The Latrobe Golf Club Team Premiership

Compression Garment

2011-05-03T17:16:00.001+10:00

Just 2 weeks ago there was a massive 20 points between first and last. The 8 was looking easy to pick as the Premiership Table was stretched like a giraffes neck under a very high nut tree during dinner time at the zoo. However just when you think that you are pulling away the pressure of Premiership Golf can wrap around that long gullet and squeeze hard. Suddenly, only 3 games separate the 16 teams as winter approaches; and with it, the looming finals series.

Triple WWW were riding the high life after disposing of F Troop comfortably in a top of the table clash that failed to boil as predicted. They stood on top of the mountain, a far cry from their low positions in the first 3 seasons. Something had clicked for this team and the enthusiasm was washing over each team member like a warm shower after a cold day. However losses to the always dangerous Gummers side and the 2 time Premiers the Buglers have suddenly put them back in the pack. One more loss this week to a surging Brothers In Arms side will have serious ramifications to their position on the ladder and more importantly, their enthusiasm on those now coldish mornings. They need to find that spark again quickly or those mornings will get even colder and the stress of missing their chance will settle like a thick frost on their self esteem and could lead to disaster.

The Buglers have bounced. 2 wins in a row have lifted them from the bottom of the table, a place that seemed impossible for them to occupy after they dominated the competition in the first 2 years. But the worrying signs of last year have continued and the battle against the new handicapping seems too wide a river to cross. The 176 posted in the past 2 weeks have accounted for their opposition but will hardly strike fear into the hearts of the free swinging Top 4. Indeed, the pulverizing form of the Vultures who continue to punch out scores in excess of 180 must seem a world away to the ex-premiership super power and suddenly they are feeling vulnerable. They need to find a way to step up to higher scoring, 180 is the new ‘black’ and they are yet to conquer this number once in 2011. There are signs of life but with so much still to do. The low markers need to ‘go low’ and they need to do it regularly.

Their famous rivals of those first 2 years the Ferrets, are soaring again. Equal top on the ladder they have the experience required to go deep into winter. They have handed the finals pressure well albeit, still without a premiership to show for this but have silverware in the cupboard. However if you keep knocking they say the door will finally open and once again they are within arms’ reach to rap their knuckles loudly. They are boosted by some simply awful summer golf from some that has created the handicap boost to place them in good shape as the days start to shorten. They still have some tough games to go starting this weekend against an F Troop team that have faltered in recent weeks. They are hungry and are looking forward to the deep of winter.

In Time Dynasty and the Brothers in Arms are very softly starting to make some noise. In Time have shown glimpses of greatness with the odd disappointing day however they are as keen as ever and are warming to the task at hand. Tactics are discussed regularly at a venue resembling a hungry whippet and the energy of the next day is occasionally sapped as these meetings sometimes go on longer than usual. However, they sit just outside the Top 4 and really haven’t played to their potential. It is a good position to be in as they are a very balanced team that believes that no other side can match them on their day. They will continue to push towards another finals series motivated by previous years’ near misses but energized with the belief that winning the premiership is not beyond them.

The Brothers (and sister) in Arms are going along beautifully. After a slow start they have put together a solid month and there is no reason to think it will not continue. They do face a tough 3 games with ladder leaders Triple WWW their immediate opponent before it will get easier. If they can squeeze out 2 wins in the month of May, they should be heading to July with momentum and a team of solid all round players that can go deep into finals action.

Finally it is hard not to mention the present defending Premiers the Corruptibles. The build up to the blockbuster match against historic rivals the Ferrets 3 weeks ago had cyberspace bulging with emails and social media streams becoming very unsocial. The high of anticipation can yield to the corresponding lows of devastation if in fact the match turns ugly….and it did. Sadly for our premiers, that day did not go well and the ongoing effects of this shattering day are there for all to see. They escaped with a draw the next week against a Cup Hunters side that are starting to emerge as contenders and then plummeted to an In Time Dynasty side last week that were far from their best. They have dropped 10 places on the premiership table to 14th and this has led to rallying emails from their spiritual leader and early nights from their Captain. They must find their bond again and quickly. They are precariously positioned in that one more loss this weekend, will create doubts that they will even make the finals in 2011. It is an unthinkable suggestion, even the Professional jumped on their bandwagon early this year in search of a high ride to success again. They face this week the Wood Ducks, it is a watershed moment for their 2011 defense. Victory will breathe life back into the season and may provide the platform for them to launch to the heights all were expecting, a loss….. well the questions will grow louder and the pressure of being the Premiers and missing the finals, will wrap around them like the compression that helps tired old muscles work again. Maybe this compression; is exactly what they need…..

Don’t Die with the Music in You

2011-04-05T10:28:00.001+10:00

It is easy to look down from the top of the Premiership table. However when you look back up from the bottom, it has a totally different perspective.

Just ‘cause your at the top of the mountain doesn’t mean you cannot climb higher!

This is the question that presents itself to both Triple WWW and F Troop this weekend. Round 5 has produced the equivalent of a blockbuster from an independent movie company. Perennial wooden spooners F Troop and fellow historic bottom feeders Triple WWW meet after creating a new order. Both undefeated, both riding high but only one will remain on top after this weekend's round. Number 1 draft picks Chris Page and Toby Wilcox are producing results that matter for F Troop and their teammates are striving like never before; the results are remarkable. Tim Cahill has given Triple WWW the hope they have never had. His massive early season scoring was predicted and as been subsequently delivered. His team mates are now responding after finding that the air is cleaner at the top of the mountain and this makes it easier to jump out of bed on a cold Saturday morning and play. They are playing with vigor and it is impossible to predict the result of this match, it is the independent movie of the year.

The other Blockbuster though comes straight out of a Hollywood studio. The Corruptibles and the Ferretts have history and not the sort taught in boarding schools around our great land. There is little love lost between a team that has promised so much and has yet to deliver and a team that promises nothing yet has delivered plenty. The scoffing that the Corruptibles received when they revealed the ‘2010 YES’ caps from the mighty Ferrets was in disdain. It was sledging that was thick and let’s face it, deserved, who would have thought? However the last laugh is always longest and the Corruptibles have been laughing hard all summer and intend to keep doing so. The emails that fly back and forth between these two teams are the real reason for global warming, hot in content and thick in intent. However it is up to the Ferrets to respond. They are the team that still expects so much and they must create a will to win this Saturday that can produce a result. They are known in July for almost handling the pressure of finals, The Corruptibles now know they can. The Ferrets must face up, a loss will make a long season longer, a win may ease the content of cyberspace. The Corruptibles are the Premiers and the email, thick with home truths from the keyboard of the spiritual leader will be prepped and ready to send, the Globe will get hotter if the Ferrets lose again.

There are no Great Men, Just Ordinary Men that meet Great Challenges

The Buglers, 2 time premiers were considered great but the true measure of this team will come over the next 5 weeks. It is difficult to look at the Premiership Table and realize the depths that this once proud team has sunk to. Winless after 4 rounds it is a crisis. Another loss this week to arch rivals the Tunners will see their season over, gone before Easter, heat still in the sun and winter still to close in. It is hard to win many in a row now, the volatility of the handicapping system has seen to this. However this team needs to believe again. It has to find the steel that had it fixed to the top of the mountain for the first 2 years, unyielding; the team all aspired to be. The personal has changed little but the spirit within has dissolved to water. Was Tom Robson the Bourbon, Tim Johnston the Rum? Tommy is back and already the fire is back into the captain, superb last week. Winning is infectious and becomes a habit. If they knock over the Tunners they have the ability to turn things around, but it is a big if. The Tunners are good, and will not lie down. Great Challenges await the Buglers, ordinary men facing the chance to prove once and for all that they are great…..

The Upside of the Premiership Slide

2011-03-21T15:56:00.002+11:00

What has happened?? 2 time Premiers The Buglers winless?? 2010 Team Survivor victors and Preliminary finalists The Tunners winless, Top 4 regulars the Brothers in Arms winless?? Last years Knockout winners the Wood Ducks winless????

What is going on???

2 weeks in and the Premiership Table has been turned on its head like a Cabbage Patch Doll at a 2 years old's play date.

Triple WWW players can't find there team on the ladder such is there conditioning from 3 years in the bottom 8. They lead.
The Vultures, 2 wins from dominating performances that see them the top points scorers are now a force with just one change to a team growing in spirit and intensity.
F Troop, a team in there third year that have never finished higher than the wooden spoon are flying. Think about that one!!! They are gathering steam on the back of 2 number 1 picks and they are the plank to which the belief of this group is growing from.
The All Night Chemists, after major changes in the off season have created traction. 11, 9th and 7th in the first 3 seasons, they have overcome the highly credentialed Tunners outfit in a grudge match that they previously would see them melt. They have hardened and will continue to provide all comers with a dose of difficulty with a top 4 position now believable.
The Ferretts, oooh the Ferretts!!! The swagger is back and they are looking for the Corruptible s' crown. 2 from 2 is a worry for all other teams and belief has never been their problem.

After a fast start by the 5 teams it is up to the Captains of all others to not panic and look to inspire. It is a long season and just a small run of wins in the cauldron of pressure that the Premiership brings can change a ladder position dramatically. Prolonged periods of success are very rare and can not be relied upon. The 5 teams without a win must right the ship quickly as the reef of despair needs to be avoided at all cost, especially this early in the season. It is a long winter coming if defeats become a habit. They all play teams this week that have enjoyed the sweet taste of victory this year. It is a sweet elixir that truly cures all ills, the best tonic on earth, there is no better feeling than to be injected with the thrill of premiership wins.

This is the challenge that stands in front of 5 teams this weekend. It is a challenge that will be met by some but maybe not all. A win gives hope where a loss brings greater challenges from a deeper hole. Never lose belief, always strive for more and embrace the challenge that comes from registering that first Premiership win in the 2011 season.Play well...

Early Dynamics....

2011-03-07T16:41:00.001+11:00

It took just one day for the pressure of the Latrobe Team Premiership to take effect. One a day of perfect weather, the suffocating tension of realizing that you played for more than just yourself wrapped its hands around the throats of first time players in every team. The scoring suffered accordingly and with the exception of a few old hands, the golf course was certainly the winner in Round 1.

The exceptions were:

Has there ever been a more dramatic entrance of a number 1 pick than Toby Wilcox’s heroics on the final hole. Carrying the burden of 2 time wooden spoon side F Troop, weighed down by the expectation of all, a curling downhill 15 foot putt was encountered on the final hole….. for victory. In a contrast that depicts the Premiership, as the ball met the bottom of the cup, the devastation that befell In Time Dynasty was balanced by the utter elation of the beleaguered F Troop side. In Time, a heavily favored side must now wait 2 weeks in the fog of defeat to get the chance to drag their season back on track, whilst the wooden spooners can enjoy the realization that they may this season become the force that takes them to the finals action in July.

The Ferretts are back!!! The arrogance that was loved by them and hated by all others in the first two seasons has returned and it is sure to smack all comers in the face this season. They are a good side; chock full of competitive juice and devoid of mercy. The normal close rivalry between them and the historically undefeatable Buglers side was a white wash, a thrashing that may just be a preview of the season to come. The Buglers need to find the glue that bound the group so tightly in the first 2 seasons. They were magnificent back then, a ruthless machine that slaughtered all in front of them. Well the machine that showed signs of rust last year seems to have all but broken down. It will need more than oil, it needs a complete overhaul and someone in that team must hit the phone and find out what petrol is required to get the motor of the Buglers up and running again.

The Premiership Clock had defending the Corruptibles at 12 0’clock and favored to go back to back. Reveling in their new found fame, they came out firing and hi the winners circle with a force that knocked the Wanderers into the next post code. A dominating performance saw them post the equal top score of the day and they are a confidence side that is full of confidence. It was as always a consistent team performance that history says, is the ideal formula to go a long way in Team Premiership golf. It remains to be seen if this will continue but there is nothing to suggest it will abate and suddenly Round 2 throws up F Troop in front of them. Last year’s Premiers against last year’s wooden spooners; after F Troops heart stopping victory in Round 1, loaded with 2 number 1 picks, this game suddenly has entered blockbuster status.

Finally, the Tunners moment of truth has come in Round 2. When the Tunners captain did not call out his Auntie’s name, there were eyebrows raised and a murmur rippled around the room. A nervous rebuttal from said Captain did little to quiet the storm….. Round 2 sees the Denise’s All Night Chemists play the Tunners. The world will be watching on with interest as we all know one thing is certain in life…
HELL HAS NO FURY LIKE A MATRIARCH SCORNED.

The Beginning.....

2011-03-04T22:51:00.001+11:00

Each year the start of the Premiership season offers new hope to those that finished with none, new blood in teams that had bled dry,new challenges to those that had failed before and new excitement for those that had finished with nothing. It is a great time of year and as the new draftees tee up nervously, sensing others watching more closely now, they will feel the knot grip tightly in their guts, the grip of their fingers tighten and the stress of the first tee shot will be overwhelming.

The first round holds the chance of everything but the promise of nothing. Which team will take the chance this year. The Corruptibles, with their jaw dropping victory last year proves that every dog truly does have his day. Deserving Premiers cause they took their chance, on a cold windy day at the start of August, they prevailed, they had the belief when others didn't, they produced a team effort that was unsurpassed. Which team will persevere and be proclaimed the Premiers of Latrobe for 2011??

We will know in 22 long weeks. 1 tale of glory amongst 15 devastating others. Good luck to all the teams and especially the new draftees of 2011. Ignore the nerves at your peril. From now on, every shot counts, your are part of a team and together you may just be part of the victory that bonds your team forever. Play well!

The RUN HOME..........

2010-06-10T21:46:00.001+10:00

Just 4 weeks out from the finals and it seems some teams have done the hard work early and can cruise home however others need to lift and find some momentum. In a sure fire way to make a fool of myself, the following predictions have come from an anonymous source deep inside a Crystal Ball found discarded on the side of a gravel road.

Certain Finalists

Tunners – (36 pts) Wally World (L), Buglers (L), Vultures (W) Chemists (W)

Finish on 44 Pts

Wally World – (32 pts) Tunners (W), Vultures (W), Ferretts (L), Corruptibles (L)

Finish on 40 Pts

Looking Strong

Corruptibles – (28 pts) Brothers in Arms (W), Triple WWW (W), Cup Hunters (L), Wally World (W)

Finish on 40 Pts

Tridents – (28 pts) Buglers (W), Chemists (W), Wood Ducks (L), F Troop (W)

Finish on 40 Pts

In Time Dynasty – (28 pts) F Troop (W), Brothers in Arms (L), Triple WWW (W), Cup Hunters (W)

Finish on 40 Pts

Gummers – (26 pts) Wood Ducks (W), F Troop (W), Brother in Arms (W), Triple WWW (W)

Finish on 42 Pts

On the knife edge

All Night Chemists – (24 pts) Wanderers (W), Tridents (L), Buglers (L), Tunners (L)

Finish on 28 Pts

Ferretts – (22 pts) Triple WWW (W), Cup Hunters (L), Wally World (W), Vultures (W)

Finish on 34 Pts

Wood Ducks – (22 pts) Gummers (L), Wanderers (L), Tridents (W), Buglers (L)

Finish on 26 Pts

Wanderers – (20 pts) Chemists (L), Wood Ducks (W), F Troop (W), B in Arms (W)

Finish on 32 Pts

Buglers – (18 pts) Tridents (L), Tunners (W), Chemists (W), Wood Ducks (W)

Finish on 30 Pts

Need strong momentum.....

Vultures, Cup Hunters, Triple WWW and the Brothers in Arms need to have the golfing month of their lives.

It is down to the business end of the regular season. The finals are so close that teams that make their surge now will be successful. However those that hesitate, that stall at the feeling of heat that comes from the cauldron of the finals at Latrobe Golf Club, will be left in the cold depths of the bottom 8 of the Premiership.

TUNNERS HIT THE TOP

2010-05-18T16:38:00.000+10:00

The Matriarch of the Tunners became a 7 day member 5 weeks ago and they have not lost, now sitting at the pinnacle of the Premiership table, a spot they have never perched on before. ‘They need to keep winning’ is the words that reverberated around the Pro Shop Monday afternoon as it became clear that the expectations on this group were high. It was a smashing of the Wanderers, who sadly appear to have slipped back into those dark days of wooden spoon winning form from previous year’s, that allowed the Tunners to bypass the Tridents to the very top on percentage. It needs to be remembered that it is still May. The regular season is sure to throw a few twists the way of each team before the 8 is set for the July run to ultimate glory. The motivating words of the Tunners Matriarch will continue to sound loudly, she is demanding success and expects nothing less.
They meet the Cup Hunters in what is now one of the games of the round. Just as things have gone sour for the Wanderers, the Cup Hunters have found their voice. A Premiership Record Team high score of 193 have lifted this team to the verge of the 8 from the depths of despair just 5 weeks ago. They have 4 wins from 5 and are among the form teams in the Premiership. They have the ultimate test against the top of the table Tunners this Saturday however their confidence is high and the enthusiasm growing, the coldness of winter is holding less fears for the team then 1 month ago.
The Wanderers are wandering and after sitting pretty 5 weeks ago, suddenly find themselves out of the 8. They have dropped 4 of their last 5 games, 2 of them by the agonizing margin of 1 point and now face the daunting task of defeating the red hot Tridents team that are energized like never before. The Wanderers could well look at their opponents to help unlock the puzzle that represents this form slump. The Tridents are regularly playing every week and are showing great depth across the entire team. Their Superstar GEOFF BLACKMAN is relaxed, without the stress of having to perform each week, The Captains of now and past are gelling, playing well, the team is happy (as winning tends to promote) and the enthusiasm is infectious. They are scoring strongly week in week out, becoming a bookies nightmare as the flood of money is pouring in, backing the Tridents to go all the way.
Wally World and the Brothers in Arms matched up in a blockbuster that left the crowd a little bemused. It was an underwhelming game with a spread of even scores from the Wally Wold team getting them over the line with only KEITH DING producing a round worth reporting on from the Brothers in Arms. Wally World appears to be finals bound with some breathing space between them and the drop from the Final 8 however the Brothers are gone. You would need to have a Nobel Prize in mathematics to find a way for this team to be a finalist in 2010. It is an amazing fall from the top 4 positions they have enjoyed in previous seasons. They will be joining Triple WWW at the snow in July rather than feeling the heat of finals pressure. Triple WWW can teach them how to ski, they are regulars at the snow and will be there again without question this year.
The Buglers are now really struggling. The 2 time defending Premiers have slumped to 13th and there are real doubts on their chances to make the finals let alone mount a genuine defence of their title. They are devoid of the spirit that held them together over the past 2 years and without the sizzling form of ERIC LEHNER over the past month, they would be in even direr straights than they sit in now. The heartbeat of this team may be in Canada. They need the enthusiasm of TOMMY ROBSON back and rumour has it that he will be visiting in July. It may be too late. Can you imagine the devastation he will feel when he arrives and finds out that his beloved Buglers have already fired their last shots in 2010? It is looking very likely that he needs to change flights and get over here in June to watch his team in action or sadly he will miss out.
Last Saturday they were taken apart by a team that has had their spirit return. The Dynasty has entered the 8 and look intent on staying there. The Irish blood is running through the veins again, the international cheer squad is finding voice and the shares in Guinness Breweries are on the way up. The next 2 games are tests though against the top scoring All Night Chemists and 2010 improvers the Wood Ducks. If the Dynasty has visions of grander things in July, they will need to win these matches. You need to launch at the Premiership Cup from a top 4 spot otherwise the continued stress of knockout games will eventually wear you down.
Finally, Cyberspace has been heating up through the week as the impartiality of a certain writer was called into question. A suggestion that the Mighty Ferrets has an enthusiastic supporter is as absurd as the backswing of the accuser. The Mighty Ferrets do not need their tyres pumped up! They have paid their price and are leaving it to talent laden team efforts to thrust themselves back into the Premiership limelight; efforts that are working. They are intent on continuing to rise from the ashes and phoenix-like are moving up the ladder, obviously causing concern for certain sides above them. Teams like the Corruptibles, who would seem to be spending their spare time at the keyboard rather than the practice range. The delicate structure of their essays, which are sent around to such a small circulation, is to be admired however the adjectives used to describe their own golf would need to be heavily censored. No verbs needed in reporting the dissection of the octopus, a swing best referenced as possessing unusual freedom. Yes, running an eye over the entire Corruptibles team reveals there are many moving parts however there is nothing moving about their freedom fighter and pseudo captain’s depictions of weekly events in the Premiership. So maybe it is time for them to down the pen and pick up the game, after all, the Ferrets are coming and they are MIGHTY......

Ferrets Emphatic in Response

2010-05-11T21:17:00.000+10:00

Eradicated, a free fall down the Premiership Table........ a season destroyed!!!!????
A word of advice for all; don’t right off the mighty Ferrets just yet!! In a dominating display of unity and self belief, it has taken one week, with an annihilation of the season’s highest scoring side the All Night Chemists, to announce to all Premiership sides that the Ferrets are going nowhere. They are not and were not a 2 man side. Inside this team is a spirit that cannot be diminished and with this emphatic display of extraordinary golf, they have announced to all that whilst they appreciate the sentiments from their respectful decision taken last week, they are not out to make friends, they are not looking for sympathetic hugs and they are certainly not out to lie down for the rest of this year. The competitive juices have never been stirred more, the bond that binds together this great team has never been stronger, in 2010; they have just one goal. With the utter destroyation and silencing of the All Night Chemist team last week, The Ferrets have taken their first step to what they see as their destiny, to lift the Premiership Cup on that last Saturday of July. Watch out!!!!
The Ferrets are not the only team stirring. The bottom of the table has been where much of the action is happening. Former Top 8 team of previous years the Cup Hunters, are also making a move with 2 wins in a row, bouncing off the bottom of the table. This resurgence is being led by their Captain of this year and the disposed one. Their musician LEX TIER, who penned the Club Song has been spending Saturday nights at home alone, lights out, a drained whiskey bottle by his side, tears of despair rolling down his cheeks, belting out his beloved theme song to no one. The bottom of the table is not the place for cheering, not the place for happy ditty’s and the song had become a weight which this team was struggling to hold up. However they seem to have found their voice and the strains of the Cup Hunters Ode blared out of the composers iPhone in the Pro Shop late Saturday; there was joy in chorus and it was the song of a team making now their move.
The Tunners are becoming a force. Renowned for long streaks of good (or bad) form, they are showing a new vein of consistency and it is coming from all through their team. They resemble Collingwood, a team also known for having no superstars but they always seem to end up with the score needed to post a win. Their inspiring mascot demands results. She now has her 7 day membership, is playing regularly and expects answers to come from the searching questions that will be posed as they are tested through the coming colder months of winter. It is the time of the year when the superstars of our game stand up. DENISE LENNOX, the matriarch of this Tunners team, is anticipating them, no demanding of them to remain on top.
The Wanderers, the Tunners next opponents, have halted their worrying slide by posting an impressive win over Top 4 side The Gummers. ASH PEDLER kicked the Gummers off to what was an expected victory however it was trumped by the Wanderers draft smoky GARRY EDGLEY’s 41. Garry has excitement and is seeking to enjoy the atmosphere of finals which his football team does not present. It is a distant memory. He has plenty of support with the Wanderers proving a well balanced side and sit in the 8 where in previous years they have struggled. The good drafting of low markers should see them remain competitive under the increased heat that the spotlight brings to the contenders. There is expectation in this group which can work 2 ways; it will provide momentum into the biggest month of golf in their lives, an inaugural finals series for this team in July OR; it will produce a nervousness that creates a suffocating series of scoring that squeezes the life out of a season, destroying months of effort, weeks of grinding that is aimed at one thing, Premiership glory.
In Time Dynasty has had little coverage so far this year for good reason, there has been little to report on. The disappearance of their Captain has left a side gasping for purpose, bereft of goals, aimlessly moving from week to week. They have 4 wins however a quick glance at the ‘Points For’ column produces an awkward pause. They seem to have an innate ability to extract poor scoring from their opponent’s. It is no doubt a skill worth learning. Things may be turning though with the heart beat rumoured to be returning, Irish Stew may be back on the menu and the international ratings about to spike again. There has been a bet made that is costing this author plenty and the Guinness will flow freely soon if the money continues to change hands in the same direction of previous weeks. I have no allegiances however a win this week from the defending Premiers The Buglers will stem the bleeding somewhat... hopefully.
The big blockbuster game this week is no doubt the Brother in Arms against Wally World. The emails have been running hot already with GROSSEK and CURCIO taking up arms for their team mates in a battle of wits and tongues that should make the drive down Farm Road on Saturday for these two teams a little more meaningful. There will be a touch of nerves, an air of anticipation and a thick fog of sledging as they strike the initial blows towards that first green. The ‘RISE of the Lambs’ we have been promised, a ‘Feast for the Lions’ was returned, it will be a battle royale. Will Wally World rely on their MasterChef JIM MITRIS again for victory (46 points last week, the best individual score in Premiership history) and will he prepare the Shanks that come in ample supply from the NZ favourite, KG lamb? Shall the talent that sits at the bottom of the table decide this week to begin to bubble to the surface and with it create the cracks that could see the World that Wally has built slide out of the 8 into the crevices of the bottom half of the ladder. The winner will no doubt brag hard for a year........

Richie Hayes Wins Jim Foley Medal

2010-04-28T10:33:00.001+10:00

Rarely does anyone have the opportunity to be a hero. To lift their side to victory when all seems lost. A sensational round of Plus 5 by left hand stalwart RICHIE HAYES lifted the undefeated Wood Duck team to a dramatic 1 point win over a desperately unlucky Cup Hunters side. Reeling from a season that they already would prefer to forget, the Cup Hunters had seemingly done enough with one Wood Duck left to post a score, the sun setting and the night cooling. The song that has been sung just once this year in victory was ready to be belted out again, excitement filled the air, the year would be back on track. It was a dagger in the heart, thrust left handed, sinking deeply in, the match lost, shattered and the year for this once proud team; all but a dead duck. Those dreams of glory that at the seasons start were so vivid in the mind of new Captain MEGALOUDIS, have been replaced by the visions of a maniac. It is only April, and the nightmares that now come to this captain in his deepest sleep, will continue for some time as the season heads into the depths of winter. Darkness is sweeping over this team, they are all but gone for the year and the captain is slowly going insane.
Last years mid season blockbuster and the grand final rematch between the Ferrets and the 2 time defending champions the Buglers, has come and what a difference a year makes. Ironically they met in Round 7 last year, The buglers struggling to find early season form and the Ferrets flying. Nothing has changed here with the Ferrets winning a classic a year ago however the ultimate revenge in the Grand Final was the Buglers salvation. What is to become of this match this year? The tidal wave of emotion that swept over Etihad stadium that helped push the Storm to their greatest victory, will be nothing like the tsunami that is approaching Latrobe. The Buglers are struggling again to find traction for their defence again, stumbling through wins that see them out of the 8 and doubt setting in. The Ferrets, Teflon like, closing ranks, will need all their ability to surf the wave of emotion that is building, a barrel of water that is gaining speed and due soon to crash over the Premiership at Latrobe. It has become the year’s most anticipated match; as much for who will be playing (last year’s Grand Final BOG TIM JOHNSTON returns) then for who will not be playing. Two giants of the competition collide, the swirling winds of change to these teams will create its own weather pattern; and in all its wonderful irony, in Melbourne this Saturday it will be ‘The Perfect Storm’!
The 4 teams that enjoyed priority picks in this seasons Boags Classic Blonde Draft have taken separate paths early in the season. Triple WWW and the Vultures have endured 2 seasons of pain and now look up the table again from its depths. They see perched high up in the tree of premiership destiny, the Wanderers and F Troop, both enjoying the sunshine that comes with their high perch. It is a place they have only previously dreamed of. This brilliant sunlight and its comforting warmth doesn’t penetrate to the lower branches of this tall tree, especially into the root system that the Vultures sit amongst with the Cup Hunters and the Brothers in Arms. They have been desperately unlucky falling for the second week in a row by a solitary shot, so close but so far. It is a brutal life if you lose the close ones, teams push you down rather than help you up. Branches are chopped from underneath you; it is easier to fall then to climb. Triple WWW heaved itself up a branch with victory against F Troop a rare feat this year but may be the start of more climbing, the sunshine now so close they can see it but not yet feel it. Its warmth is a powerful motivator, another win and they may feel some of this heat radiating down to them. F Troop and the Wanderers both lost, still enjoying the sun but they slipped closer to the shade that covered them for all of last year. From those high perches momentum is a hard force to stop, and if they were to slip again in Round 7, a free fall can begin plunging in a devastating drop to the darkness of the bottom branches, a place they know too well and a place they are keen to keep away from. There they will find the Brothers in Arms, a team with a fading tan, a Captain who is chilled to the bone and who is desperate for his team to start climbing quickly before the coldness of winter takes all their heat away.......

Wood Ducks Fly as Duck Season Begins

2010-04-19T20:56:00.000+10:00

Weekend Warriors, who stroke their shiny guns and dream of bringing their child’s ‘Man of Honour’ video war game to life, pulled on their gum boots, splashed on their camouflage make up and headed out to swamp lands around Victoria again last weekend; ‘Duck Season’ was now in full swing. It makes a man feel like a man to go on a hunt and bring home dinner, faithful friend at his heel, focus in his eye and courage in his heart. The fact that ducks don’t shoot back is lost in the adrenalin rush of bagging another bird. The stories of each hunt, embellished as they are told to young ones around fire places on cold nights, fill their souls with a desire to be ‘just like Dad’ when they grow up.
These tales of great victory against a formidable foe will start to permeate around the terrace houses of Clifton Hill, the Californian Bungalows of Ivanhoe and the oak lined streets of Kew if any of the 15 premiership teams that now take aim at the high flying Wood Ducks can manage to secure an upset win. It truly is Duck Season however the Ducks in Latrobe’s Premiership fight back. I fine mix of youth and experience has seen them remain the only undefeated team. Triple WWW, a team mixing star recruits from the draft with proven underperformers of previous years, the latest to feel the emptiness of firing a shot and missing. J R Smith, a wood duck of the highest order, was magnificent with his 41 points lifting his team to new heights. The excitement is building for Bobby Gardner, Captain and owner of the best swing at Latrobe, who is looking to soar like Jonathon Livingstone Seagull and drag his team through the clouds of doubt to enjoy the heavenly bliss of Premiership glory. The Wood Ducks are on their way.
F Troop are continuing on as they look to rewrite their only history, a wooden spoon in their first year. They faced a ‘Brothers in Arms’ side that have been a powerhouse of the premiership and in their first real test, F Troop were as comprehensive as the Brothers in Arms were disappointing. The new blood in this side is pulsing strongly bringing life to a monster similar to Frankenstein the movie. It is a horror film to the rest of the Premiership sides who had enjoyed the easy 4 points offered up each week meekly last year by this F Troop team but these teams are now suddenly feeling the doubt of not knowing if they have the talent and the nerve to defeat this emerging giant. The Brothers in Arms sadly had no answer, their movie matinee over early, mauled without mercy by F Troop and also eradicated from the Eliminator. They have fallen to the bottom of the Premiership Table, in horse racing terms, 1 length in front of the ambulance, a blaring siren is not needed. If they cannot find a win soon, the ambulance will be replaced with a hearse and it will take the finals chances of this once proud team to their ‘finals’ resting place.
The Corruptibles have no need for that hearse as they have big plans in 2010 for July. They have a strong bonding culture inside a necessary thick skin that is prodded mercilessly by a Weekly email from the ‘Freedom Fighter’. Its thick sledging is designed to toughen up the stomach of a side that softened quickly under the heat of finals pressure in previous years. It appears to be working in alternating weeks with the Gummers taking advantage of an off week. The author of this weekly email must surely turn this blowtorch on himself this week after posting a score that if was his handicap would have him pressing or C Grade championship favouritism. The Fight for Freedom must surely be put on hold with a measure of practice to bring his drunken octopus like swing back into the realms of sobriety.
The Tridents overcome the Vultures who once again provided another example of that old cliché that there is no ‘I’ in team but there are 5 in “Individual Brilliance”. Kevin McKrohan was magnificent with his 39 points 6 shots better than the best that the Trident team could muster. He joined last weeks’ superstar Dennis Connell in gaining ‘Best on Ground’ honours in a losing side as the team scores quickly went south. It was a great win for the Tridents side with their Scottish Heritage on holiday in New Zealand and their ‘All Latrobe’ superstar struggling for the first time this decade. However the Tridents sit in 3rd position due to a combined effort of all players and have set up a Top 4 Blockbuster match this week against the seemingly bullet proof Ferrett team that are coming to terms with more headlines than Brendon Fevola and playing as though nothing has ever happened. Maybe more copy on that in coming weeks.

Buglers Announce their Intentions

2010-03-30T22:13:00.000+11:00

It has always been said that you never knock a champion. In a world chocking on cliché’s, this one comes true more than most. There was a certain silence in the air last Saturday as Bugler after Bugler paid their fee and walked to the tee. No banter, no pleasantries, just a forced ‘hello’ and a steely glare. The time had come you sensed for the Premiers to stand up in the 2010 season. They, as did the Vultures, All Night Chemists and the Cup Hunters sat at 0 – 2 and faced the end of their season in the eye; 0 – 3 is the Latrobe Premiership’s ‘Death Valley’. The bottom most rung on a ladder that is too tall to climb, the foot of a mountain that is too steep to scale, the prospect of a 2010 finals campaign in July to bleak to consider. The Buglers, as they have in the past, responded to this pressure with the traits that has made it a champion team. Led by their All Latrobe star Left handed ROLY RYAN and end of season trip beverage coordinator GREG MADIGAN, the Buglers carved out their best score of the year, an imposing 190 points to overcome a gallant Triple WWW who were not disgraced. They have felt the pressure and heard the whispers, they knew that the time had come to get their season moving and now, like previous years, they have once again become the benchmark to which all other teams must measure themselves! The Cup Hunters, who are gone already, wait after Easter; things are looking up for the Premiers again.
The Tunners, well known for withering surges of momentum, also faced the bleakness of a desolate winter, devoid of finals, nothing to play for. Yet to taste victory in 2010, a draw in the seasons worst game sadly their only highlight with even that ray of sunshine clouded by elimination on countback from the ‘Eradicator’! They faced up to the Corruptibles who have been solid so far without being spectacular. A team that reads like a novel on a tram; gets you in but it is hard to focus as it is always a bumpy ride. They are consistent yet appear to unravel at times, posting high scores amid low numbers, joyous high fives amongst thick personal sledging. They are America in the time of the Civil War, a dangerous opponent to all teams when they pull together, a dangerous opponent to themselves when they pull apart. The Tunners caught them on a week that internal emails were sending poisonous darts and they made them pay. The victory, in a team that is renowned for a tight bond and team spirit, came from the clubs of 1 man; the last pick in the draft, the last pick in the playground, the last pick in life itself. CON SHEEHAN, announced himself to his team mates, to the Corruptibles and to the competition, that he has waited over 50 years to play for glory, and he intends to be counted. His 42 points was the steel in the knife that went through the Corruptibles heart and was the catalyst maybe, of the next great withering run that the tight knit Tunners outfit are famous for.
The All Night Chemists were short on players but not short on noise. They have been a little unlucky in the first 2 rounds striking teams that have fired and just needed to find a team a little off to taste their first win. The prospect of the highly respected Brothers in Arms side was daunting however it turned into a cakewalk. The Chemists were magnificent, led by Captain VINCE SOFO and supported ably by the pinch hitting RAY KELSEY. The Brothers in Arms had little chance against the onslaught. The Brothers are missing something so far this year. The normal consistency of scoring throughout the team has evaporated. The well of points that they drew regularly from the past 2 years appears to have sadly run dry. It has left this team thirsting for points and desperate to drink again. Their Captain is shattered, their All Latrobe Team Member has left the country and there appears no drenching rain in sight. The Easter Break will allow them to regroup, and they will need to as the Wood Ducks are the next target and are flying. Duck Season is approaching and last year it fell as the Ducks hit top spot. They then, fell out of the 8 after struggling to handle the pressure.
This year though, they have 2 juniors in HARRY and SELLARS who appear to have no fear, a better attendance of players and a dream to stay at the top of the pile. The produced the year’s top score of 191 against the previously unbeaten F Troop who slipped into last year’s wooden spoon producing old habits. It was an annihilation, with INGRAM, HAYES AND SELLARS all scoring 39 points. The Ducks intend soaring higher than Joe Cocker and enter the Easter Break brimming with confidence, content in the knowledge that their youth policy is starting to pay off handsomely.

F Troop and The Wanderers Stake Their Claim

2010-03-22T17:31:00.001+11:00

The glorious conditions that met the teams this past Saturday have produced 4 teams that remain unbeaten after 2 rounds. 2 of these sides know what is going on, sitting in the top 4 brings attention, brings the spotlight, and brings the pressure. ‘The Gummers’ and ‘the Ferretts’ (who we all love to hate), know this feeling and thrive on it (apart from Grand Finals). It is fair to say that ‘F Troop’ and ‘The Wanderers’ are unfamiliar with any of this. They are the previous 2 wooden spoon winners and being entrenched at the bottom of the table creates little news and even fewer headlines and no spotlight at all. They both are now in unfamiliar territory; the rarefied air of the top 4 even in the embryonic stages of this new season can make the breathing come a little uneasy for those not acclimatised to these heights.
‘F Troop’ will continue to test their mettle against this mounting pressure when taking on the 5th placed ‘Wood Ducks’ who are fresh off the season’s first draw. Despite the heroics of the left handed BRIAN SCOTT who flew like a bird, the rest of ‘The Ducks’ chose just to walk. They did not do this very well, only sharing the points with a ‘Tunners’ outfit that are struggling to get their season on track. These two teams shared the equal bottom scores of the round. This meant that ‘The Tunners’; after a super effort last week that ended with a close loss against the Mighty ‘Ferretts’, (who we all love to hate), suffer the heart ache of being eliminated from the Eradicator, joining the ‘Cup Hunters’ on the scrap heap, agonisingly due to a count back in what is just the second week!
‘The Wanderers’ must also lift their gaze as the smoking hot draft pick SEB WILLIAMS led an impressive effort against the ‘Cup Hunters’ who continue to struggle with their new leadership, name, logo and theme song. ‘The Wanderers’ will soon understand that there are no easy games in the premiership so with the pressure on, they must now face up to the highly fancied ‘Wally World’. This side is a symbol of Australia’s multi-cultural social path and will be seething after an insipid performance in last weekend’s top of the table blockbuster when they copped a good old fashioned thrashing against the ‘Gummers’ side who did not freeze. The Wanderers will do much for their improving self esteem and belief that comes from victory and it will also help their growing reputation amongst the many still non-believing teams below them if they secure another win.
The ’Cup Hunters’ will try and get started this week against the ‘Tridents’ who have also secured a new logo but more importantly some fresh talent. They are a tight knit group that all play early in the afternoon field. New Draftee LEVERINGTON is helping last years ALL LATROBE selection and ‘Tridents’ superstar GEOFF BLACKMAN provide a stable base for this team to launch from and they are enjoying the trampoline effect it is having. They will be looking to post another win to climb into the 8 where they believe they belong. Another loss for the ‘Cup Hunters’ though, will force LEX TIER back to the piano to re arrange the Cup Hunters theme song from that cheeky footy anthem to a more dark and slow tempo black ballad better suited to the wailing of some distraught gothic choir. The last line about winning Latrobe Premierships will also need to be rewritten.Hmmm.... talking of Premierships; the double Premiership hangover that is being suffered by ‘The Buglers’ has begun to thump strongly. INNES and RYAN have been fantastic to start the season however there is little support coming from behind. The foundation of a Premiership Year is about working hard at the start, grinding out scores when all seems lost and refusing to do nothing when you can do something. It is easy to allow the weeks to slide by before realising that your date with destiny has gone off with another team. The Buglers face a revitalised Triple WWW, with BAGLIN inspiring, captains WONG and TALTY working together again and the whole team enjoying that scent of success that the Buglers no longer seem to smell. Lose this week, and the Buglers, the benchmark of the Latrobe Premiership for the past 2 years, are history! Mark it down.............See you Saturday!!

Duel Premiers Upset by F Troop

2010-03-16T16:44:00.000+11:00

‘The Weak shall inherit the earth’ is a well known saying and though it may be early to proclaim a complete renovation of the 2010 Latrobe Team Premiership, there is a sniff of maybe something changing in the wind. On the back of the performances from 3 of their draft choices, F Troop, after a shattering summer wallowing in the fact that they were the 2009 wooden spooner’s, performed the very first miracle of 2010 overcoming 2 time defending Premiers The Buglers who were showing distinct signs of a double premiership hangover. Maybe it will be the second draft that shall produce a more significant shake up of the Premiership table in 2010 after the supposed super draft of 2009 failed to deliver anything but more of the same. No doubt half of the bottom sides from last year’s premiership have that belief already after achieving the sweet taste of victory in the opening round.
F Troop will enter the second round against a bruised All Night Chemist side excited about the season ahead. The Chemists however, who some say talk so much they are always playing down wind, fell to arch rivals the Wood Ducks and are desperate for a win. The Brothers in Arms await them in Round 3 and a 0 – 3 start to the season may mean that the sounds of silence will start to permeate into the post mortems of this team.
Those 3rd round opponents the Brothers in Arms, are also facing up this week after a first up loss. One of the leagues more motivating Captains DAVID FAIRLESS will need all his senses charged as he seeks to lift his team against the great 2 time premiers The Buglers. It would seem that The Brothers in Arms still don’t like the spotlight, faltering twice in the past 2 finals series after strong seasons. They have again shied away at the rumours of early Premiership favouritism. They will not have to worry about the headlines of success for too long as if they are dealt another defeat by the still great Buglers side this weekend, their odds of winning will drift dramatically and the warming heat from that Premiership spotlight will quickly cool like an overcast day on a cool autumn evening.
The big match this week will pit the previous 2 Grand final losers, The Gummers and Wally World against each other after they both posted big first round victories. Wally World could not have been more impressive racking up a mountain of points against an In Time Dynasty side that appears to be losing its way. Their 1st round record 188 points inflicted an 18 point demolition to the distraught Dynasty side that is slowly splitting apart like a discarded teddy bear that has lost the undying love of a previously affectionate child. The Dynasty meet the aptly named Vultures in Round 2 who will be ready to pick at what stuffing is left and sadly, it is looking as though it will be a very small meal.
Wally World does have their ‘mojo’ back and look very keen to continue against the star laden Gummers side. The Gummers sit second behind Wally World on the table having also loaded up with percentage points after new player DAVID MARKS lit it up with a Round high 42 points as they dispatched the Cup Hunters who were simply awful. The song that was to inspire them is still a beauty; however it is the ability of this team to sing in unity that had questions being asked. Just like the Dynasty, there was a change of captain and things have not gelled as quickly as they would like. It was a karaoke night gone sour for the Cup Hunters first trip to the microphone, hopefully for them and all who can hear them, the sound they produce starts to improve very quickly.
So Round 2 gives us the Top 2 sides in battle. It is early in the season for a blockbuster, however it will be a match for all to watch with interest as Wally World and The Gummers look to be true contenders in 2010 and one of them will steal a march on the other and put themselves surely on the top of the 2010 Latrobe Golf Club Premiership Table this week.

The Start of a New Season

2010-03-14T08:20:00.001+11:00

‘The Buglers’ start their campaign for a record setting third premiership win and a place in Latrobe immortality, by taking on last years’ wooden spooners ‘F Troop’. In what seems a match dreamed up for some anti climatic B Grade Hollywood blockbuster, it may not be that easy for our Premiership Side after ‘F Troop’ helped themselves to plenty of quality food at the ‘Boags Classic Blonde Draft’ feast just 3 short weeks ago. The influx of talent to ‘F Troop’ from low markers PAGE, INNES and SPARVELIS should provide a great weekly platform for the enthusiasm that the rest of this not so consistent team can use to bounce a little higher this year. The question will be whether ‘F Troop’ will start jumping early in 2010 or will the Defending Premiers continue on their merry way again, towards that magnificent high that only they, as Latrobe’s only Premiership Side, have reached so far.
The team we all ‘love to hate’, the mighty ‘Ferretts’ also start their campaign off with a perceived soft run before hitting the highly fancied ‘Gummers’ side in Round 4. They play last years’ bottom 8 sides the ‘Tunners’ and the ‘Corruptibles’ in the first 2 rounds and then ‘In Time Dynasty’ in the third, a team that have had a gut wrenching summer of internal sledging with the captain gone, the teams heart and soul ripped out and the support of Ireland, now colder than the coming winter.
The Great Captain of the ‘Brothers in Arms’ will be keen to hit the ground running again. With LEVERINTON and CARRINGTON strengthening their first round opponents the ‘Tridents’, FAIRLESS will be in heavy motivation mode in an attempt to lift the sights of his TOP 4 side to the ultimate peak this year. He has dragged his team to the foot of the Grand Final Mountain too often not to dream of that last ascent to the top, but so far it has proved just too steep to climb. 2010 could be the year, however, every journey starts with that first step and the star studded ‘Tridents’ side will make sure that step needs to be taken by the 2010 Premiership Favourites, very very carefully.
The Cup Hunters will be singing their theme song, penned and performed by musical genius and draftee LEX TIER, loudly on the first tee however whether they continue the chorus post game is debatable. They run into the ‘Gummers’ side who couldn’t quite keep hold of their favouritism last year. They have the McCarthy duo, a red hot HOCKING and then enjoyed a magnificent hour at the draft table which saw young SERDENES, sledge immune DIVENCENZO and club C Grade LEGEND and the steal of the 2010 Draft DUNSTONE become ‘Gummers’. It is a formidable task that fronts the ‘Cup Hunters’ with a new captain and no sponsor.
HOWEVER THEY HAVE A SONG!!
Throughout the great battlegrounds of history, the sharp sound of bugles, the snapping precision of snare drums and the eerie majesty of bagpipes have forever lifted the spirits of men to greater heights. The extraordinary power of music has helped them find the nerve when all seemed lost, continue against insurmountable odds to heroic and brave victories. If the Cup Hunters are in full voice from a rousing victory at the end of Saturday, then LEX TIER may well be in the recording studio all next week, commissioned by other teams to find their own sound that enriches their team and invokes their spirit to help lift their side to the exhilaration of a glorious premiership win.
One thing is without doubt, for the 2010 draftees that make their trip to the club this weekend, Saturday golf at Latrobe is about to change forever. They will turn the corner into Farm Road and that road will seem to go forever. Their fingers will stiffen slightly around the well worn steering wheel and they will shift slightly in their seat. They will make their way through the grand archway formed by the towering gums that stand guard at Latrobe’s entrance and as the Clubhouse comes into view, their heart will skip a beat, their mouth will become dry, their breathing will shallow and they’ll fight a knotting in their stomach. The adrenaline that has been slowly building in their body on the drive to the Latrobe, shall start to surge. They know it is no longer just another game of golf that they are about to play, it is suddenly about more than just them. It is about representing the team that they have been chosen for. With those new team mates, they will meet a new challenge in golf. It is a team challenge that just maybe, bonded together, if everything goes right, will allow them to take that step to immortality, to be known forever more, around the glorious fairways of their wonderful club, that they are a Premiership Player at Latrobe. Magnificent!Good luck to all players and let the long journey to glory begin.....

Is This as Good as it Gets????

2009-07-23T08:23:00.001+10:00

Questions are always asked around the tables of defeated teams, deep in devastating post mortem, shattered at a dream ending. The look of resignation was there to see outside the Pro Shop as the cold cloak of night was wrapping itself around another tension packed finals Saturday in the Premiership. It was etched on the long faces of the In Time Dynasty team, the blank stare, the look of shock that the season was over. It seems fitting that on the very same weekend the great Irish Champion Padraig Harrington’s reign as ‘Open Champion’ came to an end, so did the run of the Irish led ‘In Time’. Yes the Guinness around Ireland has certainly run dry and is unlikely to flow too freely as rumours abound that In Time’s great Irish Leader Bill The Hassett, is unlikely to poll well in this year’s Charles Latrobe Medal. Dreams have been washed away and the Guinness is sure to flow again, it takes some time for the wounds of defeat to heal.
However life tends to seek an equal state and with In Time’s shattering fall, another has felt the exhilaration of a win. The Brothers in Arms have finally felt the joy of winning in the finals. This is the second year that they have been a dominant force in the regular season however their ability to back up this sensational play has fell well short of the mark when the pressure was turned on. Last year it was 2 quick losses and into the devastation of the above paragraph. This year, they faulted badly during the big rivalry match against their nemesis Wally World flailing away to their worst score of the year. Then, in the final round where victory would sit them on the top of the Premiership table, a deserved ‘minor’ premier they lost their final round to slip to second. This put them against the red hot ‘Gummers’ outfit that have firmed to favouritism and were dually inflicted another cruel hiding. It seemed that the whispers of their inability to perform when the heat was on were proving correct time and time again. Finally however, against a gallant and fired up opponent, the Brothers in Arms bound together and like the strength of the grip that forms the pinnacle of their forceful logo, under the afternoon leadership of their captain’s magnificent play, inside the warmth that the cloak of Melbourne’s cold winters night provides to some; they won their first finals match.
Cambridge had another great season. After shocking the punters last year with their upset win in the Cambridge Knockout, they have grown in strength and consistency this year and were true contenders in the big one, the Premiership. The loss to the Buglers will cut a little deeper as they have had their hand on Silverware and clearly wanted more. They have had some strong performers this year and have booked on masse to join the celebrations on the night of the Charles Latrobe medal. They will not be drinking from the cup this year however they may still have something to cheer about on the night of nights.....or maybe they wont.

The Buglers chances of defending their title were always going to be difficult. The ‘Cambridge’ draft has a way of assisting teams that need assistance and making life a little more difficult for the teams that have found life a little more easy in the previous season. It still astounds the Captain of this team, it still astounds the players in this team, it still astounds the author of this little blog and now astounds the world as Buglers favourite Tommy Robson tries to explain how it happened to astonished folk in beer parlours across the middle of Canada and Ferrets Captain ries to explain to astonished Scotsman at the home of golf itself; how the other 15 captains allowed the present Club Champion who was set to play every game in the season; (until that is when he fell in love and spent a few weekends away on picnics holding hands with his future bride looking endlessly into her eyes whispering sonnets of love into her neckline (congrats on the impending engagement Tim)), to slip to number 16 in the draft????? This tardiness of all Captains came back to haunt Cambridge as, under the pressure and tension of a knockout final, the Champion of the Club performed magnificently, as champions of a club generally do, with the best score of the day 40 points. It was required for the win and the dream of back to back premierships is now alive and well.
Waiting patiently in the Preliminary finals are two worthy opponents. One the dominant side of the past 2 years however still lacking the silverware that this dominance should have accumulated and the other the new favourite of the Coca Cola Latrobe Team Premiership.
Both have demons to slay from seasons past.....
The Ferrets are in position to win again. It is the second year they have finished top of the table. They should be favourites; but they are not. They go in 3 players down. Their senior champion has stamped himself and is out for a month injured. There Captain and his offsider, have gone golfing in Scotland??? If they are to lose, there will be some searching questions to their captain. The timing of his life trip to the home of golf will be examined in far greater depth then this blog will go into. Taking a fellow star performer away (also from the mighty Lions’s charge to finals) with him will make this inquisition long and exhausting. It is a long flight back to Australia from the sewers of London with a stop-over in Dubai adding to this time; one would suggest that this time needs to be spent searching for some pretty good answers. (If the Lions miss the finals Mr Stray, I would suggest you look for some answers as well).
The Snowgummers continue to live with the memory of their finish to last year’s premiership. It has driven them all year. Their strategy of drafting friends who had also felt the pain of last year’s choking finish by sitting through hours and hours of Darryl Bakers endless and thorough post mortems would instil a desire in even the rookies not to go through that again. They have not looked like anything but finalists this year, consistent and driven. They now come to the penultimate week end, up against the defending Champions ‘The Buglers’, the tension of preliminary final, as favourites to win the Premiership.
As these teams turn off Lucern Crescent and take the drive down Farm Road to Latrobe Golf Club this Saturday, the excitement will be palpable. The tension will build until they take their first swing, hoping for solid contact, a true strike that sends their ball soaring for the flag. It will signal the start of their match in the preliminary final and they will ask of themselves, is this as good as it gets?

The Ferrets stake their claim

2009-07-08T23:20:00.000+10:00

The money is starting to pour in for the Ferrets as they staked their claim for the Premiership by beating the defending Champions the Buglers in a cracking Major Semi Final. They did it by relying on the brilliance of their Charles Latrobe medallist big Al Lehner (42 pts) and good rounds by their Draft pick Graham Thomas (38) and Lions legend Timmy Stray (37). It was a shattering blow for the Buglers as the defence of their title now is on its last legs. They must battle through 3 weeks of sudden death pressure that the finals serve up. The taste of the celebratory drinks have never been so far away as the inconsistency of their season has now come back to haunt them. 3 wins in a row against the best teams of the competition seems unlikely as only once has this happened for them this year with the competitions evenness making long streaks of victories difficult to achieve. . . and they are now the hunted, and they have been caught more often this year than they would have liked.
The Ferrets can sit back and wait 2 more weeks before doing battle again. Time to maybe feed that handicap a little, gain a stroke back? They will need it as the punters are taking a chance here. 2 of their star performers in the Captain Billy Adams and Solid performer Tim Stray are off to the British Open and will not play again this season. It proves how important that 2 shot victory was in the first week of the finals. They are vulnerable however they are also very good and will still take some beating even 2 short. They have the best pressure player in the competition and plenty of depth throughout the rest of their team. They are still favourites but only just....
The ‘Gummers have also moved into the Prelims due largely to another emphatic performance by their draft picks. Kevin Burgess has spent the entire season trying to justify his draft selection as a team strengthening exercise and has struggled to find an ally to support this claim. However, 38 points in the first week of the finals can do amazing things to a guys’ reputation. Todd Mansfield has drunk deeply from the cup of peer adulation despite featuring fleetingly throughout the entire regular season last year. He did however perform magnificently in July, the finals and will now forever be referenced by his new name Mr. July. The ‘Gummers may well look back at the inaugural draft as a pot of gold. Jamie Harvie was outstanding and has been all year. The McCarthy’s also feature strongly and their number 1 draft pick and superstar player Cameron Hocking was unavailable. They are building to a climax and will be tough to beat.
Sadly, as I tap in the words on this laptop with the sounds of yet another memorial concert to the late ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson beating in the background, I hear the words that best describe the Brothers in Arms efforts in finals so far - “You try to scream, but the terror took the sound before you make it”. Taken from the title song of the biggest selling album in the history of this planet, ‘Thriller’, the Brothers in Arms lost another finals match and now look likely to match their efforts of last year. They were dispatched during the finals in straight sets after finishing in the top 4 and now after sitting on top of the table for 10 consecutive weeks and faltering in the last round to finish 2nd; they have now gone and lost again. They have to face a fired up In Time Dynasty side who will be looking to be “Bad” and make them “Beat It” from the premiership for another year.
Cambridge also went into the first final short one man, the robust bulk of George Megaloudis who had a Friday night that resembled a Greek tragedy. They were punted from the knockout, their sponsored Cambridge Cup so the premiership is their only focus. The Corruptibles were defeated but only just after Paul Serong played a magnificent Captains innings. His 40 points was the difference and his team is keen to push further to add to the silverware they have already won last year. The Buglers are the next opponent and it will be interesting how they respond. Big George will be back so any sledging will be soundly returned. It will be difficult as they play early and surely the afternoon players have an edge in the depths of winter under the intense heat of the finals. It is bound to be a great match with the victor winning the right to face the ‘gummers for that chance to make the Grand Final of the Premiership.
Finally, if the Ferrets are attracting all the punters money, the big cash may well plunge onto In Time Dynasty a little later in the month. They have greater depth than originally thought as the draft picks have proven to be very worthwhile. They are very well balanced with the Irish enthusiasm of their consistent captain, the strong reliability of Foley, McCabe and Doc Sellars, the potent scoring ability of King, the Potters, the Scottish banker (yes I said Banker) and the regularly contributions of the ex president. They are very keen, have the best looking mascot and carry the dreams of the Irish nation behind them. They face the Brothers in Arms who remain unconvincing in July with the weakened Ferrets waiting in the Preliminary final. It would surprise no one if they are pulling on the shirts to enter the field of battle on Grand Final day, August 1.

Joy and Heartbreak as Final 8 Set

2009-06-28T22:02:00.000+10:00

It was always going to lead to heartbreak. 7 teams on 7 wins leading into the final round would mean that, with only 3 spots available, there was going to be disappointment. Little could we tell that the finals moments of Saturday’s round, under the darkening skies, in the chilling night time air, season’s were made to mean something.
Cambridge began with the easiest trip after laying the platform for this serenity with a magnificent season carrying there often absent gardening Captain. The 2 draws that was secured way back in Round 3 against the ‘Gummers and again in Round 13 to the F Troop proved to be significant helped with no less that 4 wins by 2 points or less. They perform under the crunch and this willingness to fight out every point has led them to be of concern to other finals teams. They won under the pump again on Saturday, proved themselves by winning the silverware in last year’s Cambridge knockout, and will be slight favourites against a very good competitor in the first week of the finals this Saturday.
Cambridge will meet the Corruptible’s, a side that was heavy into their wake as the setting sun dipped behind Teddy Whitfield’s roof. The fading light matched the mood as the beers flowed and tears showed another premiership finals dream gone, eerily similar to the previous year. It seemed that the change of name had not helped; the 15 games had offered so much promise however the journey to glory would stop again short of the Promised Land. But wait, wasn’t these a draft at the start of the year. Surely you would not right off 3 months of gut wrenching golf before checking that all players had finished. So when John Denton and Phil Misso, 2 late round draft picks, starred in the final groups carrying their side to victory, you can imagine their surprise to find the team mates circling a table in drunken despair, ordering another round, season already written off. It did however make their entrance all the more impressive and the joy was a sight to behold. The joy will be short lived though if they don’t bond again this week, Cambridge are waiting, there is much still to be done.
The Irish are smiling again and they will be absolutely slaughtering the Guinness this week after the Doc held his nerve at the death. With the entire season on the line Doc Sellars faced a tricky 4 foot putt in the final minutes of day light. His team was nervously pacing outside the Pro Shop well aware that his putt would either put them in or out. The All Night Chemists and Wood Ducks had already secured the 4 points required to post 8 wins so a miss and the subsequent draw, would just not be enough. This is what pressure is all about, when your time comes, you answer the question posed or falter, produce the goods when required or go home empty handed. Anyone who doubts the Doc’s ability under pressure should now have no trouble booking in for a deknackering. He will whip them out and have you driving guilt free in no time as he stroked that baby in and sent In Time to the finals and the Irish to delirium.
The All Night Chemists and Wood Ducks have the bitter pill to swallow 8 wins but missing the finals on percentage; total devastation. Just like finding yourself at the library behind an absolute stunning women who is holding the well thumbed copy of Karma Sutra, checking it out for another week before walking out the door to never be seen again. So close to ecstasy but so just so far. It will be another 7 months before the opportunity arises again and the injury ridden weeks of the past 2 months are hard to take. Both had the glorious feeling of leading the Premiership Table albeit many months ago. As a lack of players took their toll, too much fell to too few and the season cracked. However, both performed when it was needed and should take that winning form into the Cambridge knockout and strive for the glory of the sudden death win again.

So Many Questions to be Answered

2009-06-12T11:30:00.002+10:00

3 Weeks stands between the exhilleration of playing in the Premiership finals and the isolation of not. It is the time that turns up the temperature that fires the pressure cooker creating an atmoshere that is either embraced or turned away. Just as the tip of a bronze spear is hardened in a forge of fire, some teams will get better. Sadly however, others will find this hat not to their liking and melt away lie ice does to a puddle of water. Questions, questions questions; who will have the nerve, who will meet the challenge, who will have the answers?

The All Night Chemists (6 wins 6 losses poor % Play Wood Ducks, Tunners, Saaksjarvies)
The ANC have suffered greatly from a lack of playing staff as injuries, renovations and overseas trips are starting to take their toll. It would seem that their finals chances are slipping dangerously away as they have plummeted from their top 4 position to 11th with 3 straight losses. They face a must win match against their bitter rivals the Wood Ducks who have amazingly fallen even further from that ladder leading position 7 weeks ago. It is a opportunity the ANC need to take. They will need 8 wins due to poor percentage so need to beat the 2 teams below them on the ladder. A Tunners victory would be a bonus.

Corruptibles (6 wins 6 losses average % Play Wanderers, Tridents, F Troop)
An opportunity has opened up for the Corruptibles to storm into the 8 as they have the easiest run heading home to the finals. They are all very winnable games with F Troop and the Wanderers now turning their attention to the Cambridge Knockout and high draft picks. This leaves the Tridents clash in Round 14 as their season defining moment. It is rare for the Corruptibles to post a competition winner on a Saturday but they have a good mix of even scorers that gives great consistency to their end results however rarely do they have the very high score. Provided this depth continues, they should get their 2 wins, if someone fires in Week 14; they just might get all 3 and figure in July’s finals action.

Tridents (6 wins 6 losses Average % Play Buglers, Corruptibles, Ferrets)
There is a tough road ahead for the Tridents who must find a way to lift and sustain the effort over the next 3 weeks. It would be a worry on the mind of their Scottish Captain that they must win at least 2 of the 3 to be assured of finals action. He is right to worry. They have won their past 2 which means they have some momentum up to take them into this task but after posting the great score of 183 last week to knock off Cambridge, have they any gas left in their tank. The up and down nature of their scores this season would suggest that they perform better in short bursts, that the tank that they need to fuel this run to the finals may not be that big. For their sake, lets hope they find some alternative energy sourse as well, for the engine that powers this side needs to run on fulll burn for 3 weeks in order to reach the warmth of the finals series.

In Time Dynasty (6 wins 6 losses Solid % Play Triple WWW, Brothers in Arms, Wally World)
Scraping back into the 8 after last week’s win over finals rivals the Tridents have set up In Time for the chance to play finals again. They also must find 2 wins to be assured however have a healthier percentage from their fellow 6 gamers due to a couple of extraordinarily high scores early in the season. They pack plenty of punch when on song however are capable of the less than ordinary weeks as well. This has seen them only piece together the joy of consecutive wins once this season. They will need to win this week against a rejuvenated Triple WWW side as they will be light on the ground the weeks after against this season’s juggernaut the Brothers in Arms. Then they need to find that massive game again as Wally World, are gaining some form and will be sure to be firing by Rd 15.

The Tunners (7 Wins, 5 Losses Average % Play Wally World, All Night Chemists, Snowgummers)
After a mirror image of their season last year, the Tunners withering run from last to the top 4 may have stopped too early. They still need wins and they form habits like an addict. Once they start they find it hard to stop. 4 losses, 7 wins and now tragically, another loss. They need to make sure they don’t keep this trend up and win again. The injued Ray Wilde seems to be back in form again which is a good sign but they missed teir gun draft picklast week; studying for exams. What is he thinking? He needs convincing he can pass and needs it quickly as they require him and all others to play great ths wek against the resurgent Wally World.

Wally World (7 Wins, 5 Losses Good % Play Tunners, Snowgummers, In Time Dynasty)
After gaining the momentum required with the defeat of arch rivals the Brothers in Arms, last years grand finalists are starting to make their move. They have a tough run home though and can not afford to fall into a slump or they could miss out on all the action they enjoyed last year. They almost won it from 7th position if the get a sniff, they will be very dangerous. Still a good side and their depth should see them post difficult scores to beat each week.

Buglers (7 Wins, 5 Losses Good % Play Tridents, F Troop, Triple WWW)
The Buglers sat at 5 wins 5 losses and the entire competition wondered if theyhad lost their mojo. However a quick look at te draw and you would have noted the chalenge thrown up to them in th fist half of the season. Since then, they have won the last two as the road in front of them has eased. They play te dangerously inconsistant Tridents this week in what should be their only real challenge running into finas action again and most likely, a top 4 position. The defence is very much alive.

Cambridge ( 7 wins, 4 Losses, 1 Draw Solid % Play F Troop, Triple WWW, Brothers in Arms)
It would wory the Captain as well as his teammates that he finally returned to Saurday golf, to the cauldren of the Premiership, and the tema lost. He would have been made enthusiastically well aware of the fie performances that his Cambridge side have put together over the past month in his absence. This week they play F Troop which I am sure would gladden his heart as it is a game they should win. In doing so, it will lift the pressure off his shoulders and his side will sit on the brink of a Top 4 position. I they lose this one, well, lets just say the jungle drums will start beating rather loud and greek food may be served on the night of their best and fairest.

Ferrets (8 Wins, 3 Losses, 1 Draw Good % Play Saaksjarvies, Wanderers, Tridents)
Strange as it may seem, The Ferretts look more dangerous this year than last. They are more humble than the side that took all before it before choking badly in the pressure of the finals. Thsi year, they have gradually found their form and have now put togther a good string of wins to find temselves now 3rd and only ½ a game off leading the competition again. They have steeled theselves to not let this Premiership get away. It is a strong team, its number gun Big Al Lehner is in fine form and they still feel the pain of last years defeat.....it is a recipe for disaster for all other teams in the competition.

Snowgummers (8 Wins, 3 Losses, 1 Draw Great % Play Brothers in Arms, Wally World, Tunners)
The ‘Gummers have found themselves in their rightful place. Their devastating finish to last years season losing the last 5 to miss the finals on percentage still is an open wound that bleeds with wevery loss they feel. They have scored heavily this season and refuse to contemplate another dissappointing end to another season. The draft picks chosen as “friends” have been worthy contributers and ther top draft picks Hocking and Harvie have justified their high selection. It is a good mix of talent and experience, steady players and pinch hitters, a team that has scored more points than all others, they are one of the Ferretts main dangers.

Brothers in Arms ( 9 Wins 3 Losses Good % Play Snowgummers, In Time Dynasty, Cambridge)
At this late stage of the season, the only worry for the Brothers in Ams was ther very dissappointing effort a few weeks ago against their enemies Wally World. I am sure they do not have to be reminded that they finished top 4 last year only to lose 2 in arow to drop meekly out of the race. Then to have played so poorly under the heat of their very own rivalry round would have turned up the pressure already, 3 weeks out from the finals. It ispressure that htey are yet to deal with adequately and they need to find a way to deal with it fast. No time like this weekend as they face the ‘Gummers in a top 2 clash which wil be the match of the round. It is the match that will answer once and for all, who will be the biggest theat to new favourites The Feretts, in th race for premiership glory

Separation beginning to occur

2009-05-27T20:02:00.001+10:00

After several weeks where results were turning all over the place it seems that week 10 was the time where the big teams decided that it was time to start the momentum towards the finals. It seems that the natural boost that the high level drafts picks brought to the table early n the season has begun to wear off as the grind of a long hard season begins to take its toll on these rookies. Team depth is the key and the finals race is reduced to 11 teams unless the withering run from the bottom that the Tunners have made again can be matched by the bottom dwellers.
The Brothers in Arms continue to take all before them in another amazing team effort. The All Night Chemists responded to the challenge of playing the top team magnificently however their terrific score of 184 was over hauled with points to spare. They now face the first massive blockbuster game that could well leave blood on the course. Wally World is out of the eight on percentage and need to win desperately. Last year’s grand finalist have been shattered by a series of close losses as teams lift to measure themselves against the better sides. This week they will have much more to lose than the Brothers in Arms. To be 5 and 6 with only 4 weeks to go will mean that they need 3 wins in the last 4 games to definitely make the finals. This will not be easy and the Brothers in Arms will be happy to set this task and then watch on to see if they pass or fail.
The All Night Chemists have slipped from the Top 4 however seem up to the challenges in front of them. They have been much better than last year with a good vibe led by their cheery garden gnome. It was a terrific effort against the ladder leaders and other teams are beginning to show the respect that has yet been forth coming. This week the Ferrets lie in wait. The Ferrets are not into romantic stories. They do not read the social pages. They read the back page to find out who won. They plan to stay on that page. Their winning form that has seen them slip ominously into the Top 4. They are keen to stay there and having moved above the All Nighters, have no desire to slip back under them.
The Tunners are suffering De Ja Vu. After a very slow start that had them anchored on the bottom of the table they have caught fire and won their last 6 to now be challenging for the top 4. One more win and they will match their amazing 7 win streak of last season that left them finish the season in fourth place. Triple WWW lay in wait this week however are in possible disarray. There is word of fractures in the camp. They need to rise above this, put aside differences and get on with the job of winning games. They are in a precarious position and a loss this week end may snuff out their chances of making the finals.
The Snowgummers have hurt the Tridents who suffered from missing the 2009 year old messiah last week. Now 2nd, there seems no chance that last year’s disappointing slide from glory will be repeated. They are playing well and have good form through all members. They will be tough to beat and F Troop are now firmly in their sights. However they need to take care as the Troop would have beaten them last week. In Fact, F Troop posted their best score of the year and may be warming to the task of this Premiership although a little late. Upsetting the Snowgummers will make the season worthwhile and give them the spring board to better things next year as they hve already I would suggest, secured that prized Number 1 draft pick.
The Buglers took care of the Wood Ducks and will be looking to roll on to a top 4 position as they have played all of the top teams. If they hold their form (highest scoring team so far), they should win most of their remaining matches and secure a top 4 position, perfect to launch their defence in the chill of July.
Winter is approaching, but winter is where the Premiership is won or lost. Time to put the gloves on and focus on results, there is no room for sunshine anymore......

Tunners and Snowgummers continue on Winning Ways

2009-05-19T07:21:00.001+10:00

The Tunners have responded to the loss of the first 4 games of the season in the same way they did last year. It is a sense of Déjà Vu that this writer once again passes comment on the never say die nature of this team. Riddled with injuries, they have found a way to continue to win over the past 5 weeks and now find themselves favourite to win their next 2 games. They can no longer be overlooked in Premiership calculations. They were dominant against the Tridents posting the highest score of the round in a all team performance (with the exception of Ray Wilde who is playing through the pain of fractured ribs) and the confidence is growing by the week. The finals seem assured if they can continue in these winning ways.
The Corruptibles continued their ‘Jeckle and Hyde’ Season following a simply magnificent victory over the defending champions The Buglers with a disappointing effort against the All Night Chemists last weekend. These highs and lows will do nothing for the nerves of this team and they will be hoping for another magnificent high this week against the resurgent Ferretts outfit. They need to win though and will be seeking more inspiration from their Freedom Fighter who has returned from combating a revolution to find himself immersed in a Premiership war that may be even harder to win.
The All Night Chemists are a massive improver from last year and are now eyeing a top 4 position for their run through the finals. It is hard to tell where their success is coming from as whilst a balanced side, it is hard to see what they would balance up against. They have been well served across all players with almost all contributing more than once over the past 9 weeks. They will be hoping that their best player from last year can overcome the nagging shoulder injury that has dulled the competitive fire that burned so brightly last year. If he adds his talent to the already impressive talent pool, they will surely help shape the finals series come July.
The Brothers in Arms continue to push themselves into winning positions and sit alone on top and are slight favourites now to take the ultimate prize. It is a true tick for team spirit and what it can achieve as they went into the draft this year with a heavy emphasis on friendship picks. It rarely works as talent is what really counts in the Premiership however in this case their friends seem to be able to play the game. They have been well served by 2 outstanding draft picks in the Premiership Rookie Stapelfeldt and the experience of former ‘Mongrels’ great, Mumford. They have both been magnificent posting scores that count week after week adding greatly to the depth of this side. They still have many tests in front of them however look capable of answering all questions put before them.
The ‘Gummers are approaching their high water mark. Ths article does not need to remind them that last year they sat entrenched in the top 4 5 weeks out looking forward towards a finals campaign seemingly oblivious to the pressure other teams had found themselves under. It was to be a slippery last 5 weeks though as loss piled upon loss and the pressure became too much as all but their captain dissolved away and they missed the finals on percentage. It has been a mill stone around their necks ever since however it has allowed them to secure higher draft picks then would have been needed to again feature in 2009. The close games are now falling there way with draftee’s Burgess, Pedler and Harvie all figuring in the win over the Wanderers side. They are now sitting alone in second spot and mentally resolved to not repeat the slide of last year. They will be heavily favoured against the Trident s this week. It is the type of game that they lost last year, their time has come and we will find out whether the ghosts of season past will continue to haunt them in their sleep.Finally, there is a team that is struggling to gain real traction this year. In their defence, it was always going to be a tough gig entering a competition where the spirit is very willing and no prisoners are taken. Week after week you need to show up with the best game you have or you will be slaughtered mercilessly. Every week you need to insulate yourself from the hostile sledging that meets you right in the face as you drive in the front gate and doesn’t let up until you turn off Farm Road at the top of the hill driving home. Each week you need to steady those nerves that knot your stomach and dry your mouth as you know out on the course eyes of opponents are watching every shot you take, willing it behind trees and into bunkers, clenching their fist with competitive joy as your 4 footer for par slides agonisingly past the hole. Sadly some are starting to whisper that they believe they know what the ‘F’ in F Troop really stands for.....

F Troop turns the Tables.....

2009-05-04T23:03:00.001+10:00

Facing the very real prospect of a year without the taste of victory, F Troop faced another seemingly helpless task. They were up against the emerging force of Triple WWW who were riding high on the form of #2 draft pick Anthony Cecchi. Here is a man who thrives on the competitive sledging of the Premiership and was taking Triple WWW with him. You can just imagine his dad Renzo, lovingly leaning over his crib as Anthony, just 8 months old, stranded on his back unable to roll over, smiled up through those already chubby cheeks to hear the encouraging words “nice nappy you little cry baby’. Nothing fazes him now and Triple WWW, who seem to be toughening up with him, do things in threes and were looking for a hat trick of victories to push well into finals contention mid way through the season. F Troop however were like a cowboy without a horse, a cavalry without a charge, Custer at Little Big Horn. However against all these odds, they rose up and bared their soul. If only Custer had an army like F Troop. He just maybe would have lived to fight another day. Little Big Horn no longer, America’s volumes of history would be thicker with victory and “Huge Big Horn” would be a page that would be well worn, dog eared in middle adolescent history books across those bible states. Triple WWW lay in wreck, taken apart by an F Troop side that has started their run through the wild west of the Premiership and now run into best posse in the business, the Brothers in Arms. I hope they enjoyed their victory.
Triple WWW now face up to the All Night Chemists who kept their top 2 position thanks to the defeat of all top 4 sides. They failed to live up to the hype, let down not so gently by the defending premiers who are still smarting from a ghost victory the week before. They had gone into early celebrations unaware that Cambridge had kept an ace up their sleeve, completing the perfect bluff. The All Night Chemists will be favoured to win as they continue to beat up on lowly sides. They are desperate for Premiership respect yet the only prescription delivered so far is subsidised. They must find a way to knock over the big teams. Their true test is approaching like the winter itself. They have the ingredients set for the ecstasy they desire but it remains to be seen if the formula they use will be sold or kept under the counter.
The Tunners have continued their run reviving the spirit of 2008 hoping to emulate their extraordinary feat of 8 victories in a row. They have been dealt a savage blow with the consistent scoring of their cart rider suffering a devastating fall tackling the concrete steps of his jungled house sober. Broken ribs are an injury that takes time to heal. He expects to miss a week but a quick look at that golf swing would suggest otherwise. The torque inflicted by that unique golf motion will produce a force on that chest cage of his that will be hard to ignore, no pain killer will be strong enough and even Doc Sellars will sadly have no answer but to rest. The Tunners will need to go on without him and the Wanderers who will be buoyed by the return to form of their #1 draft pick in Poposki will be waiting to add to their pain.
In Time Dynasty have again continued their up and down season with a stunning victory against the heavily favoured “mighty Ferretts’. We can only hope their Irish cheer squad does not mix their drinks as the Dynasty are mixing their form. It would leave a very sick Island indeed. The home and away strip looks magnificent however it is also mixed, team mates unaware of whether it is home and away. This “win then lose” mixture will maybe make it to the finals but it will not go far. They have the talent to go all the way however they will need to solve the riddle that every second week is presenting to them. They face the Wood Ducks team that seem to be mortally wounded. It was just 3 short weeks ago they flew to the top of the table. Duck it seems, even the wild duck of this team seems to have been a tasty dish and everyone is sitting down to the Premiership table and enjoying the Duck that is on the menu. The In Time Dynasty Captain will be well aware that Duck goes very well with Guinness. It will be interesting to see if the Duck gets wild again or whether the Black beer of Ireland will be washing down another tasty meal come Saturday night.
Finally; an apology.
The Corruptaibles side is a team that few have rated highly and they are unhappy. They are right to object. Pushing into the 8 last week on the back of another win they faced the Cambridge unit that were entrenched in the 8. They would be a suitable foe to put forward their case. It is a compelling argument indeed no doubt structured by the high powered legal influence that this team possesses and delivered passionately and with extreme vigour by their spiritual leader, a man fresh from saving Thailand from the destruction of civil war. I have been wrong to overlook this magnificent outfit, glowing in their uniforms, an aura shining off them, brighter than the sun itself. They have convinced me that they are the team to beat. The sheer weight of their golfing talent and the strength of their team bond can no longer go unnoticed. I subdue to the dressing down received by the Thailand master; the technical genius of his swing, a powerful rotary motor that produces mind altering speed in perfect plane. He is the heartbeat of a side that has plenty of blood to give. A team on the road to the finals, a team that refuses to be underrated anymore, a team that has put out their warning! The Corruptibles were desperately unlucky that their 144 points didn’t hold up last week. This will have the Defending Champions the Buglers shaking in their boots this weekend. We now all know; we know they’re coming........

Chemists Work on their Magic Potion

2009-04-27T22:11:00.000+10:00

It was just 5 weeks ago when the All Night Chemists sat on the bottom of the ladder. It was just the first round however the devastation of that first loss had led many to look at their chances of lifting the Wooden Spoon as a more likely end result than the Premiership Cup. The Chemist team though are a resilient mob and they had other ideas. Such has been the rise in the fortunes of the Chemists that other sides are screaming Viagra as the only thing possible to create this massive lift up the Premiership table. After a 5 game winning run, it is a streak that has jumped them to 2nd on the Premiership table and it seems the finals are beckoning this now vastly underrated team. It has been a change of fortunes fuelled by all in the team, banded together, sharing the scoring around. This depth will take them far however with this lofty position comes extra attention and exposure to the spotlight. Will this prove too much for them to handle? Will they melt or will they thrive more? The answer to this question will be posed this weekend as they face the defending Premiers the Buglers who are in sensational form.
The Buglers will be smarting from their one point loss to the Cambridge side that continues to surprise. The Buglers have still averaged over 36 points per player per match yet sit with 3 losses to balance out their 3 wins. Every week it seems their opposition is rising to the occasion to match the extraordinary scoring of this champion team. The Chemists had better order a double dose of their favourite blue pill as they will need to be at their full length to score again this weekend. Cambridge face up to the ever improving Corruptible’s who are highly visible as they move around the course. The aura given away from those vibrant uniforms seems to be working as they have started a run up the ladder breaking into the top 8 this week. It will be a close match with both teams in fine form; one will stay in the 8 whilst the other will look up at them following this weekend’s matches.
The Corruptible’s overcame the more fancied in Time Dynasty who face a month that poses many questions for them to answer. They were expected to be improvers this year after their finals action this week and with the inclusion of massive enthusiasm from the draft. They have spluttered a little so far, like a finely tuned engine, red hot at times but need to find some consistency to these performances. Their Irish supporters are keen for them to win regularly as well as there is plenty of whiskey ready to be served up and they are looking for a reason to start pouring. They are keen to start their move up the table but face the daunting task of the mighty Ferrets this week, a massive task for a team needing a massive win.
The Ferrets are continuing on their quest to right the wrongs of last year. They are on a mission and the Snowgummers was their latest victim, a magnificent match that saw the Ferrets win by the solitary point. Last year’s Charles Latrobe medallist Big Al Lehner matched the sensational score of 40 points set by young star Calum McCarthy and the depth of the Ferret’s side got it done but only just. This match could be a warm up for some July action as both these sides are showing the form that should take them deep into the finals series.
The Snowgummers will be bitterly disappointed by this result and now met the Wood Ducks who also are smarting from a 1 point loss to the resurgent Tunners outfit. It never seems to get any easier for the ‘gummers who twice last year lost having the 2nd best score of the rounds. They will be looking to take out this frustration with a little Duck dinner. The Wood Ducks will really need to steel themselves as they have lost 2 of the past 3 matches since sitting on top of the table just 3 weeks ago. They need this win to boost the confidence that is always hammers with a close loss. A stroke event does not do them any favours but will be a litmus test of where their season may end up. They face a tough month ahead and will need to win 2 of the next 4 to maintain their dreams of finals action again this year.
The Tunners are on their way again. Last year they also had a nightmare start, losing the first 4 matches and languished at the bottom of the Premiership Table. They then put together a withering run of 8 matches that drove them all the way to the Top 4. They must have loved the ride and exhilaration of this as they have put themselves in the position again. They are now at 2 in a row and are keen on a bit of déjà vu. The Wood Duck are keen for this to stop. It is on again this weekend and next week will be the time that F Troop will have the blowtorch turned onto them, all sadly for the wrong reasons. Only a win this week will stop the burning that is bound to happen in the pages of cyberspace on this blog. Over to you guys.....

Tunners Shake the Foundations of the Premiership Table

2009-04-21T23:48:00.003+10:00

There was speculation last week that the chance of the Tunners managing to finish the meal that the Ferretts intended on serving up was at best unlikely. They had starved so far this year, the devastation of being stuck on the bottom of the table, after eating so well in 2008. It seemed that their appetite for a fight had left them; they looked scrawny, yet to have that sweet taste of victory. Well, the Ferretts must have dropped the plate on the way to the table as 161 was never going to be a big enough meal to stop the Tunners chewing all they served up. They were gaunt with hunger and after devouring the Ferretts easily, they now seem hungry for more. It was a massive upset with the Tunners overcoming all odds to knock off the Ferretts. Those Ferretts are not the team of last year, struggling to put together the massive scoring they were known for, famous for, hated for. They have been lucky so far, dodging several bullets including a draw against other cellar dweller Triple WWW 2 rounds ago. They have now tasted defeat, the dish they normally deliver to their opponents week after week. It seems the aura of the Ferretts is slowly disappearing and the Snowgummers now await. They are keen to eat well also and are looking to make the end of April the time when the once mighty Ferretts are taken off the finals menu.
The ‘gummers are in good form. Only the defending Premiers, the white hot Buglers have scored more and their consistent scoring will see them go into this Anzac Day clash favourites. It will be windy, it will be wet and it will be cold; it is a test that the Ferretts must try and overcome as the Snowgummers play in all conditions. They will not yield easily and this will tell us much about the long term chances of this Ferretts team. Their captain will be keen to lead by example, they will need him too.
Another who went into the weekend with a point to prove was the number 2 Draft pick Anthony Cecchi. Heavily favoured to go number 1 in the draft, he has watched on with envy as not only did Poposki steal his thunder to go first pick in the draft, he has inspired the Wanderers side to some massive early wins to set them in the top 2 heading into this match. He ended up with the Triple WWW side that has been lurching week to week, devoid of a win and seemingly, devoid of leadership. That changed after Cecchi lifted his side with an inspiring 43 points helping them to their first victory of the year. They thrashed the Wanderers and he was quick to seek out the Wanderers captain and star recruiter Kevin Rowbotham to unleash a barrage of severe sledging, no doubt reminding him of that fateful night at the Cambridge Draft.
The Wood Ducks did not need the draft to help them this week as they faced up to last year’s beaten grand finalists Wally World. It was to be a good test for them after reaching the top of the table early before slipping backwards the following week. Things were looking grim and another loss looked heading their way until the round of the year was turned in by their Charles Latrobe chance Rob Cook. An astounding 46 points tore the World apart with the Wood Ducks enjoying life back in the Top 4 again. They face the Tunners this week and will be favoured to win even with the Tunners showing a turn of form as mentioned earlier. It will be a match that will define the season of both, The Wood Ducks could be the real deal and the Tunners will need to continue to build their momentum, just as they did last year and ride it hard, all the way to the finals.
Finally the glare of the spotlight must now turn to 2 teams. One loves it and shone under this glare to eventually end up Premiers last year. The other however hates it. The Buglers again hit over 180 points in overcoming In Time Dynasty shutting bars all over Ireland. It is another amazing score and they sit with the extraordinary statistic of averaging better than 36 points per player 5 matches into the season. After their poor start to the season, they are hitting their straps and will grow into favouritism at this rate to go back to back this year. The Brothers in Arms will also feel the heat of that spotlight as they ended week 5 on top of the Premiership Table. Last year it happened but they melted quickly from that high post. They will need to accept the exposure that winning brings to them as only one will finish with the Premiership Cup and they must embrace the extra attention that will come their way if they eventually want to drink from it. It remains to be seen if they have the thirst for this or whether it will again be too much for them. Anzac Day seems the best day of the year for us to find out.....

Carnage at Top leaves Ferretts on Top of Table

2009-04-13T10:35:00.000+10:00

An old saying is that Revenge is a dish best served cold but the Ferretts are looking to warm there dish up a little early and start serving it up to every team from now on. They have hit the top of the table after all 3 teams ahead of them blinked in the glare that the spotlight of this competition blazed at them. The Ferretts love that spotlight; they thrive on it and are intent on putting to sleep the memories of their faltering finals campaign last year. The Tunners will need to have a big appetite this weekend as they will be served up plenty you would think. They do however need to start eating. There season is looking a little skinny and if the losses keep going, anorexia may set in. The other 14 teams will be hoping the Tunners are hungry enough for the pot of stew that is coming their way as the Ferretts will continue to add spices to their meal and as we get deeper into the season, it is bound to get hotter than a bowl of Indian curry.
At least the Irish will be able to wash down that dish as the bars are open and they are making up for lost time as the guineas and whiskey flowing again. It was an outstanding score put up by In Time Dynasty matching the record 192 posted last week by defending champions The Buglers. The Potters has a day out with 44 and 40 making them the foundation to the flogging handed out to the unlucky Snowgummers team. They will need to keep the form up as they meet the defending champions The Buglers who have been in red hot form averaging better than 36 points per man so far this season. They have got back to 2 and 2 after a difficult start to the season and are keen to maintain this momentum. I would be advising the Irish to drink long this week or buy in bulk as the doors to those pubs may shut again, In Time have a tough ask ahead of them.
The Snowgummers will be hoping the Corruptibles give them an easier time as they have posted great scores over the past 2 weeks without tasting victory. They are a good side but are haunted constantly by the ghosts of last year. It was a horrible end, an agony that was hard to endure and sits heavily on the shoulders of their Captain. He will not sleep easy until they have finals action secured. They have now backed up to that ledge they tumbled over last year, the abyss of the bottom 8 and nervously they will continue on. The Corruptibles are starting to move however their form will not scare too many sides as yet going in week after week deserved underdogs. A win against the highly rated Snowgummers however will put them back in the frame of the Top 8.
The Wanderers have kept up their red hot form with a stunning win against F Troop who still are looking for their first win. They did it however without the aid of their strong draft picks with 2 away chasing a little chocolate over Easter with new but very attractive girl friends. Good luck to them but back to the golf and the old stagers of the team rose to the challenge with a barrage of scoring showing what a bit of belief can do to a side’s spirit. They are a long way from the nightmare that was their initial season and have woken to a new dawn and are enjoying it immensely. They now are a strong team, lying 2nd and meet Triple WWW this week, a side that have woken up to nothing new. It is turning into another disaster year and they need to develop the same resolve that their opponents this week have embraced. The Captain is under pressure and there is plenty in the ranks considering a spill of positions. Whatever happens Triple WWW need to find that spark to ignite their season, where or who it comes from doesn’t matter, time is pressing and to go 0 – 5 would be disastrous and probably would spell the end for their finals chances much too early in a long season.
Duck Season is up and running with the Brothers firing a volley of lead into the guts of the high flying Wood Ducks blowing them out of top spot and out of the Top 4. The Feathers will not stop flying yet as Wally World will be eager to collect the carcass this weekend and finish the job that the Brothers started. Being a multi cultural side, they know many ways to eat Duck and will eye off the plumpness that this Wood Duck team displays. The Wood Ducks will need to resist this slide quickly as the Premiership Table has closed up and they might get served up on it if they don’t recover from the lead poisoning they picked up last weekend. Wally World will be smarting too, losing a close one to the Ferretts in an underwhelming game that did not match up to the hype. It was their chance and they blew it. Duck with a worldly sauce will at least get rid of the nasty taste that was left from this defeat. The Ducks, well they need to find a way to fly again.
The big game this week will be the resurgent All Night Chemists against the Cambridge side. After the shock of their first round shellacking, the Chemists have gone about restoring some health into their side and have put together 3 impressive wins. They are now in the Top 4 and a win will go a long way to cementing this position. Cambridge will also need to lift. They ran into a red hot In Time Dynasty outfit last week and the Chemists should be easier. They may rely on the mental ability of their big mascot George Megaloudis getting over the hurdle last week’s finish has built. It is not easy to finish square after being 6 up with 7 to go. Luckily it would not have changed the result but the memories will drift back into conciseness regularly this week and hopefully they will inspire rather than expire this team. We will find out this weekend as Round 5 is played off around the battlefield of Latrobe Golf Club.

Wood Ducks snatch Top Spot after Top of the Table Draw

2009-04-06T14:27:00.000+10:00

The Wood Duck team is on top of the table. Heading into the 3rd round, 4 teams had 2 wins and were pushing hard for more of the same. However, with the other leading teams stumbling on an unsettled Saturday around the battlefield of Latrobe, only the Wood Ducks emerged from the fight with a win. They took apart the Triple WWW side that has not jumped on the momentum that last week’s draw to the mighty Ferrets should have given them. The mutiny of last year’s Captain has seen Jeff Wong take over the ship but sadly it seems it still has no rudder, no motor and no sails. The Wood Ducks partied hard Saturday night with even the sun spending an extra hour in bed before rising (Daylight saving finished). They were right to party at this time for I fear that the next month of matches will pose more questions of this team then the past 3 weeks have. Even though they are powered by the smooth swing of their captain Bobby Gardner, they have beaten only teams in the bottom 8 so far. They have been helped by the draw which has allowed their less than dynamic scoring to take them to seemingly the top of the tree. The Premiership Tree at Latrobe though is the tallest in the land and a fall from the top is always a long way down. The Brothers in Arms, Wally World and the Snowgummers are now presenting themselves; they carry axes sharp enough to knock off the limb that the Wood Ducks have climbed. It remains to be seen if Wood Ducks really can fly or whether they will come crashing down to earth with a thud. Duck Season is now well and truly open.
Wes Reynolds last game for the Buglers was in a glorious grand final victory last July. He returned this weekend to see them languishing near the bottom of the table, winless and in trouble. Big Wes is the enforcer of this side and would be eager to back up his Pre Match threats of a thumpin’ with enthusiastic action unless a victory was achieved. The Buglers naturally responded in a manner that underlined the respect they have for the piston like action of Wes’s large cannon arms posting a score unheard of in Premiership history. The result was an unmitigated hiding to a Tunners side due to the extraordinary 192 Buglers score. They have broken their duck but need to continue their red hot form as they meet the invigorated Snowgummers side that sit entrenched in the Top 4. Wes will need those threats again for another loss will put the Buglers straight back to the danger zone that they just crept from last week.
The Snowgummers and Cambridge however played a blinder. Both teams met the exciting hype of a top of the table blockbuster game head on producing another game for the time capsule. A 179 point draw was the result after Cambridge combated the scintillating scoring of the McCarthy’s, Chiu and Harvie with the 3 pronged attacks of Bassora, La Brooy and Megaloudis. Cambridge’s Captain Serong would be very happy with his charges as he could not be part of such an important and magnificent match. They both remain near the top of the table but are now the hunted and this premiership has some very good hunters indeed, ready to poach their spot given any chance. They face stern tests again this week and will need to sustain their impressive early season form to continue on. They both for now, remain undefeated.
Cambridge faces In Time Dynasty who did nothing to quench the parched pallets of their Irish Cheer squad last week. They are a side that have promised so much but seem to have fallen foul of the injury gods early in the season. Their Captain has a bad back and is struggling, the ex-pres’s shoulder is not behaving and their Charles Latrobe hope was suffering from having Jack Newton in town again. On top of this, it was a stroke event which is the natural enemy of their banker’s game. It is a tragic story of twists and circumstances but it will not wash with their thirsty Irish cousins, THEY WANT A DRINK and believe it is now time for the Dynasty to lift. If this does not happen, they will slip further away from the goal they set themselves just 3 weeks ago and bars in Ireland, that open up late with patrons gripped with tension, waiting on the result of their In Time Dynasty team, will start to close early and go broke.
The Wanderers again rode on the back of their draft picks to secure another victory and emphasise their potential this year and the Saaksjarvies got their first win of the season by defeating the Newcomers in F Troop in a close one.
Finally, there is one important message to come out of the Ferretts winning comfortably over the Brothers in Arms. It was another solid effort from this dominant team (apart from finals) but there was one score that would gladden the heart of their Captain and send shivers down the spine of all others. Charles Latrobe Medalist Big Al Lehner nudged it round for 38 points displaying a welcome return to form. He is hungry again and that spells trouble for all teams involved in this year’s Premiership. Happy Easter!

Triple WWW snatch Draw with Ferrets in 2nd Round Shock

2009-03-30T23:37:00.001+11:00

Last year, Triple WWW waited 8 weeks to taste their first win. After starting 2009 with another flogging, it looked like even the strength of their early draft picks would not change this sad and sorrowful story. They faced the mighty Ferrets in the second round. When Ferrets Captain Billy Adams strode confidently through the Pro Shop door declaring a certain victory with big Al Lehner punching the air with his clenched fist in support, there was no one nearby who argued with them. All members of the Triple WWW team were long gone, morning players devoid of hope, resigned to yet another Saturday night of discontent, the solitude of the no expectations, they no longer rang to check the result. However, on the 18th green with the sun starting to set, their last round pick Phil McKenzie, overlooked again and again on draft day, faced a downhill 5 footer. That 5 foot would come to symbolise the change that has spread over this entire Premiership Season. 5 foot that would be the difference between another defeat for a team already mentally beaten, scarred from the memories of constant loss last year, or a draw against the regular season bullies, the mighty Ferrets. Phil McKenzie knew nothing of last season’s failures. He, like many others had stood back and watched the initial season with bemusement, trying to find reason in the highs and lows of emotion from the members of those different teams who week to week battled each other over the fairways of Latrobe. 5 foot, downhill, his team needed him. That perfect stroke would put him right to the heart of this competition. He saved his team from defeat, he shook the confidence of the imposing opposition and lifted the spirits of all others, raising their belief that the great teams of last year are back securely in the pack. It truly is anyone’s game.
The Snowgummers have hit the top of the table with vengeance. Their Captain, Shane McCarthy was sensational and had plenty of help as they seem determined to attack each week with an energy fired from the disasters of last June. Defeating In Time Dynasty was never going to be easy as they also have a good dose of fire in their belly. It needed a cracking round to split these 2 proud teams hell bent on finals action and McCarthy delivered and a narrow win was secured.
The Snowgummers now face Cambridge who sit second after crushing last year’s top 4 team The Tunners. Cambridge started fast last year as well, early mornings get tougher as we enter the winter months and they seem keen to make the most of the warmer mornings. It will not be lost on McCarthy and his men that Cambridge finished 8th last year and used that finals experience to surge to a magnificent win in ironically the Cambridge Knockout. The winner of this match will have secured a perfect start to a long difficult season.
In Time Dynasty, a team swelled by International cheer squads, team mascots and home and away uniforms were stung by their defeat. They believe big things await their strong balanced side and the All Night Chemists, buoyed their solid win over 1st round surprise packets the Wanderers, should be wary of a team on the rebound. The Irish supporters don’t like not celebrating and will be unhappy to spend another week on water, without the Guinness and whisky flowing. They are keen for a drink and are demanding a win. If the Dynasty get up I will post the results early so the Irish thirst can be quenched quickly and that Island can begin to function normally again.
The Brothers in Arms are once again going along nicely. Eager to not to create too much attention to themselves, they have posted to excellent scores which see them pushing into familiar territory, the Top 4. They face the might of the Ferrets this week and if they score their 3rd win of the year, they will feel the heat of the spotlight again. Last year they melted under this glare and there are some (not the writer) who believe it will happen again. This is a game they need to win, to gather the respect of others but more so, to build the belief they will need to develop, to go deeper into the finals that they are surely eyeing off again this year.
Finally, the game that will set the benchmark of all matches for the rest of this year was the grand final replay between the Buglers and Wally World. After the shock to both teams of losing their first round, this game meant more than just 4 points. The Buglers could stamp their authority once again on a beaten foe and Wally World could extract some revenge from the devastation of last year’s grand final loss. Both teams though, desperately needed to open up their accounts for 2009. It was to be a true blockbuster game that lived up to all the hype and more. They both cracked the magical 180 point barrier, the mark that would suggest a win is certain. Wally World prevailed under the strength of greater scoring depth with 4 players on 36 points and more. The Buglers, despite the gallant efforts of Tommy Robson’s massive 41 point game and Club Champion Johnston’s 39, fell away to go down 183 to 180. It was a match that if played in a Roman colosseum would have had no thumbs turned down, if played on the concrete freeways of LA, would have stopped the traffic and if played at a full house at the mighty MCG, would have had no fans leave early. It was a classic!

Grand finalists lose as 1st round throws up new order!

2009-03-23T13:43:00.000+11:00

The Cambridge Draft was held just 4 weeks ago. After just one round, it has proven to be a gold mine full of talent. This wealth was plundered by some of last year’s struggling teams and as The Snowgummers and the Wanderers loaded up on draft talent they have hit the top of the table after the first week of Coca-Cola Premiership action.
Indeed, as Captain of the Wanderers Kev Rowbotham sank back in his lounge chair to, as usual, make another fortune on the Trots last Saturday night, he would have drunk deeply from his bottle of red wine and his mind would have been elsewhere after his team thrashed the Saaksjarvies comprehensively in their opening game. The depth of his research prior to the draft has paid immediate dividends to his desperate team with 3 of his draft picks posting solid scores. That depth took the pressure off the more experienced team members. Jim Hanvey, shackles released, simply launched himself into the season with the competition high 41 points to underline the danger that the Wanderers will pose to all teams this year.
The Snowgummers also announced themselves as new competition threats dealing the hapless All Night Chemists what could only be described as the MOTHER OF ALL HIDINGS in a 32 point demolition. They hit the top of the table with a percentage boost that could prove invaluable when the finals cut will be taken. Great scores across the board ensured that resting their prized number 1 draft pick Cam Hocking proved no detour on their road to finals action. They are still hurting badly from last year’s choke fest, a finish to the season that saw them lose the last 5 matches to miss the finals on percentage. It is a burning memory that should keep them focussed deep into the season, should keep them striving week after week. They have some scores to settle and intend on doing so however mostly the scores they need to settle are internal, with themselves.
Amazingly last year’s Grand Finalist Wally World and Defending Premiers, the Buglers both lost. They were each playing top 8 sides from the previous year but one would suggest that hasn’t tempered their disappointment. The real worry would be that both first round draft picks fired and both Captains scored well. For the Buglers, the heavily rumoured premiership hangover may well be alive and well. The exhaustive celebrations of last year could have dulled the sharp edge that sliced all before them. For Wally World, the utter devastation from last year’s defeat may prove too hard to recover from. One of them will lose 2 in a row as they meet this week and it will suddenly be a steep uphill struggle to make the finals in what has become a far more even competition. The first real blockbuster match awaits these 2 proud and strong teams. There will be no room for the feint hearted, both team’s seasons shall be shaped by what happens this Saturday, so early in the season.
As they struggled, the Ferretts went on their merry way. Playing new franchise F Troop, they all turned up and in their new uniforms went about welcoming the new team to the Ferretts way of life. In their world, this life means that you cop a nice old thrashing. Ian Toall, still shattered by missing out on votes in last year’s Charles Latrobe, pulled on that new shirt like it was a second skin and then preceded to hole out with his very first swing. Then, in a display of depth, their 4th pick in the draft Graham Thomas showed he relished the chance to join this team thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to Ferrett his opposition by posting the game high 40 points. In a word of warning to all teams, the Feretts look strong again, and being stung by the taste of defeat in last year’s prelim, they look focussed on going all the way to glory this year.
In Time Dynasty also are looking forward to a strong year with their Captain Billy Hassett making sure his Irish Cheer Squad is on the Guinness early in the season leading his team to victory over top 4 side the Tunners. He played magnificent and is sure to lead from the front again as he did last year. This is a team that is full of excitement, combusting on its own fuel supply. The emotion that is flowing through the veins of In Time Dynasty will ensue that this energy will not dwindle and will keep it firing deep into the season. They will be a force this year and face an acid test this week against the white hot Snowgummers side that also have their own demons to burn. It is the other block buster game this weekend and is sure to keep Ireland awake in anticipation for the results to fly over the ocean via the World Wide Web.
Finally it seems that the more things change the more they stay the same. Triple WWW have had a change of name and a change of Captain but sadly, they did not achieve the change of result that they were desperately hoping for. Ridding themselves of the heavy baggage that the Salty’s name developed last year, the two feuding captains both had the same score. It means that there is no end in sight to this internal rivalry. It is a rivalry that could split this team apart right down the middle. It could also provide the motivating force to take them to a place that they never looked like being last year, the finals. What a story that would be. At the moment though, it appears that story is just a fairytale.
So it has started. The march to the Coca-Cola Latrobe Team Premiership has begun. There is so much still to be done, by so many and for so long before another team will join the Buglers and be declared the Premiers at Latrobe Golf Club.

The Coca Cola Team Premiership is about to start

2009-03-08T22:15:00.002+11:00

The Official draw of the 2009 Coca-Cola Team Premiership season has put forward many questions that will start to be answered this weekend.
It will not take long to work out if the Buglers are to be the force that they were and are still expected to be with a torrid 3 weeks to kick off their season. They will be hunted mercilessly as teams lift themselves to square off against the defending premiers. It starts immediately as they open up with The Brothers in Arms who finished 4th on the ladder last year. This is followed up with the Grand Final Replay against Wally World and then Preliminary finalists the Tunners in the 3rd week. By the time they hold teh ultimate grudge match with the Ferrets in Round 9, they will know whether they are just pretenders for a historic repeat.
Fellow Grand Finalists Wally World will also be in the thick of the action early in the season. Kicking off with Knockout winners Cambridge in the opening round, they will then face the Buglers in Round 2. The Mighty Ferrets are waiting in round 4 and If they drop all of these games, even new peacemaker Stapelfeldt will be struggling to keep thermal heat that rumbles inside this volatile group of personalities from imploding early in the season.
New franchise F Troop will no doubt be warmly welcomed by the Ferrets in Round 1 before their draw softens playing 5 of last year’s bottom 8 through rounds 3 to 7. If the Ferrets don’t destroy their virginal spirit, they may raise some eyebrows with a rather lofty position on the premiership table early through the season.
Four of the bottom five sides from last year face off in the first round. The Wanderers take on the Saaksjarvies and Triple WWW take on the Corruptible’s. It will mean 2 of them will have the chance to take in the air they rarely breathed in last year, the fresh air of a Top 8 side. Triple WWW and the Corruptible’s are hoping that more has changed in the off season than just their names. The Wanderers, the wooden spooner’s from last year, seemed to have drafted very well. They have a draw that will determine if those draftees are the real deal, the saviours that are hoped for as they play bottom 8 sides for the first 5 games. This may allow them to steal a march on other bottom sides. This may create some momentum that just might take them into finals action. This will rely much on the Draftees, that they stand up and perform, that they deliver on the promise they seem to give the side that has the most spots to climb if they want to finish the season with Premiership glory.
One thing is without doubt, for the 64 draftees that make their trip to the club this weekend, Saturday golf at Latrobe is about to change forever. They will turn the corner into Farm Road and that road will seem to go forever. Their fingers will stiffen slightly around the well worn steering wheel and they will shift slightly in their seat. They will make their way through the grand archway formed by the towering gums that stand guard at Latrobe’s entrance and as the Clubhouse comes into view, their heart will skip a beat, their mouth will become dry, their breathing will shallow and they’ll fight a knotting in their stomach. The adrenaline that has been slowly building in their body on the drive to the club, shall start to surge. They know it is no longer just another game of golf that they are about to play, it is suddenly about more than just them. It is about representing the team that they have been chosen for. With those new team mates, they will meet a new challenge in golf. It is a team challenge that just maybe, bonded together, if everything goes right, will allow them to take that step to immortality, to be known forever more, around the glorious fairways of their wonderful club, sthat they are a Premiership Player at Latrobe. Magnificent!
Good luck to all players and let the long journey to glory begin.....

The Cambrige Premiership Draft

2009-02-23T08:44:00.004+11:00

The excitement from last year’s season came flooding back to the many captains and assistants as all teams gathered to partake in the very first Premiership draft. The ‘War of the Worlds’ was the theme and there was more than a little joy for the many teams that were mercilessly crushed last year by the Ferretts as memories of them faltering in the finals returned. The emotion of last year’s finals series is still raw for the Ferretts, with Captain Billy Adams and his cohorts ‘Big Al’ Lehner and Timmy Stray galvanised to strengthen their team and make the step that proved just too far last year, the step that eventually leads to premiership glory.

It was to be a night of opportunity for all. However, it was an opportunity that for some teams needed desperately to be taken and to be taken well. That opportunity presented in one collage of golfing talent, 64 eager players resolved to join a team and bond to a strength that will prove too strong for all others. They had placed their immediate golfing future in the hands of 16 captains. The bottom sides from last year would need to bring up plenty. This was to be their chance to build for the future, to begin the climb up the premiership ladder, to make their play for the premiership cup. Otherwise it would be another cold and baron winter, frozen out of the finals series again, nothing but a season of tragedy; of heartache, soul searching and broken dreams.

The research had been done, the quiet deal making completed, and the dice was to be rolled 64 times to determine who would take on who, the teams for 2009 were to be finalised.

The Wanderers had the prized first pick and subsequent first picks in each round and they used them well. They have turned themselves into a strong team with Poposki, Ozdemir, Bunn and Di Marco all to score heavily throughout the season. One night has changed this team’s future.

Triple WWW grabbed favoured Number 1 pick Cecchi after he was passed over by the Wanderers with glee. Then adding the consistent Campbell with McKenzie and Stanley ensured the healthy injection of talent into this team was secured.

The Saaksjarvies seemed to have put all their eggs in the basket of the super consistent Langford. Some selections from left field of pinch hitters Cahill, Jowers and Denton (Michael) may have secured Langford favouritism in the Charles Latrobe Medal.

The Snowgummers offset their too strong early picks of Hocking and Harvie with friendship selections Burgess and ‘Scrap’. They will not have to wait too many games to determine whether this strategy was sound and those friendships remain as stong as ever.

The Corruptables did well also bolstering their team with Gun player Pinataro a strong ‘Charles Latrobe Medal’ chance, the unorthodox but highly consistent and radiantly dressed Prideaux. They also increased their defense capabilities with Denton and Misso sure to keep them out of trouble during the season’s slandering sessions.

The All Night Chemists also had a strong night grouping low marker Pollack with the clubs best left hander Moore, boom ‘B Grade’ champion Ylias and the pinch hitting Kelsey. Their main problem remains with their current group conflicted with betting against each other stretching team harmony but no constricting team sledging.

The Wood Ducks played their hand well with McGregor a consistent scorer, Lam a proven performer, Scott solid each week and the potential superstar in young Lewis Harry. Many will look back and ask themselves why this young man slipped to the third round, he should not have and the Woodies are stronger for it.

The Tunners were considered the over achievers last year however they did magnificently securing too strong players in Poustie and Mansfield. Grouped with Tunners past player Whitfield and Ridley, they will no longer be underestimated, the spirit of the Tunners will live strong this year.

The Ferretts achieved their goal by becoming stronger as well. Already a formidable team, the guilt of last year’s guillotining at the dawn of the season has been erased with the injection of the consistent Gilder. Then they added the experience of old ‘Mongrels’ Bisignano and Ierofone with the guile of Thomas to have their eye fixed firmly on the Premiership Cup.

Finally, ‘The Buglers’ achieved the coup of the night. How the defending Premiers managed to pluck Club Champion, Tim Johnston at pick 15 will be the enduring question that hangs over the other Captains all year. Add the ultimate pinch hitter Eric Lehner to that mix and the skills of Spillane and Hesketh will ensure that the other clubs will need their very best to stop a repeat by the benchmark of the competition.

The stage is now set, the games are about to begin and the season will once again bring the waves of excitement, the emotion of the soaring highs and gut wrenching lows to the golf of Latrobe Golf Club on Saturday. Good luck to all......

2009-02-06T21:13:00.002+11:00

Coke- Cola adds Life to the Premiership

World iconic brand Coca-Cola has thrown their support behind the Latrobe Golf Club Team Premiership. In a move that will invigorate the energies of all team Captains leading into the Cambridge Draft, the winning team of this year’s premiership will spend a ‘HOT AUGUST NIGHT’ at the MCG or Ethiad Stadium in the Coca-Cola box. What a way to celebrate for the premiership team. It will be 4 months in the pressure cooker of Team Premiership golf. Riding the waves of emotion that will greet every win and loss, grinding through the extremes of the nerve jangling finals series and finally, surviving the suffocation of grand final day around the extraordinary course that is Latrobe Golf Club. The prize will be worth every shot in the journey, rationalise every heartbreaking moment, justify every minute of effort, for the joy of winning will be taken to our towns’ greatest arena and there, behind glass, thanks to the vision and support of Coca-Cola, the team will celebrate its victory.

There is more.....

Now the winners of the ‘Cambridge Knockout’ will experience the pleasures of one of the world’s greatest courses. They will enjoy a well earned night of rest in the magnificence of the Victoria Golf Club, before waking up to a hearty breakfast and a round of golf on the masterpiece of course design, Victoria Golf Club.

The countdown has begun, the Premiership awaits just one team only, the Captains will need to galvanize their teams and get down to business, because the season approaches and as there can only be one winner. Enjoy.

2009-02-03T19:57:00.004+11:00

Winners will be Grinning Again

Titleist has thrown their support behind the Latrobe Golf Club Team Premiership again. They have been swept up in the euphoria that has captured the imagination and spirit of the Saturday golfers at Latrobe. As the first round of the Season approaches, Captains will again use the lure of winning Titleist Golf Balls as a motivation to create the team bonding and just plain never-say-die guts and determination that is required to achieve success in this competition. There will be 15 weeks of joy and heartbreak and 15 weeks of tension and relief. Make no mistake, Saturday golf at Latrobe is now the greatest game in town....and teams that win each week will celebrate with Titleist, the best brand of golf ball on the planet.

CAMBRIDGE to Sponsor the First Official Draft

2009-01-23T20:01:00.003+11:00

Increasing their involvment in the Latrobe Team Premiership, Cambridge has added their name to the first official Draft. Each draftee will receive 2 golf balls as a gift from Cambridge, a gesture of goodwill before the season starts, a calm before the storm, before the thick clouds of competition blow in to blanket Saturday Golf at Latrobe and the sledging will begin in earnest.

The anticipation of the coming season is gathering momentum with the Cambridge Draft being the first major question that Team Captains will need to answer. 64 players have put their 'Chance for Glory' into the melting pot and will strive to put their name in the spotlight over the next 5 weeks.Then, on Saturday Feb 21, they will wait, patiently, for their name to be called and be officially added to their team. It is the team that they will play their hearts out for, over 15 tension packed weeks hoping to secure a place in the finals series. It is that finals berth, that will possibly lead to them forever being known as "A Premiership Player"at Latrobe Golf Club.

On behalf of all in the Premiership, thank you to Cambridge