Reinvigoration and SAFDA League

So I recently decided that I was no longer going to use the evil that is Facebook between 9 and 5 on weekdays. Ostensibly this was so that I would actually get more work done, however an interesting side effect is that I now have time to do things like write some posts. Finally!

So here I go again, this hopefully will start a trend of blogging for me. However we shall see how I go.

SAFDA Open and Womens Leagues have started up again and after two weeks the shape of the leagues is starting to form.
I won't comment on the women's league other than to say that I think The Fole has made a pretty good estimation of how this league may turn out. The only thing I would add to this is don't underestimate the strength of the Flycatcher and UE girls. Both have strong teams and some great players... However I say this with the benefit of hindsight, both teams having gone 2-0 early in the season.


Open Div 2 is still very much anyones league, with UE and Flinders Sunbeams both having gone 2-0 as well. However both of these teams have beaten Flinders Blue (my team sadly) on golden point. Not having a full team out yet has definitely hurt Flinders teams so far, with Sunbeams normally managing a single line only and Blue averaging five players a game.
Adelaide Uni 2 and Flycatchers are both showing strong beginners as well with Flycatchers having three, that's right THREE, "Davises" on their team. If they are all as athletic as Chris Davis, then they're likely to end up being a strong team. Even if none of them can throw.


Open Div 1 is where a lot of the action I'm familiar with is happening. Flinders Fury are sitting pretty at the top of the table having narrowly beaten Adelaide Uni and taking down Joel and Bumbo convincingly (admittedly Huy was not playing due to injury, but shh...). With UE, Flycatchers and NAU still to play they are by no means safe on top of the table. They have the depth of players and the skill to take the league, however they (I say they, I mean we) need to come together as a team a bit more for that to occur.

Joel and Bumbo have had a mixed start taking down UE (a team consisting mostly of players that are going to nationals) very convincingly. J&B's girls dominated against this team, playing clean offence and some tough defence - Alison Clarke being top scorer for the team. However just one week later and without Huy they went down to Flinders. So this team is yet to show it's true form. Will they always be weak without one of Joel and Huy? Did they have a bad week? Will the develop as a team and bring the season home strong?

UE are not having an auspicious start to the season going down hard to J&B. However they drubbed NAU last week so may have recovered some form. The spanking they were given by Karma on monday night (sorry guys, it's true) may fire them up to come out hard this week.

Sporting a similar line up to the past couple of leagues, Adelaide Uni: Hard Ticket are a tough team to call. They have a deep line and a lot of experience, however without BJ they lack the dominant player that a lot of the other teams have. Will their experince, both with the game and with their team, prove to help counteract that? So far the answer seems no. However having lost to both Flinders and Flycatchers by very slim margins it's not a definite no.

Flycatchers are the team which got hit the most over the off season losing both Rian Dutch and Craig Turnbull, two of the best players in the league, to travel and injury respectively. They managed to pick up Sean Lace, adding to their already impressive number of short, quick, nuggety players. But will it be enough to give them a realistic shot at the league? So far they're 2-0, taking down NAU and Adelaide Uni.

I can't help but feel sorry for NAU, the final team in the league, as they have a core of some talented, experienced players and they have put plenty of time and effort into recruiting. Yet they don't seem to have much to show for it. They picked up three new players this league, I'm yet to see them so I can't comment, but one would hope that they're athletic enough for players like Brian Scheel, Noah Wichman and Chris Palazzi to do something with.

Enough rambling out of me, that was material enough for two posts. From that predictions for this weeks games: (I've only done Div 1 and Womens here. I'm lazy)

Div 1:

J&B def. AU Hard Ticket (I don't think AU can shut down Joel and Fatty effectively, even sans Huy)
Flinders Fury def. NAU (NAU are yet to show good form, Fury are hitting their paces)
UE def. Flycatchers (UE will be fired up from monday)

Women:

Flinders Fun def. DDD's (Spillar's throws may be too much for the DDD line, with her able to hit Emma Victory and Tessa Bilney being able to carve up in the middle)
Flinders Flames def. DD's (This will be a close game. If Alison Clarke is playing, I back the Flames. With her and Kristen Burdon able to shut down any long options that the DD's may try. If Alison isn't playing this game may go either way, with Flames losing a hefty whack of disc skills without her)
Envy def. Flycatchers (While the Sating Flycatcher girls boast probably the deepest roster out of any of the womens teams I'm yet to see all their players out. With some very good disc movers and some decent long threats including Emma "I'm-just-standing-here, oh-look-I-scored" Kiel I have to give this one to Envy.)