he may find himself in advantageous positions from poachy defense.

PREDICTIONS -

Like Clubber Lang predicted in Rocky III when asked by the press, I too 'predict pain'!
Much to my chagrin, I see the Cobras getting up in what will be a very spirited game. I feel the crowd presence, coupled with Wetnose's limited play, due to injury, will have all calls sorted out amicably. I see the Cobras staying tidy and patient offensively, while Passion will need to play a bit riskier to score. The game will be close for most, but in the end I see Cobras rounding out the tri-fecta and winning again by 3. 15-12 Cobras.

I think Pete Allen will win league MVP, and Heroes will walk away with the Spirit Trophy, and Slamtown will hold their heads high knowing that they owned the league Champions in their Championship season.

What do you think?

BPL - Power Rankings - End of Season

2010-05-30T02:29:00.000-07:00

After taking last week off from doing the Power Ranking's, we return with the 'pointy end' of the season upon us. Last weeks results send us into the final week with a plethora of potential outcomes. Dojo stamped their dominance on the season by being the first team to finish all of their regular season matches, in beating the Buggs they also sealed what I suspect to be their 3rd consecutive Minor Premiership. The Lovers beat the Heroes convincingly and still have a mathematical chance at making the semi's. Passion beat up on Slamtown to seal their fate in the semi's, while leaving Slamtown with a tall task, and a lil' help with another result to get in. The Cobras rested, and let the aftermath of last weeks Power Rantings fade into oblivion.

Here are what the Power Rankings look like entering the final week of competition.

1 (3) Dojo Mojo (9-1-2) The Dojo finished off the season hitting stride, against their nemesis. They once again captured the Minor Premiership, but once again, I'm sure that does not provide sufficient satisfaction for the Kenshi. If ever there was a year for the Dojo to go all the way, I suspect this is the one. The Dojo will have the final week of the season off while 3 other teams battle to be their first round opponent, though they will not be training, I'm sure that they will be using this time to channel the mindful powers of Mr. Miyagi to guide them to the promised land.

2 (2) Cobras (5-1-5) The Cobras may have been robbed of a number one spot on last weeks PR's due to my negligence, though others have argued there was a much greater robbery on the field the last time they played. Regardless of anyone's opinions, the results most certainly stand, and the Cobras have beaten the Dojo and Buggs respectively in their their last two games. The Cobras need only a win to get into the semi's, but that won't come to easy with Passion as their final opponent.

3 (6) UQ Passion (7-4) The Men of Fist played tall against SFC, and won convincingly. They have already secured a spot in the semis, but would like to carry some momentum into their elimination game. Plus, the Cobras were the team that initiated their losing skid, so Passion would surely like some revenge. As I understand it, Passion will be playing the Buggs in the semi's regardless of any outcome, short of a forfeit.

4 (1) Moreton Bay Buggers (5-3-3) The Buggs have done enough to get into the Semi's, and have proved capable of standing tall next to any opponent, with or without the services of Mike. Will this hold true in the high pressure games?? Only time will tell. The Buggs won't have to worry about that quite yet as they have a walk in the park with the Heroes to end their round robin campaign.

5 (4) UQ Lovers (5-6) After a close match with the Heroes in round 1, the Lovers came out and pumped them to the tune of 15-3 the second time around. aL and company are one of three teams with a chance at the elusive fourth spot in the semi finals. To get there, the Lovers will have to win their final game against SFC, and hope for a Passion win against Cobras.

6 (5) Slamtown Flatball Club (4-1-6) Slamtown have lost two in a row, and are in a tight spot with their match against Lovers being their potential final game. Needing to get the win, a Passion win, and 13 point differential points, SFC is the team that needs the most fortune to get in. But with nothing to lose, SFC is in a great position to leave it all on the field and keep their fingers crossed to get some extra help.

7 (7) Heroes (1-10) The Heroes have struggled through the season, as many esteemed critics suspected. Unlikely to get a win in their final game, the Heroes will make the win against the Cobras the shining point of their season, and will likely provide the motivation that they'll need to build for future seasons.

See you Thursday.

Tournament Time

2010-05-30T02:16:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce the that Southern Queensland will play host to two exceptional tournaments for your pleasure in the coming months.

SLAMTOWN THROWDOWN - After the success of the invitational last year, the GOLD COAST, will once again host a mixed tournament with all the perks the GC has to offer.
when: June 26-27
where: Pizzey Park, Miami
register here: http://www.afda.com/rego/showcompetition.php?competitionid=835
Max roster size is 12, though there is no limit on the fun you will have.
As the Mayor of Slamtown, this tournament will be 'themed' as "Trouble at Town Hall"
Where gangs from all over the town will congregate in an epic party that will make 'Gangs of New York' look like a children's story.

HALIBUT - Brisbane's premiere tournament will once again be the focus for mixed ultimate in all of Australia.
This year will see a move in venue to the State Hockey Centre, the same fields used for the BCI.
It will be held on July 31 - Aug 1, and you can register your team here:
http://www.afda.com/rego/showcompetition.php?competitionid=578
All the bells and whistles of this annual bonanza will most certainly be in tact, and it will as usual be a tournament not to be missed.

I will be sure to keep you privy to all major developments in regards to both of these tournaments as they arise..... in the meantime, get registered.

As TD for both of these upcoming tournaments, I have assembled a wonderful TOC, but with such large expectations, the more help I get, the more fun we all will reap.

If you are able to help in any way, please contact me at srappazzo@hotmail.com

Cheers

A Vote of Non-Confidence...

2010-05-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

... is what the Mayor will be vying to avoid after a less than dismal performance just hours ago at the AJSC.

Dojo pieced apart a fired up SFC squad tonight with ease, though SFC came out swingin and did show flashes of brilliance, they were just out right flat. SFC scored the first two points with some pretty offensive possessions, showing lots of touches and a very swift flow.

But then came the mistakes, the Mayor himself .... (yes, that's me) had three 'stone cold' drops and a disastrous grounded routine swing. One atrocious individual performance, coupled with a mediocre team performance at the time, accounted for an 8 point run. The Flatballers continued to show a will to compete, but mental errors, ruined such ambition, and gave the Dojo a short field far too often, in which they very much took advantage of.

To Dojo's credit, they once again played a very patient, and accurate offense, which produced results both underneath, and deep, particularly hammers to the break side.

Dojo played a classy and spirited game, and very much rebounded from lat weeks demise, while simultaneously putting SFC in a virtual must win situation for the rest of the year.

This coupled with the results on the adjacent field of course.

A game featuring two of the hottest teams in the league had the Buggs squaring off against the Cobras. This game of exchanging runs and heated battle attracted the attention of many Dojo, SFC, and Lovers players to bear witness. The game was drawn as time expired, one point to play.... Universe point. Buggs to receive.

Bugs got stuck deep in there endzone for three or four passes until a huck went up to one of the tall 'newish' receivers on the Buggs (I'm unsure of his name), but I know that he was molested, so to speak of course, going up against the Cobra captain, he managed a spectacular catch despite evident, non-incidental contact. After the catch, there was repeated contact while trying to establish a pivot, and finally a call.... but not the right one. .. ?? .. It wasn't a 'foul' called by the intended receiver whom was in fact fouled. It was a 'spirit timeout' called by the man whom made the play of which was very much in question. A 'spirit time out'???? Really, after a foul that you committed? To cool a head that you set on fire??

The play diffused a scoring situation, and despite another turnover and opportunity to score, the situation went down as a very sour taste, even as a spectator.

Anyhow, the Cobras went on to win, and in my opinion, the win was jaded.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 11

2010-05-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Tipping the win is getting more and more difficult as the season hones in on it's home stretch. With three weeks of competition remaining, teams are really starting to scrap it out to earn those highly coveted table points.

On Thursday night, at AJSC the Slamtown Flatball Club was able to get the expected win over the Heroes, though it didn't come in expected fashion. The Buggs once again narrowly avoided a draw, and once again escaped with 3 more points. And the Cobras nearly doubled up the top ranked Dojo Mojo while they continue to excel with some late season form.

Here are this weeks rankings, beginning with a new #1.

1 (2) Moreton Bay Buggers (5-3-1) Buggs are just "doin what they do best" apparently, and that means they're winning close games that were earlier on left to draws. The Buggs are definitely finding stride at a nice point in the season. Will their reign atop the Power Rankings be short lived though? The red hot Cobras are up this week in a rematch of the first draw of the season.

2 (5) Cobras (4-1-5) Cobras are back!! Well so says a commentless post on the BUB anyhow, that along side the fact they just knocked off the reigning number ones in what was a massive upset for the tipsters. Cobras have been pushed into a corner this season, and beating the Dojo proves their strike is still venomous. The Cobras also win their first back to back games in club history, if Abra's attendance remains consistent, so might their winning ways.

3 (1) Dojo Mojo (7-1-2) The Dojo, as previously noted, lost in a shocker to the Cobras. After a close contest with the Lovers, the Dojo failed to utilize their Mojo as the Cobras went on a 7-0 run in the second half, surely the biggest run of points against them on the season. Up next for the Dojo are the Gold Coasters, in a game that will feature many ex-Kenshi suiting up for the SFC.

4 (3) UQ Lovers (4-6) Lovers are consistently there, yes... they have dropped two games in a row, but they have been close ones, and against good teams. That said, with points offered on such a premium, and the Lovers entering a bye week, with only two games to play, they likely would have liked to walk away with more than one point.

5 (4) Slamtown Flaball Club (4-1-4) Slamtown has been going well in terms of recent results, with 8 points rewarded from their last 3 games. However, a less than marginal win over the Heroes seemed a bit of a let down, though it shouldn't. Slamtown enter what proved to be the toughest three game stretch of their season with a game against the Dojo this coming Thursday.

6 (6) UQ Passion (5-4) Seemingly dormant, punters might be letting Passion slip into hiding. It really is now or never if the once dominant 'men of fist' want to carry any momentum into the second season, or even just to ensure that they are in the second season. A game against the Heroes should get them back on track, or will the ever improving Heroes be able to keep Passion on at bay?

7 (7) Heroes (1-9) The Heroes looked good on Thursday night, but the result remained the same. George and Jangles are getting more and more support as weeks go by, Paul S certainly pulled his weight for the Heroes in the last contest. It would seem that all the Heroes are missing as far as offensive potency goes is 'The Incredible Huck' .... hey, that's a good name for a Frisbee hero.

Enjoy your weekend everyone, I'm off to Town Hall.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 10

2010-05-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

Another week in the BPL and another shift of strength.

Though our top and bottom ranks remain the same, a lot of jostling is going on in between. The Cobras got revenge on the Heroes in a major way, the Lovers were dealt a reality check, though they seemed to expose that the Dojo are not invincible. And the Buggs narrowly avoided another draw by handing Passion their fourth straight loss.
Slamtown were chillin on the beach.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (1) Dojo Mojo (7-1-1) For the third week in a row, the Dojo remain on top. The Dojo have sealed their fate in the semi's, and are strong favorites to take out the Minor Premiership. All said, the Lovers playing them tight was a sign that they are beatable, but until that happens they are the clear favorite to win every round robin game they play. This week they see a much improved Cobra side.

2 (3) Moreton Bay Buggers (4-3-1) Narrowly avoiding a fourth draw, the Buggs avenged their only loss of the season. An early season spanking is all but forgotten as the Bugg's win without LD Stu. Getting into the semi's now seems imminent, but will winning come as easy after Bugg number 1 is outta the picture? This week the Buggs feature in the most weight bearing game as they take on the number 3 rank.

3 (2) UQ Lovers (4-5) A bit of a reality check for the Lovers as their 4 game win streak came to an end. The UQL attitude does not seem to be affected as spiritual captain aL sees a gold lining in their recent loss. With playoff implications every time they play, this weeks clash with the Buggs will be big.

4 (4) Slamtown Flatball Club (3-1-4) Gold Coast rank remains unaffected after a bye week. With the Heroes on deck, the Flatballers are poised to revisit their winning ways after some 'fine tuning' in their recent trainings. After the Heroes, the Flatballers revisit a three game stretch that rewarded only 3 points the first time around.

5 (6) Cobras (3-1-5) A massive win for the Cobras still only bumps them up one spot. With a bye to go, the Cobras play the three highest 'table seeded' teams in the competition. The Cobras have proved capable of upsetting in the past, they will likely need to do some more of that find a seat at the semi final table.

6 (5) UQ Passion (5-4) Though nobody truly believes them to be one of the worst teams in the competition, they just can't be ranked any other way after their 4 game slide. They get a chance to think about what went wrong in this weeks 'bye', and will expect that a post-bye game with the Heroes will springboard them back into the win column.

7 (7) Heroes (1-8) Boy, did the Cobras ever get their revenge. A Jangle-less attack could not have been favorable as another punishing defeat has reduced them to nearly -60 on the point differential. At this stage, they will be looking to simply show some signs of life which they did earlier this season, and to begin their recruiting push for next season. Next up for the Heroes, SFC fresh off a bye week.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 9

2010-05-02T01:42:00.000-07:00

Now that the Nationals saga has run its course, wounds have been licked, and it seems like everyone is once again ready to make BPL the focus of their ultimate attention. And with the amount of parity showing in this league, it will be sure to hold your interest.

Last week saw some very interesting match ups, and some very telling results. The Cobras and Passion continue to slump, while Lovers and Dojo continue to pick up speed. The Buggs revisited their drawing ways as SFC put up a better fight than they had first time round.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (1) Dojo Mojo - (6-1-1) - The Dojo made a statement by beating Passion on the second pass. Watto said that it was tight early, but once they started to try, they smashed em'. The Dojo just the second team this year to be back to back #1 on the PR's. Next weeks action sees them taking on the hotter of the UQ squads.

2 (3) UQ Lovers - (4-4) - After an 0-4 start this team has reversed the curse and put up what I believe to be the second longest win streak of any team this season. As mentioned in the previous rank, the Lovers face the Dojo next in what would be a momentous win to put them over .500 for the first time this season.

3 (2) Moreton Bay Buggers - (3-3-1) - Surely the most draws any team has had in BPL history in an 8 game span. And though the the Buggs would not have been entirely satisfied with the result, this is a team that has only lost ONE game all season. That said, they face that very team again next week, and without the services of the League Director. When will the alleged Mike Neild hiatus begin?? Or was that merely drummed up by his publicist (Wetnose) to keep the headlines rolling.

4 (5) Slamtown Flatball Club (3-1-4) - Gold Coast made a marked improvement from their first time through against the Buggs. With a bye week coming up, they are putting in final training preparations to make some noise in their final stretch to the playoffs.

5 (4) UQ Passion (5-3) - Once 5-0 this team looked unstoppable, but an upsetting loss against the Cobras followed by losses on either side of Nationals this team needs to get back on track if they still have ambition to win the competition. This weeks game against the Buggs with a bye week to follow.

6 (6) Cobras - (2-1-5) - The second half of the season can not possibly be going according to plan. After the biggest win of the season, the Cobras have dropped the first two games to SFC and then Lovers. If this tour de revenge is going to bear any weight, they had better make a statement out of this weeks battle with the Heroes.

7 (7) Heroes - (1-7) In the first half of the season, the Heroes came out of their bye week with fervor and woke up the league to the fact that they can win. Since then, they have been dormant. Will they be able to come out of their training week and do it again? Or will the Cobras get their expected revenge?

BPL - Power Spankings

2010-04-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

This week in the BPL sees some major moves, well, if you are keeping up with the RANKings that is. In fact, the cause of these SPANKings is a response to another publications survey. Most of our readers are also avid supporters of the Brisbane Ultimate Blog, and all the wonderful work they do. And although our problem does not lie with the BUB itself, we have been chapped by the response of some of their readers.

The BUB put up a survey to see which team was the best dressed, and as you can see... SFC was victorious!!!

But then, they thought it necessary to have the top two square off, and SFC carried the lead for most of the poll, until the last few days. And with an additional 20 voters, we can only assume that the Cobras were hacking their seedy little gamma-snake outfits to an unspirited victory. So in the name of 'Unspirtedness', I present you the Power Spankings - The Case of the Uniforms'

1 - Slamtown Flatball Club - Slamtown are hot, they practically glow when they play. It's been said that the orange shorts themselves have 'panty melting' properties never seen before on this planet. No uniform in history has ever encapsulated all that has ever represented their geographical region. As the best uniforms in the universe, they will hereby be referred to as 'universe-a-forms'

2 - Dojo Mojo - The Dojo wear a classic strip combination of black and white, with delicate brush strokes vertically down the front. Non Asian speaking Kenshi have been approached in sushi restaurants to be told that the ancient script tells of their extreme endowment.

3 - Buggers - The complete uniform lacks a bit, as not everyone wears the white shorts. But when worn in uniformity, the Buggers reek of all the buttery goodness associated with their unique crustacean namesake.

4 - UQ Lovers - Fat cupid never looked so good until mounted on a unicorn on a powdery blue drape. Either that, or the sheer contrast offered between cupids boyish good looks and aL's burly 'bear'esque grooming offers the lovers the 4 spot.

5 - Heroes - Not since the days that Danny Barret was at the helm for the 'Green Machine' Saskatchewan Roughriders, (not to be confused with the Ottawa Rough Riders... whom played in the same league of 8 teams) has green looked so good with a playing record that told you otherwise.

6 - UQ Passion - Though the fist has gained some authority with some early prowess in the league, I still can't get past the association with the sexshop that displayed the same rubberized logo in their window, with assumptions of unwanted entry into a mannequins nether regions.

7 - Cobras - I am a very big fan of the black on black... but not when it comes down to a 'cheat to win' situation. Moreover, it really does look like a radioactive ear on their shirts. Black on black should remain 'gruesome' and 'fearful', the addition of neon to their colour scheme is only excusable as a tribute to Wetnose's Uni Games attire in the Borat Mankini.... is this a sign of what might be of the Cobras??

Ridicu-rant over.

For the record, there are no waves out front the Mayors office, and my denizens have taken care of all else task related to free up my time to do this.... ok fine... I've got time on my hands.

PR's tomo.

Finding Some Fight

2010-04-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

The first time SFC faced the Buggers, they came out flying... then fizzled a bit, and well.... then bent over.

Tonight on the other hand, SFC came out flying, then fizzled a bit, ..... but finished off swingin'

It was a victory of a draw, in the fact that it was a winnable game... but then we got sloppy... too sloppy, and we got behind... but instead of rolling over this time... we got at it, and clawed back into a game.

A 10-10 draw felt good from a SFC perspective, likely better than it would have felt for the Buggers who took stranglehold of the momentum after a quick 6-3 SFC lead. Buggs took half 8-7 after a 15-turnover point!!! Then again, they scored to open the second half... but down 9-7 SFC found something and finished the game on a 3-1 run to walk away with 2 points rather than the, at one point imminent, one.

Great games by all, on both team, but there are a few special mentions.

Nandor - his first game back from being father to his 3rd child (Neo) and having a superb performance.

Brad G - Sadly his last game in the Orange shorts, Brad had a defining role in running the offence and neutralizing key players from the other teams attack. Brad will be missed, but will be an inspiration as we move on in the season.

Glenny and Joel - our two 'projects' so to speak.... both these boys came into the season with height, speed, and enthusiasm... but not much in the experience department. They have both become integral parts of our team dynamic and will help carry us to the next level both now and well into the future. Both played exceptional on both sides of the disc.

SFC enter a bye week poised to train hard before the homestretch takes them into the second season.

Stay tuned for this weeks Power Rankings.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 8

2010-04-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

I've recently just watched some of the sensational video highlight footage put together from Nationals down in Adelaide, and am kicking myself that I am not a part of the action. Just as the tournament down south has captured my attention as a spectator, so too has generated some attention around the BPL. Last weeks action had many teams playing without a full line up, some teams missing 'top' players. One important aspect, that I have done my best to not overlook, is that every game counts, both for points on the table, as well as for scrutiny right here on the GCU Power Rankings. Each club will be ranked for the performance that 'their club' displayed on what was a wild week 8 in the BPL.

On the evening, the Buggers had a bye week, and the UQ clubs who threatened a walk-off, ended up playing, which effectively ended any potential for 'match fixing' finger pointing. As it went, the Lovers continued their winning ways to stretch their winning streak to 3, while at the same time affording Passion their first losing skid of the season. Dojo gave a routine pounding to the Heroes, and the SFC got back on track after a 9-point run helped them to comfortably de-fang the Cobras.

This sets up MASSIVE match ups across the board for week 8 in what could be a very defining week in the season.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

The Dojo are on a fine pace this season, and though they have not had the flawless record of seasons past, the have stayed classy. A one point loss to once dominant UQ Passion, and a draw against their nemesis Buggers can all be rectified in the second half of their season. A big game this week against Passion will certainly set the tone, and might have critics forgetting about their less that spectacular 'finals record'.

What's this you say?? A team that didn't play jumps two spots?? Well, it's simple, they finished off the first half of their season in style, and the teams previously above them started their second half without. Next up for the Buggs, yours truly.. SFC.

The Lovers have rattled off 3 wins in a row at the right time. A team I have done my best not to underestimate based on their early season woes have found their stride. They are well within striking distance to make the semis and are gaining momentum every week. The once hot Cobras are on deck next, and a win for either club will put them into fourth place.

Passion has lost two in a row!! After starting the season 5-0, a two game losing skid is a major disappointment, and with one of the competitions fiercest teams up next, there is a very real possibility of that skid stretching to 3. This team is very likely to make the semis regardless of this weeks outcome, but with a minor premiership on the line, they should hope to revisit their once fine form.

Another loss would have really been tough to swallow for the orange clad flatballers at this stage in the season. Ending their losing skid was of paramount importance and has now put their playoff push back in sight. The SFC will face off against the Buggers in week 9 and will hope to make amends for their second half performance way back in week 2.

In what is currently the biggest plummet in PR history, the Cobras find themselves in a near must win situation as they face the red hot Lovers in week 9. The Cobras, when 'right', are a dangerous team, but until they find their consistency, they will remain in the bubble and scrapping it out for respect.

Heading into their second bye week the Heroes are now able to measure their improvement. And though the losses have begun to mount, if they keep up their will, and find a way to play with confidence there is no doubt that this team can play spoiler late in the season.

I hope you all had a great long weekend, and I look forward to hearing about results and tomfoolery from the National Championships.

Take er' Eazee.

Season Sweep

2010-04-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

Seeing that we won, and ended our skid, and the fact that I pinned a few and have a buzz before I go to bed, I will happily let you know a bit about Slamtown's victory against the Cobras.

Yeah, yeah... they were savage, right-o.... their best weren't there.... but that's not my fault.

Slamtownn got away with a hard running win from the recently hot Cobras. We are not concerned about how the win came to be.. .only that the win did come to be. It is something we will build on into the second half of our season.

Knowing that the Dojo, and the Lovers also won big tonight, it will be a fun task to write up this weeks PR's.

Good luck to all going to Nationals.... represent Queensland with pride!!!

See you on Mon for the Power Rankings as I'll be taking an ANZAC day off.

High School Showcase Game

2010-04-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday 16 ultimate volunteers managed to free themselves from the constraints of either work or study to play an 'elite' game of ultimate.

I am currently employed at a prestigious private school in Mudgeeraba, and after intertwining organizational efforts in terms of getting time at school, and getting sufficient volunteers, everything seemed to fall into place.

The school allowed me about 40 min on the main Oval, and a chance to solicit a captive audience in the Dining Hall moments before their release, and precisely before we began. A crowd of approximately 200 students and about 15 teachers came down to the oval to be dazzled.

The game itself was sold as 'elite', as it is what I initially hoped for... however, I had no idea of the talent that this event would attract. Sold to the students as a Brisbane vs GC grudge match the rosters were phenomenal. I will make mention of all the names at the conclusion.

The game was amazing, both teams agreed to hurry things up from scores to pulls, fouls were dealt with quickly, vocally, and amicably, and there was some sensational play available. An early layout in the 'spectator' endzone provided a reason to stay, big lofty pulls, a fair share of hammers and a couple of sliding grabs had the crowd 'ooooh-ing and ahhh-ing'. In general, most were impressed with the pace and the accuracy. We also had a megaphone in which our lone sub could keep the crowd abreast to what was happening.

From here, frisbee club now begins, it was a wash this week because of the rain, but will initiate next week, and from there... the next ultimate recruitment hub in SEQ.

By the way, we didn't really keep score...... well, Mat Ryan did... you can ask him who won.

Brisbane Bullies

John MacNaughton
Al Don
Chris Burwell
Mat Ryan
Nathan Litzow
Peta MacNaughton
Stella Foley

Gold Coast All-Stars

Stefan Rappazzo
Brad Girardo
Phil Stocks
Jody Thomson
Donny Moss
Cameron Suter
Holly Murdoch
Maylin Chuah

Thanks to all who helped.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 7

2010-04-18T01:29:00.000-07:00

Half way through the season, and things are beginning to shake up a bit. What once looked like a two horse race is now very much a competition full of contenders. There is some separation beginning to unfold, but it's still too early to count anyone in or out.

For the first time all season, Passion were defeated. The Bugs revisited their winning ways after a pair of draws, and the Lovers closed out the first half of the season with a pair of wins.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (4) Cobras (2-1-3)
To be the man, you gotta beat the man, and the Cobras did just that. An impressive victory against a full strength Passion resonates that these Cobras have well and truly turned a corner from their early season woes. If they can continue this form into the second half of the season they will very likely be a favourite to make the 'playoffs'. Next week kicks off their 'tour de revenge' as they face the SFC for a second time after an opening night upset.

2 (1) UQ Passion (5-1)
Though they are still in front on the table, these Power Rankings make you accountable for each and every game played. Passion are in no major trouble, and though they would have surely rather won that game, it may well have been the motivation they need to stay hungry through the season.

3 (2) Dojo Mojo (4-1-1)
The Dojo likely spent their bye week working out strategies to offer more avenues for Watto to throw thumb hammers in the second half of the season. However, this must not be spoken about on the field, only thought about, and believed by all. The Dojo had a good first half to the season, and will likely spank the Heroes again, though by less than the first time round.

4 (3) Moreton Bay Buggers (3-2-1)
After two consecutive draws, the Buggers were very happy to crack back into the win column. They rounded out their first half with a win over the Heroes, and sit comfortably in the Top four. Rumors of Bugg #1 becoming less available in the second half continue to swirl, but he seems to be there every week as things stand now.

5 (6) UQ Lovers (2-4)
A well rounded team game, and unrelenting handler resets had the Lovers looking strong on Thurs as they won their second in a row, and second of the season. I suspect that this team will turn some heads in the second half of the season, starting with what could end up being a 'farcical' rematch against their brother squad whilst many will be resting to prepare for the upcoming National Championships.

6 (5) Slamtown Flatball Club (2-4)
A three game losing skid is not the way things were drawn out to close out the first half of the season. However, heads are still held high, and with the expected return of 3 key players (Morgs, Lee, and Jimmy) within the next week or 2. Slamtown is sure to be scrapping it out to earn their spot in the semis. But first things first, end this skid, a tall task with the red hot Cobras up next.

7 (7) Heroes (1-5)
The Heroes are improving every week, and are fighting right to the end of every game, though I don't like their chances of making the semis, they are well poised to steal a victory and ruin another teams playoff push. The Heroes revisit their most devastating loss of the first half with a rematch against Dojo up this week.

Let us know what you think of the Power Rankings accuracy or commentary in the comments section.

Have a nice day.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 6

2010-04-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

For the first time in the illustrious Power Rankings history, all seven seeds have managed to stay locked into their positions from the previous week.

Another draw, and two 'expected' victories rounded out a very ordinary week in what has otherwise been a very unpredictable season. That said, all three games could have turned out to be drastically different. Passion played savage without their best player, the Heroes took half convincingly before coming apart at the seams, and the Buggs managed to remain in the form of a monkey rested upon the back of the Dojo.

1 (1) UQ Passion (5-0)
Passion remains unbeaten after an impressive savage victory. As mentioned at the top, JMac was not one of those seven. SFC were missing some key players as well, but the Passion capitalised on their mismatches and were patient with their possessions. Passion hopes to close out the first half of the season as undefeated as they await the much improved Cobras in next weeks action.

2 (2) Dojo Mojo (4-1-1)
Dojo lost their momentum from the week previous, and though they didn't lose, the draw must have been seen as a disappointment. Dojo are the first team to complete their first half of the season as they get the final bye week. They will eventually recommence the second half with a rematch against the Heroes whom they smashed on opening night. One thing you can count on is that the Dojo will not be using the bye week to train.

3 (3) Moreton Bay Buggers (2-2-1)
The Buggers have a way of not losing. They have not been the most impressive team this season by any stretch, but they have found a way to come away with more than 1 point in all but one battle. The Buggers will no doubt shed their 'draw' streak this week as the Heroes are on deck.

4 (4) Cobras (1-1-3)
The Cobras will finish their first half next week against Passion, they'll be hoping for an upset to keep themselves in striking distance of the final four.

5 (5) Slamtown Flatball Club (2-3)
Momentum has swung for the worse as SFC finds a losing skid before they can hone a win streak. Though they are continually improving a large roster is making it hard to get into a rhythm. Next weeks game against the Lovers can salvage the first half if they escape with a win.

6 (6) UQ Lovers (1-4)
Not likely they way they drew it up, but the Lovers got away with a win against the Heroes. The latter part of their schedule is the 'easiest' so they will be digging deep to find a way to win against Slamtown on Thurs.

7 (7) Heroes (1-4)
Heartbreak can come in many forms, and giving up a 6 point half time lead would be one of them. The dejecting loss can not sit well for the Heroes as they close things off against the reigning Premieres as they finish off the first pass.

Training time.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 5

2010-04-04T03:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone, I hope this weeks edition of the BPL Power Rankings find you well fed and in good company.

Week 5 was a bit of a 'doozy' from a GC perspective as we had our collective arses handed to us by my old club the Dojo Mojo. The Cobras may have proved they they do indeed have a zone as they scrapped out the seasons first draw, and the Heroes put up a much better fight against the top seeds then they did the week before.

This week also shows the first change in rank to a team that didn't play, this league is getting very interesting, and with every passing week wins are becoming more and more difficult to secure.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (1) UQ Passion (4-0)
Passion won again, though not as convincingly as one might suspect. Passion remains up top, whether it because of their still undefeated record, or simply to not fuel them with rage for their upcoming battle with the SFC is still to be determined. All said, the battle for the top spot has not been so tightly contested since the dawn of the Power Rankings themselves.

2 (2) Dojo Mojo (4-1)
An extremely impressive victory against many of their ex-kenshi, the Dojo played tall, and played nearly flawless offensively. This team seems to have gelled with their new pieces, and will likely continue to win their way into the final. Next up, their nemesis when it comes to playing in finals.

3 (4) Moreton Bay Buggers (2-1-1)
Here's where the rankings get tricky, MBB tied the Cobras. It's no doubt that the Cobras are getting better, but are the Buggs getting worse? Their jump in rank wouldn't have you think it, this team will need to rack up as much points as possible while #1 is still around, as rumor has it that his attendance will diminish as the season wains on. Big tilt this week with the Dojo.

4 (6) Cobras (1-3-1)
This team has turned a corner since losing to the Heroes, still with only one win in hand, they have some work to do and will undoubtedly make an interesting push coming out of their bye week. They'll have to do it tough with Passion still remaining on their 'first half' schedule, but for right now, they are playing well.

5 (3) Slamtown Flatball Club (2-2)
Slamtown fell flat against the Dojo, and were sent home hot pressed. This team has enjoyed early success but with Passion up next a tough bump in their schedule needs to be addressed in order to avoid a downward spiral. An even record would be enough to get through to the semi's if the season ended now, but with so many teams improving this team needs to learn how to string multiple wins together.

6 (5) UQ Lovers (0-4)
Blame the Cobras for not losing, but there was little option but to drop the Lovers one spot even while on a bye. aL and company were in attendance, no doubt doing some scouting for future battle. With the Heroes up next, it seems this week will break the Lovers into the win column... or will it?

7 (7) Heroes (1-3)
Though they have improved on their score differential from the week before, they were still given a sound beating. They managed to make it very interesting until half time, but were reminded of the the polar opposite ranks between them and Passion as the second half left them wishing it was over when they were down by 2.

Enjoy your Easter.... see you on Thursday.

Picking up the pieces....

2010-04-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Dojo Mojo dismantled the Slamtown Flatball Club last night at Annerly.

They scored with ease, weather they were fronted with a man, or a zone, and used a variety of different tactics in which to do it. This frustrated the SFC and caused some scrappiness on the field, but to no avail. No matter what we tried on defense, the Dojo found their way to the endzone. The height on the Dojo roster caused for too many mismatches, and our perceived team speed couldn't compensate for it.... not by a long shot last night.

A game in which we deemed as 'big' must have been equally as big in their minds. Seeing that 4 of the players on the SFC were only recently playing for the Dojo (traitors), some revenge was at stake .... this was personal.

The game was so heavily one sided, that I'll have to consider moving the Dojo up a spot in the Power Rankings. But we'll have to wait till Sunday for that.

Happy Easter.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 4

2010-03-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

This weeks action saw top ranked Passion on a bye, and though the other three teams in the top four won their games, none convincing enough to oust Passion from their rank. More of this weeks changes occur at the southern end of the scale where Cobras, Lovers, and Heroes are jockeying for position.

That said, the biggest jump, and the biggest drop in rank this week occur in those nether regions of the table where teams are doing everything possible to keep their heads above water.

Though there is a hint of separation beginning to form between the top four and the bottom three, it's just too early to count anyone out... or in for that matter.

Here are this weeks Power Rankings:

1 (1) UQ Passion (3-0)
There were plenty of Passion members perusing sidelines on their bye week, the view from the top seems to have prompted a scouting week, rather that a training week. Passion looking very likely to go 4-0 with Heroes on deck for this weeks action.

2 (2) Dojo Mojo (3-1)
One of the few teams that haven't yet had their bye the Dojo continues their winning ways. It's great to see that the DojoMojo blog has brought back their video, and even more impressive knowledge of 80's Rap roots. The Dojo rolled through the Cobras, and will feature in week 5's 'Game of the Week"

3 (4) Slamtown Flatball Club (2-1)
The Flatballers absolutely rolled the Heroes whilst having a chance to implement some new strategies into their game. Some roster modifications, weekly training, and potentially an easier opponent see's this team jump ahead of the Buggs that knocked them off a few weeks back. Next week's clash with the Dojo is one that has been circled on the calender since it was released.

4 (3) Moreton Bay Buggers (2-1)
The Buggers had their hands full this week while only narrowly escaping with a one point win over the winless Lovers. A tough decision to drop them one spot in spite of winning, but that can all be rectified this week as they battle the internally combustible Cobras.

5 (7) UQ Lovers (0-4)
This team proved to be a team who has had some bad luck this season, they are able to go toe to toe with most opponents, they just aren't getting the decisions. Despite their lack of winning, this team is currently better than their record indicates. I'm sure they will enjoy their upcoming bye week, and will hope to bounce back after some training.

6 (6) Cobras (1-3)
Despite Jack's comments warning that the Cobras have found a Zone, this doesn't resonate with the same fear as it did when Happy learned to putt. The Cobras may have found some stride, but until they prove it by not getting doubled up, that zone is mere speculation. Cobras schedule stays tough with the Buggs up next.

7 (5) Heroes (1-2)
Despite having a better record than both the Cobras and the Lovers a 15-3 drubbing will put them to the bottom of the charts on any given week. The Heroes need to find the same form they had when they beat the Cobras as they put up very little resistance for the bulk of their game.

Enjoy your Sunday... Slamtown's off to train.

Livin in the Fast Lane......

2010-03-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

SFC players were all home early tonight, relatively speaking.

Tonight's action at Annerly saw the lively GC squad come flying out of the gates. We showed them early zones, but what we really showed them was our willingness to be running at top speed. The first 6 points were rattled off in less than 15min of game time, even with a Heroes time-out in that run. Slamtown kept the foot on the pedal and roared into the half with an 8-0 lead.

Slamtown received their first pull to start the second half, and converted using a new look offense. The second half went much the same as the first with Slamtown dictating the pace. That said, the Heroes did a lot of good things, and put us to breaking point-D plenty more often than the 3 goals they collected would indicate.

Standouts on the SFC were many. Mike Morgan had a blinder, and Joel Buikstra came down with just about anything we put to him. Lee O'Dwyer and Donovan Moss made their presences felt on their SFC debuts with overall solid performances. Realistically... there were no soft spots, and SFC played a tidy team game.

Also of note, there was not a single 'brick' call in the game.

We're happy to walk away with a very satisfying 15-3 victory. And our focus quickly shifts to next weeks clash with the Dojo.

I'm looking forward to receiving the results from around the league, and formulating this weeks highly anticipated Power Rankings.

Until then.....

Go Slamtown!!!!

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 3

2010-03-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

In a week that was a bye for the SFC, there was a major shake up happening around the league. Thanks to my trusted correspondents, and some diligent league blogging, I was able to keep an eye on the action.

The Buggers got fisted, and the Heroes shocked the world with a first victory against the Cobras. The Lovers made a fight of it, but not enough to undo the Kenshi zone.

SFC is the only team to remain in the same rank this week, fittingly as they didn't play. Cobras and Lovers slip, while Passion finally get their due respect at the top of the rankings. In three short weeks, the top team has changed each time... can the new number 1 stay there?

1 (2) UQ Passion - (3-0)
JMac forwarded me the BPL results with an endearing personal message to 'Get that up your Power Rankings mate'. In the last two weeks, Passion has knocked off the 'top ranked' team as the number 2 team. Such results will only reward you with the coveted top rank.

2 (3) Dojo Mojo - (2-1)
The Dojo did what they needed to do to walk away with the win. Their efficient zone defence and ability to break opposing zones is what made the difference. Look for Dojo to employ this defensive look well into the season.

3 (1) Moreton Bay Buggers - (1-1)
Knocked off their stoop in convincing fashion the Buggers look to send their new roster 'back to the drawing board'. In a game said to lack in enthusiasm, the Buggers will need to find a way to get motivated to revisit their winning ways.

4 (4) Slamtown Flatball Club (1-1)
SFC are still reeling from their week 2 loss, and are taking preparations for the Heroes much more seriously now.

5 (7) Heroes (1-1)
Wow!! A major upset, and some deserved respect. I've done nothing but bag this team until now, and their coming of age happened a lot sooner than I suspected. In a game that featured Jangles playing tall, the Heroes let the league know that teams are going to have to earn every win.

6 (5) Cobras (1-2)
This team has had two shocking losses to the leagues newest expansion clubs. With the recently heated competition, this club needs to get it together quick to make the semis. Cobras have a tall task in doing that as they see Dojo in the upcoming week.

7 (6) UQ Lovers (0-3)
New cellar dwellers, the Lovers have fought some hard battles, but are getting all to familiar with the wrong result. This team clashes with the Bugs in week 4 and will be in a very deep hole if they can't turn their fortune.

Off to train..... see ya Thursday.

Mayoral Report

2010-03-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend saw Queenslands finest gather up in Brisbane for the Northern Regional Qualifiers.

A weekend traditionally dominated by Brisbane's elite club, became a little more interesting with a few more teams able to lift their games.

Of note, both the Towns-Villains and the Slamtown Flatball Club both pushed Firestorm to with in 3 points in their respective round robin games on Sat. However, Saturdays pre-lunch excitement was brought to a lethargic lull as the AGM seemed to be putting people to sleep left, right, and TomSteve centre. If not for the excitment of the blowing tent, and race to second motions... which I won, and of course having myself elected as Mayor of Slamtown it may possibly have petrified the player colony.

That night there was a healthy bar tab at the Verve, a fine establishment for a post tourney partay. The SFC contingent however, had an Irishman onboard, and very soon after the bar tab expired, they were off to 'greener' pastures... though word is the Verve had an exceptional dance team puling some late night moves.

SFC were out in fine form till well after 2am, and though lobbying to forefeit their morning game against the Villains... we showed up and used it as a warm up. This because, regardless of the result, we would be playing them again in a semi- final immediately following.

After narrowly losing the first game 11-10 on universe point, SFC was ready to kick it into gear. We flipped the 'prick switch' to high, and made reasonably quick work of the Villains with a 5 point margin of victory.

The Mayor of Slamtown even arranged for two of the Villains finest to join them in the final as Firestorm are frequently promoting their desire for tougher opponents.

However, the two ringers, were not enough. Firestorm lifted their game, and the SFC walllowed in disarray. A 15-4 loss in the final was very humbling, but not enough to put a hamper on the good times had by SFC.

Though we didn't win the Spirit award... probably not evn close, I still believe that we had more fun doing our thing than any other team there. We broughtg a bit of GC attitude to the table, and used it for all it was worth. We had had new players having their coming out partys, and old players showing they can still get it done.

The plethora of memorable qoutes in addition to the hard work on the pitch, and a good night on the town will have this Regional tournament going down as a groundbreaker for the SFC. It will be used as a stepping stone in pursuit of our ultimate goal at this tournament. The Maoral Assent has summoned for a Changing of the Guard.

Look out 2011.

BPL Power Rankings - Week 2

2010-03-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Rain threatened all week, but come Thursday it was all systems go at Annerly.
MBB used their first game to springboard up the rankings while Dojo and SFC both slipped a few spots.

1 (6) - Moreton Bay Buggers - (1-0)
The Bugs looked good with their new roster, and as undefeated defending champions, they are likely to occupy the top of the Power Rankings until they are beaten.

2 (3) - UQ Passion - (2-0)
This squad has had a fantastic start to the season, particularly in beating the previously top ranked Dojo in a battle billed as 'a battle of who could care less'

3 (1) - Dojo Mojo - (1-1)
Suffering their first regular season loss since Oct 08 was not the outcome they had hoped for, but maybe the adversity this team needs to get the wins in the second season.

4 (3) - Slamtown Flaball Club - (1-1)
SFC came into this game feeling unstoppable, and with an early lead, reassured that feeling. But the results of the second half, sent them on the long ride home with plans for adjustment over their bye week.

5 (4) - Cobras - (1-1)
This highly touted team responded to their opening week loss with an impressive win over a full strength Lovers unit. No doubt, that this team will still be in the hunt come seasons end.

6 (5) - UQ Lovers - (0-2)
The Lovers made a game of it as I understand, but didn't quite have enough to crack into the win column. This is a very good team to be sitting at 0-2, and when they start winning there will be some real parity in the league.

7 (7) - Heroes - (0-1)
Not much has changed here as the Heroes were on a bye week, they were however out training and are poised to improve on their opening week result. Unfortunately, the Power Rankings will likely see them in the lower doldrums until their improvement becomes evident in the form of a win.

This after two weeks of play.

to a screeching halt....

2010-03-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

Last nights action saw the the SFC come out very fired up, and seemed ready to continue their winning ways with an early 5-2 lead. Though the lead was short lived as an MBB timeout prompted a 3 point run, before SFC took one of their own.

Slamtown seemed to have weathered the early storm, and though giving up the lead in the first half, they fought back and took half in what was a very tight 8-7 game.

In the second half it was all MBB, the GC boys only managed another two points while the buggers used full time to put on the max points of 15.

Though credit is definitely due to Buggers hard working defence, the SFC did a good job in ending their possessions on their own accord with mental lapses causing very weak turnovers.

This will be counted as a stepping stone towards greener pastures and fuel to aspire to greater milestones.

The SFC go into the bye week with a .500 record, and will be ready to take on the Heroes after a hard week of training.

Power Rankings to be released by the end of the weekend.

BPL - Power Rankings - Week 1

2010-03-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

Media juggernauts ESPN put out weekly Power Rankings in every Major sport to account for streaky and slumping play, shifts in momentum, strength of opponents, and differentiation of comparable records.

Now that the BPL is 7 teams deep, I feel that this will be a nice compliment to the actual ladder, and will above all else, offer me another avenue to voice my opinion.

Each week I will rank the teams from 1 through 7, I will be sure to include their record, and their Power Ranking from the previous week.

After Week 1

1 - (-) Dojo Mojo - (1-0)
It is tough not to put the Dojo up the top, regardless of their opponent, they only conceded 2 points!! For a team that makes a living on winning round robin games, they're off to a great start.

2 - (-) Slamtown Flatball Club - (1-0)
Though they are third on the ladder based on +/-, they pulled off a less expected victory, and still in a convincing manner. Those shorts also help to tip them into the 2 spot.

3 - (-) UQ Passion - (1-0)
Looks like they may be more than the 'Three Headed Monster' I had taken them for. Passion put a sound beating on their brother club, and are set for a big clash with top ranked Dojo in Week2.

4 - (-) Cobras (0-1)
After a surprising loss to the SFC, Cobras should be happy to know they have the services of Dan Young again, and should likely be fired up to get their first win this week verses the Lovers.

5 - (-) UQ Lovers (0-1)
Not sure if I saw Buzz on the field in week one, but even still, a 7 point defeat!! Getting Buzz back will be an obvious help, but it seems there are a few more areas that need ironing out.

6 - (-) Moreton Bay Buggers (0-0)
Even with them not having played, I was tempted to rank them higher than 6. They are truly the x-factor this year, and much will be learned in their first week of action against SFC.

7 - (-) Heroes (0-1)
Even though they are not quite the 'Cellar Dwellers' on the BPL ladder, it is no secret that this team is the weakest in the league. A 13 point drubbing on opening night is something they will be trying to avoid as this season moves on.

That's how I see things after one week of play.

A Wash.....

2010-03-04T02:25:00.000-08:00

This weeks action in both the GCUL and BPL have been canceled due to inclement pitch conditions.

In the GCUL the weather postponed week one of the league in which the teams have been reshuffled.

In the BPL, SFC was set to do battle against perennial champs the Moreton Bay Buggers. The Buggers boast an exceptional championship record, but with significant roster changes there are many doubting their chances. And with SFC's recent, albeit brief success, tippers on the BUB have begun to sway their support in favour of the GC crew.

Never one to lack in confidence,Bugger captain Mike Neild remarked over 'captain email banter' that he suspects the SFC had dodged a bullet. You can be sure that did not sit well with the SFC and that 'my arse' reared its hole in retort.

These words however will get us nowhere, and the bad blood that will inevitably spill between these two clubs will have to wait. All teams will be issued points as though games were drawn.

In the meantime, the SFC will be faced with sleep inducing schedule over the next four weeks:
Week2 - canceled
Week3 - bye
Week4 - Heroes
Week5 - no games - Easter

Week6 - DOJO MOJO

Not one to look too far past any team in this league, our confidence to steamroll the very green Heroes is high... and once we get through them, and the rest of this monthly lull, we have our sights set on upsetting the Kenshi and handing Dojo a single point for falling short.

Slamtown

Beach Boys Make Waves...

2010-02-26T00:50:00.000-08:00

A new season of BPL, a new team in the mix, a new uniform to dawn....

It only seemed natural that the GCU-Blog underwent a new look to boot.

So here we are on the golden sands of the Gold Coast beaches relishing in what was a very successful beginning to our BPL campaign. And what better way to celebrate than to honour the team by refashioning the blog aesthetic to parallel the eye-catching uniforms of the Slamtown Flatball Club.

Last night saw the SFC go up against the highly touted league favorite Cobras. What most deem as an upset is what the SFC plan to make 'business as usual'. None short on confidence, SFC went into the game knowing that this game was our to win, and that 'we don't drive this far just to get a game in...."

Slamtown started the game on defence, we got an immediate turn and a score to follow. From that point on SFC found ways to dictate the game. Cobras certainly proved formidable as they continued to answer on every other possession, but by the time we got to half SFC had taken 2 in a row to take the period with an 8-6 scoreline, poised to start on offense in the second half.

SFC was badly undermanned with only 8 players showing up, and were grateful to have the services of Kiwi Steve who stepped in to fill the void, but it was not the efforts of any individual that got SFC across the line, rather a team game where every cog contributed from start to finish.

In the second half, SFC widened the gap early, and once their lead was +3, they virtually traded points right to the end. SFC had pulled off a so called upset, and beaten the Cobras 15-11 on opening night.

The Gold Coast club are stoked to have cracked into the win column as early as we did, but are well aware that it takes much more than an opening night win to hoist the Dog Cup. With plenty of work ahead, SFC has rejoiced in their victory, and are preparing for next weeks battle with the new look Buggers.

Sizing Em' Up - BPL Preview - pt. 2

2010-02-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the comments keeping me up to snuff with statistical and roster information. An additional thanks to JDR for directing his legion of readers to this blog through his little 'don't steal my thunder' post. I do realise that the BUB had previously conducted this preview, but after last years neglect to offer up a Halibut preview, I thought the 'ol man in the mansion' may have been too busy with field allocation, and policy review to remember to write about the upcoming BPL, and what players, fans and critics might expect. I simply thought I would assist in keeping his plate clean.

UQ Lovers

Last year saw the Lovers grow in leaps and bounds, at the start of the season this team was filled with new blood and old legs, a conundrum of a situation at the best of times. But as the season waned on, this team began to find their stride. Occupants of the basement on the table for much of the year, they managed to win at the right time, and to beat brother club compatriots at precisely the right moment to find themselves moving on to the 'playoffs' whilst effectively handing the wooden spoon over to Passion.

this team has the two best handlers in the league with aL and Buzz, and to compliment their exceptional throwing aresenals, they are also two of Brisbane's great motivational leaders. If any two players are able to move a team up to the next level of play, and turn this team of rookies and dinosaurs into a contender, it's the likes of aL and Buzz. Captain Nathan Litzow will also ned to lead by example to further this teams journey.

As I look down this roster, there are still a few names that don't ring a bell to me. But their experience and handler depth definitely gets notice with BW, Geoff, and Erhart all proven capable. It will be up to the likes of their cutters to break the mould, however this is where I see them as being either 'too old' or 'inexperienced', this along with 'team speed' is what I see as the areas that might hold the Lovers to a similar finish as last year.

As much as they may have those few areas to improve upon, they are surely capable of finding a win on any given Thursday. This team is nearly identiical to the roster they had last year, and being able to perform with this roster consistency under the aforementioned tutelage, there is no telling what they are capable of.

UQ Passion

Now that the Will Churchill captaincy era has come to an end, this team might find a bit more inspiration to play for. Having big Jules at the helm is certainly a step in the right direction. And with games now starting at 7:30, his tardiness will surely become a non-factor. Another saving grace for this team was reacquiring the services of the Cheese. This team seemed all but disbanded, as rumors of new teams forming, and marquis players jumping ship. But after the dust from last seasons disappointment had settled, this team managed to get a new look squad ready to play.

Passion will surely be improved from last year, though I see them as a 'Three Headed Monster' in the sense that if JMac, Jules, and Gref, can simply be 'contained', most teams will control the other four advantages. With this being the case, and accounting for periodic substitutions of the big three', Passion will struggle to score, and even more so to generate turnovers.

UQ's second team will be relying on providing plenty of inspiration through exapmle, and hoping to shed a dwindling team culture. I think the first step in rectifyinng this culture might be bringing back the pink, and losing the fist. Though this team will be improved, and will win some games, I consider it unlikely for them to advance to the final four.

Heroes

This other 'new team', is a mash up of a Mon night league team, and a few gracious defectors. When I pondered the likelihood of this team competing, I suspected them to be very green to the game, and that a few experienced hands might provide a bit of direction for them. But just having a look at the AFDA numbers it's clear that most of these players have at least been introduced to ultimate over 4 years ago.

Jangles and George will be making a major shift in going from the Buggs to the Heroes, but hopefully they will instill some of the foundations of their past club, and have the Heroes operating like another 'well oiled machine'. I don't suspect that this team will be doing much winning, but by seasons end, they will have become very scrappy, and will be desperate for a win. Late season games against the Heroes will be dangerous as they may act as spoiler to teams n the 'playoff' cusp.

It's great to see the league growing so much, and regardless of results, the growth in this league witll parallel with an overall improvement in play in Brisbane, and now the Gold Coast too.

I invite any readers out there to offer up your perspectives on our club, the Slamtown Flatball Club, as I'd love to hear what others have to say.

It is safe to say that I am extremely excited for this season to begin, and I can't wait to dawn the new 'orange crush' kits.

Good luck to all, and may the best Gold Coast team win.

Sizing Em' Up - BPL Preview - pt. 1

2010-02-09T01:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I had mentioned in a previous post that I did not want to divulge too much information about the depth of the SFC. And true to that post, I keep tight lipped.

However, I have had ample opportunity to mull over the other rosters in the league and have decided to offer up my two cents on what I think of them.

Let's work our way down from the top.

Starting with last years Champions.

Moreton Bay Buggers

I'm not sure of precise statistics, but this team has basically won every final but one since i've been in Australia. And in the season that they did not win... I have this feeling that big #1 wasn't playing.

This team is very much centered around Mike Nield, and so they should be. He is the most dominant pure receiver in the country, amongst the best in the world. To add to it, he makes a habit of bringing out his best performances in the big games.

That said, the whole Bugger clan is a well oiled machine. They effectively take away the unders knowing that they have a great insurance policy, and have a fast moving answer to most defenses put in front of them. Beyond their style of play, this team is without question the most disciplined in the league. It only makes sense, with the thought of a JRay verbal scalding to immediately follow any mishap... those mishaps become less frequent.

That's not all JRay dishes out, though his name is not officially on the roster yet, I don't doubt he will be ready to consistently deliver back of the endzone pulls, and to some how keep putting up floaty deeps for Mike to get under.

This team also sees the return of Graham Pricket, and Spinner which will add to their experience and ticker. LD Stu will likely add some sort of assist to his team through scheduling... as well as his fast paced, and efficient play.

The services of Jangles and Silent will surely be missed, as the two have moved on to the Heroes, but this team is still the king of the castle awaiting a worthy opponent to knock them down.

DojoMojo

Speaking of worthy opponents, this team has done everything but 'win the big one', this is my old outfit, and one that shows the most consistency from tip to tail of the roster. A devastating loss in the last years final labeled them as 'chokers', and is something that they desperately want to rectify. I, as much as anyone, wear that moniker painfully .... and if the sour taste from last year doesn't spark this team, well... then maybe the new look roster will.

The Sensei was dealt with a major shake up. Not only has the emergence of SFC resulted in a handful of defectors, but the Dojo has also seen the loss of Stefan the German, Goldy, and now Andy McLean as well. Basically half of a roster!!

But a blog plea has proved fruitful. The Dojo acquired the services of new kenshi Pete 'I'm Back' Allen, as well as ex-LD John 'It's all' Good.

As impressive as these two names are, it's amazing to see the return of the'God Squad' , and an unknown to me, in Adrian Thomson. Wiley veterans Fatty, Eastburn and Flanagan, round out this roster, and make this team nearly as dangerous as they were when they had me.

The Dojo ways rely on individual excellence, which once again the roster seems to employ. What is to be determined is weather they find that killer instinct to put them over the top.

Cobras

The Cobras came into last season as 'the new kids on the block', a role that SFC will take on this season, but they certainly had a very impressive looking roster. And by the end of the season, this team came within 2 or 3 points of beating the Buggs in the semi-final proving they were indeed a force to be reckoned with.

This season sees some drastic change to their lineup, and I'm still struggling weather to believe they will be improved or depleted.

Their losses are significant, Jimmy Larkin has left to represent his area code right here with the SFC, he served as a top utility man being a more than reliable handler, cutter, defender, and tactician. Piers Truter has not yet shown up on the roster and is likely to be leaving his 'make a big call at a crucial moment' game behind in exchange for his endless efforts in developing the junior program. And Cupcake has fallen back down to Sydney where he won't be bothered about outstanding fees.

On the flip side, Mr. Gillions was very quick to snap up the services of Abra Garfield, an Australian Open rep on the Dingos, as well as new Canadian import Rob Tracht, and the brothers Channon.

For a moment, it seemed they had the services of the JMac as well, but it seems his passionate loyalty prevailed.

This team is very much the league dark horse, if they begin to fire, they have the right personnel to get on a dangerous and momentous roll.

That's all for now..... stay tuned as both UQ teams and the new Heroes are next up for dissection.

Let's go Slamtown!!

Share the Wealth

2010-02-06T20:45:00.001-08:00

As of recently, GCU has announced that it will be trying a new format for running it's league.

Chiefly decided upon in order to develop a full range of players, it has been decided to dismantle existing teams for a single season, and to try a draft league.

It was over much debate that this decision was made, but in the end, these were the key reasons:

- lopsidedness - the league had two 'experience rich' teams and three 'experience lacking'
- development - new players had less of a chance of being sponge like learners, if they weren't on one of the two 'experience rich' teams. Also, with the 'experience' being redistributed, everyone will have a better chance of learning.
- to grow the league - it is very difficult to add a brand new team in a community of developing ultimate, and many existing teams are very picky about adding players to their rosters, mostly because they will take away their 'playing time', but also because teams may choose the risk is not worth the reward in terms of weather the player amounts to a 'new discovered superstar' or a 'liability'.
- the draft system will allow anyone to hop right in... and the overall skill level of each team will provide a much sought after parity. (assuming selector competence)

So, as we suspected, we have many new players signing up... ready to play.

However a few things have happened that have caused us to lose players too.

- I have entered a team into the BPL, a Brisbane league that plays on Thurs nights. Due to this happening, 4 existing players have reorganised their schedules to play BPL and are henceforth unable to play GCUL. This seems like it might be for the greater good.
- Many experienced players from both of the 'experience rich' teams have decided not to play in a draft system. This needs remedy.

I run one of these teams... and as of now I'm sitting at about half of my team from last year is committed to playing. Most of the men are 'in', but it seems my ladies are less likely to play if they are not teammates. Though I am still working on them.

The other team seems to be 'all out' with the exception of one or two.

With so many of the experienced players opting to sit out rather that lend their experienced hands to the likes of less experienced players, we are put in an undesirable situation. No matter how undesirable the situation may be, the decision is final and we are going ahead with this system.

I only wish there was a way to get across to these players and have them play for the good of the game.

Believe me, I know all about cliquieness, and the snobbishness of team play in ultimate, but I think that needs to be reserved for a higher level league where winning means more. I am a staunch competitor, and love winning more than anything, but I must admit, that my team was playing at a different level than most of our competition, all season long. If ever the level of play across the board is to rise, to that of last years top two teams, then this draft season needs to happen.... and it needs the involvement of all of the experienced players in the GC.

I urge you (experienced players) to remember being a new player on a 'good team', and to relive the ease in learning because of your fortunate situation. If that wasn't the case... well, then find it in your heart to do the right thing, and give back to ultimate.

Scmoke and a Pancake

2010-01-29T22:04:00.000-08:00

Into the memoirs here....

At Lovefest this year a Gold Coast/Byron team formed radically to compete at Lovefest up in Brisbane in mid 09.

Initially entered as the Slamtown Flatball Club, this team had a pulse of its own and morphed into 'Schmoke and a Pancake'.....

We didn't win it all, by any stretch of the imagination, but we were good, and we surely had more fun than all else!!! :)

The name seemed too fitting for the roster, and upon reminiscing, I found this to share with you:

Def. - Urban Dictionary

1. Originally used by Mike Myers in "Austin Powers: Goldmember" as a joke about Dutch people. The whole movie (for whatever reason) is riddled with anti-Dutch jokes. This phrase was intended to highlight two of the popular stereotypes of Holland: marijuana and sweet confections. There really is no deeper meaning other than to play on these stereotypes. Since the release of the movie, the term has gained popularity as a general reference to marijuana use, and the "munchies" that may follow.

eg. We've got the whole gang coming over for a smoke and a pancake.

"A schmoke und a pancake. You know, a flapjack und a shigarette? No? Shigar und a waffle? No? Pipe und a crepe? No? Bong und a blintz? No? Well, then there ish no pleeeeeashing you"
-Goldmember

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRtNfb6D3Mc

Sneak Peek

2010-01-19T02:51:00.000-08:00

Since my last post, officially announcing the SFC into the BPL, I have had many thoughts of elaborating.

One such thought was to introduce my roster. However, all of these names are available to peruse on the AFDA site, and giving my own personal insight to each player really only takes away from our greatest strength in starting the season.... mystery.

So I won't.

I've also noticed a post or two with mention to our choice of colour, and since just recently finishing off our uniform design, I felt the urge to show off our new image.

But then, this would take away from our opening night excitement as the shiny, new, mysterious team.

Soooo, as a compromise... I've decided to crop out a few segments from our uniform, and let you imagine what the final product might look like.

I assure, that we will be looking good, this thanks to the designing efforts of Danny Clayton, and with what Zone Ultimate will do to pull it all together.

Let us know what ya think.

Without Further Adieu.....

2010-01-11T21:01:00.000-08:00

It has been blogged about at the BUD mansion, and on the legendary Dojo blog. It has been emailed to the masses by the states most respected player, and now we present it to you right from the horses mouth.

The Slamtown Flatball Club is set to embark on what will be a very defining step in shaping their club culture.

Until now, the Slamtown Flatball Club has been a tournament team that represents the Gold Coasts best available players. We have played mixed versions of SFC at Halibut 07, but more frequently the SFC is a rep club in the open division. Last year saw our first representation in a national qualifying tournament, and we have been making considerable improvements by playing against a Byron Bay crew on a near monthly basis.

For most on this team, it is the first time playing open ultimate, and it has proved a massive stepping stone in terms of development.

We are now at a stage where we can put a team of 12 or more players together who not only prove competent, but potentially dangerous. And because of this early development it only seemed natural to launch this team into the best open ultimate league competition in the country... the Brisbane Premiere League. This league will further develop players who will then have the chance to give back as leaders in the Gold Coast League. Having SFC in this league will also afford a sense of pride to the players who have been chosen to represent and will have new and cusp players striving to improve in order to make what will be the Gold Coasts new elite club.

As of Feb 2010, the orange clad SFC will be ripping in to the BPL with lots to learn, but with a team philosophy soundly set on success.

We applaud the other teams around the league who have had to sacrifice a few players in order for this to happen (specifically the Dojo, whom we love dearly), and we are proud to be the first team in the league with a very defined municipal representation.

As of now this team will help the league in many ways, but above all, the introduction of new players. (6new:2returning from hiatus:4continuing) We hope to accomplish many things in our inaugural season, ultimately to win the competition out right, but to start will be to instill intensity, structure, and disciplined play and practice on a weekly basis.

Stay posted for updates as we get closer to this very exciting season.

do the hippie stomp

2009-11-16T03:58:00.000-08:00

On what was a muggy Sat morning in Kingscliff, the Slamtown Flatball Club showed up with a large roster ready to play the Byron Bay *'Soft Hippies'.

Byron came with a near savage lineup of 8, and the SFC had 12.... which was almost too many.

There was some spectacular play on display for the many (8-10) spectators on hand. Both teams really toughed it out in the heat. Byron had to work a bit harder just to keep going, and SFC had to work a bit harder to keep everyone in rhythm.

Three games were played, each to 9 points. SFC got up in the first 2 games by margins of 2 or 3 points. In the final game it looked to be all over but the cryin' for Byron with a 5-1 scoreline against them. But to give credit where it's due... those hippies hardened up. They fought back to make it 6-6 and took the lead at 8-7 in a win by 2 game. But the SFC found just enough to close out the game and win a hard fought game by a 10-8 scoreline.

Though each game was fought hard, the series was a sweep in favour of the GC crew, the first ever sweep on neutral ground.

These games continue to bring a high standard of play, and are very much helping to develop high level ultimate in both clubs.

We look forward to wiping the floor with those hippies again in the near future.

* This name was given by JDR... I like it.

Back to Kingscliff

2009-11-08T00:14:00.000-08:00

After a long hiatus, the GC vs. Byron rivalry is poised to write the next chapter.

Last time, the GC crew went down to Byron and played on their home turf. It was a wash, the first since we have been playing that one team has gotten with a 3 games to none margin. Coincidentally, it was the first time that we didn't play on neutral ground.

Byron are confident that they will win again, as Badman's text messages are overflowing with confidence and it seems they have a full roster ready to go.

The Slamtown squad now has a 12 man roster ready to go, and are looking for revenge.

Will Byron stamp the series with their dominance? Can the GC win back their pride?

Only time will tell, and on Sat Nov 14th in Kingscliff it will all be settled.

Overachieve

2009-11-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

On Sat, 14 short rostered teams took to the field at The Gap Soccer Club. Clubs from all over southern Queensland, and even some from Sydney, came together on relative short notice for an incredible cause. The fact that we got an amazing tournament out of it was a bonus.

Mike Neild is one of the top ultimate players in the world, as of recently his wife has been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disese, and the two of them have been doing what they can to cope. As Mike and Stacy told this horrifying news to friends in the ultimate community, it became very quickly evident that the ultimate community was willing to help out.

The tournament organisers did an exceptional job in masterfully raising funds, while not allowing for compromise to the tournaments levels of fun, intensity, spirit, and competitive play.

The post-tournament presentations were classy, entertaining, and very emotional. All of the speakers came from the heart, which left many in the crowd choked up at the onset.

Stacy's Allstars ended up being the tournament champions, and may have suffered a sore hand from all of the spankings they handed out over the course of the day. A team of veteran all stars were not to be challenged all day, as they played a very efficient game with some of Queenslands best ever just having a throw around some defenders.

Overlord, one of the two GC teams, were so lucky to be the last team to get spanked.... that said, we felt as though we had a great day, with a huge win over UQ Lovers on Universe point which effectively took us to the final.

Newcomers on Overlord were incredible. Joel Buikstra came up with some massive grabs. While virtual unknowns in the Brisbane Ultimate world, Tary Stratten and Troy Zernike were making it known that they are legitimate threats with or without the disc. Terri Morgan and Bree Edgar rounded out our ladies, whom played hard D up front in our zones while contributing an integral part in our dynamic offense. Mike Morgan and Kevvy Stahlman had stand out days, and though Lee O'Dwyer missed his first game to get a wave... he finished strong and lead through example all day.

We were more than happy to have gone from a 6 seed to Finalists... even if it did mean we had to get publicly spanked to end the day.

Great tournament, great cause.

I hope that this can start some trends.

Saiko defend title

2009-10-16T14:25:00.001-07:00

With some unsettled dust blowing in what was one of the windier evenings we've seen at Pizzey Park, players took to the pitch to settle some business, and to determine a GCUL2/09 champion.

The defending champions, Saiko, had another successful season, going undefeated, but then having to forfeit their 'pre-semi/re-seed', to their nemesis 'Team Bob'.

Team Bob was back, after a season hiatus. Back in full force in fact with the addition of Adrian Gepp to an already solid lineup. Before the hiatus season, Team Bob had dominated the league winning the first two championships.... both of which I had the dis-pleasure of captaining the opposing (losing) side. There was plenty of motivation to get that monkey off of our backs.

Bob and Saiko met once this season in an epic battle, Saiko came out with the win, but only by a few points, and in that game the services of Ry Mac nor Adrian were available. Sizing things up for the Grand Finals certainly looked a closer contest, if not favoring Team Bob.

In a game to 15, without any time cap, 7:30pm struck and Saiko had 8 players .... thankfully Lee and Nandor were within the next few minutes. Saiko drew first blood, and took the early lead. But Bob had an answer for everything, and in a game where both teams were determined to zone, it was transitioning to said zones that really made the difference. By the time 10 points were played, Bob had found enough fight to level the score at 5-5. Though giving up a small lead, Saiko kept heads high and rung off three in a row to take the half.

Saiko started the second half on defence, but seemed to be steamrolling downhill as they continued to get consecutive stops and scores, taking their lead margin to +5. At 11-6 it seemed like an inevitable Saiko victory.

But Bob spoiled the party, and took that momentum right back, going on an impressive late game run of their own scoring 6 of the next seven using a suffocating zone, and a patient offensive approach.

All knotted up at 12, it seemed the momentum was in Bob's court, though Saiko had not been behind the whole game. The next two points are a bit of a blur, but they both went in Saiko's favour. With a 14-12 lead and a chance to win the game Lee O'Dwyer came from his deep coverage position in the Saiko Zone and made himself completely horizontal .... just getting in front of the intended Bob receiver and making a spectacular layout D. No stranger to glory he scooped up the disc, pump faked, and stuck a 25m OI pass down the right sideline to an in cutting Troy Zernike. Troy made the catch in the air, and touched his feet in the end zone...

Saiko had done it, successfully defended their title, and finally beat Team Bob in a Final.

Great game to all.

And a big thanks to Dale Patterson for running the league.

Grand Finals - GCUL2

2009-10-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

This years Grand Finals have taken shape, and will showcase a rematch of the final from two seasons ago. Saiko vs. Team Bob.

But before we get into it, we'll make mention to an addition to Grand Finals night which is the 3rd place game. At 7:00pm Robina Blue will be facing off against JAWS in a 45min duel for the bronze.

The Grand Finals will begin at 7:30pm and will be played to 15.

Team Bob won the last time these teams met in the Finals, and Saiko (last years champions) won the only meeting they actually played this year. (Saiko forefitted one game to Bob)

It's shaping up to be a good one... and as always there will be free beer, soft drink and sausages for players and spectators alike.

Good luck to all

GUerilla's new logo

2009-09-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

Liam O'toole has done it again. Another cracker design for the Griffith squad. Zone Ultimate is putting together the kit.... look for GUerilla to look, and play, sharp at AUG's.

Introducing GUerilla

2009-09-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night, the Griffith University team tried to shake off the close loss from the week before, and though they were up against one of the leagues strongest teams, they did have a few things going for them. Firstly, they had adopted a new team name, one that encapsulates the university two letter acronym, and adds an aura of strategic combat. Also, their captain Mike Morgan was back from an ankle roll, and the new look GUerilla were ready to roll.

They opened up the game strong and were up early, but the captains rubber ankles could not hold out for more than 40 min. With the captain down, Team Bob stormed back and took a lead of 8-5. With no quit in GUerilla, they stuck to the game plan and clawed their way back into the game. As the hooter went, GUerilla scored the final point, which was enough to draw with mighty Team Bob.

On the other field, JAWS opened up a 2-0 lead on Saiko early. But there was no worry as Saiko took 5 of the next 6 and saw themselves with a much more comfortable 2point lead. As the game progressed, Saiko stuck with their zone, and though JAWS struggled against it, they managed to keep finding ways to stay in the game. Late in the game Saiko still had the lead, which got up to about 4 points, but it was JAWS who had stole the momentum. Even at 14-10, Saiko couldn't close out the game. JAWS put two more on the board before hard cap, and Saiko walked away with a win that most certainly could have been stolen.

Next week marks the last games of the season. Saiko and Bob square off for the Minor Premiership, and JAWS and Blubonic Plague joust for points going into the finals. A JAWS win would move them up to third, and into a bye situation for the first round, however a Blubonic Plague win will force a rematch in the first finals round where one team will move on and the other will be eliminated. The game between Saiko and Bob will dictate the Minor Premiership, however the next week of play they will playoff again for re-seeding.

Here's the table as of now.

Victory snatched from the JAWS of defeat.....

2009-09-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

Last weeks action saw Saiko continue to be a pesky nemesis to the newly named Blubonic Plague. The Saiko camp zoned hard and often, and pressed on to a large margin victory. That said, BP fought hard, and had they the services of captain Levi Walz and ringer Brad Andrews, there most certainly could have been a different outcome... but for now, Saiko remains to have have BP's number.

On the other field, JPT got out to a strong lead, but with the late arrivals of Kelli and Tao, JPT would have to really work to maintain their lead. JAWS chipped and chipped, and when time expired it was a dead heat at 14-14. Universe point. A hard fought performance for man of the match Kevvy had him throwing the winning goal, and gave expansion team JAWS their first win.

This week sees Saiko taking on JAWS where there will be no love lost over some members being plucked away from Saiko.... JAWS have dubbed themselves the 'Saiko Killers'. And the rollercoaster ride that is JPT, hopes to regain their winning ways as they take on the undefeated, and highly experienced Team Bob.

Here's the table.

2009-08-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

Week 3 of 2009's GCUL2 is a week of change.

Over the course of 2 weeks, much has changed in this ever evolving league.

First and foremost we have an official 5th team, playing with an brand new name.

JAWS has a hot new roster and are looking to crack into the win column for the first time, but it won't be easy against the squad from Griffith.

Return of the Jedi?? Well after a crushing defeat in week one, they came back last week and manhandled then 'Robina Blue'. Though Robina did put a few late points on the board, there was never a threat of them actually making a game of it. However, inside sources tell me that JPT will be plagued by injury.

Speaking of Plague, Robina Blue has finally found some 'off field' creativity and renamed themselves Blubonic Plague .... hopefully this new moniker well help them rid their all time losing record against this weeks opponent. Will they finally get Saiko's number?

Saiko killers: With their captain on injury reserve, and their reassigned players out for 'Saiko Blood' they can only hope the return of Lee O'Dwyer will help them retain their winning ways. As is the case with many of the teams, this will be a very 'new look' squad.

Good ol' Bob.... somehow with all the shifting around, Bob managed to reform much of their championship roster from a few seasons past. it also seems, from the sounds of their cheers, that they've dropped the White Lightning bits from their name and are back to plain ol 'Team Bob'. They have a buy week tomorrow.... will any of them be there to train??

Here is how the table looks heading into the week.

Home Field Advantage....

2009-08-25T03:11:00.000-07:00

Those 'soft hippes' from Byron proved anything but soft on the weekend ... the concrete patio I slept on, was also very far from soft.

This past Saturday the GC vs. Byron battle continued, but untrue to fashion.... this battle lacked competition. Byron had all of their usual suspects, and even a few new faces.... and the Gold Coast could barely muster up a full line.

In the first game, a lot of beginners got a good run in, and the quality of play was fairly high. As much as the GC had some fight in them, they just couldn't get within striking distance and lost by more than a handful of points.

In the second game, it was left to experienced players only .... GC had to borrow a few of the Byron scraps to even put a line together. Needless to say, our crew got spanked.... but with many of the usual 'key' players missing from the GC line up, the players who were there got to play new, and more demanding roles. This will only bode well for future battles both on neutral ground, and when the GC get to do their thing and run their own home field advantage.

Cheers to Morgs, Troy, Daz, Scotty, Pete, Erin, Doyles and Tazzie for getting down there and giving em hell.... at least we had a good night on the town.

And Cheers to Bads and the Byron crew for being sensational opponents and hosts.

4 or 5.....

2009-08-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

On Wed past, the first games of GCUL went on at the 'rugby' (not softball) pitch at Pizzey Park.

Saiko dominated JPT, and Lightning Bob squeezed out a win against Robina.

I could definitely write more, both about the game in which I played, as well as the game in which I saw tidbits of.... but my mind is elsewhere right now. Change is in the air, and rumors of expansion are swirling.

This expansion talk is due to the numbers that flocked on Wed. Over 60 players to disperse unto 4 teams, this while some teams were missing a few regulars. This makes for a lot of substitution. And for some ... not enough of a run.

To expand, or not to expand.

To Expand - the league grows, more teams to face. More players can be accommodated. But will teams be spread to thin?? Will this accommodate to midseason laziness in attendance, vacations, leaving of our transient community, or potential injuries. As well, will players be upset by being plucked away from the team they were comfortable playing for??

Not to Expand - New players get more coaching/less playing time, never a threat of being short rostered. Big sidelines mean the team has to get involved both on and off the field, as they will spend more time than they are used to on the sideline. Could this be done 'before' next season, rather that during? Bye weeks suck ... but you have to expand to 5 before six... so that is an inevitability.

The expansion debate is currently being chomped on by captains and league administrators, and there will likely be a final decision on the matter before we get to the pitch on Wed afternoon.

In the meantime.... how do you feel about this? I'm sure Pete Hicks has something to say..... though likely under his breath, as was the case when I asked him to repeat himself when slandering my blogging efforts.... c'mon Pete, now's your chance.

In the meantime.... here is the current table.

Beached as bro

2009-08-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

It's official, GCU is finally using it's resources to the fullest.

The initiative of Scott Cameron has brought Beach Ultimate to North Kirra Beach.

This week saw the inaugural game being played, and all wore smiles.

Numbers were good for a week 1, but Scotty will be pushing for more numbers on a weekly basis.

Next week is off, as GCU is heading down to Byron, but after that, it will be on a 3 week test project. So make sure you come out in these three weeks. And ensure that there is an option for weekend beach ultimate for years to come.

GCUL2 - 09 - Season Preview

2009-08-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

Enter a new regime; Dale Patterson has happily accepted the role of League Director, and this season will be the first in which I personally will have no more than a team obligation as far as administration goes. Based on A Guest Bloggers logic from a post in the past, having the LD on ones team will act as an advantage in terms of dictatorship and first choice recruitment. Though I'm sure that only applies when the LD is evil. ;)

Realistically, this season should be the most competitive we've seen. With the collective level of play lifting across the board, and the top two teams from last year losing key players in their rosters and the bottom two teams gaining.

Here's a quick look:

Saiko - Though they lose their top dawg in Tao Browne, this team still feels they have what it takes to successfully defend the title. They gain the grit and mongrel of Lee O'Dwyer coupled with a few sets of athletic legs on the ladies side. Kate Gleeson makes a return from a season hiatus, and newcomer Zoe has already shown promise in the Womens Development Day.
Players to watch (PTW) - (Improvement in the Middle)
Troy Zernike - improving in leaps and bounds, he now provides Saiko with the experience to play just about any positionn asked of him. Now back to full health, he will turn some heads with his vast improved throwing arsenal.
Taryn Stratten - those that didn't see her perform at Halibut... be warned. Her game continues to improve, and if she plays upfield, opposing ladies will have a tough time keeping up.

Robina Blue - Have lost two of their top ladies to JPT in an effort to keep the uni squad in tact for AUG's, that said, there is potential to gain Byron Bay super woman Stace, and they have acquired the services of Brad Andrews after a season of legal battles that left him wearing white. The men on this team are most certainly 'most improved', even from last years grand final loss. Their height is deadly... and though I know I'll cop some slack for saying it... their handling will again be the thorn that keeps them from going over the hump.
PTW - (Big Friendly Giants)
Brad Andrews - The new addition to this team who could potentially be their best player on any given day. If Brad can beat you with his flick.... look out.
Bec Tandy - Steadily improving in all areas, but that hardly matters, as the one thing you can't coach is height... and she's got it.

Lightning Bob - To me this team is the biggest threat to dethrone the champs. By the end of last year they were firing, they handed Saiko their only loss, and took them to a nailbiter in the Semi. In addition, they are gaining much of their championship roster from a season before, the return of the MacDonalds and Co., Master Phil Stocks' new robotic knee and some sensational new recruits, and this team has all the makings of a season end engravement.
PTW- (depth and handling)
Scott Cameron - We all know what the tp end players on this team are capable of, if the likes of Scott can lift his game and provide a threat when he takes the line he will contribute to what will be an inpenatrable depth.
Skye MacDonald - The only lady in the competition whom is a pure handler. A hot commodity at any level of ultimate, especially in a league that only boasts one.

Jedi Pie Tricks - This team is the biggest question mark of the lot. They have improved... I think. But who will turn up?? Is Cupcake back? Will the Morgans play every game?? Are these others players all their cracked up to be. Certainly the addition of Ang and Trees from RB helps.... but how will the rest sort out. This is the league Dark Horse... expected to finish last, potential to finish first.
PTW - (nothing but question marks)
Glen Stewart - Can Glen use his God given gifts of height and speed to his advantage, can he fester up some honey hands and maintain his cool to make the safe throw after the huge catch??
Terri Morgan - In and out of retirement it seems, Terri has focussed many of her energies on other sports... does she still have that deadly deep backhand?? have some of the other ladies caught up to her level??

Well just one more sleep untill the first week of games commence and we will get one step closer to seeing weather I'll be eating my words or not.