Monday, March 03, 2008

The Hard, Nutty Core of Open Chocolate

I was wondering the other day … has anyone played EVERY season of Open League in Brisbane? I mean the BPL, plus its predecessors MAL and the Dog Cup.

That’s fifteen seasons including this one, stretching back to mid-2002.

Working it out without any real knowledge, I guess you’d start with the stalwarts of the BPL today and maybe look at a few AFDA numbers, and then thin the herd. Maybe you'd exclude the relatively young (Johnny Mac) and those who have retired (Roger, Bruce). People who’ve left town for periods of time (Piers, Rueben) or had some new kids on their block to distract them here and there (Stew McGoo, Sean Flan, Joel). Injuries have had an effect too (Buzz).

I suspect Fergs, J-Ray, Andy McL, Steve C and Mr Ryan might make a list of the hard, nutty core that's at the centre of the BPL's chocolatey history. What do you think?

Comments are open – who has played every season of Open league in Brisbane’s history?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looking at the History table on the dog-cup database, I can say that I've played all of them (still have my dog tag from winning the first one with Dog Squad)... except the most recent season at end '07, when I took a break post-AUG.

Crap. That would've been a cool record. Wish I'd thought about it at the time.

Anonymous said...

Hey JDR.

Can't help but notice (correct me if i'm wrong) but the city council elections seem to be on the first day of the tournament.

Is anything happening with the start time of the tourney so people can vote before the days play starts?

Anonymous said...

Well, I'm just looking through this list of nutsters and here's how it plays out as far as I can remember:

- Johhno Cheeseburger has already struck himself off for "taking a break post-AUG" like the slacker that he is

- Roger & Bruce have been in and out from time to time, and I'm not sure I can recall Brucey playing in the very earliest leagues. Rog seems to spend most of his time cycling through France these days

- Rubes had a shot but then left town

- Piers was always just a brief flash-in-the-pan blow-in. Who knows where he's moved to this time...

- Stew moved to Sydney for a while

- Sean Flan has come & gone pending parenting and golfing duties

- Joel has done the same (well, not the golf bit)

- "Cornerstone" Buzza tends to play until he can't stand everyone else's incompetence any longer and then takes a season or two off

- Andy McL has slacked it from time to time. Apparently having a Brazilian fiancee is very taxing on one's spare time

- The other old-skool, Dojo-founding legends of the game Watto, Ryan & co (once of Skyscraper fame) have a poor record that speaks for itself

- Now it gets tricky. Ferg is a pretty reliable attendee, but for the sake of this story I'm going to assume he's missed at least one season

- I'm going to do the same for Mat, who's had way too many knee injuries over the years to have played in every league

- Then there's J-Ray who rumour has it won't be playing this season (even though he's on the player list???). Again, for the sake of the story I'm scratching him.

So - who does that leave that has played in every single Dog Cup / MAL / BPL? Like Connor McLeod (google it if you're too young to remember), there can only be one truly hard-core nut at the kernel of top-flight Brisbane ultimate - and that player is... me!!!

C'mon Mat, Ferg & J-Ray - prove me wrong.

Anonymous said...

Oooh - I forgot a couple of other dark horse contenders.

Firstly the darkest of them all - MVP Steve Hjelm himself. But no, surely those famously delicate ankles of his have seen him miss at least one season as well???

And then there's Matt Eastburn (another original Skyscraper). Could it be that Mr Disco Dancer himself has played in every league??? Surely not.

And now, looking back through the mist, I seem to recall that another tall, rather thinly built chap started playing ultimate the same time I did - a certain Michael Nield...

Rueben said...

I had a good run there before I left.

I think I have the worst record of anyone though - I never won a single one!!!!

Made the final a few times but could never get over the line.

Every time I left a team, they went onto win the next season!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure I have only missed the one season. Even travelling from the GC. Still have my dog tag from the Dog Squad as well. I thought there was only 3 teams in that first season.?? J Ray spent a bit of time up north missing a couple of seasons.

Andy Mc