I gotta see a man about a Wallaby

Hands down, my favorite Aussie expression and now that The Dingos are all done with their US tour I thought I would offer some thoughts about the Thunder from Down Under.

Previous Results

I suppose the first thing to stress is that Australia is not a newcomer to international success. Maybe they are attracting attention now but they have done very well over the last few years. In Finland (WUGC 2004) they earned the bronze medal by beating Sweden in the the 3/4 game 17-11. In 2005 they turned major heads by taking the Silver Medal ahead of Team Canada in Duisburg, Germany and the following year they beat out all US and Canadian competition by making the finals against the Buzz Bullets in Perth. More recently, Australia won Beach Worlds in Brazil last year.

Player Selection

Unlike the US and Canada, the selection for the Australian National team is selection based, not team based. Players are hand picked from teams and organizations all over the country, thus giving Australia a truly National feel. Unlike previous years, the main tool for the selection process has been the National Ultimate Frisbee League or NUFL. This organization was started in 2005 for the sole purpose of enriching ultimate talent in Australia by distilling the nation's talent into 6 teams that duke it out every other weekend in the winter (our summer).

After the country's Club Nationals, which is typically in April, 12-14 players from the top 6 finishing teams are chosen to play in the NUFL. In addition, roughly 40 more players are pooled together and drafted by the 6 best club teams to fill the league. This league runs from May to July and the country's selection body observes all NUFL events as well as club and mixed tournaments in order to find the Nation's best.

In addition to NUFL events, there was also a massive selection camp of interested players that happened last July. There, players vying for a spot on The Dingos participated in drills, clinics, and scrimmages to determine the best of the best. In December, around 50 players were chosen to compete for spots on the National team at another training camp this past January, and the Dingo team was finalized in February.

Training

Not surprisingly, the training regiment for The Dingos is quite rigorous. Because the team is not as unified as Team USA/Sockeye or Canada/Furious, individual work ethic and commitment is crucial. Every other weekend the team is brought together in Sydney for training camp. The goals for these camps are very ambitious and players focus on everything from strategy, to fitness, to team bonding. These camps are intensely important because they are one of only a few opportunities to unify the team before Worlds. Peripheral to this, most of the conditioning, and training is done apart.

Aside from these every other weekend trips, each player competes in a variety of other venues to prepare for Worlds. There are local competitive leagues that most players participate in weekly and NUFL has weekly high level training sessions that further cement strategy, skills, and fundamentals. Each player also has weekly track and weight lifting sessions not to mention NUFL tournaments on "off" weekends. All in all, it is easy to see that each of these players is in peak physical form and has invested as much time, energy and effort as anyone into their Nation's team.

Strategical Approach

For all intents and purposes, Australia's offensive and defensive approaches are not too dissimilar from the United States or Canada. They enjoy their horizontal as well as vertical stacks and despite familiarity with a "spread" or "split stack" offense, they typically shy away from it. As for defense, they utilize more or less the same zone/man defense theories as teams in North America and as any veteran will tell you, it's not your game plan, but your execution that matters.

As for the brains behind The Dingo operation, Johnathan Potts seems to be the man. Pottsy is the founder of The Dingos and not surprisingly, is responsible for anchoring the organizational workload for Team Australia. However, that isn't to say that Australia doesn't benefit from some outside help. Several North American players have found their way down under and have offered strategical help when and where they can. Notable US contributors include Texas Alum and Doublewide standout Michael "Tank" Natenburg and Michigan Alum and former captain Ryan Purcell. Nick Menzies of Furious has also made the trek down south and all 3 have been valuable in giving the Aussies an outside perspective on our game.

Roster

The Australian roster is as loaded with talent and skill as any other team in the World. The team has a roster of 24 players, 12 from WUGC 2004, and 12 "rookies". Here are some notes on each:

Johnathan Potts (#2) - Pottsy is a defensive handler that captains and carries this team with as much skill as experience. His height allows him to be a valuable break mark thrower and his crafty veteran nature makes him an extremely valuable defender. He will typically carry the toughest defensive assignment, so look for great matchups against the likes of Ray Illian and Sammy CK from Team USA, Mike Grant and John Hassell from Team Canada, and Mashiro Matsuno and Yohei Kichikawa from Team Japan.

Chris Warris (#12) - Despite being the smallest player on the team, Warris is one of the most experienced. He, like Pottsy, is a big time veteran and his agility and talent puts him center stage for handling assignments on offense. His defense is also top notch with great field sense and awareness. Look for him to catch any opponent sleeping on a sick layout poach D.

Owen Sheperd (#1) - One of two Shepards on The Dingos, Owen was part of the '05 team that won the silver medal. As a defensive handler, he dominates with pin point accuracy and his ability to spot and manage poaching defenders makes him lethal with the disc. His vision for pesky defenders makes him a valuable throwing threat as well as a brilliant defender himself.

Jonno Holmes (#14) - Holmsey seems to be The Dingos "Big Man". His height and vertical make him a major fantasy point player and his Worlds experience puts him up there with Chase and Nord. In addition, like these and other world class players, he is just as capable with the disc and routinely launches hucks after underneath cuts. Look for him to be cutting option #1 and going up top for posterizing goals.

Mike Neild (#7) - Mike is a former Australia Football League player and his "Beau Kittridge" athleticism earned him the nickname Space Needle. He routinely goes up for discs before all others but seems to always be the one to land last, with the disc. Likewise, his closing speed makes him as good a defender as there is and a ruthless deep threat when given the opportunity.

Tim Booth (#0) - Timmy is the Australian equivalent to an Andrew Fleming or Josh Ziperstein, the absolute work horse that will run his defender into the ground. He is as useful on O as he is on D and will muscle his way to the disc despite impossible odds.

Tim Lavis (#5) - Lavis is one of 12 Australian "pups" that is representing his country for the first time. He is another tall downfielder that has the naivety to cut wherever he choses. Lucky for him, he has the legs to get him the disc despite any defender in his way.

Joel Pillar (#23) - Joel is a new Dingo pickup but is far from "newbie" status. He is a transfer from Barramundis and was a primary scoring threat for The Mundis. He carries a Tyler Grant build with the ability to body out just about anyone and can launch as many hucks as he reels in.

John Liddicoat (#21) - JLiddi is another Dingo pup and carries a work ethic similar to that of Tim Booth. Like an Adam Sigelmen (Boston) or Josh "Richter" Ackley, his middle of the road height and athleticism has motivated him to outwork his opponents and will have the ability to catch unsuspecting defenders off guard.

Ken Sheperd (#10) - The other Shepard on the Dingos, Kenny brings a "DoG" like awareness and poise to The Dingos. Notorious for his cunning offensive abilities, he will anchor the Australian O-line and make team mates like Space Needle and Holmsey look good.

Abra Garfield (#20) - Bra is an Ex-Pat and Amherst alum that will be on the line with Pottsy as another defensive handler. Like myself, he lives frisbee and enjoys intense play with tons of bids and long range looks.

Pete Gardner (#15) - Pete is another '04 Dingo that carries a Mike Caldwell role for The Dingos. A brilliant offensive player with arguably the best backhand in the Southern Hemisphere. His "Shangri La" is in zone offense, making cups and wings look silly with spectacular break throws and field awareness.

Paul Denyer (#36) - Paul is another Dingo pup and is the only representative from Western Australia. He is damn proud of his roots and is equally content on D-ing up on the best our sport has to offer. In addition, he carries the composure to find his place in the D-line offense and will be as good at keeping the disc as he is at earning it.

Dave O'brien (#16) - Along with Kenny Shepard, Dave is the focal point of the Australia offense. He is more or less your end all bail out when/if things get hairy. As a veteran Dingo, he handles with exceptional poise and execution, as he makes one good decision after another.

Andrew Glover (#13) - Andrew may be a Dingo pup but he carries the "fastest man" in Australian Ultimate label. Much like a Fortunant Mueller or Adam "Wormser" Bunn, once he is gone, he is gone. Look for him to earn one step on his defender and be off to the races. Likewise, on D, he routinely runs right past his opponent for easy catch blocks.

Dan Rule (#26) - Dan is the youngest player on the Dingos but is one of the most experienced. He was part of the '06 Junior Worlds team and his veteran abilities will keep him ice cold when the pressure mounts. Like an Oscar Pottinger or Andrew Vogt, his throwing abilities at such a young age are just unfair.

Steve Antonopoulos (#81) - When he lived in San Diego we called him Aussie Steve and after years of experience with PBR and more recently with Brass Monkey, his size and throwing skills make him an amazingly valuable offensive threat. Look for him to come out of the stack with a crafty break side cut and rip a full field break huck to a streaking cutter downfield.

Jonathon Tatham (#3) - Tats is a proud pup and Newcastle recruit like Lavis, Warris, and Holmsey. He has one of the best combinations of cutting and throwing abilities on the team and will be a vital downfield throwing threat, tossing scores before the defense even knows what hit it.

Mark Taylor (#11) - Tubby is a rookie for The Dingos but was part of Thong when they made the Finals in Perth. He is a silent but violent threat on the field and will snatch jump discs when given the opportunity.

Matt Dowle (#9) - Labeled as one of the best players in Australia history, he is a Veteran's Veteran with a Ron Kubalanza or Andrew Lugsdin laundry list of experience. An all around standout, Matt will be instrumental on every point he plays and will be an asset both with and without the disc in Vancouver.

Anothy Dowle (#4) - Like the Patisteas, Anthony and Matt Dowle are identical twins and threats on the ultimate field. Ant carries all the skills of his brother, just a different number. Look for him, and his brother, to line up on the likes of Chase and Nord.

Gavin Moore (#19) - Gav is another Thong '06 pup and not only is he a great defensive play maker, but he also has the speed of Glover and the hops of Mike Nield. A very committed yet experienced player, he is another "rookie" that isn't exactly a "rookie".

Angus Keenan (#29) - Gus turned heads in 2006 when he made his famous layout save/goal in the finals at WUCC, featured on Ultivillage. In addition to being a workhorse, he is a brilliant cutter and will play a big part on The Dingo O-line with Tats, Dowles, and Holmsey.

Brett Matzuka (#45) - The American Face of The Dingos, Brett is a lethal 5'8" handler/cutter. He is as springy as it gets and his all around offensive abilities earned him 75 fantasy points in Perth (28 Goals, 47 Assists), the most of any player in any division. Brett has been my liaison and without him, none of this would have been possible. Thanks homie.

Challenges and Goals

The Dingos are definitely poised to make another medal run, but their main goals are peripheral to their eventual finish. They want to win, as any team at WUGC would, but they are set on achieving personal/team goals within their grasp. Things like team chemistry, desire, and execution are all things Australia is putting high emphasis on but they are difficult to quantitate with wins and losses. Like Japan, Australia has come up through the ranks in World competition and are hoping to utilize every opportunity for not only their current campaign but those to follow as well.

In my opinion, I see Australia finishing 4th/5th. The main disadvantage that The Dingos have is their experience with one another. Like Boston last year, they have as many weapons as a team needs to succeed, but putting all the pieces together will be a challenge. Sockeye, Furious, and the Buzz Bullets are all teams with years of established chemistry and half of the Australian roster has yet to compete with one another. This isn't to say that they stand no chance against the other powerhouses, but I sincerely hope they utilized every training opportunity and scrimmage as a team to all get on the same page.

In addition, Australia has not had the puddle jump opportunities that Japan and England have had. Clapham/Great Britain has come over to Boston Invite several times and are very aware of how they stack up against North American teams. Likewise, the Buzz Bullets have made it out to ECC several times and have even had Furious and Sockeye come their way. However, Australia has only seen a handful of American teams, none of which will be in Vancouver. But as any coach will tell you, it isn't about your opponents, it's about you. If The Dingos play their game and execute their game plan, who's to say they aren't gold medal worthy? With as many athletes and veterans as the Aussies have, they stand just as good a chance as any to be playing in the Finals on the 9th.

Closing Thoughts

Judging from their US tour performance, Australia looks as good as they need to be. I spoke with Idris about their game with Jam and the consensus seems to be that neither team played their best and things like jet lag cannot be left out when talking about the The Dingos performance.

I think their best performance was against Revolver, a team as young and wirey as they are and despite playing on foreign soil, the Aussies came to play. As for the Condors and Bravo, I think Santa Barbara has yet to prove themselves so it's difficult to determine what a close game with Australia means. Conversely, Bravo is my pick to win Nationals this year and I hear JB's defense was more than The Dingos could handle. They were successful breaking the mark around, however, and were composed enough to shy away from huck and hope turnovers. All in all, a 2-2 record against 4 quality teams is quite an accomplishment and I think they will have more confidence in Vancouver than they did when they left Sydney.

My one fear is that Australia is the gentle giant playing against teams that know every trick in the book. Australia is notorious for playing a more spirited game than North America and I really hope this doesn't turn out to be a liability. Things like travels and fouls that are called all the time in the States may be overlooked by the green and yellow and I do hope that the Universe will unfold as it should. The Dingos commitment to their sport and their country is truly fantastic. Their US tour is a great gesture to the Ultimate community worldwide and considering that no one is sponsoring this team in their efforts, my hat is really off to them. Best of luck in Vancouver, I'll be rooting for you guys, unless you're playing Canada, sorry.

just my thoughts

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