He Can Huck the Disc Just Like Ringing a Bell

In our endless search for quality content for you readers out there, we've stumbled upon the idea of posting the occasional interview. So we thank the gracious and enormous Jon Good for stepping up to the keyboard and getting us going.

What is there we can say about Jon in terms of an introduction, that hasn't been said better by someone somewhere else? Well, Jon makes for a great boozing partner, for one. And he organises the Brisbane Premier League exceptionally well. Handy to have on your team, be it Ultimate or anything really. And apparently a fantastic shag (this is speculation, but then, I'm sure you all read that article about Ultimate players and shagging). Um, anyways ...

Brisbane Ultimate Blog: What is it that really suckers you for Ultimate? Is there anything specific or central to the sport that has you?

Jon Good: I started playing because I was fed up with the egos which dominate all of the other team sports I played. Now I’m not saying that there aren’t big egos in ultimate, but they make up a far smaller proportion of the players and the spirit of the game does a pretty good job of keeping them in check. So I’d say it’s a combination of the central aspect of fair play and the type of people this tends to attract.

BUB: Do you think being an organiser at Ultimate changes the way you play or understand the game itself?

JG: Other than a much better understanding about roster sizes, I don’t think running BPL has changed how I see the game. It’s certainly made me far more appreciative of the precious few others who take the time out of their lives to organise events.

BUB: What stands out in terms of differences between Ultimate in the UK and Ultimate in Australia?

JG: You guys don’t have an indoor season for one! I think that lack of the smaller, faster version of the game means that Aussie teams tend to be a bit more huck-orientated and less fond of the scuba and blade than UK teams. Cups in zone defence also seem a little easier to get through over here, maybe because you get a better understanding of space playing indoor tournaments on pitches the size of 2 badminton courts.

BUB: Now that we're in 2008 – how do you think 2007 went for Ultimate in Brisbane?

JG: We have a city full of world and national champions, so I’d say it went pretty well. All the leagues seem to be growing in stature and it’s great to finally see the development of a potential new ‘home of ultimate’ at Annerley after loosing UQ. A lot of guys seemed to get engaged and/or pregnant too, must be something in the water.

BUB: Where do you see BPL by the end of 2008 … and if its not stretching the imagination too far, at the end of 2010?

JG: We have some pretty exciting things in motion with Annerley Junior Soccer Club at the moment, well, exciting if you’re an admin geek anyway. By the end of 2008 I’d like to see this translate into a 6 team league where there is genuine competition to get on every roster, games being played on fields so well lit up that you’ll want to buy shares in Energex, and hopefully some growth of potential sponsors to bring the costs down for the players.

By the end of 2010 I’d like to see BPL being run even better by someone else!

BUB: There seems to be a sense that BPL is producing some very strong Open Ultimate in Brisbane – why isn't this translating to greater success on the National stage?

JG: Coming from the UK system, it’s always seemed strange to me that Brisbane throws together teams of ‘all-stars’ for nationals rather than having a concrete club structure. John, Mike, and Al have made a good step forward with the way they are running ‘Firestorm’ now and I think this should improve performance at Nationals. Personally I think it would be better in the long run to have guys playing as a team every week in BPL, and take them to Nationals. Now part of this is selfish as I’d like to see BPL be as competitive as it can be, but surely a team of guys who play together on a weekly basis and then add in some extra training sessions would perform better than guys who play on different teams with different structures each week? The logic seems to work for the USA teams at World National Championship level, although they would struggle logistically with a country wide ‘all-star’ team.

BUB: Do you ever find much time for nostalgia? Thinking about the 'old days' in Ultimate?

JG: Ah yes, back when I had hair, had never been injured, and could run guys into the dirt. I started playing in 1994 for a Juniors team which competed against 7 others at the UK National Junior Championships, looking at how much recognition the sport has now it seems like a very long time ago. It’s great to see some young natural athletes gravitating towards the sport, rather than the kids who sucked at everything else – it was much easier to get open when teams were made up of those kinds of players though. I’m sure once I hit Masters eligibility age my fondness for nostalgia will increase!

BUB: Can you name a couple of Brisbane Ultimate players you consider 'under-rated'?

JG: Playing both YUFL and BPL with him, Shawn Robb would come pretty high on my list – nothing too showy, does whatever he’s asked to do to the best of his ability every time he’s on the field, a real workhorse in the James Larkin sense. The other guy I admire a lot is Andy Lankowski because he does the kind of handling job that doesn’t get you much praise – sure he may not throw many spectacular (or speculative) ¾ field throws, but he’ll get open on most guys for a dump and you’ll be able to count the throw aways he has at a tournament on less than 3 fingers.

We also have a load of young talent coming up through BPL at the moment, and some guys can get lost amongst the Jules’ of this world. I’ve always been impressed by Pete Allen, particularly last season when he stepped into the lead handler role a couple of times and did a really good job. Sam Challis will also be a name you’ll hear more and more in Ultimate, usually followed by the words “… did an unbelievable job of running down a wayward huck by Jon Good”!

BUB: Thanks Jon!

Readers - if you know someone who we should interview, or want to be interviewed yourself, leave a comment or get in touch!