After such a memorable opening match, it was inevitable that Australia’s inaugural Quidditch Championships were going to leave an indelible mark on all present and on the sport of Muggle Quidditch worldwide.
When Australia’s National Quidditch team is celebrating the first Olympic Gold Medal on offer for the sport, at the 2024 games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Sydney, the triumphant players will look back on Saturday November 26 2011 as where it all began. Moreover, many of the all-conquering team will remember being there that day, when five of the nation’s top Universities gathered for the maiden Quidditch Universities of Australia Federation League, devilishly abbreviated as QUAFL.
UWS, The University of Newcastle (UoN), University of Wollongong (UoW) and Australian National University (ANU) converged on UNSW’s Kensington campus just south of the Sydney CBD. The tournament had been shaped into existence over a rampant few months, masterminded by UNSW figurehead Justin Chau. At the beginning of 2011 there were but scant seedlings of genuine organised Quidditch on any major campus, yet within a single year hundreds were gathered for the first ever officially International Quidditch Assocation (IQA) sanctioned national Quidditch championships to be held anywhere outside the United States and Canada. The lack of any team from outside the geographical boundaries of New South Wales for this first tournament was a minor disappointment, but it couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm or the acute sense of history felt by every player, official and administrator. Not that the awareness of just how pioneering the venture was confined itself to the participants. Worldwide recognition from many Quidditch or Harry Potter themed online organisations conveyed a sense of the true scope of the achievement. Most impacting of all was a personal message from IQA commissioner Alex Benepe in which he reflected on the humble beginnings of the sport merely five years ago and how far it had come all the way across the ocean. Benepe also dangled the wonderfully enticing carrot that is the 2013 World Cup to all the Quidditch devotees present:
“Two weekends ago in New York City we had our fifth annual World Cup. It was our best by far, with over 90 teams and 1,600 players from 27 US states and four nations, including a team from Finland, our first traveling intercontinental team. There was only one thing missing: a team from Australia. Will that change at World Cup VI? I have a feeling that if it does, it will be because of the people that are here today at the 2011 QUAFL Cup.”
There was certainly much to live up to. Often such first-time events can disappoint due to the relative inexperience of both its organisers and competitors. True, there were many logistical difficulties as the day progressed but they were all successfully negotiated. Somehow we did not fall from the heights of a most precarious tightrope, making everything even more memorable. From the absurd early morning conditions and magical climactic transformation, to the supreme athletic skill in evidence, every aspect of the day only added to its sheer spectacle and helped dot the I on this day’s entry into the annals of history.
It was the local teams, UNSW and UWS, who were greeted with the aforementioned morning conditions for the tournament-opening Sydney derby. But only after substantial delay. As if aware that the day might somehow be lacking in unforgettable drama as it was, the weather gods conspired to dump buckets of rain of the magnitude not often seen in temperate Sydney squarely on our nominated ground. With the slated Physics Lawn not remotely near anything resembling playable functionality, the tournament shifted to the adjacent and far more weather-proof Cricket oval. Conditions remained appalling however and it was surely with a slight reticence that the two teams eventually ambled their way onto the puddle-strewn turf to entertain the frozen masses huddled beneath the shelter of a small grandstand.
Match One – University Of New South Wales – 110 vs University of Western Sydney – 80*
Although UNSW entered the tournament with a certain degree of favouritism, on first appearances UWS looked to have them matched for athletic personnel. But the attritional conditions were conducive to experience, smarts and a well gelled-unit more than to speed and skill. UNSW were menacing from the off, immediately scoring goals at a rate of nearly one per minute against an opposition which was far from mediocre.
Andrew Culf got the ball rolling for ANU with a quick-fire early brace, supported well by Nicholas Allan who also began to rack up impressive scoring numbers. Although vulnerable in defence, UWS were impressive in their offensive formations. But some dexterous keeping from Mirna Hunter as well as the critical disadvantage of running towards by far the most waterlogged end worked against them. Just seven minutes into the match UNSW already found themselves 60-0 clear.
Daniel Ormshaw finally scored UWS’ first ever goal at QUAFL 2011 in the eighth minute, but their lack of back-up numbers began to come into play as UNSW worked efficiently through their ample roster of substitutes, with Tom Dixon and Justin Chau adding to the scoresheet. To the surprise of all, or at least the few who could see anything through driving rain and flailing mud, UWS rallied again even despite the inevitable fatigue. A brilliant pair of goals by Chrystal Player brought them back to 90-40, but as long as the margin stayed beyond 30, UNSW were under control. Despite looking the weaker team now, UNSW were able to counter-attack when they managed to stop UWS’ increasing potent charges and keep the score ticking over at a safe margin.
UWS Seeker Hannah Monty snapped up a brilliant first catch of the day, just beating John Luu to the snitch, but the margin never got close enough and despite faltering, UNSW always looked to have the game won. UWS’ gallantry had produced a stellar opening match worthy of the occasion however. Their late charge and snitch capture reduced the final deficit to just 30 points against a clearly impressive team, which would prove decisive later in the day.
Match Two – University Of Newcastle – 170* vs University Of Wollongong – 20
UoN and UoW were always going to struggle to match the fascination of the opening contest, but provided their own fair share of memorable moments. The two regional Universities were fighting for the pride of their respective cities. The winner of this contest could forever claim their own home town to be Sydney’s greatest neighbour metropolis.
It was a slow start as Newcastle’s tried and tested combinations were rusty early on. But led by the dominating presence of Oliver Kenyon, the Newcastle Chasers proved too powerful for the outclassed Wollongong unit. UoN reached 60-0 even quicker than UNSW had managed and then kicked into another gear still. UoW were immensely spirited and the physical challenge was certainly a tough one for Newcastle. Wollongong Keeper Juan Claudio Seedoyal was particularly impressive and prevented the score-line blowing out to a bigger underserved margin with some courageous saves. A pair of spectacular goals also helped save face for Wollongong, but it was Newcastle’s match all the way, with fourteen goals in as many minutes before Seeker Cassandra Cox put the icing on the cake that was Newcastle’s classy 150 point win.
Match Three – Australian National University – 100* vs University Of New South Wales – 90
This contest between the esteemed hosts and the intimidatingly well-prepared Canberrans was billed pre-tournament as the marquee clash, and with good reason. The immaculate professional green and yellow of the respective team strips created an unmistakeable likeness to a Slytherin vs Hufflepuff clash. But do not be deceived, neither were the yellow National Nargles mediocre, nor UNSW excessively evil in their gameplay. Indeed they looked notably passive in early stages, perhaps trying to avoid a repeat of the over-exuberance off the blocks against UWS that resulted in a late collapse. More likely though was that they were powerless to stop ANU’s simple but potent lines of stabbing attack.
Led by their talismanic captain Rohana Prince, ANU were utterly devastating from the first second, making a team as ultra-impressive as UNSW look decidedly second rate. UNSW Beater Ben Chau was stellar in general play. But even he struggled to stop Prince’s inch-perfect darts, many of which wound deliberately behind the goals. On the rare occasion she was unable to score, there were perfectly positioned support Chasers in front of goal. UNSW keeper Beth Crane was virtuous, as were her Chasers, but no defensive unit no matter how skilled can truly suppress such a devastating combination of Hawkshead precision and Porskoff trickery.
ANU had four goals on the board within the first five minutes, without UNSW having seen any real offensive ball. But when they managed to get their hands on some extended Quaffle, the Snapes duly wreaked the aeronautical havoc expected of them. Nicholas Allan was again particularly effective and helped keep UNSW in the game. As both defensive units began to get a handle on each other, the game stalemated into a tense struggle, but with ANU decisively in front, 50 to 20. It was at this point that UNSW’s early game experience came in handy against the tournament virgins. The Snapes had energy in reserve, and rotated their roster astutely.
The tension grew as the Snitch began to flitter into sight, right as UNSW began to close the gap. ANU were far from finished however and kept the scoreboard ticking over. But there was no stopping the UNSW freight train. Justin Chau and Andrew Culf scored in quick succession to take them into the lead for the first time. With the score at 90-70 to UNSW, there was a definite feeling that within a minute or two they would reach an unbeatable 40 point margin that ANU would not be able to come back from. But in Quidditch, timing is everything, and it was at this moment that Matt Armstrong narrowly beat John Luu to the snitch, stealing a sensational 100-90 victory for ANU. The triumph in this elite clash solidified ANU as early tournament favourites.
Match Four – University Of Western Sydney – 130* vs University Of Newcastle – 90
As well as the vagaries of weather and the ironies and tensions of a dramatic contest, a sporting event needs divisive controversy to make it truly memorable, and so it came here.
After their impressive first-up win, the University of Newcastle could rightly consider themselves firm favourites to overcome UWS, who had already dropped a game and remained tellingly handicapped in player quantity. But, aided by this UoN complacency, as well as some questionable early refereeing, it was UWS who hit the ground running. Their play bent the boundaries of what is law and what is not more than had yet been seen, but it was to their credit. UWS were the team who adapted better to circumstance and took advantage of the considerable room to manoeuvre around the rules. Newcastle were unable to adequately control their discipline and adapt to the unfamiliar circumstances and so suffered.
The controversy was certainly the story of the match, particularly conduct at the goal face. But it did not decide the game. Western Sydney’s goal-scoring prowess was also top class. Chrystal Player, Corey-Ingold Dawes and Daniel Ormshaw each scored an early goal to take UWS to a shock 30-10 lead. Newcastle’s premier players were progressively introduced to try and stem the concerning early flow, but even these superstars looked unusually flat and uninspired. In time, the class of Oliver Kenyon, Jenny Dunstan and Jasmin Harrison shone through and they each scored impressive individual goals, but UWS remained more than a match for their neighbours from the north, and kept the margin under control.
But the lack of adequate reinforcements was always going to be a problem for UWS as the game extended towards twenty minutes. UWS looked strong with their 80-50 lead, but the injection of Eli Phillips in front of the hoops dried up the flow of goals, meanwhile Newcastle’s chasers finally hit their attacking rhythm. Before long the scores were tied at 90 apiece with the Snitch in close proximity. It all came down to the capture in the closing stages, and it was Jacob Warnock who managed the impressive achievement of besting Cassandra Cox to hand UWS the first clear upset win of the tournament, 130-90.
Match Five – Australian National University – 230* vs University Of Wollongong – 30
On the evidence of QUAFL’s early contests, this match loomed as the biggest mismatch of the tournament. ANU were clearly the team to beat, while UoW were thoroughly outclassed by a UoN team that themselves had flattered to deceive and were surely not of ANU’s level.
This proved to be the reality mathematically although not necessarily in practice. ANU’s gameplay is much more athletically proficient than UoNs, but it is also much simpler and singular in dimension. UoW gave a far better account of themselves, not appearing quite so overawed by the occasion. With a modicum of confidence, they added a certain style and flair to their already popular charm and scored a trio of brilliant counter-attacking goals. But the irresistible force of the ANU Chaser Unit, particularly Rohana Prince of course, was always going to be too overwhelming.
By the time Matt Armstrong snapped up the snitch, ANU had racked up 20 goals. It was an overwhelming spanking, 230-30. But this margin was perhaps slightly deceptive, drawn out by the combination of Prince’s devastating finishing ability (which meant that ANU converted all their chances efficiently, as opposed to necessarily creating more chances in the first place) and the slightly extended length of the contest compared to UoW’s first match. But there was no denying just how impressive ANU’s ultra-well drilled unit were, as well as how completely unstoppable Rohana Prince was starting to look. Rohana tallied an absurd twelve goals in the mere eighteen minutes of the match. With two wins under their belt and a now-inflated for-and-against, ANU were already well on the way to glory, with a finals berth as good as booked.
Match Six – University Of New South Wales – 130* vs University Of Newcastle – 20
After the subwayriffic intermission in the middle of the day, QUAFL upped and moved a few dozen metres to the North-East to resume for its afternoon session. With a far less dangerously movable underfoot, the already impressive quality of the Quidditch jumped discernibly again, but unfortunately only from UNSW, not UoN, for a great portion of the match.
Both these highly fancied teams came into the contest off difficult tight losses in games both would have fancied themselves to win. How they responded would be crucial and it was UNSW who came out of the blocks best. Putting the ANU disappointment behind them, the Snapes were at their very best in the early stages off the back of their Beater strength. UoN were also much improved from the UWS disaster and were a close step behind their opponents in every facet. But Quidditch is a game of tiny measurements. Brilliant Bludger work from Ben Chau and Minh Diep effectively countered Newcastle’s early driving attacks and set up their own Chasers to score on the counter-attack.
Before Newcastle knew what had hit them, they found themselves 50-0 down inside four minutes. But the comeback that could be expected at this stage of the game based on the tournament’s early evidence did not come. UoN still appeared flustered from their morning difficulties and grew increasingly frustrated at such devastating Déjà vu. A degree of tactical panic, and poor discipline, helped spiral the already struggling Bitches into a deeper funk.
At the ten minute mark UNSW had extended their margin to 80-0 and were well on the way to victory. UoN were finally starting to hit their straps though and Celeste Hollingsworth opened their account to spare Novocastrian blushes, followed by an enterprising Jenny Dunstan solo effort. But UNSW hit back immediately with a ninth score. The match appeared gone, but with the Seeking prowess of Cassandra Cox at their disposal, a few Newcastle goals could narrow the damage of a now definitely concerning for-and-against deficiency. But at this inopportune juncture came the day’s first major casualty, when Cox fell heavily on the rain-soaked concrete of the grandstand in pursuit of the snitch. This final blow demoralized Newcastle further. They were unable to add a third goal and could only watch helplessly as Lillian Ong caught the snitch, albeit still only narrowly from their handicapped and heroic seeker.
Andrew Culf and Nicholas Allan ran in goal after impressive goal, but it was the strength of Beaters Minh Diep and Ben Chau that fundamentally made the difference. UNSW deserved their decisive 110 point margin, but the heavy defeat was a cruel and unlucky blow to UoN’s campaign. Newcastle now looked unlikely to make the Top 3, relying not only on an improbable win over the undefeated ANU, but on upset results to go their way in other matches.
Match Seven – University Of Western Sydney – 120* - University Of Wollongong – 10
As the sun started to beat down on the rain-soaked ground, UWS and UoW entered this distinctly underrated contest with their own points to prove. UWS were now a force to be reckoned with after their upset win over Newcastle, while Wollongong needed to improve a long way to threaten for a maiden victory. UWS, short on overall player numbers, kept their units fresh with some minimal but astute positional rotation, which saw their impressive early Chaser Daniel Ormshaw in goals for this match. It was a good thing he took to the position so well, as Wollongong started the match like a hut on fire. Jack O’Grady, Ezekiel Azib and Julie Pearson formed a well-gelled Chaser Unit and were an early threat. But UWS’s disciplined defensive formations held firm and allowed them to outrun their less athletic rivals on the counterattack.
Chystal Player and Mitchell Waters stepped up another level in support of the always intimidating Corey Ingold-Dawes. Between them, the trio took the game quickly from Wollongong’s reach. At the 10 minute mark the score sat at 90-0 and another thrashing looked on the cards. Once again though, Wollongong were better than the score-line suggested, suffering the misfortune of running into the one team in the tournament with an even more steep gradient of improvement than them.
Wollongong were poised and ready to take advantage of another late fade-away from UWS as their limited roster continued to fatigue. They got on the board in the twelfth minute, avoiding the embarrassment of the tournament’s first scoreless performance. But any chance of further inroads was spoiled when the snitch was unexpectedly captured, at its earliest point in a match yet. In one of the closest Seeker contests yet, UWS Seeker Hannah Monty beat Jasmin Briggs by mere centimetres to finish an emphatic 120-10 win.
The mathematical vagaries of the tournament meant UWS now looked likely to make the finals in 3rd place, itself a fantastic achievement not entirely expected by many just 6 hours earlier, but one got the feeling that with such limited human resources; they would continue to fade and surely would struggle to contend with ANU.
Match Eight – University Of Newcastle – 110* vs Australian National University - 90
Since many months prior to November 26, this match had been billed as a highlight, between two pioneering Quidditch institutions already in the midst of a fierce rivalry before a Quaffle had even been released. But the glow of the clash was dimmed in the lead-up, with the start delayed substantially as Newcastle Seeker Cassandra Cox was treated for injuries to her hip by ambulance personnel. For Newcastle in particular, but the whole Quidditch family in general, there was a certain grimness to the atmosphere as the teams finally took the field.
Newcastle would be the first team to finish their four pool games and reflect on their first experience of QUAFL. If the happenings of the past few hours both on and off the field were anything to go by, it would be an experience they would rather forget quickly. UoN entered the match on the back of two poor losses and without their inspirational Seeker (and Star Chaser-cum-medical officer Oliver Kenyon). Not to mention no full-time Seeker replacement. Such a horrible preparation did not bode well against the top of the table Nargles, off the back of two imposing victories. There was a certain steely look on each Newcastle face, part glum and part determined. This match would go one of two directions. Either the last of Newcastle’s spirit was sapped from them and ANU would run rampant, or the circumstances and context of the contest would converge to create the performance of each Novocastrian life. From the first moment, although Rohana Prince was able to quickly open the scoring for ANU, it was starkly clear that it would be the latter.
Celeste Hollingsworth quickly levelled the scores, but UoN would need more than spiritual inspiration to live with ANU. Rohana Prince continued to sweep all before in her charges up-field, but some truly epic keeping from Eli Phillips slowly began to unravel the star ANU chaser. Eventually the unthinkable was possible, she could be stopped. Phillips and Matt Hudson effectively dissected Prince’s devastating but patterned tactics of looping behind the goal face and Phillips’ execution of the well-timed shoulder barge over the backline was brilliant. But such was Prince’s class, as well as the quick thinking adaptability of fellow starting Chasers Morgyn Benstead and Patrick McCawley, that still ANU had the early running on the scoreboard.
After five minutes ANU led 30-10, but the match was dazzling in its intensity, combined with a mutual respect and rule-abiding discipline that let the game speed along at a rate of knots. All 30 players put in their most stellar performances and the tension became overwhelming as neither team managed to draw clear. From 30-10 to 50-40 the goals were to-and-fro, each team one upping the other. As Prince became increasingly flustered though, UoN stepped up to another plane, taking control of general play. Jasmin Harrison and Jenny Dunstan led the charge with the Quaffle, while Graham Wenmitt and Andew Gibson were faultless in their rotating Beater roll. As the match approached its twentieth minute, the snitch returned to view, with ANU’s Matt Armstrong in hot pursuit, followed closely by UoN replacement Seeker Joseph Pollock. Meanwhile on the field, the sterling battle reached 70-60 before Alexandra Neill scored a stunner, followed quickly by a Hollingsworth solo dart, to give UoN their first lead. But ANU were far from finished and retook the lead in a final rally, perhaps becoming less distracted than their opponents by the converging Seeker contest.
With ANU leading 90-80 it all came down to a small series of slow motion moments. The match was now a tournament-record twenty three minutes old and the snitch runner ordered to return to the field. This left Pollock in the prime position, crossing to meet the snitch from perpendicular. When his lunge came up agonisingly short, the converging Armstrong looked to have it won. But the nimble snitch side-stepped from what looked a sure fire grasp, Armstrong missed by inches and momentum took him onwards by a further few metres. The recovering Pollock swooped spectacularly and snared the tag, split seconds before the snitch fell to the ground, which would have rendered him untaggable. All bias aside, the scenes of unbridled jubilation at UoN’s unscriptably dramatic and shocking triumph were surely the greatest advertisement yet that Quidditch is here to stay in Australia.
The final score was 110-90 and with the monumental upset, UoN kept their own slim finals hopes alive, while ANU were still in a good position, but decidedly exposed.
Match Nine – University Of New South Wales – 180 vs University Of Wollongong – 50*
With ANU’s defeat, UNSW had a real chance to stamp their authority as the team to beat heading into the finals. There would be no better opportunity to show their Quidditch virtuosity than by putting the cellar-dwelling Illawarrans to the sword. But the scheduling was not as friendly as it may have seemed as UNSW consequently had to overcome UoW by a large margin (as is crucial to for-and-against) in their final game after steady improvement throughout the day. But UNSW had the confidence to rest many of their top stars for later action. This was an extremely self-assured move, showing that they both trusted any line-up to score the necessary big win to ensure top spot, or if unable to, showed trust in their best team’s ability to overcome any position (be it 2nd or 3rd) to become champion.
Wollongong’s gameplay raised by another subtle but discernible amount and with stars like Nicholas Allan, Andrew Culf or Minh Diep either not starting, or out of position, UoW must have fancied their chances. But with Beth Crane as a worthwhile anchor, the less proven Chaser pairing of Minh Diep and Tom Dixon were up to the task. Diep and Dixon both shot out of the blocks as if their brooms were on fire, sharing an early quartet of goals to set up a decisive lead. In the fifth minute UoW got on the board, bringing the margin back within snitch range from beyond for the first time in the tournament. But Ben Chau remained a nigh-on impenetrable force in defence with the Bludger in hand, so Wollongong were unable to capitalise fully on their increased offensive potency and managed only two goals once again.
As the game wore on, the greasy Snapes wore down their opponents with their slippery moves and cold dark stares of intimidation and fury. With the score at 180-20, UNSW looked emphatically on their way to the minor premiership and free passage to the Grand Final. But there was one final twist, a final moment of spirited brilliance from Wollongong to end their day on its highest note. After looking the least likely of the two Seekers all match, Jasmin Briggs snuck her way through to claim UoW’s first snitch catch of the day, outstripping Justin Chau.
The 130 point win left UNSW on top of the table and awaiting the upcoming match to determine the final positions. ANU needed to win by an achievable but difficult 70 points over UWS to deny UNSW the No.1 on the left of their name.
Match Ten – University Of Western Sydney – 40 vs Australian National University – 30*
The fate of not only the two teams playing, but also the University of Newcastle hung on this match. The situation was grim for UoN, with a margin of over 100 points in either direction required to shove the losing team down to 4th and sneak Newcastle into a fortuitous 3rd. Both teams could still mathematically topple UNSW for top spot (although only ANU had a realistic hope). But considering ANU’s difficulties against Newcastle, and UWS’s meteoric rise in form, anything other than a tight contest was improbable. This would leave the two teams second and third, meaning the match would serve as an intriguing physical and psychological tune-up for a repeat encounter in the Preliminary Final. But the many mathematical considerations attested to just how tight competition was at this inaugural QUAFL Cup.
It is said by old connoisseurs of tradition in almost every sport with historical depth, that the Rugby trick passes and Twenty20 Cricket sixes and forward-pushing Football line-ups and so on and so forth, are only entertainment fodder for young idealistic children and modern parents with limited attentions spans. Defence, they say, is the real nuts and bolts hard work of a sport. Defence, they say, is the difference between winning and losing. Moreover, “Defence!” they say, is the true indication of the quality of a battle. If we take this as gospel, then we can truly see the ground Muggle Quidditch in Australia had covered in its richness of quality in six short hours. ANU and UWS fought for every inch of ground in a captivating war of attrition. As one glittering raid was stopped dead in its tracks, next came a yet more scintillating attacking play.
It was UWS, with their across-the-board level of athleticism, who had the early advantage. Two goals in the opening five minutes put ANU on the back foot, 20-0 down, and try as they might, Rohana Prince and her troops could not penetrate the fast-moving cover defence. UoN’s homework on Rohana Prince had opened up the tournament’s most defining and result-shaping door, the insight into how to stop Prince.
It was difficult to think how any team could effectively combat UWS’ steadfast structural defence and counter-attacking speed. But ANU came closer than anyone had managed yet, holding their opponents scoreless for the best part of ten minutes. But they just couldn’t find a passage to goal themselves and still had not registered a score after fifteen minutes. A pair of goals from UWS then took the margin out to a crucial 40 points.
The snitch made his presence known and it was Matt Armstrong who made up for the disappointment of losing to UoN by snapping the catch. With his team only a goal away from being within snitch range one could be forgiven for questioning the wisdom of catching the snitch. But it made perfect sense. UWS were beginning to assert an extra dominance and looked more likely to pull further away than to get caught. The match was also running long and with both teams having to recover in just half an hour before a rematch, regardless of the result, it was not worth blowing one’s energy reserves over what was in the wider of the tournament, a somewhat meaningless futility.
Results
University of New South Wales | 110 | vs | 80* | University of Western Sydney |
University of Newcastle | 170* | vs | 20 | University Of Wollongong |
University of New South Wales | 90 | vs | 100* | Australian National University |
University of Western Sydney | 130* | vs | 90 | University of Newcastle |
University Of Wollongong | 30 | vs | 230* | Australian National University |
University of New South Wales | 130* | vs | 20 | University of Newcastle |
University of Western Sydney | 120* | vs | 10 | University Of Wollongong |
University of Newcastle | 110* | vs | 90 | Australian National University |
University of New South Wales | 180 | vs | 50* | University Of Wollongong |
University of Western Sydney | 40 | vs | 30* | Australian National University |
Final Table
Pos. | Team | P | W | L | + | - | Diff | Snatch | Points |
1 | University Of New South Wales | 4 | 3 | 1 | 510 | 250 | +260 | 1 | 9 |
2 | University Of Western Sydney | 4 | 3 | 1 | 370 | 240 | +130 | 3 | 9 |
3 | Australian National University | 4 | 2 | 2 | 450 | 270 | +180 | 3 | 6 |
4 | University Of Newcastle | 4 | 2 | 2 | 390 | 370 | +20 | 2 | 6 |
5 | University Of Wollongong | 4 | 0 | 4 | 110 | 700 | -590 | 1 | 0 |
Preliminary Final
2nd – University Of Western Sydney – 70* vs 3rd – Australian National University – 30
Bring on Round Two of the contest. ANU were pre-tournament favourites, while few (of the admittedly few who tried to predict what would happen) gave UWS much chance of reaching the finals. But the afternoon sunshine had made all the difference. In slow attritional conditions, the unmatched structural simplicity and unit cohesiveness stood ANU apart from the rest. With the new dry weather though, UWS were free to release their athletic advantage to the fullest. It was UWS who came into this match as deserving favourites. They had finished ahead on the table, in second place, with an extra victory. More importantly, UWS had been defensively supreme in their previous win over ANU. But this sudden death clash was a different proposition altogether. In the early stages though, the precedent set by round one of this new rivalry resumed anew.
A tight structure and strong defence was the key to both teams and again it was UWS who came out the strongest with two early goals. ANU had revitalised themselves well after two difficult matches however and began to reach the athletic and structural heights of their morning matches. The key was once again Rohana Prince, who killed off any chances of not being selected player of the tournament. Recognising that UoN and UWS had worked her out, Prince began to shake up her tactics and once again proved devastating. Some brilliant saves from Daniel Ormshaw preserved UWS’s lead, then Chrystal Player extended it by a third goal. But unlike the last game, they could not keep ANU scoreless forever. Prince and Lach Howarth both scored and UWS, as can only be expected after two intense matches in a short period, were once again starting to suffer from their lack of depth. ANU in comparison made some clever rotations and the assorted masses could sense a comeback.
The snitch began to make its way back towards the field earlier than expected, throwing a dramatic spanner in the works. Meanwhile on the field, both teams traded goals, leaving UWS with a 40-30 lead as the match neared its conclusion. Matt Armstrong’s athleticism held him in good stead and he looked to have the upper hand over the snitch. But UWS’ Hannah Monty had proven herself to be a particularly adept tactical seeker and positioned herself perfectly. Armstrong caught the snitch runner first but could not make a clean grab, leaving Monty to sweep from the shadows and take her underdog team sensationally through to the Grand Final against UNSW.
Wooden Spoon Playoff
4th – University Of Newcastle – 100* vs 5th – University Of Wollongong – 0
As UNSW and UWS prepared for their second epic encounter of the day, UoN and UoW faced off to decide which was the least mediocre. Such a contest was a particularly unwelcome and sticky one for UoN. There was a lot to lose and very little to gain. But contented by their stunning victory over ANU and with the pressure of live tournament play lifted, the Novocastrians were able to tack a leaf out of Wollongong’s book and get into the jocular spirit of the day.
UoN were determined to remind everyone just how good they were at Quidditch, and ensure everyone that no-one came close to them at 80s karaoke. The stirring renditions of Total Eclipse of the Heart and Never Gonna Give You Up appeared to have the desired demotivational effect on Wollongong, who failed to live quite up to their potential. Newcastle controlled the game utterly, on the back of a peerless performance from captain Celeste Hollingsworth and facilitated by Jenny Dunstan and Jasmin Harrison’s continued knack for scoring charging solo goals.
The short Seeker Floor and clinical work from Joseph Pollock kept the game tiny, ending in just the ninth minute. But it was still enough time for Newcastle to score a commanding 100-0 win, as well as enough time for both teams to engage in barely controlled frivolity and remind everyone just why they were there.
GRAND FINAL
1st – University Of New South Wales – 90 vs University Of Western Sydney – 60*
So it came to this. After eight hours and all manner of controversy and drama, the inaugurators of this stunningly successful tournament reconvened to settle their dispute. In their opening encounter, UWS were hamstrung by the overwhelming conditions and for the majority of the match were thoroughly outclassed, but came home with such vigour that they had great cause to be confident going into the Grand Final. But the minor premiers UNSW started impressively, inflicting UWS with their only loss then almost toppling ANU. In the afternoon they only got better, disposing of Newcastle and Wollongong with clinical fury. They rightly entered the match as firm favourites. The magnitude of their early dominance was certainly unexpected though.
Within the first four minutes, the Snapes On a Plane had raced to 30-0. To see the UWS defence so comfortably outstripped was surprising after their heroism against ANU. With the Quaffle their vigour was unabated and they clearly weren’t overawed by the occasion. But UNSW’s more complex and athletic patterns clearly cause greater structural difficulties for UWS than the more simple team-oriented ANU approach. The inevitabl3 fatigue of two tough struggles proximal to the Grand Final surely took their toll as well. But UWS, as at 10am, adapted quickly and soon had a handle on Andrew Culf and Nicholas Allan. As the marginally superior side athletically, UWS were every bit a match for their local rivals, but the head-start was going to be immense to overcome against Ben Chau and Minh Diep’s impermeable Beater wall.
The Grand Final did not quite live up to the spectacle of ANU’s matches against UNSW and UoN, but the overall quality of the Quidditch had climbed a steep slope and all in attendance could only marvel at the skills on offer, both offensively and defensively. The necessary dose of extra spicy drama came courtesy of ANU’s Matt Armstrong, the undisputed choice of Snitch Runner for the Grand Final. In the early stages he taunted his predators by lazily lounging off the field, where they could not venture until the seeker floor passed at ten minutes. At the ten minute mark, Armstrong duly hot-footed up a nearby tree before running Hannah Monty and Justin Chau ragged.
The match was even for the majority of its twenty minute duration, with both teams trading goals. The UNSW lead therefore never dropped below 20. UWS’ mere nine players were struggling to hold on and as Matt Armstrong converged, a late brace from Nicholas Allan took UNSW out to a safe 60 point margin with clearly only a few minutes remaining. But just because it was not the deciding factor of the match did not mean the snitch hunt was not the most exciting yet. Armstrong’s masterful theatrics gave the tournament its worthy conclusion, as he ducked and weaved around his adversaries, interspersed with ample periods of camping on the ground where he was not allowed to be attacked. Unfortunately the fun had to end sometime and appropriately it was Hannah Monty, surely the Seeker of the tournament, who provided the considerable consolation of catching the snitch for UWS. But not even their sterling efforts could deny the University of New South Wales the title of first ever Australian Quidditch Champions.
So, the Grand Final saw UNSW run goal after goal past their local Sydney rivals, only for UWS to rally spiritedly and only fall slightly short of comeback glory. It all feels very familiar. But while the similarity between the two local derbies may have acted as a sporting anchor, neatly bookending the day’s on-field contests, it was the exception not the rule. Nothing else about the 9 am world had anything in common with 5 pm.
In the morning the weather was unspeakably atrocious, yet magically cleared by the afternoon to such an extent that the sun beamed down on the climatic games.
In the morning each team was slowly trying to find their feet, tentatively pushing their limits. By the Grand Final the Quidditch quality was a match for anywhere in the world.
In the morning it could perhaps cynically be said, few paid the closest attention to the Quidditch as a contest of sporting intrigue, yet by the afternoon we were all captivated.
Most of all, in the morning we were nervous and huddled in our University cliques, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, both human and geographical. By sundown everyone had made an immeasurable quantity of new friends, with whom we can all share memories of this one momentous day in November 2011. This will be the true enduring legacy of QUAFL 2011.
