So given my bias for the final I thought I would call in an expert to help me break down the final. Unfortunately no one would answer the call so I had to settle for "Mr Nice" himself Pete Allen
What do you like
about the Bugs offence?
The Bugs offence has transitioned in the seasons since Mike
and JRay to be a lot more dependent on the short running game and all round
team effort. That being said, they have got the most consistent thrower in
Australian ultimate at their disposal in Buzz, who will always be ready to take
that shot and more often than not it will be served on a platter. Hard running
is the name of the game this season with Bugs, focussing on simple yet
effective plans. Against a zone, they will have Jangles popping along with a
few others lending a hand and that hammer to the weak side is always an option
with Buzz around.
Where will the bugs
struggle on offence?
Although they are hard running and quite efficient, with the
large amount of pressure that Slamtown is capable of applying to them with
their man D and zone D alike, they may have the propensity to make simple
errors. The few less experienced or those who have been sitting a bit idle of
late may be just that weakness that is exploited. They will fare well with
decisive cutting and attacking every single disc, but even one single slow
approach to the disc could present that opportunity that Slammers are only too
willing to take.
What would you
recommend the bugs do on D?
The Bugs defence has proven to be quite effective this
season, there is no real secret to it really. They don’t do anything out of the
ordinary or special in any way (well if they do it’s not obvious). They just
stick to the basics; hold a force, take away the unders and get to the
contests. Any zone they put on is done to apply pressure and does so quite
well. Against, Slamtown, this may work well, but they are going to have be very
close to their man at all times because when that huck comes (which it will
pretty much every point, especially if Kalin gets his hands on the disc), they are
going to need to be there in numbers to prevent the plethora of Slamtown
receivers from taking easy catches. In my opinion, you know pretty much exactly
who on Slamtown is going to huck it and when, so if you are aware of who and
where the disc is you can go help out when it comes.
Who are the Bugs Key
players?
There are obvious Bugs players who are key to their game and
have been there when they win this season. Buzz, obviously is a key handler,
and Slamtown will struggle to shut him down even when they try their darndest.
Jangles will be running constantly and in straight lines all over the field.
But it is going to come down to who can get some important blocks throughout
the game and here I think it falls down to 3 or 4 players, who will have to
step up. Trevor, Special, Twebb and Matt Ryan. Trevor has shown glimpses of
being a game changer when he wants too, Special has been doing it for years
quietly, Twebb has the athleticism and Matt has the Tenacity. These guys will be required to mark the
downfield players when those bombs come and get in front and above their marks
to take down the stuff that will come their way.
What do you like
about the Slammers offence?
Slamtowns rise over the past few years has been quite
obvious to all, and it is ongoing, even after a stumble at the start of this
season. The basis of this rise is having a group of players that play with each
regularly at leagues, tournaments and ... elsewhere. One of the things that
stems from this knowledge of each other is their willingness to take shots from
anywhere on the park to anywhere on the park and trust their receivers will
bring it down (bit like how most previous teams who have won BPL have done).
Also helping this is having some great throwers in aL and Abra, and some others
that keep defence on their toes (Kalin), and then others that are just safe as
houses recycling the disc at the back until an opportunity arises. Then to cap
it off, downfield they are strong with their top tier receivers being a
constant threat, but then if that is stopped they have a 2nd tier
that is on par with most other teams top tier, making it very hard on any
defence.
Where will the
Slammers struggle on offence?
The Slammers biggest strength in taking big shots and
bringing them down is also their only real weakness. When frustrated they can
be forced to take these shots from inopportune areas of the field and if the
defence down field is doing their job properly they will always have the
opportunity to get there first.
What would you
recommend the Slammers do on D?
The Slammers job on D is pretty simple, do what they
normally do. Mark hard, with good matchups and make sure when Buzz gets the
disc he has limited options down field. They can put on their 2-3-2 from time
to time to change things up, but if the Buggers are patient enough they should
be able to get through it, so this should be a changeup play rather than the
norm.
Who are the Slammers
Key players?
The key players on Slammers again stand out for the
handlers, with aL and Abra being the shot takers and a few others who will be
the safe and sound recyclers. Downfield, it will be hard to look passed Gref and
Kalin who are threats both under and long, as well as their most prolific
defenders. But I think the player that could stand out and make the big difference
is Jordan Stone, often underestimated and given a lesser match-up, he can run
rampant deep taking down big grabs and getting great layout blocks from behind
his man. And of course, Kocher might turn up which will just be one more player
to watch out for. Another massive figure will be the bearded and big haired guy
on Crutches, Rapazzo, who will be a leading and shaping the team from the
sideline.
What Match ups interest you the most?
There will be two match-ups (amongst the rest) to keep an
eye on, Abra if he is there will probably be given the task of marking Buzz,
he’ll try his best and can be good for a few hanging layout blocks in a final,
but I expect Buzz if the delivery is good enough will prevail in this matchup
using his experience to get free. The other matchup I hope to see is Trev v.
Gref. Hopefully they can make this happen as I want to see how it plays out.
Who do you expect to
win and why?
Having played against both these teams this season, it is
very hard to see Buggers winning it against the minor premiers. If they keep to
the basics and frustrate the Slammers they may just have a chance, but due to
recent experience against both teams, I’ll be putting my money on Slamtown with
the usual Grand Final Score – 15 -8
How do you see the
game panning out?
Slamtown will come out strong and get a few points lead,
Bugs will lift and trade until half with a break back. After half more trading
will ensure, Bugs will get a couple of breaks but then Slamtown will run away
with it to finish at 15 – 8. 10 minutes before time, allowing plenty of time
for the league wrap from Ads and beers for all involved. I think spirit-wise it
will be alright, there will be a few minor arguments over calls as can be
expected with these 2 teams, especially with some selective heckling from the
crowd, but nothing too unspirited that can’t be laughed about after the game.
Would a 3/4 playoff
be more interesting?
A 3/4 playoff, an interesting idea. I think if you could get
the 2 teams involved to care about it in some way it would be a closer game. But
I think both teams will already be looking to the off-season and next season by
now and no heart would be in it. As it is, taking away the home field rights to
field 1 for the winners of the previous season was a terrible decision so I
can’t see anything worthwhile being offered to the winners of a 3/4 playoff.
