2008 East Coast Challenge review

Executive summary: Everyone in NSW plays zone D. And it wasn't even windy.

So I was up in Sydney for a few days being a volunteer at the East Coast Challenge. In short, the quality of play was sensational and was very entertaining to watch. It almost become my primary reason for attending, however it didn't quite beat out "free lunch and t-shirt".


6th place - UTS
A young squad that is finally starting to have everything click. I didn't see much of them at AUG last year, but their results didn't exactly inspire me. My offsider (technically he was my boss, but whatevs) for the week informed me they were much better now than last September, so I'm keen to see what they produce this September. Probably the key criticism I had was their flow on O - they could move the disc around without any troubles, but could never get anything going beyond two passes, especially against a zone.

The Plus: Enthusiasm
This is a team that really, really loves ultimate. Always throwing between games and on the sideline, actively encouraging their own teammates, running hard and never giving up, even when down 12-0.

The Minus: Leadership
Every uni team has their key player (or two) - last year UQ had Matzuka, Mac had Dowle and UNSW had Waz Shepherd. While UTS has some talented players, they don't have that one player that can control the O on field. This team could really benefit from having a Nationals-playing coach (maybe a notable alumnus...James Yorsten perhaps?)

Players to watch:
Tom Elliott - For my mind he was the best performer on O for UTS. Confident with his throws and able to get the disc under pressure. Really should be playing upfield, but until there's someone who can fill his handler role he'll be stuck there.
Rosie Suthers - Similar to Tom. Stuck in a handler role because there's no one else who can confidently fill that role, when she really should be playing as a primary/mid. If UTS can get other people into handler roles before September, Tom and Rosie should be able to give them the upfield movement they desperately need.



5th place: University of New South Wales
These guys were very unlucky to miss the semis in a close field, but a first day injury to Nick Dowle didn't help. Watching fUNSWitch was essentially watching "The Waz & Ju Show" - these two dominated the play and were well supported by the likes of Wayne Thong, Adam Kran and Mariel Huicochea. If only a couple of close pool games had have gone their way we would have seen these guys medal. They did miss Abra Garfield's intensity from 2007, but should be factoring among the top few at AUG. Fun fact: fUNSWitch's team had the younger brothers of 3 Dingos and 1 Barramundi.

The Plus: Waz and Ju
When it comes to uni ultimate, these two are in a class of their own. They spent the week trotting about the field doing whatever they felt like, because no one could really stop them.

The Minus: Cohesion
Unlike many other uni teams, fUNSWitch don't play together very often. While there are some very talented players, there was some sloppy offense at times, and they struggled on quick turns at times. If they were to get in one or two tournaments between now and September, they should be top 4 contenders.

Players to watch:
Steve Gangemi - if everyone didn't already know him, Baby G would probably be a very underestimated player, largely because he looks about 12 years old. However is very quick and has solid throws. Plays very well as a popper against a zone and knows exactly where to cut on O. Only drawback is a propensity to get schooled on D, because of aforementioned appearance.
Rebecca Jiang - Fairly sure I didn't hear a word out of her all week, so she'll probably fly under the radar of many teams (not any more! Muahahaha!) Is a product of the National Junior Training Camp, so she will just let her skills do the talking. Plays upfield but could just as easily play handler.



4th place - University of Newcastle
This was a very talented squad filled with I-Beam and Sugar Mags, plus some chump. Dominated the pool play and finished on top (after some head-to-head and goal difference shenanigans), but couldn't continue their form on Wednesday. Played a lot of zone D, and why wouldn't you if you had Dave Jarrott patrolling the deep. O was just as good, with Liz Dodd and Chris Lavis controlling the play with virtually no errors.

The Plus: The girls
Newcastle were able to use the Sugar Mags on their team to a huge advantage on many occasions, especially against a zone D (which there was a lot of). And they still may have Ellie Sparke on their team for AUG. Will beat a lot of teams at AUG based purely on that.

The Minus: Mentality
It was hard to find a minus for this team from what I saw of them, but obviously there must have been one otherwise they would have one. I suspect they had issues with mental focus - they came out all fired up, but would be quite drained by the end of most games, which allowed UQ (semi) and Sydney (bronze medal game) to run away with the victories by 4 points or so after being even a few minutes before.

Players to watch:
Chris "Chilly" Hill - This guy has what you want in an ultimate player. Height, hops, speed, athleticism and a forehand that makes you go "shit, that's a pretty good forehand."
Tegan Sneddon - Tegan was on the receiving end of many of Newcastle's goals. Very fast and agile and can take a high grab, making her a deep threat but she can also play back if needed.



3rd place - University of Sydney
These guys were very unlucky not to be in the final. After the pool play was done, there was a 3 way tie at the top with Sydney, Mac and UQ all on equal wins, and on head to head they were all 1-1. At first, Bozza and I worked out that Sydney finished on top and were to face Newcastle in the semi, but apparently we got it wrong and they were second and had to overcome Mac in the semi. Other than that, they were a bloody good team. Their zone D was difficult to get around without taking risks, and their O was solid, but they got impatient during long points which cost them on a few occasions.

The Plus: Zone D
As mentioned before, their puppy fence was awesome. With a guy chasing, three girl wall and three tall guys deep, standard zone O wasn't enough to get around them. Teams were forced to take risky options to get around them. This came off often enough for some teams, but in any kind of wind it'll be a big ask.

The Minus: Impatience on O
Sydney lost a lot of long points because they became frustrated as they got closer to the endzone. While some of their endzone shots weren't necessarily bad options as such, there were much safer options available. Exceptions can be made for Izzy MacAuley and Mike Tarn who keep much cooler heads. If they can score quickly on all their O points, Sydney should medal in Melbourne.

Players to watch:
Lu Wee Koh - I first played with him at Melbourne Hat 06 and he showed plenty of potential back then, which has now transformed into talent. He was chasing as puppy on most D points and was absolutely relentless on the mark and was able to keep up on the long points. Got himself a lot of hand blocks, and even scored an "ass block" on one point.
Izzy MacAuley - a reliable axis is imperative in zone O, and when Pete Liddicoat wasn't doing it, Izzy was filling the role. Got a lot of break throws off which gave them plenty of run through the middle. With Firetails/Mundis/Terra reps missing from AUG, I think Izzy will be up for Green & Gold selection.
Special mention goes to Fiona McDonald, who I saw playing NSL Division 3 for one of the SUUFA teams on Monday night. New player who should push to make the SUUFA squad this year.



2nd place - University of Queensland
With no competition to speak of up north, UQ were decent enough to make the trip down for a good hit-out. While it was only a small squad, they still managed to last the seven games relatively easily, while also dominating the parties like they usually do. They played a very fast game and used the whole field effectively, with every cut seeming to have endless space in front of them. With a bit of added depth come September they are looking good to defend their gold medal.

The Plus: John McNaughton
I wanted to avoid pinpointing one player as the reason to a team's success, but J-Mac is the lynch-pin of this team. His throws render any force or mark useless and he initiates about 90% of the O. He had plenty of talented support, but without him they would not have been quite as good.

The Minus: Reliance on males
I was tempted to say they didn't use their girls very well, but upon thinking about it I realised that Tatiana Maya and Blair Sheard were probably two of the better players of the tournament. However, from what I watched, an awful lot of their O went through the 4 guys on the field, with the girls seeming being a backup option. That being said, it is entirely likely they will prove me wrong at AUG.

Players to watch:
Nathan Litzow - very quick and very smart player. Is an excellent sidekick to John, but could just as easily be the key player. Possible G&G contender in Melbourne.
Tatiana Maya - in uni ultimate, a female handler is worth their weight in gold. Tatiana was able to get around any zone put on her and was able to initiate a lot of play up the line. Excellent on D, too. Able to shut down any opponent.



Winners: Macquarie University
Mac have been on top of uni ultimate for some time now thanks to the Dowle Factor. However, I was interested to see how they would perform without Matt this week. The inclusion of Duncan Keenan pretty much made it a non-issue in the end, with Mac winning all their games on Monday and Wednesday reasonably comfortably. UQ looked threatening in the final, but with 30 minutes to go, Mac simply kicked it up a gear and ran out winners 14-10.

The Plus: Experience
Imagine facing this line of seven - Duncan Keenan, Julian Salazar, Neil Roxburgh, Yoann Greau, Megan Gamble, Bec Carman and Gen McDermott. That's what Mac had.

The Minus: Threat of Post-Worlds effect.
I'm really stretching for a minus here, but similar to what I said about Melbourne last week, Mac might find themselves without Matt Dowle, Bec Carman, Megan Gamble and Tiger Webb if they decide that the post-Worlds hangover is too much. But even then they'll still have a top 8 team.

Players to watch:
Rory Connell - with all the talent on the team, this rookie managed to stand out, but that is mostly due to the The Kyle Riemers Effect. Tall and athletic, he grew into the game very quickly over the three days and will be difficult to contain at AUG, especially if he plays deep and learns how to position himself better.
Hayley McFetridge - Hayley will win the party. Every night. And then probably play better than you the next day.


I'm nearly ready to make some early predictions about AUG. In fact, I'm willing to bet on a top 8 of (in no particular order) Mac, UQ, Sydney, Newcastle, UNSW, Melbourne, UWA and Flinders. Any takers?