BPL this season is looking to be the biggest and best it's ever been, with the introduction of two new teams to the league, a host of new players, the retiring of some old hats, and various team switching shenanigans. Over the last few seasons, we've seen a trend of consolidation, whereby most of the established teams (with the notable exception of UQ) have concentrated on building strong and solid team bases. This was good news for overall league strength, but bad news in terms of league building.
This season the fortunes have reversed, and we're seeing a reshuffle of talent, as well as a massive influx of shiny new people.
The teams in the competition this season: Moreton Bay Buggers, Slamtown Flatball Club, Dojo Mojo Ultimate, UQ Lovers, UQ Passion, Cobras and Heroes.
Moreton Bay Buggers
No team has been more dominant in this format that the Buggers. There are many hypotheses for this (you could ask Buzz for some good ones), but most of them fall on a particularly winning combination of big Mike Nield, and little (in height only) Jason Ray, followed by a solid team of useful support acts.
Jray has been vital cog in the Buggers premiership machine for the last many years, but this season he's left them to his own devices, to go do whatever it is ultimate players do when they finish playing ultimate. Another cog in the works will be Mike's absence from several games this season.
Buggers haven't traditionally been a two horse act (some of you will disagree with me here), but with notables such as Jangles and George headed off to Heroes, Jimmy to Slamtown, and Fatty (the previous season) to Dojo, they're losing experience fast. With Stu, Spinner, Manuel and Tony Ross at the helm, it will be interesting to see how much of that winning tradition is left to rub off on the current team.
Cobras
Cobras are a team built for a new ethos in BPL, similar in manner and design to their southern brother HOS, if not in success. As a team, they get cracking on their warm up, do drills and things that teams do, and get really angry at each other. Unfortunately for the other teams in the Premier League, it doesn't look like they're going to have to much to be angry about this season.
The overwhelming impression of their line is solidity. This team doesn't have weak links. Every player has been playing BPL level or similar for years, and should be able to pull it out when it's required (or she's not looking). Cobras have star pickups in Robbie and Abra this season, along with the byron youngsters Abraham and Isaac, and big Joel.
While there inaugural season left a little bit to be desired for the team themselves, and for the rest of us who were expecting big things, this season might be there year. Certainly a team to watch for in the finals.
Whatever else they are, this team should be a nice little nursery for good value handlers, with Reese, JJ and potentially Jack all going to regularly step up to the plate in the coming season.
Dojo
Well, they have experience...
Does anything more need to be said about these perennial battlers? It seems every season they strap together a series of compelling round robin victories, only to fall short at semis or finals.
This Old Boy's club never really lags behind though, and despite the lack of new blood (only Peter Allen, Rohan Ferris and Jon Good have jumped ship in the pre-season transfer window) you can't really get better team chemistry than this. Somehow all these aging bones seem to animate themselves fairly well when you get into the mix of it.
Deep threats will be very real in Pete, Rohan, Dan Walls and Fatty and expect throws to come from all over the park. With what's looking like the demise of the Buggers, perhaps this will be the year that Dojo pulls through. Then again, perhaps not.
Heroes
We wanted a new team. Players were screaming at it from the rafters after last season's curfuffle of 5. But did anyone expect this?
I mean, really?
Anyway, here they are, straight from BUML to you, the Heroes. There isn't much doubt in a lot of experienced minds, that this is going to be a challenging season for the young team in green. The step from BUML to BPL is a big one, and it can be challenging even for individual players not to fall on their face a few times. Nevertheless, Heroes will be a welcome new addition to the ranks of BPL teams. Always impressive with their large rosters of keen players, they've been developing some exciting latent potential in their two Monday night teams, which will be great to see when it gets let out ... and maybe refined a touch.
This is where more experienced players have stepped in to lend a hand. Players such as Dusty, George, Jangles, Fox and a little pickup called Myall, will all add a much needed pinch of je ne sais quoi to the Heroes mix. Look for this young outfit to start frustrating more established teams when we get later into the season, and perhaps grab a couple of upsets while they're there.
My expectations, however, are that this will be a challenging and fruitless year for the small green people, but hopefully they learn a lot from it.
Lovers
UQ teams have suffered as a whole in the last year or so. 2009 saw Buggers reconsolidate into a single stronger team, Cobras form, and other teams reinforce their holdings. UQ however has kept two teams, which allowed more players to be developed at a time, but also left them weaker. Combined with excursions of players to more fertile grounds, 2009 wasn't the best year.
Lovers however, are never a team to be overlooked. They won the competition only a few seasons ago on a golden run, and are always looking to come back strong. Players such as Buzz, Al and Nathan present significant match up quandaries to any opposition, and pickups from Chimis will bolster this team's legs. The player to note in my opinion on this team will be Brenton Williamson, who'll be playing his first BPL after 'being discovered' at AUGs and picking up some sweet skills.
The dilemma for lovers however comes in the team's age. The split in the last few seasons, has left Lovers with the old, and Passion with the new, and neither seeming to do the more successfully out of it. Lovers average age will be pushing 30 this season, but in BPL experience has never been a bad thing.
Look for them to post a stronger middle of the pack finish in this league, after blooding a couple of young guns last season.
Passion
There's only one team in this league that has jerseys the colour of fist. This is that team.
Passion are a team of streaks. When they first started as the brainchild of some old dude, and an annoying short guy, they struggled for a season or so, but built into a promising run. Unfortunately people left, and they struggled some more, and then built into a more promising run. It was only one and a half years ago that it seemed Passion was making every final, and then following Dojo's lead.
Unfortunately more people left, and they struggled a bit more again, and perhaps now they're ready to get right back into the winning times.
Tighter selections have led to a deeper squad than in the last couple of years, and the most fast, young legs of all the BPL teams. With an average age hovering somewhere on that 20 mark, what this team needs most is a bit of experience to push it over the line.
Jules, JMac and Gref are looking to provide that, with Vinko stepping up to play a more pivotal role as well. Players lost in the last season include Joel and Will Churchill, so this team won't be at their best, but perhaps are now headed away from their worst. Look out for them in the finals end of the draw.
Slamtown Flatball Club
Is there a better way to name your local Gold Coast ultimate club? I would argue not, and in this group of fresh BPL players, will be a whole lot more competition for Brisbane ultimate.
Having represented the GC in Regionals and Halibut tournaments over the last few years, this team doesn't lack for experience. Nor does it lack for team cohesion, with dedicated team trainings for the Nationals push later in the season.
Gold Coast locals have flocked under the new banner, with BPL stalwarts Jimmy, Nandor, Phil Stocks and Stef all taking the Slamtown helm.
This dark horse also has it's share of new blood with big game experience in Mike Morgan, Lee O'Dwyer and Darren Shi to name a few.
What should we expect from this team? Who knows? But I'd say they'll be fairly disciplined, and also fairly deep.
Will they be good? Probably.
Where will they be at the end of the season? Pushing semi's at least.
Wrap up
So that's an introduction to the teams, but where will they be in 3 or so months time?
Here's my rough bet for final standings:
Cobras
DojoPassion
Slamtown
Slamtown
Lovers
Buggers
Heroes
Tell me your own and prove me wrong.
