Well its more than a bit late now but I thought I'd pump out some observations on the Quarters, Semis and Finals
The quarter match ups were Adelaide versus Newwie, Melbourne on Monash, Mac on Flinders and USyd vs the UWA kids.
Now, I was expecting USyd, Monash, Flinders and Newwie to win their various match ups
I started out camping between the USyd/UWA game and the Mac/Flinders game. The points were rolling along fairly slowly, so I had time to bike over to the other quarters and get regular score updates. The wind was still there in all these games but much less so than any other game than the final.
UWA came out hard against USyd and managed to score an upwinder early, taking the lead 3-2. USyd broke back straight away and continues to put on the pressure. The UWA kids had partied and played their guts out the whole week and weren't able to continue firing. With the reduced wind, USyd started to play a little bit of match (aka man) defence and this was UWAs achilles heel. They confessed to me on day two that they couldn't play man and it was pretty obvious too. USyd actually worked that out and it was over for UWA. As the game got away from UWA, I started drifting to other fields...
Flinders were steadily progressing against Mac. They wouldn't go on big runs but would score a few doubles from time to time. Flinders were a few points up when I went to check on the other quarters.
I arrived to find Adelaide thrashing Newwie, 6-0....I was stunned and Newwie scored the point that I was watching, so it wasn't immediately apparent how Adelaide were achieving this rout. I had heard on the grapevine that Adelaide was having some 'internal' problems that were holding them back from playing their best but with the score rapidly going to 8-1 I was convinced that whatever it was they had sorted it out! Newwie seemed unable to work the disc consistently against the Adelaide zone and they had lost heart. Adelaide were set for glory.
Monash and Melbourne was another interesting game. Once again, the favourites Monash were behind, slowly setting themselves up for another double game point victory. The reduced wind and the return of Michelle Phillips to the field meant that Melbourne had a lot more tactical options on the field aside from huck and D. The score didn't shift much from a couple of game point difference. I returned to Flinders vs Mac.
Flinders was up but Mac was still battling hard. Joel went high for a contest and came down hard on his ankle. He injury subbed soon after and Flinders game plan had to change on the fly with the loss of their biggest thrower. Joel had 'crunched' his ankle and wasn't sure what sort of injury/problem it was but couldn't run on it. What is a frisbee tournament without Joel getting injured! Mac surely gained an extra resolve knowing they had to one less aerial and throwing threat on Flinders. I watched to see what would happen next. Flinders scored and scored again. Mac answered with one of their own but Flinders weren't slowing down and plugged another one in. Alec Deslanders and Erin Wallis plugged the throwing hole left by Joel, including a great pinpoint hammer from Erin to score. Even with the dispute about the length of the game (80 as normal or 100 minutes because it was a 'final') Mac just could not match Flinders and scores very little in the last 20 minutes of the game.
Since the other games were nearing their finish, I wandered back to the double game point that Melbourne and Monash were destined to play. I arrived and sure enough it was something like Melbourne 9 and Monash 8, game to ten. Monash, of course, score to draw even and I get that hilarious sense of dejá vu. My memory of the point is a little sketchy but after one or two trades of the Melbourne settles on to the left side line and chip their way up the field. Owen is face marking Fresise, who makes a succession of jinky, tiny cuts to no effect. Despite this, the various throwers manage to pike it over to Fresise in a variety of nail bitingly risky ways and once Melbourne are in 15 metres of the endzone, Fresisy gambles on a cross field huck to the endzone.....and scores! Game to Melbourne! The team that everyone thought would be matching up against USyd in the final had failed at the critical moment. Had the wind been the same as in the other games, I would not have been surprised to see Monash go up once again but all Fresisy needed was one clear shot and it was done.
All the other games had finished at the 80 minute mark, so I watched Flinders without Joel pump Mac for the rest of their 100 minute game.
So we ended up with Flinders vs Melbourne and USyd versus Adelaide in the respective semis.
The semis weren't that exciting to watch. The magic that Adelaide had was gone and their red visor female handler had a terrible game from the parts I saw. USyd rolled them.
Melbourne vs Flinders was much more of a contest. It was a fairly even fight but a few things swayed the balance. Tarrant Meehan was injured and stopped playing. While he wasn't the play maker for the team, his solid handling and stability was sorely missed. The other important factor was Joel had some painkillers and actually felt ok to play half way into the game. While he wasn't quite up to full steam, his presence on the field was another mental blow to the Melbourne kids and despite their best efforts, Melbourne were closed out of the game towards the end.
And that was how USyd and Flinders got to the Final on day five of AUGs...
The final has also been covered by Owen Shepherd at thinkulti.blogspot.com/2008/10/2008-uni-games-part-2-stars.html
but I'll throw in my own thoughts as well.
By now everyone should know that Flinders beat USyd in a bit of a blowout. The game was exciting to watch not because it was a tight match filled with good ultimate but because it was an underdog team coming out and beating up the unbeaten favourites. With USyd being generally unable to match the top two men and women on the Flinders team, they struggled to make worth of the other match ups on the field that they could win. A largely sluggish Joel was fairly free to get the disc when he wanted and was able to contribute defensively in the Flinders 4 person cup/pommy. After Flinders went up 6-3 and continued to take half at 8-4, USyd had lost the mental game and couldn't focus back on the task at hand. The rug had been pulled from under them and instead of thinking about standing back up they were too busy wondering where the rug had gone... Save a couple of amazing plays from Flinders and their solid offence, the 2nd half was played out rapidly and the crowd was more exciting about heckling than watching. Flinders closed the game out 15-6, a true rout.
And then it was over
The last night party was a bit scattered. I am more and more convinced that Melbourne sucks for partying. This has not always been the case. I remember the awesomeness of the 2002 nationals party circuit but its gone kids. I suppose the goldcoast is going to have to pick up the slack next year. That said, the UWA kids, Moz and Seb managed to turn shit circumstances into a sweet night of smack talk and verbal ranga bashing. A memorable night, even if some of those memories are mental scars etched into the inside of my skull.
So thats it for another year. It was so much fun that I might just do it again....
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Enjoy kids
Showing posts with label AUG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AUG. Show all posts
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Day 3 Unigames
Well its been another roaring day at unigames. High winds dominated most of the day, draining the moisture right out of the players as they took to the fields.
This day has seen the completion of almost all pool play and there have been some exciting matches.
This is a list of games that I got to see.
8:30am
Flinders University (SA) vs Melb
UWA vs Mac
10:30am
Mac vs Monash
12:30pm
ANU vs QUT
2:30pm
Mon vs Newwie
I started the day at the FU vs Melb game. The wind meant that both teams were showing off their zone defences. Melbourne started the game with the downwind pull. After trading turns for a few minutes, Melbourne makes a critical turn near their endzone and FU capitalise for an easy upwind score.
Now it was FU's turn for the downwind pull and zone. Meehan and Friese handler upwind for Melbourne but without their play makers in upfield positions Melb. struggle to make ground. FU soon scores after a couple of turns. FU then have the upwind pull and Melb don't take long to huck downwind for a non-completion. Number 18 throws to Joel Pillar for a score. 3-0 to FU
FU use a combination of huck and hope and working it up during the game and Melb struggles to shut down Erin Wallis, Joel Pillar, Alec Deslandes and Alison Clarke.
The next point has a hilarious moment. Alec Deslandes is marking up as the deep in the FU zone, defending against a Melbourne team eager to not let a turnover occur near their upwind endzone. Melbourne let fly a disc downfield and there is a contest. Alec gets to the disc first, macking it towards the sideline. His relaxation at getting the D vanishes as the disc continues to wobble upward and not to the ground. Before anyone else can react he quickly hits the disc again towards the sideline. The disc bobbles up a little more and out of the field.....before Meehan from Melbourne starts running towards the sideline.... and it drops back towards the field of play and just inbounds where Meehan continues play. Great to watch!
Hilarity aside, FU pound Melbourne and I leave at 6-0 to watch UWA on Macquarie
I arrive at 4-1 to UWA
To my surprise, Neil is playing and despite a tender knee seems otherwise full of beans and smashing the box. Unfortunately his team was not full of beans and smashing up anything.
I begin to watch for what is a mammmoth point. UWA is working it upwind, turning it 0-15 metres from the endzone and seeing Mac fumble or huck the disc back to them. The point sees Twiggy and Eels taking centre stage for the UWA kids, with point blocks, long strikes, intercepts and layout catches coming out of their ears. Another hilarious product of the wind is #16 on UWA throwing the disc hard at two metre range, having it bounce up and off the chest of the UWA target and then recatching the disc to play on. After an epic sequence of play, UWA score after streaking up the far (left) sideline, Twiggy to #16. UWA 5-1.
Mac finally get back in gear and score a relatively easy upwinder to make it 5-2 but their deep #3 from the states misses an easy aerial block which falls into the hands of a UWA player in the endzone for 6-2. At this point I got a score update and it was 9-4 to Newcastle over Deakin and 11-2 to FU over Melbourne. UWA pull downwind and zone, with Mac turning on their endzone line. UWA calls for a iso on Thorn (Twiggy) and Eley hits another player with a floaty high release backhand that misses its target, should have been blocked by the misjumping #3 from Mac and then drops into the hands of a UWA female receiver. 7-2 to UWA.
Mac rally and manage to barfight their score to 7-4 at time cap and then score the next point to make it game to eight. I get set for another tight finish to a game and then....Mac concede the game. They just refuse to play and let UWA win by two. I am confused and dubious but leave to eat food. I hear that USYD crush AU 14-5.
I then watched mac vs monash. Mac rallied from their defeat against UWA and worked well in another up/downwind game. Monash were less successful and Mac maintained a short lead for the majority of the game. Time cap went and Monash once again had to make up lost ground, albeit only one point. I'll just take a moment to remind everyone that Newcastle are truly amazing and I thank them every morning I wake for providing me with hot chips. Monash scored and brought the game to another double game point. Both of these teams had played a double game point match already this tournament and I was keen to find out who was going to drag themselves over the line in this match. Monash had to pull upwind in the last point. Mac worked it hard for a few passes but then a Tiger pass went wide of Neil and the Monash kids went for the kill, rapidly moving the disc before the Macquarie team could set their defence. Monash moved up to within 10 metres of the endzone line and their flow slowed as they probed the mac defence for an opening. It did not take long for them to take their shot, with Moz bombing a leftie flick blade to Sebbo to clinch the game. 10-9 to Monash.
In the 12:30 time slot, I watched the first part of the ANU versus QUT game. QUT had no experienced players and the windy conditions meant that the game soon took on a predictable rhythm, with ANU working the disc cross the field, taking a little bit of ground here and there, with the occasional turnover, QUT having the disc for 30 seconds and then ANU resuming their tap tap tapping around the field for endzone goodness. I left at 6-nil and returned to a 15-2 score line.
The 2:30pm saw Newcastle and Monash play off for the top of their pool. There was windy and tense mood over the field as the teams warmed up, like to. The Jonas' boys were swinging their legs in perfect harmony and I was mesmerised. Before I knew it, the game was on with Newwie pulling upwind to start the game. Newwie plays zone but there is some miscommunication and the don't have a deep. Monash capitalise with a low throw. However before they can work the disc into the endzone, JJ scrambles and manages an intercept. Newwie work it upwind but Ellie drops and Monash jump on the disc and O Shep scores to Sebbo.
The next few points continue much the same, with Monash pulling away to 5-1 before Newwie score again. Newwie go on little run to catch up to 5-4, including a Ellie snaffle D and score upwind. Monash continue to hit #21 long with mixed results. The game winds on with Monash and Newwie trading. The wind dies down and timecap is reached... Newwie score off a Monash error to make the game 9-8, game to ten. Yes, thats right, Monash in another close game.
Newwie zones and Monash struggle. Teagan crashes the Moz and Sebbo party with a intercept. Chris Boy promptly throws the disc away but after some dinky about gets the disc back. Newwie works the disc up and Chris (Chilly) Hill scores to Liz. Double game point.
Now at this stage Monash has two double game points under their belt and you'd have to say they were still ready for more. However Moz is not called on to the last line and I write "No Moz = Newwie will win" Newwie pull and Joshie and O Shep combine for a first pass turnover on the endzone line, the second Joshie has been involved in. As we like to say here at the Canberra Ultimate Blog, Joshie was 'turning on a dime' this tournament. Newwie seem set to take the game but cannot do the deal and after three macks in the endzone, Monash get the disc back. Injury is called and Moz comes on for Monash. Suddenly the truth of my prediction gains more power and Monash seem unstoppable as they march down the field and Mish catches the winning goal! Crazy times.
Power Pool one
1 USyd
2 FU
3 AU
4 Melb
5 La Trobe
6 Bal
Power Pool two
1 Monash
2 Newwie
3 Mac
4 UWA
5 Mur
6 Deakin
Quarter final matchups
USyd on UWA, praying mantis on sagely monkey style
Monash on Melb
AU on Newwie
Mac on FU
UWA have to have the best chance to upset out of those quarter.
Tomorrow I hope to actually catch up and post about the quarter final matches.
If you didn't know already USyd and Flinders University will play off for the gold!
This day has seen the completion of almost all pool play and there have been some exciting matches.
This is a list of games that I got to see.
8:30am
Flinders University (SA) vs Melb
UWA vs Mac
10:30am
Mac vs Monash
12:30pm
ANU vs QUT
2:30pm
Mon vs Newwie
I started the day at the FU vs Melb game. The wind meant that both teams were showing off their zone defences. Melbourne started the game with the downwind pull. After trading turns for a few minutes, Melbourne makes a critical turn near their endzone and FU capitalise for an easy upwind score.
Now it was FU's turn for the downwind pull and zone. Meehan and Friese handler upwind for Melbourne but without their play makers in upfield positions Melb. struggle to make ground. FU soon scores after a couple of turns. FU then have the upwind pull and Melb don't take long to huck downwind for a non-completion. Number 18 throws to Joel Pillar for a score. 3-0 to FU
FU use a combination of huck and hope and working it up during the game and Melb struggles to shut down Erin Wallis, Joel Pillar, Alec Deslandes and Alison Clarke.
The next point has a hilarious moment. Alec Deslandes is marking up as the deep in the FU zone, defending against a Melbourne team eager to not let a turnover occur near their upwind endzone. Melbourne let fly a disc downfield and there is a contest. Alec gets to the disc first, macking it towards the sideline. His relaxation at getting the D vanishes as the disc continues to wobble upward and not to the ground. Before anyone else can react he quickly hits the disc again towards the sideline. The disc bobbles up a little more and out of the field.....before Meehan from Melbourne starts running towards the sideline.... and it drops back towards the field of play and just inbounds where Meehan continues play. Great to watch!
Hilarity aside, FU pound Melbourne and I leave at 6-0 to watch UWA on Macquarie
I arrive at 4-1 to UWA
To my surprise, Neil is playing and despite a tender knee seems otherwise full of beans and smashing the box. Unfortunately his team was not full of beans and smashing up anything.
I begin to watch for what is a mammmoth point. UWA is working it upwind, turning it 0-15 metres from the endzone and seeing Mac fumble or huck the disc back to them. The point sees Twiggy and Eels taking centre stage for the UWA kids, with point blocks, long strikes, intercepts and layout catches coming out of their ears. Another hilarious product of the wind is #16 on UWA throwing the disc hard at two metre range, having it bounce up and off the chest of the UWA target and then recatching the disc to play on. After an epic sequence of play, UWA score after streaking up the far (left) sideline, Twiggy to #16. UWA 5-1.
Mac finally get back in gear and score a relatively easy upwinder to make it 5-2 but their deep #3 from the states misses an easy aerial block which falls into the hands of a UWA player in the endzone for 6-2. At this point I got a score update and it was 9-4 to Newcastle over Deakin and 11-2 to FU over Melbourne. UWA pull downwind and zone, with Mac turning on their endzone line. UWA calls for a iso on Thorn (Twiggy) and Eley hits another player with a floaty high release backhand that misses its target, should have been blocked by the misjumping #3 from Mac and then drops into the hands of a UWA female receiver. 7-2 to UWA.
Mac rally and manage to barfight their score to 7-4 at time cap and then score the next point to make it game to eight. I get set for another tight finish to a game and then....Mac concede the game. They just refuse to play and let UWA win by two. I am confused and dubious but leave to eat food. I hear that USYD crush AU 14-5.
I then watched mac vs monash. Mac rallied from their defeat against UWA and worked well in another up/downwind game. Monash were less successful and Mac maintained a short lead for the majority of the game. Time cap went and Monash once again had to make up lost ground, albeit only one point. I'll just take a moment to remind everyone that Newcastle are truly amazing and I thank them every morning I wake for providing me with hot chips. Monash scored and brought the game to another double game point. Both of these teams had played a double game point match already this tournament and I was keen to find out who was going to drag themselves over the line in this match. Monash had to pull upwind in the last point. Mac worked it hard for a few passes but then a Tiger pass went wide of Neil and the Monash kids went for the kill, rapidly moving the disc before the Macquarie team could set their defence. Monash moved up to within 10 metres of the endzone line and their flow slowed as they probed the mac defence for an opening. It did not take long for them to take their shot, with Moz bombing a leftie flick blade to Sebbo to clinch the game. 10-9 to Monash.
In the 12:30 time slot, I watched the first part of the ANU versus QUT game. QUT had no experienced players and the windy conditions meant that the game soon took on a predictable rhythm, with ANU working the disc cross the field, taking a little bit of ground here and there, with the occasional turnover, QUT having the disc for 30 seconds and then ANU resuming their tap tap tapping around the field for endzone goodness. I left at 6-nil and returned to a 15-2 score line.
The 2:30pm saw Newcastle and Monash play off for the top of their pool. There was windy and tense mood over the field as the teams warmed up, like to. The Jonas' boys were swinging their legs in perfect harmony and I was mesmerised. Before I knew it, the game was on with Newwie pulling upwind to start the game. Newwie plays zone but there is some miscommunication and the don't have a deep. Monash capitalise with a low throw. However before they can work the disc into the endzone, JJ scrambles and manages an intercept. Newwie work it upwind but Ellie drops and Monash jump on the disc and O Shep scores to Sebbo.
The next few points continue much the same, with Monash pulling away to 5-1 before Newwie score again. Newwie go on little run to catch up to 5-4, including a Ellie snaffle D and score upwind. Monash continue to hit #21 long with mixed results. The game winds on with Monash and Newwie trading. The wind dies down and timecap is reached... Newwie score off a Monash error to make the game 9-8, game to ten. Yes, thats right, Monash in another close game.
Newwie zones and Monash struggle. Teagan crashes the Moz and Sebbo party with a intercept. Chris Boy promptly throws the disc away but after some dinky about gets the disc back. Newwie works the disc up and Chris (Chilly) Hill scores to Liz. Double game point.
Now at this stage Monash has two double game points under their belt and you'd have to say they were still ready for more. However Moz is not called on to the last line and I write "No Moz = Newwie will win" Newwie pull and Joshie and O Shep combine for a first pass turnover on the endzone line, the second Joshie has been involved in. As we like to say here at the Canberra Ultimate Blog, Joshie was 'turning on a dime' this tournament. Newwie seem set to take the game but cannot do the deal and after three macks in the endzone, Monash get the disc back. Injury is called and Moz comes on for Monash. Suddenly the truth of my prediction gains more power and Monash seem unstoppable as they march down the field and Mish catches the winning goal! Crazy times.
Power Pool one
1 USyd
2 FU
3 AU
4 Melb
5 La Trobe
6 Bal
Power Pool two
1 Monash
2 Newwie
3 Mac
4 UWA
5 Mur
6 Deakin
Quarter final matchups
USyd on UWA, praying mantis on sagely monkey style
Monash on Melb
AU on Newwie
Mac on FU
UWA have to have the best chance to upset out of those quarter.
Tomorrow I hope to actually catch up and post about the quarter final matches.
If you didn't know already USyd and Flinders University will play off for the gold!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Day Two of Australian University Games
I have come down to Melbourne to watch University Games and I will be detailing some of my thoughts on the games I see here on the blog.
For the first game there was a moderate up/down field wind, which dictated the play across all the fields. Zone was the choice of defence here. All teams were playing some variety of the four person cup, with two wings and a deep. The three games that I was keeping track off in the first time slot were ANU vs Deakin, USyd vs UWA and La Trobe vs Macquarie.
The ANU vs Deakin game was a tough struggle. ANU were still missing Rose Phelan from a concussion earnt yesterday, apparently inflicted by her teammate Ryan Ickert. Deakin had only nine squad members but were much more happy to take risky long shots that would gain yards even if they were not caught. This proved to be the major factor in them taking the lead at the start and middle game. The ANU have really sought out a possession focused strategy but in the wind and at a university level tournament, 5-15 passes which end in a turnover is not as good as 3-5 that land 40 yards further away. Some costly errors near the ANU's upwind endzone meant easy scores for Deakin and although ANU fought back towards the end of the game, Deakin staved them off to win by three. As expected James Kingsmill, Mica Hartley and Brett Massey were ANU's play makers in this game.
UWA vs USyd was also wing effected. UWA went up early in the game, taking some breaks off poor executions from the USyd team. USyd certainly rallied greatly and when I came back to check on the game they had shut UWA out of the game with the final result of 13-5 to USyd.
Macquarie versus La Troba was another tight game. Macquarie was in the lead from the beginning of the game and Neil Roxburgh was taking some great layout Ds. unfortunately Neil's time on the field came to an end when Ian Macdonald from La Troba hit Neil's knee after an upfield flick lifted up over a female La Troba player's outstretched arm and listed towards the middle of the field. Ian 'Macca' Macdonald and Neil made bids for the disc from opposite directions with Macca's mouth and Neil's knee being the points of contact Neil is likely to be out for sometime, possibly with an ACL injury. At that stage of the game Mac was two point up and after the loss of Neil, La Troba grappled back to evens. Point trading continued until time-cap. It was 12 all, scorer of the next point takes all. La Troba were pulling to Macquarie. Everyone was set for a huge point.....and then Macquarie worked it down the field in about five or six passes to score effectively unopposed. 13-12 to Mac.
The next time slot was largely uneventful for the fields I was near.
At lunch, the initial pools were broken up and split into two 'power' pools and one bottom pool. This meant that there would generally be less blow out 15 to not much matches and more tough games. ANU scored wins against RMIT and Griffith in the Bottom pool and I watched some of the results from the various power pool games that were running at the time.
Macquarie and Newcastle were duking it out to the northern end of my roaming range, USyd and La Trobe in the middle and UWA and Monash to the south. Mac seemed to take control of their game and maintained their lead until the end of the game. On the other hand, the other two games were much more interesting fights with the underdogs in both, UWA and La Troba, coming out to early leads. Both of these underdog teams had more athletic and bigger receivers and they generally pumped their long game hard, playing zone if it did not come off. Both teams took their respective halves 8-7 (La Trobe) and 8-5 (UWA). However USyd and Monash continued to fight to regain control of the game. USyd achieved this straight away, breaking down La Trobe's big huck plays and working the disc much more solidly. The turned this into a comfortable 15-12 end game score.
The UWA vs Monash game was a different story. UWA had the big hucks to the big boys but they also scored several times through their under-cutters and women in the second half. Their women were much more effective for them than Monash's or the comparative La Trobe girls and their building up of their lead in the second half demonstrated that. On the other side of the disc, Monash was struggling against UWA's zone and uncharacteristic errors from senior Monash players and some badly timed drops from a few of their girls kept the UWA kids on the offense. Time cap was nearing and UWA was up by three points, 13-10. Monash fires up and attempts a rally. They score for make it 13-11, within the two points they need to keep the game alive if time cap goes. UWA take a timeout, which burns up the last few seconds of regular time and its game to 14. Monash need to score three times to win and UWA only once. UWA receives the pull and scrambles hard to make ground. They manage to make two shots into the endzone, one wild and the other only faulted by the receiver tripping up as they tried to make the catch. After some more turn overs from both sides, Monash grins out a score. 13-12. Monash pulls again to UWA but this point lacks the tension of the last, with only a few turn overs before Monash plugs another goal. 13-13, double game point. UWA received the pull again, working the disc up and down the field. There are turnovers falling over themselves to be born unto the frisbee field as both teams struggle to search for the killing blow that will finish the game in their favour. A UWA huck goes wild into their attacking endzone, Josh Cukierman picks up the disc and plays from the endzone line but makes a simple dump error and overshoots Sebastian Barr, resulting in a turn right in front of the endzone. Surely this must be the death knell for Monash! But no! Instead of going for the kill and moving fast to set up the score, UWA lets Monash set up defence in good time AND on top of that sets up a horizontal in the endzone. Such a huge tactical error is only justly rewarded with a scrappy set of cuts and a desperate stall nine throw out the back of the endzone. Seemingly aware of the shame that they have brought upon their WA brethern, the UWA kids promptly wilt away while the Monash team revels in their second chance at not sucking and within five passes the game is over, with Andrew "Mozza" Moroney taking a gently floating disc in the endzone to end the game in Monash's favour. A great comeback from the Monash team. Moz was a solid achiever for the Monash kids with Twiggy and James Eley (playing on a ruptured ACL!!!!) being the heavy hitters for UWA.
In the last round I saw USyd vs Melbourne and UWA vs Newcastle play. It was about this time that after spending the first half of the day having people tell me I was a green and gold selector, I figured out after a chat with one of the captains that that was actually highly unlikely. I later confirmed this with others. I don't know if I was even put up for voting but as I was not here in Melbourne on Sunday when it all happened. Sigh, another bureaucratic flight of fancy. Melbourne and USyd slugged it out in a real upwind/downwind battle, trading till a USyd 8-7 half. Chris Friese then stopped cutting deep for Melbourne and that proved to be the death of their offence. Melbourne's less experienced cutters got on the end of several decent hucks but misread them all. Melbourne did not score again and USyd won 13-7. USyd have a very even team, with heavy firepower provided by the loose cannon of Pete Liddicoat. However Max Halden and Carlo Seeto have so far not set a foot wrong, consistently maintaining possessive of the disc, getting blocks and scores without error. Another notable loss to Melbourne was the niggling knee injury that took Michelle Phillips out of the game. She has now missed several games to the complaint and will only play a limited role in Melbourne's tournament. The other game saw Newcastle University roll a drained UWA.
So that basically wraps up my scattered recollections of the day. I really need a big hat, a bike and some paper to note things down if I am going to ensure more accuracy in my reporting, so I plan on doing those things tomorrow.
For the first game there was a moderate up/down field wind, which dictated the play across all the fields. Zone was the choice of defence here. All teams were playing some variety of the four person cup, with two wings and a deep. The three games that I was keeping track off in the first time slot were ANU vs Deakin, USyd vs UWA and La Trobe vs Macquarie.
The ANU vs Deakin game was a tough struggle. ANU were still missing Rose Phelan from a concussion earnt yesterday, apparently inflicted by her teammate Ryan Ickert. Deakin had only nine squad members but were much more happy to take risky long shots that would gain yards even if they were not caught. This proved to be the major factor in them taking the lead at the start and middle game. The ANU have really sought out a possession focused strategy but in the wind and at a university level tournament, 5-15 passes which end in a turnover is not as good as 3-5 that land 40 yards further away. Some costly errors near the ANU's upwind endzone meant easy scores for Deakin and although ANU fought back towards the end of the game, Deakin staved them off to win by three. As expected James Kingsmill, Mica Hartley and Brett Massey were ANU's play makers in this game.
UWA vs USyd was also wing effected. UWA went up early in the game, taking some breaks off poor executions from the USyd team. USyd certainly rallied greatly and when I came back to check on the game they had shut UWA out of the game with the final result of 13-5 to USyd.
Macquarie versus La Troba was another tight game. Macquarie was in the lead from the beginning of the game and Neil Roxburgh was taking some great layout Ds. unfortunately Neil's time on the field came to an end when Ian Macdonald from La Troba hit Neil's knee after an upfield flick lifted up over a female La Troba player's outstretched arm and listed towards the middle of the field. Ian 'Macca' Macdonald and Neil made bids for the disc from opposite directions with Macca's mouth and Neil's knee being the points of contact Neil is likely to be out for sometime, possibly with an ACL injury. At that stage of the game Mac was two point up and after the loss of Neil, La Troba grappled back to evens. Point trading continued until time-cap. It was 12 all, scorer of the next point takes all. La Troba were pulling to Macquarie. Everyone was set for a huge point.....and then Macquarie worked it down the field in about five or six passes to score effectively unopposed. 13-12 to Mac.
The next time slot was largely uneventful for the fields I was near.
At lunch, the initial pools were broken up and split into two 'power' pools and one bottom pool. This meant that there would generally be less blow out 15 to not much matches and more tough games. ANU scored wins against RMIT and Griffith in the Bottom pool and I watched some of the results from the various power pool games that were running at the time.
Macquarie and Newcastle were duking it out to the northern end of my roaming range, USyd and La Trobe in the middle and UWA and Monash to the south. Mac seemed to take control of their game and maintained their lead until the end of the game. On the other hand, the other two games were much more interesting fights with the underdogs in both, UWA and La Troba, coming out to early leads. Both of these underdog teams had more athletic and bigger receivers and they generally pumped their long game hard, playing zone if it did not come off. Both teams took their respective halves 8-7 (La Trobe) and 8-5 (UWA). However USyd and Monash continued to fight to regain control of the game. USyd achieved this straight away, breaking down La Trobe's big huck plays and working the disc much more solidly. The turned this into a comfortable 15-12 end game score.
The UWA vs Monash game was a different story. UWA had the big hucks to the big boys but they also scored several times through their under-cutters and women in the second half. Their women were much more effective for them than Monash's or the comparative La Trobe girls and their building up of their lead in the second half demonstrated that. On the other side of the disc, Monash was struggling against UWA's zone and uncharacteristic errors from senior Monash players and some badly timed drops from a few of their girls kept the UWA kids on the offense. Time cap was nearing and UWA was up by three points, 13-10. Monash fires up and attempts a rally. They score for make it 13-11, within the two points they need to keep the game alive if time cap goes. UWA take a timeout, which burns up the last few seconds of regular time and its game to 14. Monash need to score three times to win and UWA only once. UWA receives the pull and scrambles hard to make ground. They manage to make two shots into the endzone, one wild and the other only faulted by the receiver tripping up as they tried to make the catch. After some more turn overs from both sides, Monash grins out a score. 13-12. Monash pulls again to UWA but this point lacks the tension of the last, with only a few turn overs before Monash plugs another goal. 13-13, double game point. UWA received the pull again, working the disc up and down the field. There are turnovers falling over themselves to be born unto the frisbee field as both teams struggle to search for the killing blow that will finish the game in their favour. A UWA huck goes wild into their attacking endzone, Josh Cukierman picks up the disc and plays from the endzone line but makes a simple dump error and overshoots Sebastian Barr, resulting in a turn right in front of the endzone. Surely this must be the death knell for Monash! But no! Instead of going for the kill and moving fast to set up the score, UWA lets Monash set up defence in good time AND on top of that sets up a horizontal in the endzone. Such a huge tactical error is only justly rewarded with a scrappy set of cuts and a desperate stall nine throw out the back of the endzone. Seemingly aware of the shame that they have brought upon their WA brethern, the UWA kids promptly wilt away while the Monash team revels in their second chance at not sucking and within five passes the game is over, with Andrew "Mozza" Moroney taking a gently floating disc in the endzone to end the game in Monash's favour. A great comeback from the Monash team. Moz was a solid achiever for the Monash kids with Twiggy and James Eley (playing on a ruptured ACL!!!!) being the heavy hitters for UWA.
In the last round I saw USyd vs Melbourne and UWA vs Newcastle play. It was about this time that after spending the first half of the day having people tell me I was a green and gold selector, I figured out after a chat with one of the captains that that was actually highly unlikely. I later confirmed this with others. I don't know if I was even put up for voting but as I was not here in Melbourne on Sunday when it all happened. Sigh, another bureaucratic flight of fancy. Melbourne and USyd slugged it out in a real upwind/downwind battle, trading till a USyd 8-7 half. Chris Friese then stopped cutting deep for Melbourne and that proved to be the death of their offence. Melbourne's less experienced cutters got on the end of several decent hucks but misread them all. Melbourne did not score again and USyd won 13-7. USyd have a very even team, with heavy firepower provided by the loose cannon of Pete Liddicoat. However Max Halden and Carlo Seeto have so far not set a foot wrong, consistently maintaining possessive of the disc, getting blocks and scores without error. Another notable loss to Melbourne was the niggling knee injury that took Michelle Phillips out of the game. She has now missed several games to the complaint and will only play a limited role in Melbourne's tournament. The other game saw Newcastle University roll a drained UWA.
So that basically wraps up my scattered recollections of the day. I really need a big hat, a bike and some paper to note things down if I am going to ensure more accuracy in my reporting, so I plan on doing those things tomorrow.
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