Brisbane Ultimate Blog: As requested

Brisbane Ultimate Blog: As requested: "Where did you get those shoes!?!" "They're my brothers."

Nothing to add.

Just a quick one

I just wanted to put my hand up as the one who tattled to Carl when he saw Jack and Trevor registering for the QHat as beginners.
I wouldn't want them to think there was an anonymous tattle-tale in the community. It was me. Not ashamed.

You should be, though. For shame, boys.

;)

This week in Ultimate...

Monday:
Tonight's the final, baby! Division 1 and 2 playing off at Griffith (Nathan Campus) for the titles! Get there by 7:30pm to watch, or 7pm if you're playing in Discheads, WTH?, UQ or Co-mingled.
Games until 9pm, followed by a (hopefully short) presentation ceremony. Pizza provided throughout, but BYO drinks.

Wednesday:
Pickup as always will be on at Oakman Park (Moggill Rd, next to B.B.C.) from 7pm-9pm. $5 or free for beginners, bring a waterbottle, shoes to run in, and a dark and light shirt.

Thursday:
BPL, nearing the end of the season! 4 teams all in the fight for the minor premiership - this should be a cracker!

Saturday:
Big Sky 11's is on, 8am-5pm (ish) at the Gap Soccer Club (off Waterworks Rd). Contact a captain to see if any teams have space, or you can donate or buy tickets for the raffle!
Even if you don't get on a team, come along and support friends/just watch some great, high-level ultimate being played for a great cause!
The final of this one is always a great spectacle!
See the blog for more info.

Sunday:
Both women's and men's clinics are being run by their respective representative squads. Scroll down a bit to see messages from Johnny Mac and Kaitlin about it all.

Regular disc fixtures over the Summer? Not possible!

See below for some inside info on a regular, open-to-all pickup fixture for the Summer, being organised (as most other things in Brisbane Ultimate these days) by the Heroes Ultimate Club:

Hey BUML players,

Heroes Ultimate Club run regular training sessions on Sunday afternoons. However, with BUML drawing to a close for the year, we would like to invite you and your friends to Sunday Afternoon Pick-up sessions across the Summer months. This Sunday we will be playing a pick-up game from 3:30 until 5pm at Kenmore  Junior AFL ground, Hepworth Street, Kenmore. All you need to bring is a light and dark shirt and good spirits. 

Pick-up

When: Sunday 30th October 3:30-5pm

Where: Kenmore AFL ground, Hepworth St, Kenmore.

Bring: Light and dark shirt, sunscreen, water etc.

Cost: FREE

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Thanks,

Sebastian

Hopefully I'll see a few of you there!

BPL Predictions

Well according to this blogger's sources, the rankings and competition points of the 4 teams that matter in BPL should currently be:

Slamtown 28
Dojo 26
Buggers 25
Heroes 24

For those of you keeping score, that means Heroes won in their game against Bandidos, keeping their hopes for a maiden minor premiership alive. It also means Slamtown beat Dojo, placing themselves firmly in the box seat for their maiden minor premiership.

[Less related, but it also means the likes of JJ, BW, alex and Gref will be going into the BUML Div1 Grand Final still smarting from a BPL loss, and keen to re-prove themselves on a somewhat less-challenging stage. Watch out Co-mingled!]

The race is indeed wide open in the BPL, with each of the teams in with a mathematical chance (though Dojo would have to be extremely lucky with results). Heroes remain ever-hopeful, Buggers are brimming with confidence, and Slamtown are for once leading with their throws rather than their mouths (not a statement on their skills, merely on the fact that this blogger can sometimes hear the Mayor's "Eeeeeeere we go!" on Thursday nights from his home in the eastern suburbs).

Mathematically, Slamtown have the best chance - but when have simple numbers been the main decider for the Dog Cup?

This blogger is going with his heart, and tipping the not-so-new kids on the block, those Heroic men in green, to take out not only the minor premiership, but the "silverware" itself in the end.

BUML Semi-Final Results

Playoff results

Division 1
1v4	Co-mingled (14) df Dyspnoeics (8)
2v3	UQ (12) df Poachers (8)

5v6	Wuxi ft. Heroes
7v8	Ghost (8) lt. Bermuda Triangle

Division 2
1v4	Agent Orange (8) lt Discheads (10)
2v3	What The Huck? (11) df Disc-iples (9)

5v6	Chimichangas (8) lt Tsunami (12)
7v8	QUTies (12) df Mellow Yellow (4)
9v10	Griffith Go-Go’s (14) df Plastic Scourgery (9)
11v12	Griffith Oh Yeah’s (17) df Slipped Discs (9)

Well, 1 pick out of 2 ain't bad.UQ will indeed be playing Co-Mingled in the final, and my pick of the Mingers as champs seems validated by their domination of the blue machine.

Discheads will instead be playing WTH? in the Div2 final, which calls for a re-preview:

WTH? is somewhat of a dark horse this season (to quote JdR), and has emerged from the mid-season as somewhat of an unstoppable force. They are currently coming out of an 8-game winning streak, which took them to 2nd place in the regular season (meaning they hold the advantage in season rankings). Discheads on the other hand began the season as favourites, but seemed to be brought undone by a mid-season collapse, losing 3 games in a row (including a 4 point loss to WTH?, their worst result of the season). They have also recovered though, stringing 3 wins together to scrape into the finals.

However, it is perilous to pick winners off form alone. This was proven on Monday night as 4th-placed Discheads toppled previously-undefeated Agent Orange to enter the Grand Final on a high. WTH? had a similar, 2-point win over the Disc-iples.

WTH? certainly have the depth of squad, skills, discipline, and athleticism to win the Division 2 title. But this blogger has never made a secret of his alliances and biases, and finds it hard to go past the sure-to-be Cinderella story of the season:

 Discheads by 2.

BUML Grand Final Predictions

Well it's the third day after the Semis were played, but the only results I have been able to get my hands on have been:

• Discheads 10 d. Agent Orange 8
• UQ 12 d. Poachers 8
• Wuxi forfeited to Heroes
• Tsunami d. Chimichangas

As always, result/score reports (or notifications of my inaccuracies) are encouraged in the comments.

However, without results being posted on BUML as yet, I must try to speculate on the upcoming Grand Finals night only knowing two of the four teams that are playing!
I'll either look like a fool, or like a genius (and for that one, I'm tipping the first of the two options).

Division 2
Predicted Final:      Discheads vs. Disc-iples
That's right, I've tipped the recently form-slumped Disc-iples over the fast finishers WTH? in the semi-final. That may be somewhat wishful thinking, as the female line-up of WTH? is, quite simply, intimidating (and the Discheads historically struggle to just get enough girls to play).
Having made the tip though, I've locked myself into a battle for the Disc-name! Disc-iples, composed primarily of skinny athletic engineering students from UQ, have a talent for moving the disc quickly and smoothly up the field - let these guys steal a fast-break on you, and all you can do is hope they make a mistake before they reach the goal.
Discheads, on the other hand, will bring the entire might (and pressure) of the HUC behind them. Sure to be cheered and heckled in equal measure from their AO and Heroes siblings on the sideline (as well as taunted with the beers they won't be able to drink), they will be sure to be at least as fired up as the Disc-iples.
The last time these two teams met was way back in round 1, when the Discheads took out the game on Universe point. Much has happened since then, and both teams have had strings of successes interspersed with the somewhat surprising occasional loss.
In the end, though, this blogger has to tip with his blatantly biased heart:
Discheads by 1

Division 1
Predicted Final:          UQ vs. Co-mingled
That's right, this blogger has tipped the on-paper strength of the Mingers over the cohesive unit that is the Dyspnoeics. Tipped to be the new Wuxi (i.e. stacked to the point of disbelief), the Co-op initially seemed about as successful as the new UQ bookstore of the same name. However, late in the season they have started to show their true colours, and ended up in 2nd going into the finals. Way back in round 2 they were given a hiding by the 'Noeics, but by late September they had improved enough to only go down by 1, before putting very impressive scores up against Bermuda and Wuxi to finish out the regular season.
UQ are going to be extremely difficult to beat - but their only defeat this season so far has come at the hands of the Mingers, back in round 7. This will be their first game away from their home ground - but whether this will put them off their game or just serve to galvanise them yet more has yet to be seen.
It is hard to tip against the minor premiers, particularly as it is not even sure the Mingers have even made the final, but this blogger has never been one to sit on the fence.
Co-mingled by 3.

Brodie Smith vs. DudePerfect (Trick Shots)

I know this has already been linked on the BUB recently, but it's just too epic to pass up. The dude is ridiculous.

Heroes BPL - new kids on the block no longer!

So according to JdR and Stu on the BUB, Heroes' BPL team is currently in a position to potentially take out the minor premiership.

They are certainly looking likely to enter the finals as a team-to-beat, with recent victories over both the Buggers and the defending champs Dojo.

Can the men in green finally replicate the feat of their female counterparts, and win the top prize available to their gender in Brisbane?

I'll do my best to give you the answer to that question in the coming weeks!

-edit-
The Heroes tied with Dojo last week as well? Screw minor premiers, I'm tipping them to go all the way!

Upcoming Development Clinics

There seems to be a theme of these development clinics, this time of year.
See below for emails from Kaitlin and Johhny Mac (respectively) for info on the upcoming "try-and-see" days being held by Black Betty (women's) and Firestorm (men's) clubs.

Hi Ladies,

So if you haven’t already heard the Women of Brisbane Ultimate will be holding a Development Day on Sunday 6^th November.

This session is open to ladies of all skill levels and experience. If you want to improve your ulti skills then do not miss this opportunity!

Details are below…

Date: Sunday 6 November

Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm

Location:

The Gap Soccer Club

Glenaffric St, The Gap

(Same location as Big Sky 11's)

Cost: $10

Includes lunch

Rego!!:

AFDA: http://www.afda.com/rego/showcompetition.php?competitionid=1115

FB: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=279087412124141

To get an idea of numbers, particularly for catering purposes, please remember to register on AFDA or on the WUFL FB page, or email me to let me know you're interested and I will register you : )

After wondering around Annerley fields last night I was astounded (!!) by the amount of female talent Brisbane has. It would be really awesome if all ladies playing BUML could make it to this session.

Hope to see you there

Kaitlin

 And...

Hey all,

Firestorm's excited to announce a new event for the 2012 season, the
Firestarter.
http://firestorm.quda.org/?page_id=652

For the club, it's a kickstart to our official preseason training in
November.
However, we are also inviting extra players to come along as a training
clinic.
We're excited to be able to offer a miniature "Qld training camp", on a
small scale, and hope this is an exciting opportunity for players to
join us.

We do need to restrict numbers & playing standard for this event, so it
won't be open to all.
We're putting together an invite list at the moment. A description of
what we're looking for is on the website.
If you're interested and would like to come and train, get in contact
with us.

Check the website for details: http://firestorm.quda.org/?page_id=652
Thanks to QUDA for their financial help in giving access to regional
players.

Cheers all
Firestorm

P.S. Get out to the mixed invitational this weekend for some great
Ultimate!

Evil Eddie - Queensland

A pretty succinct musical summary of our motherland, I reckon.

24/10 - Another all-HUC affair on the westside

With the forfeit of Wuxi to the indomitable might of the Heroes in Division 1, the only match that would actually be played at the new(ish) Gap SHS fields would be the intra-club trash-talk-off, AKA Agent Orange vs. Discheads.

This would be a much-anticipated affair, for a number of reasons:

1. Both teams, as mentioned, stem from the Heroes Ultimate Club - TRASH TALK GALORE,
2. The previous time this season that these teams played, AO got up by a single point (not at all related to the absence of yours truly),
3. AO were the only undefeated team left in the BUML competition, a single draw marring their otherwise unblemished record,
4. This would be the second-last night of league for 2011., and most importantly
5. The winners would next week be playing in the GRAND FINAL. 

That's right, this was a semi-final!

The game began as one would expect, with both teams keen to show their improvement since the last meeting. Fast running, hard defence, long hucks and longer points eventuated, and the teams traded scores until approximately 3-3.
At this point, AO decided to show what had kept the rest of BUML Division 2 in check all season, and taking the Discheads by surprise, swiftly moved up to a score of 8-3.
The Discheads were in disarray, and with a point left before the Agents would seemingly take half, their fearless leader Sea-bass called a time out.
Some tactics were discussed, some inspirational speeches were made, and some players ignored all of this to practice throwing to spectators (hi Craig).

The Discheads came out of the timeout fired up, with solid ideas for how they were to recover some pride in the fronts of their minds. Moreover, reports soon made it to the grey camp that AO had brought sliced oranges as snacks, and neglected to share them with their fellow club members.
Possibly in response to this, Discheads seemed even more fired up than at the beginning of the match.
They appeared to take the Agents completely by surprise, and closed the gap with a succession of competitive defensive turns, followed by swift conversions. At 8-7 up, it was the Agents' turn to call a time-out.

This time however, the desired effects were not quite achieved for the Agents. After two incredibly long, competitive points (with great displays of athleticism on both sides), the Discheads finally took half and the lead, the score at 8-9.

To the surprise of many, some impartial spectators on the side informed the on-field warriors that time-cap would be reached during the half-time break! Suddenly the teams were playing off to 10, with the winners to go on and represent their club at the Grand Final, and the losers consigned to watching from an assumedly beer-fueled sideline.

The most tense point of the game eventuated, with the Discheads on defense attempting to close out their epic comeback, while the Agents were desperate to even the scores and force the match to a Universe point.
A number of turns were made on both sides, some due to evident nerves (sorry guys), and some thanks to sheer grit and determination on defense.

Eventually, trapped on their own goal line, the Agents faltered and threw the disc into the reach of a player in grey, who wasted no time in knocking it down and running past to look for the easy goal.
The Agents were not about to make it so easy, however, getting two players to the Dischead and shutting them out.
However, as they have intermittently done all season, the cool heads of the Discheads prevented another  turnover and waited until an option appeared - an unmarked Sarah taking the easy pass from her life-saving husband, Alex.

The game was over, history was written, and the Discheads would move on to represent the HUC in yet another Grand Final; hopefully to be cheered on by the disappointed (yet assuredly proud) Agents in Orange, alongside their Division 1 siblings the Heroes.

Final score: Discheads 10 d. Agent Orange 8


Note:This blogger would welcome any comments on inaccuracies, score discrepancies, unfair biases and the like. He was pretty distracted at the time, and may have forgotten, omitted or invented a few details of the night. 

Hehehe

I don't know about everyone else, but I occasionally try to get to the BUB and accidentally type "brisbaneultimate.blogspot.com" - forgetting the all important "DISC" (i.e. brisbaneultimatedisc.blogspot.com).

I'm always taken to the same page, informing me that the blog I searched for did not exist, but would I like to register the name myself?

So I decided that yes, I would.

At this stage I probably won't actually post anything, but just keep it registered on behalf of the BUB in case for when they get so big that they need to get the rights to all the similar URL's as well (just like if you type in www.microsoft.co, it takes you automatically to http://www.microsoft.com/).

So dstrel/JdR, if this uni procrastination opportunity tiny blog ever comes to your attention and you want control or it taken down, you have only to ask!