2008 Queensland Ultimate Club of the Year

In 2006 it was Bootius Maximus.

In 2007 it was the University of Queensland Lovers.

The 2008 Queensland Club of the Year was announced earlier this evening at the glamourous QUDA bash (more to come on that one).

But before we slap the winner up here, lets go through the process and the countdown.

You'll remember how its done from last year.

Qualifying Elements
1. Clubs must play two tournaments, or have traveled over 700km for one tournament.
2. Club must be majority Qld or NNSW players.
3. Players may play for multiple clubs through the year, but only one club per event.
4. Clubs may accrue additional points via multiple teams in the same event.
5. A tournament must have at least four teams to be included, and be by open invitation/qualification (hence, NUFL not included, as only certain clubs can compete).

Determining Points
1. Points are given for placing in relation to the size of the tournament. Last place gets 100 points, each placing above that gets 100 points, but to 10 teams.
2. If there are more than 10 teams, the maximum points are 1000, and the points per placing distributed down to 100 points for last.
3. Spirit points are given as 20 points per team at the tournament - so for example, winning spirit at a 8 team tournament is 160 points.
4. There is a travel bonus to recognise that getting a team a distance takes more effort. 50km-700km is 100 points, 700-1400km is 200 points, more than 1400km is 300 points
5. Bonus points up to 100 for miscellaneous at the discretion of the award organiser.

There was one addition to the process this year. To introduce a capacity to take account for the 'intangibles' of a good club, we invited the Club Captains or equivalent for each of the clubs to distribute 100 points amongst the other clubs, based on their sense of who had a good year and deserves recognition in the Club of the Year stakes.

Final tangent - we also looked this year at how we could account for League Clubs, but weren't able to come up with a good formula, particularly given BUML and BPL have yet to finish for the year. Maybe next time around, Mellow Yellow.

So lets get into the Countdown!

11th - Minx 380 points
Minx, the spunky kid sister of Sultry, erupted into existence this year under the leadership of the minxy Peta McNaughton, and after a good turnout at Regionals the ladies had a strong first showing at Nationals, being the centre of much attention.

10th - Lounge Lizards 395 points
Now in their third year, the Lounge Lizards are perhaps the most sexually attractive mixed Ultimate team in Brisbane, being a byword for fun tournament Ultimate. Showings at Lovefest, the Queensland Qualifier, and Mixed Nationals totted up their points.

9th - QUT River Rats 525 points
Another big year for the QUTies, one of Queensland's oldest clubs. Successful again in League play, but its their adventures at Lovefest and more importantly, to the 2008 Australian University Games all the way down to Melbourne that landed them points (along with Sam's triumph!)

8th - Sultry 719 points
Simply great, with the saucy lasses picking up points at Regionals and Nationals.

7th - Great Sugoi! 995 points
Burst onto the mixed scene to do very very well thank you at the Queensland Qualifier and Mixed Nats to snaggle a high spot.

6th - Townsville 1159 points
The controversial decision to play as individual pickups at Halibut this year bore fruit in a refreshed team having a fabo time at Mixed Nats. Earlier in the year, Thor's cracking 3th-4th playoff at Regionals got the northerners into the top 6 for the first time.

5th - Mind the Gap 1525 points
The venerable ones recruited some younger legs for an extended campaign in 2008, with squads competing at Halibut, the Queensland Qualifier and Mixed Nationals.

Now we move into the top tier, with an almost inexplicable TIE for third place

Equal 3rd - Gold Coast 1530 points
2008 will probably go down in history as the year Gold Coast Ultimate finally started to break out. 3rd place as the Slamtown Flatball Club at Halibut set heads a spinning, while a great showing by the Griffith Gold Coast squad at AUGs down in Melbourne kept the points ticking over. Lots to promise on next year as the new league builds and builds.

Equal 3rd - Byron Bay 1530 points
Ended the year quietly with the Badman's Birthday Bash, and have seen some of their top people shift to North America and Brisbane, but as a whole, a triumph for the Byron Bay and Channon cooperative collective. Teams from Byron Bay hit Regionals, Nationals, Halibut and Lovefest, and the as the youth contingent comes through, will continue to grow as a force, boxing above its population weight for some time year.

2nd - Firestorm 2100 points
Someone had to come second and this year it's Firestorm. Now in their third year, Firestorm has continued to develop itself on field and off, getting two big squads to Regionals and then down to Coffs for Nationals. Huge plans on the drawing board for the next few years.


But only one team could win, and this time for the second year running!

1st - University of Queensland 2402 points
Where do we start in talking about another great year for the University of Queensland Club? Truely, this is the Club that many others aspire to be in or like. When not busy running their own league, or putting teams into BUML, WUFL and BPL, the UQ Lovers down down to Sydney for the East Coast Challenge, put two teams into Halibut and the Lovefest (which they ran), and charmed everyone at the Queensland Qualifier and Mixed Nationals. The Lover-butt pants set the standard for all others.

Well done UQ, and to everyone involved in Ultimate Clubs in Queensland!