One Week

So, Nationals. Here is what I think about every team I know about.

Heads of State

Pros:

• Size of roster. There's no denying that sheer legs can make a massive difference come crunch time.
  
• Sweet pick-ups, including Tim 'Raging Bull' Booth and Michael 'Stout for Callahan' Stout.
• Rueben will probably be the only person at Nationals who knows the rules.

Cons:

• HoS implosion factor. You all know how this goes - the Chaddy Paddy crew start believing their own hype, play like ass (down 4-1 against Fakulbee? Really?) and wonder why they aren't playing a final.
• Hotheaded, emotional team. There is only so much calming influence Owen and Rueben can provide.

Chilly

Pros:

• Gack. He's back.
• Rest of the roster are probably capable of throwing to him.

Cons:

• While they do have the depth expected of a top-tier team, they are obviously reliant on Tom. If he is shut down, or injures himself, or is still a little on the unfit/ineffective side, what then?

Fyshwick

Pros:

• Dream roster - some of the best names in Australian ultimate at the top, and tail end that is, relative to some other teams playing Nationals this year, far superior.

Cons:

• That's exactly what everyone thought about Barefoot last year, and they came 12th.

I-Beam

Pros:

• The two Lavis's have the same haircut now, it's impossible to tell them apart when you're calling the line. Not sure how this will work in their favour.
• Besides their usual big names, their peloton of not-yet-big-names (Rhys Clenton, Shaun Hardy, Chris Hill) are really pulling their weight this season.
• Picked up Gav. Well, that's handy.

Cons:

• Tats is playing, but from what I have seen he is playing in a pretty diminished capacity. It will be interesting to see how the team adjusts to this.

Karma

Pros:

• Large (19) roster.
• Have the two players most likely to elicit 'where did THEY come from?' moments from the opposition - Alec Deslandes and Alex Britten-Jones.
• Lots of creative (and I suspect false) middle names on their AFDA rego.

Cons:

• Robbie Andrew.
• Lack of faith - none of the three Karma players I spoke to had any hopes of making the semi's.
• By the standards of the teams they are competing against, their teams lower end will struggle against tough opponents.

Sublime Antisocial

Pros:

• Home ground advantage.
• JD.
• Assembled the hugely-underrated cream of the West's crop.

Cons:

• That 'crop' has 11 players. That's gonna hurt.
• If you're looking for a Messianic pick up to save the day and win the final for you, Cupcake ain't it.

Firestorm

Pros:

• Some say John McNaughton has the best throws in Australian ultimate.
• John McNaughton says Buzz has the best throws in Australian ultimate.
• Solid receivers (Julian Sacre, Dan Young, some Neild guy) to catch what are arguably the best throws in Australian ultimate.

Cons:

• Could crack under the pressure. While solid players, there is a lack of big game experience in a lot of the roster.

Fakulti Y

Pros:

• Kenny.
• Sweet Danish pick ups.

Cons:

• Injuries and sickness are effecting roughly half the team, only a week out. Let's hope this clears up.

Fakulti X

Pros:

• The two Petes - Gardner, and Blakeley.
• Some of the most promising young blood in Australia in Max, Calan and Phil White.

Cons:

• Injuries currently taking out a lot of their top tier players.

That's about it from me. See you in Perth.