QUAFL 2019 - Pool A Preview

QUAFL is fast approaching. The pools have been drawn and big name clashes are being anticipated. But what about the teams that might not get talked about as much? That's the aim of these articles, written by seasoned analyst and player, Stephen Butler (of Macquarie Marauders)- to analyse each team and build hype in the lead up to QUAFL. We begin this QUAFL analysis with Pool A.

Pool A is an interesting pool, purely because the battle for third place is a lot more exciting than any other spot, with first and second looking pretty set (barring any upsets). Macquarie, UQ Dumblebees and the Unforgivables will all be fighting hard for that final bracket spot, surely giving us some exciting games between the three.

Monash Muggles 

First QUAFL: 2013

Best Performance: Third Place (2016)

The Monash Muggles have had a stellar 2019, losing only a single game all season and coming out victorious at both Mudbash and the Victoria Cup finals. A lot of this can be attributed to the constant growth and development of this squad over the past few seasons, with a lot of their younger stars now growing into state and national level players.

Photo: VQA

Dan Leane and Edward Vienet are two of their key quaffle players, both offensively and defensively. They are both important members of the Victorian Leadbeaters, in addition to being key Muggles. They are helped by the incredible quality and depth in their female chasing stocks, with the trio of Madeline’s (Fitzgerald, Bell, and Coleman-Bock) and Jess Cooper, all huge threats in that team.

However, it is the incredible tenacity and energy of Sam Kilpatrick and Zach Giofkou in beating that really helps drive this Muggles team. Both beaters have huge gas tanks and don’t know the meaning of the word “slow”.

The Muggles should have no trouble with Macquarie, UQ and the Unforgivables, so their game against Valkyries QC will be important if they want to prove themselves a serious threat for the championship. After mounting a serious challenge to last year’s finalists, the USyd Unspeakables last year in two games that could easily have turned out in the Muggles’ favour, and only having gone from strength to strength this year, the odds are certainly in their favour. 

The Muggles should top group A, with the Valkyries realistically being the only team to challenge them. A top 4 finish is highly likely, and I wouldn’t be totally shocked if they reached their first grand final in 2019.

Prediction: 3rd place playoff.

Valkyries QC

First QUAFL: 2019

Best Performance: N/A

Valkyries QC, forming partially from the ashes of Western Sydney Quidditch Club, but picking up a variety of players from other clubs including Macquarie, Newcastle, UNSW, Serpents, UTS, and USyd, enjoyed a solid debut season in 2019. Obviously, the difficult thing for any new team is learning how to play with each other, which perhaps hurt them a little this season, along with a somewhat unreliable roster for part of the year. However, they were never out of their depth and had close games with all the other top NSW teams. While they finished the season in fourth, they’d shown a huge improvement on their team work and almost scored an upset overtime against eventual champions Sydney City Serpents, but an unfortunate declined snitch catch prevented this. Still, it showed that the Valkyries were capable of matching the best team in the state, and one of the favourites for QUAFL.

Photo: Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography

What has helped Valkyries QC is the amount of talented players on their roster, with recent State Shield champions Rajtilak Kapoor, Isobel Rennie, Jono O’Brien and Courtney Buckley representing the Valkyries at QUAFL this year. Raj, Jono and Courtney are all key quaffle players and are regularly involved in the work scoring for Valkyries, while Isobel Rennie’s incredible beating allows those chasers the time and space they need to score.

However, it’s their depth that is really going to help them out, with the often underrated Amber Williams (who was the highest scoring female in division 1) and Phil Vankerkoerle providing support and back-up options to ease the pressure off the top line players.

Obviously, it is the tantalising clash with the Monash Muggles that Valkyries must surely be looking forward to, as it is likely to be the group decider (barring any upsets, which can happen). This will be a frenetic match up with lots of back and forth action. An excellent chaser defence for Valkyries will be essential to holding out against the Muggles dynamic and cohesive offence, and big hitters such as Miles, Raj, and Jono will be essential to slowing down the relentless Ed and Dan train. On the flipside, while the Muggles present some of the strongest tackling defence in Victoria, Valkyries at their best have the passing game to work around it.

The Valkyries have enjoyed their first year of existence and should be fairly strong contenders in this group. The Muggles look stronger on paper, and have more experience playing together, but the Valkyries still have a very capable chaser line and have a beater line that, at its best, should be able to handle the beating storm that the Muggles will undoubtedly apply.  

Prediction: 5-8th

Macquarie Marauders

First QUAFL: 2012

Best performance: Runners Up (2013)

The 2019 season was one of development for the Marauders, with the majority of the team being first or second year players. It was also their first year in NSW’s second division, as they spent 2018 playing in division one against the best teams in the state.

They very quickly set themselves as one of the top teams in the division, sitting in the top three for the entire season, eventually finishing second on the ladder and earning them their pod 3 spot. Unfortunately, they had a poor finish to the season, finishing sixth overall after finals.

Some of the players that might catch the eye this year include NSW Rookie of the Year 2019 Rebecca Robb, who very quickly and effectively embraced the position of Keeper, in an age where female Keepers are becoming more prevalent. Also likely to shine is Xanthe Petridis, who has really stepped up her game this season in preparation for the impending loss of captain and key beater Ana Barciela. Xanthe has proven more than capable on the pitch and is an important part of Macquarie’s beater depth.

Another key quaffle player is Ryan Shields, who is in his second season of quidditch and is vital for Macquarie’s attack; his pace and fearlessness make him a potent goalscorer. In the beating, it’s hard to forget Geoffrey Talbott, who is incredibly dominant when on form.

While every game should be important for Macquarie, the clash against Valkyries QC will help Macquarie prove they can definitely hang with the top teams in NSW.

Macquarie have historically had an incredible habit of stepping up their performances at QUAFL, punching well above their usual weight, and they’ll surely be hoping this year is no different. If they can deliver strong performances against the Unforgivables and UQ Dumblebees, they’ll be able to secure yet another trip to the knockout rounds of QUAFL... (against the loser of the Serpents vs Manticores pool play match, RIP…)

Prediction: 9-12th

University of Queensland (UQ) Dumblebees

First QUAFL: 2016

Best Performance: Pool Play (2016/2017/2018)

2019 must be seen as a great season for the UQ Dumblebees, finishing as runners up to the ever dominant USC Dementors in the Queensland State League. They also had a few members of their squad travel down to Melbourne Mudbash to gain further experience playing with and against different players from around the country. They’ll be hoping to improve on their previous QUAFL results and will surely be aiming to make it out of the group.

The Dumblebees have a very young but relatively experienced roster coming to QUAFL, with players such as Emma Foots, Jared Easterbrook and Ebony-Li Mahoney all recently appearing as reserves for the Queensland Thunderbirds, despite being relative newcomers to the quidditch scene.

However, they aren’t short on experienced players either. Niamh O’Mara and Kallum Strachan (a recent signing from QUT) have both played multiple State Shields and are high quality players that will help the Dumblebees challenge their inter star opponents. Add Will O’Connell, formerly of USC, to the mix and you have plenty of strong leaders in this team.

UQ’s game with Macquarie will be vital for them, as a victory over Macquarie and Unforgivables will be enough to get them out of pool play for the first time ever. They’ll be hoping to surprise Macquarie, due to being relatively unknown and hard to prepare for.

UQ have developed a strong little squad. They aren’t short on depth and have enough quality across all positions to really threaten Macquarie and the Unforgivables. Perhaps the lack of overall experience could hinder their chances, but they also have the capability to catch an underperforming team off guard. 

Prediction: 13-16th

University of Sydney (USyd) Unforgivables

First QUAFL: 2017

Best Performance: Pool Play (2017/2018)

The University of Sydney Unforgivables is the third of the three teams under the USyd umbrella, and as such, often features many new players to the sport. This provides these new players ample opportunity to play without being overshadowed by the top tier players, however it does also mean it may take a while to translate into positive results. The Unforgivables struggled to break down the teams in division 2 this season, though they did score their fair share of goals and got a few snitch catches to go with those goals.

Their biggest game was at NQL finals against fellow USyd team, the Unbreakables. They actually looked like the stronger team for much of that game, being up by 20 points well into the game, and got so close to a victory, however eventually fell to the quality of the persistent and prevailing Unbreakables. This game should give them the encouragement that they can indeed put up a good fight against the teams in their pool.

Despite their status as the third team of USyd, they still have some talented individuals on their roster. Key quaffle carriers Willem de Gouw and Samuel Feeney are strong leaders and are definitely capable of punishing a sleeping defence with their driving. Then you have the numerous female chasers they’ve trained up to support, most of whom aren’t scared of using the quaffle. Ashleigh Chilton in particular is a confident quaffle carrier and goal threat.

They also have the benefit of the leadership provided by Lilian Thai in beating. Lilian has gained some experience playing with fellow pool A team Valkyries QC and has brought that back to the Unforgivables, her commanding voice definitely being the loudest on pitch (referees, step up your game).

While I’m sure they’re looking forward to testing themselves against Macquarie yet again, it’s the game against the Dumblebees that should stand out for the Unforgivables. They’ll be hoping they can adapt to the unknown Dumblebees and outplay their Queensland opposition to score a huge QUAFL victory.

Unfortunately, I do think it’ll be a tough weekend for the Unforgivables, and small numbers will be one of their biggest adversaries, beyond the other teams they’ll have to face too. They’ll definitely put up a fight and a good showing against Macquarie and UQ, but whether they’ll have the quality to match their opponents remains to be seen. 

Prediction: 17-20th

Pool A may not initially seem as exciting as the other pools, due to the gulf in class between the top teams, but there are definitely still some interesting match ups. Macquarie vs UQ will certainly be an interesting game; can Macquarie turn their recent dip in form around and see off their relatively unknown opposition from Queensland? There is also plenty of room for the underdogs in this group, as Valkyries will be looking to prove me wrong and cause an upset over the heavy favourites of the group, while the Unforgivables will be looking to do the same at the other end of the pool against Macquarie and UQ.

However, I do think this pool will go in pod order, from 1 to 5, with the Muggles, Valkyries and Macquarie finishing top three and moving on to bracket play.

State Shield - An Overview

What Is State Shield?

Quidditch, beginning in Australia in 2011, grew rapidly in NSW and Victoria, with most teams in the country starting up in Melbourne and Sydney, with only a few up north in Queensland and out west in Western Australia. As quidditch became more and more competitive and rivalries developed between Victorian and NSW teams, there were calls for a new level of competition, something that would allow a further level of top tier quidditch in Australia, facilitate competitive training for Australia's best athletes heading into World Cups, and answer once and for all which was the dominant state in quidditch.

Thus, in 2016, a series of three tournaments featuring three games in each was devised, in which the top players from the states of Victoria and NSW would face off in three best-of-three series, known then as Quidditch State of Origin. The competition would serve as Australia's version of the USA's Major League Quidditch or Europe's Quidditch Premier League, though in a much more concentrated format. The small number of teams meant only the very best players were selected to represent the states, and facilitated series of three or more games between the elite teams, able to better account for chance victories, and giving teams the chance to adapt their game over the course of a tournament to match and counter their opponent's playing style. This makes State Shield not only some of the most tactically interesting quidditch in the world, but also some of the most exciting, with the high level of skill and competition providing excellent entertainment and publicity for the sport.

Queensland and Victoria: Friends and Foes | Photo: Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography

A Brief History Of the Competitions and Its Teams

2016 ("State Of Origin" - Berry, Melbourne, & Sydney)

The first series held in Berry alongside Quidditch Australia's Quidcamp was a competitive success for the Victorians, whose exceptional Manticores led passing game racked up significant score margins in the first very one sided game, against a NSW team lacking in synergy. Though NSW were able to pull things back in the second game, Victoria still won the series a comfortable 2-1.

Undeterred, NSW restructured and came back for the second series at the Victorian Fantasy Tournament two months later to win that series 2-1, levelling the score, though unable to push Victoria out of range. Many of the players featured in these teams went on to win the Quidditch World Cup later in Frankfurt 2016, before the final State of Origin series held in Sydney in October. Here, two close games saw a win for either side, and a dramatic finals game where Victoria ultimately won out as the first State Champion in 2016, winning overall 5 games to NSW's 4.

This third round of State of Origin in 2016 was also notable for the debut appearance of the Queensland Thunderbirds. A much younger state in terms of it's quidditch development, the Queensland side were not expected to be able to compete at the same level as the NSW and Victorian teams, but the home side had also selected a B team, whom the Thunderbirds faced off against in a parallel series of three games. While unable to match the depth of the NSW B Team, who at the time featured many names now stalwarts of the Blue Tongues, the fledgling Thunderbirds who in some cases were playing some of their first interstate quidditch, improved rapidly over the course of the three games, narrowing the score margin against NSW B in every successive game to nearly clench their first win by the last game. While they went away winless from 2016, the Thunderbirds would be back for more.

NSW and Victoria Face Off at the 2016 Final Round of State or Origin | Photo: Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography

2017 - State Shield (Brisbane)

2017 saw the State based competition rebranded as Quidditch Australia's State Shield, featuring a single weekend tournament where the top state teams, NSW Blue Tongues, Victorian Leadbeaters, and Queensland Thunderbirds, all came together in Brisbane. This year, Queensland had improved enough to be able to cause an upset victory over the unwily Victorians, but nevertheless the Leadbeaters and Blue Tongues remained dominant overall. NSW however, could not find the same success against the Victorians that the Thunderbirds had, unable to win a single game against their southern rivals, either in pool play or the finals series, shortened due to torrential rain. Victoria now held the first two championships, and with Victorian club teams dominating the later stages of the National Championships as well, it seemed clear who the dominant state was.

2018 - State Shield (Newcastle)

Newcastle was to host the 2018 iteration of State Shield, and back in NSW, the tournament saw the return of the NSW B team into the competition. Now an established fixture of the Australian quidditch season, all states had established long try-out and selection processes and proper trainings leading up to the tournament, where competition was tough. Opening day 1 with the conventional pool play round robin, Queensland came out all guns firing against a strong NSW B team, earning their second ever win, though neither of these teams could make significant inroads against the Victorians or Blue Tongues. The finals series saw an adaptable NSW B significantly change their playing style to counter the strong Queensland chasing offence, and Queensland could provide no answer in turn to this or the much stronger NSW beater corps, losing the final series 2-0.

In their much anticipated match up, a close game saw NSW largely able to control the pace of the game but unable to get too far from the Victorians. Nevertheless, under the aegis of new Head Coach Paul Harrison, the NSW Blue Tongues managed to win not only their pool play matches, but the entire final series in a clean sweep against the Victorians, a huge turn around from the previous years of Victorian dominance. The synergy that had been the card of the Victorians in earlier years was now the asset of the Blue Tongues, with a large majority of the team stemming from the Sydney City Serpents and University of Sydney Unspeakables, both dominant teams in the NSW league. While by no means blow out victories, NSW excelled in the Snitch-On-Pitch element of the game, effectively controlling the snitch and beater games, while able to quickly push the quaffle game out of range in several games to ensure their victory, and first ever title in state level competition.

Thus, the all time scores stood at 0-2 for the Thunderbirds against NSW B, and 2-1 for the Victorians against the NSW Blue Tongues, with NSW B never having been able to gain a win over either A team, and the Queenslanders only ever besting the Leadbeaters once.

NSW Blue Tongues and Victorian Leadbeaters at State Shield 2018 | Photo: Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography

What To Expect From 2019

Coming into 2019, there are many exciting developments as the State Shield competition evolves. For the first time since Victoria Fantasy 2016, the new rendition of the tournament is coming to Melbourne, and the Victorian Leadbeaters will be competing alongside their debut B Team, the Victorian Honeyeaters, on home soil. The states have started their campaigns earlier than ever before, Queensland selecting a Thunderbirds squad right at the very start, and able to hold trainings throughout the year, the Victorians also training with regularity. With new and old faces across the board, the tournament should see a mix of legends and rising stars of Australian quidditch, and indeed will be an important selection event in the lead up to try-outs for the Australian National Team heading into World Cup 2020.

With the growth of Queensland Quidditch and the selection, for the first time, of a Queenslander onto the 2018 National Team, whether this will be the year that the Thunderbirds finally come into their own to match the NSW B sides and pose a significant threat to the A teams of Victoria and NSW. The Victorians will be looking to reclaim their dominance over state level quidditch and show off both of their re-branded teams on home soil, though do so with a substantial number of new faces to the team. The Blue Tongues, meanwhile, will be hoping to solidify their victory from 2018, proving it was not a once off, as the tide shifts from Victorian dominance in Australian quidditch to more parity between the two states. The Blue Tongues are likely to receive major dividends from their investment in having a B team in past years, with a wealth of state-level experience in their players, and they will be tough opponents to beat.

With so many exciting story lines, new teams, old rivalries, rising stars, and legends of the game, all that can be certain is that it is sure to be an incredible tournament featuring the best quidditch you'll see all year. Don't miss it!

Come to Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on the 5th and 6th of October to watch the action in person, or catch it live online!

Team Previews - Queensland Thunderbirds

Team History: 

The Queensland Thunderbirds joined the state competition in the third round of the 2016 edition of the title, when NSW Blue Tongues and Victorian Leabeaters were playing their finals series and the relatively new Thunderbirds faced off against the NSW B team. Coming away from their first experience of state competition winless but rapidly improving across the series against NSW B to play the last game in range, the Thunderbirds came into their home State Shield in Brisbane 2017 fighting hard and extracted a narrow win against Victoria. This demonstrated that they had done much to close the gap between them and the more developed states but still had a way to go. Going into 2018, the Thunderbirds were now much more experienced and had their first win against the NSW B squad, however the Victorians and NSW Blue Tongues were careful not to underestimate the growing Queensland force. The NSW Bluebottles were also able to adapt and eventually win the finals series against Queensland 2-0. As a younger state in the development of quidditch in Australia, Queensland have always struggled to match the NSW and Victorian A teams, with less experienced players and less players on the National "Dropbears" Team. However, with the rapid expansion and development of Queensland quidditch in the last two years and the steady improvement of the Thunderbirds, the writing is on the wall for times to change. 

Queensland Thunderbirds Roster and Reserves for State Shield 2019 with Logo designed by

Abbey Ashfield-Crook

Interview with Team Leadership 

1. How are you approaching State Shield and what are your goals for the tournament?

Chloe: We are going into the tournament with a winning attitude and believe that we have the team to do it this year. Our goal is to win as many games as possible and work as a team. 

Josh: State Shield has been approached with a little more preparation than in previous years and with some goals that were outlined with Queensland Association of Quidditch (QAQ) at the beginning of the year. We have had state trainings a lot more frequently than previous years, with a training every week for the last couple of months. As for goals for the tournament, I would love to see us put in a really great effort and show that we can take it to the teams down south and try to match their quality of play. It would awesome to come away with a win or some snitch range games against the top NSW and Victorian teams.

2. How have you prepared for State Shield and how confident are you at this point?

Chloe: Well this year we started a lot earlier, with our first selection camp happening on the 3rd of March and we have been working hard since then to create the best team we can and have a good team dynamic. We have the right players to get it done and if we work together we can pull it off. 

Josh: Our trainings have been a lot more regular than in previous years. I have brought more structure to the skills and drills that have been worked on and built upon throughout each session. Due to the isolation of some players, we have found it quite hard to have everyone in the same place for a single training session. Despite this, I am still quite confident in the team and know that this will be the strongest and most talented squad that Queensland has ever sent to a State Shield. This year’s team is on a totally different level to previous years.

3. Where do most of the players on your team come from? Any players you would like to highlight?

Chloe: We have 14 USC players, 2 UQ players and 4 BCQC players. For 14 of our squad this is their second or third state shield with some of them even representing Queensland in the 2016 State of Origin games. Five of our squad are debutants this year and bring an element of surprise to our game that NSW and Victoria might not be prepared for. One player definitely to watch is Kaysanne Hockey, her chasing instincts are killer. She can throw the ball with deadly accuracy and isn’t afraid to take on people bigger than her and be tackled herself. Jason Capello is also one to watch being one of the fittest and fastest players in Queensland, he adds a lot to our team with his ability to be where he needs to be all the time. To date, our only Queensland Dropbear is Simon Spann, but with national trials occurring currently all of our players have something to show. 

Josh: Most of the players come from the USC Dementors team, who have been quite dominant in this year’s QSL match days. The last 12 months have seen a large amount of growth and talent arise from the Dementors, and this is reflected in how dominant they have been this year. As for Dropbears, everyone in quidditch already knows who Simon Spann is and that he represented Australia in the 2018 World Cup in Italy.

We have some returning players who have consistently made the Queensland Team. If you count the unofficial Queensland Team of 2016, we have four players who are playing their fourth State Shield in a row (Jordan, Kia, Niamh, and Tim), along with myself, Alise, Ruth, Jake, and Simon are also playing their third year in a row for Queensland at State Shield.

As for debutants, we have Chelsea, Emma, Daisy, Jason, Jono, Jessica, and Kaysanne. With a third of the Queensland line-up being debutants this year, you can expect to see a totally different Thunderbirds Team on the pitch and we are confident that this will make the difference.

Players to look out for would have to be Jason, Jessica, Kaysanne, Daisy, and Joe. As you can see, four of the five players are debutants for this State Shield, and they each have an average quidditch playing experience of only 18 months. This is a testament of their strong individual backgrounds in sport and their ability to transfer their skills and athleticism over to quidditch. I have no doubt that they will all play key roles in our games over the State Shield weekend.

4. Why should people be excited to see your team playing at State Shield?

Chloe: Because Queensland are improving every year and we are always underestimated, so this year we are coming with a point to prove.

Josh: As mentioned previously, this year’s team is very different to that of previous years, and I truly believe that this will be the strongest showing that Queensland will have to date. I hope to see that we make the games interesting and show that Queensland is developing some great and talented players.

The Queensland Thunderbirds at State Shield 2018 | Photo: Queensland Thunderbirds

Analysis & Commentary: 

Quidditch in Queensland has grown slowly over the years, lagging behind the dominant Victoria and NSW, whose players have dominated the National Dropbears squad at World Cups and whose teams dominate the later stages of the Australian National Championships. Nevertheless, with ever-expanding quidditch programs such as the University of the Sunshine Coast Quidditch Club with their intra-mural league, the recent development of more graduate community clubs such as Brisbane City Quidditch Club and founding of new regular inter-mural leagues in the state has all contributed to its rapid growth and improvement. Importantly, the regular presence of the Thunderbirds at state competitions since 2016 and the selection of Simon Spann for the 2018 Dropbears, the only non-Victorian/NSW player on the World Cup squad, has allowed Queensland to further develop higher level quidditch and move closer to matching the Victorian and NSW A Teams.

With so much new and emerging talent in the Thunderbirds Team and within Queensland, we can expect to see a new level of Queensland quidditch at State Shield this year. Most notable is the calibre of the female chasing lineup this year, with all women having very strong and accomplished sporting backgrounds in netball and AFL, as well as previous state and national level javelin and hammer throw. Kaysanne Hockey is one such stand out, who made waves at Melbourne Mudbash earlier this year with the height and receiving ability to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Taya Rawson. These women all bring a great level of athletic experience to the game. Despite some of them having just under a full season of quidditch under their belt, they have shown a natural talent for picking up the skills of the game to represent at the state level and are not to be underestimated or left unmarked. As for the male quaffle players, there are many familiar faces including the hulking presence of Spann, Jordan Fraser, and Joseph Dodd, whose remarkable speed and physicality combined with the Queensland passing game has always presented a challenge for the NSW and Victorian defences. The new additions of Jason Cappello and Jonathan Rawlings breathe new life into the physicality and speed that Queensland will be aiming to match in the southern teams. With backgrounds in rugby, water polo, athletics, and surf life saving, both are comfortable with quaffle in hand and back their ability to handle contact. 

The beating game also brings some consistency with all but Emma Foots and Chelsea Markot having worn the Thunderbirds jersey before, though both are great, emerging, talented players within the beater lineup. With four of the six female beaters coming from the USC Dementors and such high attendance at trainings, their ability to work together and understand each others’ roles on pitch will be vital to Queensland’s success against the historically much stronger southern beaters. Queensland’s youngest player and beater, Lachlann Ward, has also developed greatly as a player since his Thunderbirds debut last year. He brings an aggressive style to the Queensland beater game alongside his USC beater buddy, Jake Quinlan. Against so many Dropbear level beaters spread through the NSW and Victorian teams who have previously spelled grief for the Queensland side before, it will be interesting to see how this evolution of the Queensland beating game will prevail. 

As alluded to, USC’s Dementors represent the dominant team in Queensland and form the backbone of the Thunderbirds, like the USYD Unspeakables/Sydney City Serpents for NSW and Monash Muggles for Victoria. A staggering 14 of the 21 players hail from the Dementors, who have always been able to present a challenge to even the top division club teams in NSW and Victoria. Indeed, earlier this year when an undermanned Dementors competed in Melbourne Mudbash, they were able to create some very close games against the Muggles (who went on to win the tournament) and show that Queensland has really stepped up. As they have also put on such a dominant performance throughout the Queensland State League match days this year, conceding an average of 1.5 goals per game and with no in-range games, the Dementors core will be what Queensland rely on to compete at the highest level. 

The USC Dementors at Australian National Championships 2018

Given their mostly common origins and a largely returning team, excellent synergy within the Queensland's passing game and on-field communication should be expected. This has of course been the case in the past, with a strong offensive chaser line and outstanding physicality on both offence and defence keeping Queensland in games just long enough for star Dropbears seeker Spann to snatch wins out of nowhere.

Also of note is that Queensland has decided to go with a different structure for their leadership team this year, and as such, do not have an overall captain. Instead, the team has opted for chaser, beater, and speaking captain roles, held by Spann, Quinlan, and Alise Fox respectively. The overall team captain position is filled by Joshua Lindley as a playing coach.

Spann is an obvious choice with his wealth of sporting knowledge from national-level sprinting and experience at the highest levels of Australian quidditch, being the only non-Victorian and non-NSW member of the Dropbears at the 2018 World Cup. He brings a strong level of focus and authority to lead the quaffle line-up, not to mention his dominating height. Despite Quinlan's softly spoken off-field demeanor, he brings a high level of beating knowledge and skill to work with and advise any beater pair within the team. 

Meanwhile, with the wealth of experience that Fox has had within the broader quidditch community and representing Queensland many times now, she brings a very calm and collected attitude to the speaking captain role that will no doubt be needed in the tough games ahead. It will be interesting to see how the Queensland team’s preparations have gone this year with debut Coach Joshua 'Smugs' Lindley who has approached the team trainings with structure and knowledge as an exercise physiologist. This preparation includes aspects of injury prevention and conditioning to ensure that the players are best prepared for the challenge ahead at State Shield. 

Coming into State Shield this year, Queensland’s first targets will be the NSW Bluebottles, who have been their primary rivals in the 2016 and 2018 competitions. In both, Queensland was only able to come away with one win. Last year’s State Shield showed that the Thunderbirds were very much on par and even dominant in the chaser game, the incredible depth of NSW’s beater corps bailed out the team on defence and ensured control of the seeker game in SWIM situations. An every stronger Thunderbirds will pose a major challenge to the Bluebottles and newer Honeyeaters, and these will be match-ups that should be highly entertaining. The Thunderbirds will surely however have their sights set on the A teams, repeating their 2017 win against Victoria and breaking the tide against NSW. Against such strong and experienced teams, this will require an enormous effort from the Thunderbirds, though the trend of the competitions thus far tells us that we should be seeing some spectacular quidditch from the Queensland side this year. 

Stay tuned to hear about the NSW and Victorian B teams, who will be gearing up for whatever challenge Queensland can throw at them, and make sure to come down to Sandringham this weekend or catch the tournament on our livestream to see how it plays out!

A further thanks to Josh Lindley for assistance in writing this commentary.

Dropbears Selection Panel

We are excited to announce the remaining members of the Australian National Quidditch Team Selection Panel, who will join the Head Coach Paul Harrison and Assistant Coach Luke Derrick in picking the Dropbears Squad for World Cup 2020.

Original Photos: Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography and Courtney Buckley Photography

Ed Vienet is currently affiliated with the Monash Muggles in Victoria, where he started quidditch in 2016, now playing his 4th season, having captained the team in 2017 and 2018, and led the team’s selection panel. He has played on the Victorian Leadbeaters since 2017, and was a selector for the team in 2018 and 2019. As well as being a Dropbear reserve in 2018, Ed also has an extensive sports background outside of quidditch, in bastketball, football, and netball. As a quaffle player, Ed’s focus is on defence, tackling, and wants to build a team that can win in 2020, and set up Australia to repeat in 2022.

Simon Spann hails from the University of Sunshine Coast Quidditch Club in Queensland where he started playing in 2014. Picking quidditch over being a national level sprinter, he played for the Dropbears in 2018 as a chaser and seeker, as well as advising the team as a fitness and conditioning coach. A certified athletics coach himself, Simon is looking forward to selecting a team with the dedication to reclaim the gold.

Samantha Chittenden began playing with the University of Sydney Quidditch Club in 2015, eventually becoming coach in 2016 and captain from 2017-18, and now moving on to coach the North Sydney Nightmares Quidditch Club this year. Sam has also been a member of the NSW State Team since 2016, a Dropbears reserve in 2016/18, and NSW selector in 2017/19. Between all the fantasy, club, and state teams she has selected and led, Sam boasts an impressive number of gold medals, and will be looking to add another to the tally at Richmond next July.

Nathan Morton's involvement in quidditch dates back to 2013 where he began playing with the Monash Muggles. Having attended every single QUAFL and every single Victorian tournament since then (bar Mudbash 2014), he has also been a member of and selector for the Victorian State Team since its inception and a member of the Dropbears squad in 2014, 2016, and 2018 (initially as a chaser, and more recently as a beater). Now playing for Willows Quidditch Club, Nathan's extensive experience and mastery of all positions will be of great utility in selecting the team who can reclaim the gold.

Stephen Butler is one of the most experienced selectors in Australia. Having started out with University of Western Sydney/WSQC in 2012, he has been involved as a selector for fantasy tournaments in all three major Eastern states for many years, with a number of medals to show for it. Now with Macquarie University Quidditch Club, Stephen has also been a selector for the NSW State Team since 2017. With many years involved in high level competitive quidditch, Stephen knows the attitude required of players in order to create a winning team.

Further information regarding Dropbears selection camps and training camps including a general timeline will be released shortly. Written applications for players will open next week.

Dropbears 2020 Leadership Team Announced:

We are excited to finally announce the first members of the Australian National Quidditch Team leadership, who will help organise, prepare, run, and lead the Dropbears to the 2020 Quidditch World Cup in Richmond, USA.

Paul Harrison has been selected as the Head Coach of the Dropbears for 2020. Originally of the University of Sydney Quidditch Club (Unspeakables) and then Macquarie University Quidditch Club, Paul has served as Head Coach of both of these teams, and now is playing his eight season with the Sydney City Serpents. Last year, Paul coached the NSW State Team to their first gold medal at Quidditch Australia's State Shield. As Head Coach, Paul will be responsible for the overall strategic vision and on field direction of the Dropbears as they try to reclaim gold at Richmond 2020.

Ruth Creffield has been selected as the Team Manager of the Dropbears for 2020. Playing for the University of the Sunshine Coast Quidditch Club since 2014, Ruth has been involved in her club's team committee for a number of years as well as being President of the Quidditch Association of Queensland, and playing for the Queensland Thunderbirds. As Team Manager, Ruth will be responsible for off field direction of the Australian Dropbears, including the planning of the trip to Richmond for the World Cup, looking after the administrative side of the team and facilitating a focus on team unity and player wellbeing.

Emma Luxford has been selected as the Assistant Manager of the Dropbears for 2020. She has been involved in the sport for almost eight years as a player and non playing member of the community with Blackburn Basilisks and more recently Melbourne Ravens Quidditch Clubs, and has over 25 years experience competing in and organising gymnastics. Em's extensive experience with large scale professional sporting organisation will be a great asset in her responsibility for assisting Ruth in the off field direction and management of the Australian Dropbears. Emma has since stepped down from this role.

Luke Derrick has been selected as an Assistant Coach of the Dropbears for 2020. He is currently in his eight year playing as a beater and keeper, having started out at the University of Sydney Quidditch Club and now playing for the Sydney City Serpents. Luke has been a coach and captain for both teams as well as playing for and captaining the NSW State Team. Luke has additionally been playing for the Dropbears in all of their international forays since 2014, being part of the World Cup winning squad in 2016, and Lead Beater Player in 2018. Luke will be responsible for assisting Paul in running training camps, and helping the Dropbears improve at the individual level and as a cohesive team.

Luke and Paul will both also serve as Selectors for the Dropbears squad. The rest of the selection panel will be announced tomorrow.