It’s that time of year again! Twelve women’s teams descend on Shepparton, Victoria for three days of quality ultimate. Flights will be boarded, knees will be taped and UE Booms will (hopefully) be charged, as these talented athletes prepare to face off for a chance at glory.
Following the buzzer-beater announcement from AFDA that Ulti.TV streaming will in fact be streaming the tournament, strap yourselves in for an extra spicy weekend of fris - your friends and family will actually be able to watch this time!
So without further ado, we present to you the twelve women’s teams vying for the trophy:
Ballarat Blue Tongues:
The Ballarat club has had a huge resurgence since the turn of the decade, becoming one of the country’s strongest regional clubs. After a runner-up finish at the Victorian Mixed Ultimate Championships in 2023, the revival of their women’s side was a natural follow-on. At the 2024 Victorian Ultimate Championships they proved they are a capable defensive side, giving themselves lots of opportunity on O, but their high-risk-high-reward offense shots were picked off too often by the higher ranked teams to affect the scoreboard. Expect to see those shots come from former Terra rep Kurstin Banks, seeking out Meg Graham or Zara Humphreys in deep space.
Ellipsis Pilcrow:
After building a dominant women’s ultimate program, Ellipsis have got their eye on bolstering Australia’s international performance in the women’s masters scene. This starts in the form of their over-[redacted]-years-old-only team Pilcrow. Surprising everyone at the Victorian Ultimate Championships by winning gold with a league team sized roster, the team’s momentum sees them coaxing a number of former AUC regulars out of the wilderness such as Steph Malcher and Liana Edwards. Throw in some more recent AUC features like Dani Marshall and Annie Longley and you have a team that will likely be playing late on Sunday. This team will simply wear opponents down with their resilience - the longer a point goes on, the more likely it will be their goal in the end.
Factory Frenzy:
This team heralds a mixture of young players from Canberra’s vibrant youth scene and veteran heads from Canberra’s vibrant old-person scene. Frenzy were yet to find their legs at regionals but will have been hard at work in the months since February. With veteran players turned coaches Shoko Okada and Hope Watson leading the pack, we look forward to seeing what Frenzy can bring to the tournament. Look out for Mica Hartfield and Sheryn Ringland bringing a level head to the field, maybe as long as Meg Donnelly has been alive - the seventeen year old showing bundles of potential.
Fuse Tea:
Fuse last had a Division II team eight years ago so it's been a long time between drinks (or tea!). The team features players with < one year experience and > twenty years experience. Like a truly well steeped tea with a little dash of milk, they have a mix of all the skills. The players are not only from Brisbane but Gold Coast,Townsville and the Philippines too. They managed to entice frisbee goddess Sandra Poon to coach them so they must be doing something right. Fuse Tea are excited to tear it up in their only tournament for the season - Terra reps, tea lovers and Tori from Townsville unite!
Hills Blackthorns:
At the first ever Women’s Division II nationals in 2016 Hills won the final, and we would not be surprised to see them back there in 2024. Still guided by Simon Wood, Hills continue to dominate in the Women's Division II space. This team has seven lines (read that again, seven)! The administrative skills alone are to be marvelled at. A number of excellent masters players create a backbone for some up-and-comers to really shine. Amanda Hudson and Cheryl Lou-hing come with years of experience and super quick handler movement, whilst youngster Elissa Freney has a cannon to look out for!
Kaos:
Kaos are excited to be back at Division II for the first time since 2019 with a talented new roster. Nationals will be the first and only tournament of the season for Kaos this year, after Western Regionals was cancelled due to extreme heat. Lacking a warmup tournament, the team is definitely untested, but WA teams are well used to coming out of the wilderness once a season to play against the rest of Australia. The team is anchored by experienced Aussie reps Minh Huynh and MJ Rigby, but there is plenty of talent surrounding them. When you only get 1 tournament a season, you've got to make it worth it! Kaos will be hungry for competition.
Manly Margaritas:
Proof of Manly’s aims for world domination are well on their way. “Margs” are a well-drilled team with lots of fresh faces boasting lots of athletic talent, look out for the speedy speed dealer-wearing receiver Merideth Otten bringing down bombs from captain Paige McKay. And they do it all with a smile on their faces! What more could you want?
Melbourne Phoenix:
After last year’s semi final berth, Phoenix have maintained the hunger to go one better and finish the weekend on the metaphorical podium. Their fourth place finish at the Victorian Ultimate Championships could be seen as a minor aberration - with 15 minutes to go in the final round of pool play it was still feasible for the entire top four to finish in any order. Only having just over half of their squad at Canberra Cup might lull teams into a false sense of security as their defensive pressure in Shepparton will be comparable to Division 1 teams. However their incredibly taxing style of play can also be their undoing - if they haven’t built a healthy lead early, their games can become long drawn out slogfests. We’re expecting a breakout tournament from Genevieve Tan and Olivia Bradley, but their roster runs deep and it could be any of them that provide highlights.
NSU Aurora:
The reigning champions from last year are back to fight and retain the title. After winning Curl Curl Classic and Regionals earlier this year, and coming a close second at Canberra Cup, Aurora are feeling confident and up for the challenge of bringing home the back-to-back gold. Aurora is well known for their speed on the field, particularly from speed demons Sabs Xian and Kiyo Sano, as well as the depth across the squad led by Kendall Lane and Bel Lam. Keep an eye out for their team mascot Roro on the sidelines!
Surge:
The reSurgence has arrived! After a couple of rollercoaster years for the women of Wollongong, we are back to our bread and butter of Division II women's ultimate. Returning players include Lucinda Rubie and Shontelle Ferguson who are unstoppable around the disc. New Wollongong up-and-comers Emer Spiers and Kate Pankhurst will be tearing up the field, as well as Terra squad member Maya Osmond who demonstrates maturity beyond her years. Bolstered by some homeless SWU legs and bringing through a combo of old Gong favourites, Surge have our sights on #buildingbackbetter for the 2024 season.
Zag Theory:
In just their second season Zag Theory have absolutely nailed down the B-team formula - a good assortment of young players entering the women’s division sphere, backed up by seasoned veterans that lift them through the close games. Zag were knocked out of contention in the quarter finals last year by eventual winners NSU Aurora, however they have had a fairly significant roster turnover in the last twelve months. They are a solid offense team, with Ailsa Enting-Hawke causing headaches for opposition coaches and Amy Young running free. However the big question for them is defense capacity and endurance. The lack of regular exposure to other women’s sides during their season showed at VUC when they fell off on day two, so their best bet will be to score a couple of big wins early in order to leave plenty in the tank for bracket play.
Zesty Chilly:
After going winless in 2023 the only way is up for the second Chilly women’s team, and after claiming silver at the Victorian Ultimate Championships it looks like the question is not will they climb, but how far? Expect to see clinical offense from a well drilled team, with Liz Patterson, Jess Ambrose and Vanessa Gan being the main run-and-gunners. Defensively however there may be too many gaps for opponents to exploit - Sarah Weatherlake and Yulyn Ng can’t be everywhere at once. Wins on the board on Friday will boost their confidence, but quarter finals may end up being their limit.
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So chuck some popcorn in the microwave and renew that YouTube premium subscription, because there’s plenty of women’s division action to watch this weekend!
Thanks to IOU contributors Gemma Coleman, Sarah Brereton, Helen Epstein, Belinda Lam, Simon Talbot, and Maylin Chuah.
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