Yesterday saw the second thrilling installment of the WOL quartet. We were all finally reminded of why people play indoor during winter, as the overcast conditions that lasted through the first game gave way to rain for the second game slot. Each team bravely sallied forth into the wet weather to face some persistent zone defense and difficult handling conditions. Nevertheless, glory was there to be had and the soft and slick ground made for some excellent O and D bids.
The first round saw fairly close games between the ever-reliable Dam Beavers and the Mavericks and between Dynoshite (now with REAL Dynoshite players) and the vastly improved Bolivar Floaters. The Mavs, missing big playmaker Tom Walcott, made use of the speed and hops of Richard and Damo, their key receivers, and benefitted immensely from the firepower of the returning Carrie Flynn and ACT stalwart Dave Lowe. The Dam Beavers looked to their offensive utilities Brett Ringland and Asher Gentle but were unable to connect deep to Rachel Gentle who was, as usual, open all day. The Mavs took the game 12-9.
Dynoshite finally (and quietly) arrived with their sunglasses firmly in place after a large night at Elise's birthday do. A veritable unknown in WOL, Dynoshite looked for an early win against the Bolivar Floaters. The Floaters had no intention of going down easily, and it took several flushes before the superior throwers on Dynoshite were able to remove them from the bowl. The Bolivar Floaters seem to have greeted the return of Karl and Mel Adamson with some enthusiasm, looking positively dangerous at several points during the game. Final score, 10-8 Dynoshite.
Despite the return of their captain James Kingsmill, the ANU were caught off-guard by the pink shirts of the Devolutionaries and suffered something of a hiding, going down 15-6. Last week the Dev's lacked a bit of handling stability and it seems the arrival of James "All Air" Ley has solved this problem and then some. The Devolutionaries' solid cast has been looking for a superstar to bring big returns at the box office and James clearly has the credentials required. These guys might be a team to watch over the next few games. Final score, 15-6 Dev's.
As the hooter sounded for the end of game one, the clouds that had threatened all day finally let go, and all the teams huddled under the shade tents for a bit of mutual groping. With this out of the way, they returned to the field for round two.
The Devolutionaries faced off against the Mavericks, with Adam and Mark of the Mavs pointing out that every time James Ley left the field the Mav's scored. Clearly, James needs to work on his fitness because, despite some great end-to-end plays, the Mavs snuck away with the game 13-10.
Dynoshite proved that squeezing out some Floaters was just the beginning by beating the ANU 11-6. The ANU seemed to be lacking a bit of cutting drive upfield and despite good lateral movement had trouble moving forward. Expect this to end with the return of cutting workhorse Ryan Ickert who is always ready to offer strong options upfield. Dynoshite, on the other hand, seemed to succeed most with fewer, more penetrating throws, chalking up a number of one-pass offenses for goals, with the Andrew to Myall connection seeming to be strong and faithful.
And finally, the Dam Beavers seemed to be hungry for blood after their early loss, savaging the Bolivar Floaters 17-6 (yes, there was supposed to be a points cap at 15). The Floaters seemed less enthusiastic in the rain and lacked options upfield, while the Beavers looked to a number of new-ish recruits to do heaps of work (both on O and D) in the mid-field while wet-weather specialist Asher Gentle made the Floaters pay for any offensive error with reliable and dangerous throws.
With four games completed, the season's ladder looks like this:
| Team | Wins | Losses | Draws | Points | Goal Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynoshite | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 23 |
| Mavericks | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
| Devolutionaries | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Dam Beavers | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| ANUDE | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | -18 |
| Bolivar Floaters | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -26 |
Remember, the ACTUA Development Clinics start tonight at 6:30 at Willow's Oval, ANU. We're working on fundamental skills and any league players are most welcome to attend. See ya'll there!
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