The Bug and the Snake

In 2006 when Thong attended World Club Championships we were in pool A as the 10th seed. We won our first games against seed 1, 11 and 20. We then went on to win 3 games in the power pool before we finally got a pounding from Victoria's Chilli, our first loss - 17 to 3. Things had taken a turn for us. The next day we played our quarter final against Doublewide from Texas. We dropped the first 3 points and standing in the time out huddle following a sound beating in the previous game and a shock start it was time to execute on offense or get bundled out of the tournament.

Thong went on to win that quarter final, and then the semi against Chilli to go on to the final at World Clubs and win the Silver medal against a rock star team from Japan, the Bunka Shutter Buzz Bullets.

That game was 4 years ago now however after going down 5 to nil against the Cobra team in round 1 of the BPL and then finding themselves down 3 to nil last night, the Moreton Bay Buggers faced a similar situation - execute or loose all the progress we had made over the last month.

All the great defensive structure and individual desperation available to a team are little help to you when you are playing your 4th O point in a row. You just have to settle down and find a way to score. For the Bugs this way into the enzone turned out to be paved with cross field hammers from the handlers and bit of quick movement down field. The Buggers put the goal in and then the game turned.

The nearly full strength Bugs battled the whole first half out in a high turnover 15 points, to finish with the game back on serve at 8 to 7 MBB. The second half started with the Cobra team on O, and they scored with an aggressive full field huck against the zone. Following up with a Callahan score in an apprentice vs the master handler moment the Cobra team had started the second half much like the first and were up 9 to 8.

At times this season the Buggers have produced periods of strangling defense. The rest of the game was characterised by this as the Bugs scored 6 goals in a row to virtually end the game. After opportunities from both teams the Cobras scored their first goal in 25 minutes and the last goal of the game to complete the game after time cap, 14 to 10 MBB.

Plenty of zone from both teams and a fair chunk of man as the game got down to later stages. The turnover rate was really high in this game. There were blocks from both teams both short and long however there were way too many easy mistakes, included a dropped pull from both teams.

The Cobra team looked both extremely energetic and stifling with their defensive pressure, and nervous and unsure with the frisbee at different times during the game. If they can regain their early season consistency then they will continue to be an absolute handful.

From the Bugs a standout defensive effort for the season. The challenge will be to combine the defense pressure from this week's game with the offensive control from the Dojo game. All part of the building process that is going on inside team this season. The top of the table clash next week against UQ will be a great opportunity.

Up the Bugs.