BUML Team of the Week: The UQ Lovers

A lot could be written about the UQ Lovers. UQ are the oldest continuously existing Ultimate Club in Queensland, and it’s been said that something half of Queensland Ultimate over the last twenty years played for UQ at some time or other. BUML itself really only exists because UQ closed its fields for an extended period over 2003-4, making the scene bite the bullet and expand the places to play. There’s been a UQ team is most of the Monday night Mixed Leagues since early 2006, but the Club has only once held the virtual trophy aloft, winning the BUML11 Grand Final at the end of 2008.

Despite (or as a result of) all this history, UQ Ultimate is a story of change and renewal. Every semester new people arrive at University and decide to give Ultimate a go. But as far as Monday nights go, the current crop of Lovers looks very much like last year’s. So we decided to invite the delightful Megz and the also sort-of-delightful Goosey Jack to wander up from Oval 7 to the stately Brisbane Ultimate Mansion’s science lab to put on the white coats with the grass stains and tell us about their plans for the season.

Brisbane Ultimate Blog (BUB): Thanks for coming in students. Please place your books on the floor and your student identification card on the desk. You may have two sharpened HB pencils and a packet of polos for this session. Now, in 50 words of less, how’s the season looking for the UQ Lovers so far?

Megz: It started off in a bit of turmoil, as usual, it’s kind of a pain to get uni students to commit to anything. That said, despite assertions to the contrary, we have some promising new players, have brought some of our development players into the BUML team at last and as usual we are looking forward to ongoing improvement of our rookies - who are looking particularly athletic this year. A bunch of our girls transitioned to the club system for the first time and are looking fit and strong and confident. We will look to use our fitness and quick movement, learn some zen arts, and earn a place in the top two. (p.s. we have smartphones, tablets and boostjuice these days - pfft).

Jack: Aside from the trouble we had actually organising the team, the season is looking great so far. We have a couple of choice pick ups in the form of exchange students - American Micah and Saskatchewanian Annalise - and we have young Myles entering the fold as well (we saw his potential as the coach of the UQ women’s netball team at AUGs and poached him). On the women’s side we have seen HUGE improvement from everyone on the team as Megz said, all due to hard work over the Christmas break with Black Betty. Sam’s cutting like a machine and Bonnie’s confidence with throwing continues to improve, looking for break throws and hitting under options consistently. BW and Gref are as reliable as ever (i.e: relying on them to huck it to anyone that runs deep and being too lazy to pivot leading to many a turfed forehand)

BUB: Please answer the following multiple choice question. The most disturbing person on our team is: a) BW, b) Gref, c) Tomsteve or d) you.

Jack: I’m not one to cast nasturtiums, but it’s definitely Gref.

Megz: b) Gref - definitely.

BUB: Wow, Tomsteve must be slowing down with age. Ok, for five points - who’s actually been at UQ the longest?

Megz: Hmm... that’s a tough one... it has to be TomSteve or Gref... they were both here at least two years before me - since Gref left and came back though, I am going to say it must be TS.

Jack: Yep, definitely TS. Jmac likes to pretend that he’s still a Lover, but he only comes to hit on the new girls.

BUB: Score for Tomsteve. We know all the readers of the Brisbane Ultimate Blog love a bit of Tomsteve. Anyway, what was the story with no playing at the St Lucia Campus this year?

Jack: During one of the voodoo rituals which they seem to partake in almost weekly, (if the amount of chicken blood and feathers around the offices is any indication), they were compelled to close the fields in order to appease the AFL gods.

Megz: I heard something like “blah blah blah international cricket tournament blah blah blah”

BUB: The shaft, eh? Oh well. Moving on, Division One is full of very very good players. Compare and contrast – who do you expect to be playing in the Final at the end of the season?

Jack: We have yet to see what Drop Bears have to offer, they look like a solid team full of the who’s who of Brisbane Ultimate but I’m sure PAllen is doing them more harm than good. Our game against Poachers was one of the most fiercely fought games I’ve ever seen at BUML, I feel like they’re real contenders come the finals, some really big throwers on their team. White Lantern’s core of the Behrendorff brothers and big Seb Brown are looking good and have great chemistry, though they can sometimes get flustered with one another. In the season opening game against them they showcased some big hucks. They seem to have traded the controversial Chris Brown for Devon, and appear quite happy with the results. Honestly, I think the Ghost are going to have a pretty rough season, but they seem happy to stick it out and learn as much as they can.

Megz: I reckon Poachers are the dark horse this season - totally underrated... and although they generally play an all around game, with the addition of Abra and JMac, they basically have a get out of jail free card with those two and Kailin. They have a strong zone, with Dan Blacklock leading the charge and are a very adaptable team. Dyspnoeics are also a big threat, they have some great players, but are still missing some height and have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot with a fairly predictable playing structure. Their female depth has improved this season with Nott and Kirsten though, so that will be a big advantage - though losing the calm of Suze is a bummer. I would predict one of those two and us (obviously) in the final, but it could really be any of the top 5 teams. I am a big fan of the more condensed 6 team structure for Division 1, and I am very glad that my pleas were heard by the BUML committee.

BUB: Well, yes, the BUMLOC loves a good pestering. You’ve both been with the Club for a long time – how did you originally get into Ultimate?

Megz: Lol. Jack has been at the club for like a year - it just SEEEMS like a long time. I have been at UQ for 3.5 years... fairly standard I guess (maybe even less given the large volume of engineers that play Ulti!). I really got into Ulti when i started playing at JCU, but I was introduced to it by some expats in Tanzania and instantly loved the combination of intensity and non-contact, and also the social aspect that mixed sport offers. When I got to UQ I was still pretty bad, and although my form goes up and down, I would like to think that i have evolved from one of the weakest players on the team, to one of the stronger players in my time at UQ, and there are lot of people from the club and elsewhere I have to thank for that.

Jack: I’ve only really been “with the club” for a year but I started playing at UQ’s beginner league WAAAAAAAAY back in 2010, and indeed played my very first tournament picking up with the mansion’s distinguished owner at Lovefest 2010 and took a huge grab on the last point of the day at timecap. Unfortunately it was the hard cap and I was just outside the endzone so I didn’t get to convert my first big play. It was then that I decided I would never again be contained by arbitary timecap restrictions and my love of Ultimate was born.

BUB: Agreed. Its always been the BUB's mantra to play to points, but if we must hurry up for scheduling purposes, then we at least finish the point we're on. Anyway, rant out. What’s the deal with Uni Games this year?

Jack: We’re actually hosting our own tournament with a much more sensible format (8 team Div1 are you serious AUS?) in order to finance what will be the largest ball pit in the southern hemisphere for myself, Gref and Bonnie’s new house. Sausages can only achieve so much...

After Nationals winds up we’re looking to get the UQ development squad underway, and we’re in the VERY early stages of exploring options for development in association with other Universities in Queensland. We’re about 1.25 Red Room sessions away from starting a google doc. in order to coordinate our efforts.

BUB: That means something, does it?

Jack: Yes. Action ACTion actION, baby.

Megz: As usual with Australian University Sport and Ultimate - who knows. Two Divisions is for sure, but nothing else is. We might have to play regional qualifiers, we might not - we’re hoping not, because we have a more development friendly alternative in the works, but we still prefer a qualification model over the tedious alternatives AUS have offered. There is still no Unis officer for AFDA - so if anyone has mad negotiation skillz, the patience of a saint, can stick to their guns whilst miraculously gaining concessions from an immovable object and a love of Unis ultimate - please volunteer... actually just 1 and 4 are required. Fingers crossed that we will have an official ex-Lover as coach (outcomes of negotiations TBA). We will be getting serious and having more fun with camp and training kicking off early, development squad coming out of the woodwork after nats, and a load of FUN-draiser activities to get new people involved/ make AUG’s more affordable, and a whole womens team again (at last!). Having redeemed ourselves this year, we are looking to field as competitive a team as possible, so IF ANYONE AWESOME IS A STUDENT AT UQ PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED.

BUB: Well, the vibes coming out of our sources within the administrative structures is that nobody is going to be playing Ultimate at Northern Uni Games this year, but its definitely there for 2013. On another note, may we inquire vaguely (just to see if we can trick you kinda) if the rumours are true?

Megz: Yes, Jack really does like 300 pound bitches, and that’s what the song is about.

Jack: I neither confirm nor deny my love for big booty bitches.

BUB: Wow. I’d never have guessed you had a thing for St Bernards.

Jack: That’s because you always see my on my best behaviour.

BUB: Now, you're the UQ 'Lovers' as they nicknamed. How about you say something nice about each other?

Jack: You first.

Megz: Jack’s Ultimate ability has increased exponentially since the day he started playing, due mostly to his own desire and commitment and he has been a dedicated club member since about minutes after he arrived. It’s awesome and we are totally proud of him (p.s. the Lovers, being all about love, say nice things about each other all the time, it’s one of the best things about the club).

Jack: Megs is the most enthusiastic Ultimate player and person I’ve ever had the pleasure of associating myself with. She’s always excited to do something cool and new and is always happy to teach the newbies. She also follows through with things, a lot of crazy ideas come out of the club’s late night red room/St Lucia Thai sessions and Megz manages to filter out the crap, identify the good stuff and make it happen. She’s super sick at ultimate too, the other day when we were playing 500 in the Great Court she boxed me out so hard I’m still seeing stars.

BUB: Anything else you’ve got for us?

Jack: UQ LOVERS #1 ALL OTHER TEAMS SUCK!!

Megz: To all the ex-Lovers out there, you’re missing out.

BUB: Well, I won't touch either of those suggestions with a bargepoll. Thanks again for coming in. I’ll sign your Jobseeker forms now. You can put the silverware back though.