Who’s the best in the land?

There has been a shuffling of the card deck in the MPO division in Australia in the last couple of years. Some have been developing their games in isolation, some have gained overseas experience while others have switched in from Ultimate and brought their advanced throwing skills with them. So, coming into the business end of the ADG tour we are all wondering ‘who is the best MPO player in the land?’ Well, we are about to find out. Over the next couple of months, most of the MPO players who have been ‘in the conversation’ for this title, will be teeing off against each other in the NSW Open in Molong, The Eruption in Mount Gambier and the Australian Disc Golf Championships in the Sunshine Coast.

Here’s some of our contenders.

Luke Bayne

If Bayney continues at the same rate of improvement as the last couple of years, where he’s gone from novice, to MPO and then solid international performances, then it’s game over. But it’s called an improvement curve, not an improvement line, for a reason, and maybe he’s coming to the shallower part of his. Nevertheless, it’s been a wild ride for the former Ulti player from Brisbane: after finishing second in the Sizzler and the Aussie Champs, he won the Vic Open, the Yeronga memorial and the Pine Rivers Open before jumping on a plane to play the European Open, the WFDF team Worlds, The Estonian Open and the Pro Worlds. After all that tough competition and experience he’ll be battle hardened and carved out of wood. He’ll be in Molong, The Volcano and at the Sunny Coast as well as playing the lead-up, River City Ruckus in Queensland.

Dylan Feldman

Our reigning national champ has put together an impressive year with six wins, one of those being the big enchilada. He is also yet to get his feet dirty come the time to stand on podiums. Dylan is another one whose game is still in its growth phase so even in the six-month time lapse since the February nationals he will quite likely have improved. He’ll be playing the NSW Open, The Eruption and the Nationals.

Patty Robinson

It’s been a quiet couple of years for the three times Aussie and one time New Zealand champ. Covid, a growing professional career and becoming a dad have taken his focus off the game slightly, as has an elbow injury that has restricted his ability to throw forehand shots.  He had an uncharacteristic 18^th placing in the February Nationals that must have had him asking the other guys on the 5^th card ‘so what you all talk about back here anyway?’ His showing in Inverleigh no doubt had something to do with him being a TD of the big show as well. But Patty has still had a pretty solid year with a second place in the Two Heads, a win in Mt Baw Baw, fourth in the Vic Open and second in the South Aussie Open. He’s signed up for The NSW Open, The Eruption and the Nationals and it seems that elbow is starting to feel a little better. It’ll need to be if he wants to shut down this revolution in Aussie MPO.  

Blake Houston

The little kid from Perth is not so little anymore and has dominated the scene on his side of the land, only stepping off the podium recently at the Alex Rebooted tournament. He won the big one, the Perth Open over a strong local MPO field and had other wins in the Mundilorian and the Hermit Kingdom Open. He won the Eruption last year and is returning to the volcano in October as well as heading out to Molong earlier that month, plus he’ll be in the Sunshine Coast in November.

David Perry

After third in the Aussie Champs and fifth at the Vic Open, the Victorian peeled off four wins before jumping on the plane to Estonia and doing Australia proud at the WFDF Team Worlds. Top level match play competition steels the mind like nothing else so, like all players who have returned from overseas, expect the David Perry who has returned home to be a much tougher competitor than the one who left. He’ll be in Molong, at the Eruption and in the Sunshine Coast in November.

Jordan Wheeler

Jordy’s been quiet lately. He’s left the US tour van life and is carving a different path with disc golf no longer on the centre screen. The lefty has only played 4 tournaments with year with a win at the Red Tail Open early on, a forgettable performance at the Fantasy Park Open, a win at the Rob Hancock Memorial and finishing second to Blake Houston in his only ADG major for the year, the Perth Open. But taking the time off work and travelling to the Sunshine Coast isn’t a small commitment from WA, so we can expect a well prepared and switched-on Jody at Tunnel Ridge ranch for the nationals. He’s a seasoned, experienced pro who with plenty of lead card experience in the ADGC.

Chris Hill

Chilly is focussing just on the Nationals at this end of the year and has competed sparingly over the last couple of years. But he’s another one that will have come back from the WFDF Team World forever changed by the experience and, on his day, can match it with anyone. He’s had 8 wins in two years that have included one win and one podium in majors. He’s also had a recent win at the Dubbo Charge.  

Jade Brady

From the ACT, Jade Brady has had a solid competitive year and some big showings in the big events. He followed up a tope 10 place at the February Nationals with a close second at the Vic Open with a host of other podium finishes and wins in the Jesmond Jam and the Queensland Open in Townsville. He was still a but of an unknown at the Vic Open but nobody is saying ‘who the hell is Jade Brady?’ anymore.

Tim Bohan

The recently crowned King of Salisbury is another who played some international disc golf this year and come back with a hard stare minus a few rough edges knocked off his game. Tim has played a lot this year, including the Am worlds and the Am USDGC, he’s only had to slum it with the great unwashed off the podium five times out of 16 events played. Plus, for those of you who like to use recent form as a guide when you are making your predictions, his highness has just won three tournaments in a row.  

Austin D’Alessandro

After winning his home major, The Sizzler, in the ACT in February, Austin has out together a solid year, with three podium finishes, top ten placings in the February Nationals and the Vic Open and rounded it out with a win at the WGE Sydney event. He’ll be in Molong, at the volcano and in the Sunshine Coast this year, plus is heading over for the NZ championships in March next year. That’s not the schedule of someone who’s indifferent about his performances and, after only his second year in MPO, Austin is another player in the steep part of his improvement curve.

Aaron Moreton

Another one of our Sugar Gliders, the Aussie Disc Golf Team that did so well at the WFDF Team Worlds, Aaron Moreton had deepened his connection and commitment to the game in the lead up to competing in Estonia and will no doubt have been made a better player for the experience. He’s saving himself for the Nationals in November though, so we won’t get a read on his form until then.

Reflections on the 2022 WFDF World Team Disc Golf Championships – By Aaron Moreton

Being Selected

January 10^th, 2022 will always be a significant day in my life. It was the day I was selected in the Australian Disc Golf Team to compete at the WFDF World Team Championships in Croatia.  In many ways it was a bit of a surprise: there are plenty of capable players in the country and I knew competition for places was strong. But instead of jumping and down with excitement, I had mixed emotions. With selection came the pressure to perform for my team, for my community, and for my nation – let alone the weight of my own expectations. I couldn’t take this honour lightly and figured it deserved some consideration before I committed. Was I really good enough to represent my country at Disc Golf? I guess there was only one way to find out.

The Journey to Varazdin

The journey to Varazdin started when I first saw disc golf in 2009.  A complete novice, with no disc sport experience, I could never have dreamed of where this sport would take me. Fast forward 13 years and here I was building a plan to ensure I gave myself the best chance of performing well for the team in Croatia.  It may surprise some that after my selection I decided to decrease how much disc golf I played in early 2022 – and no this wasn’t due to the wet weather! I wanted to condition my body to handle seven days of disc golf, with a combination of lap swimming and running. I also gave up Table Tennis, another sport that I regularly play that often leads to minor knee and elbow injuries.  I had to commit fully, that’s what the team deserved.

An increase in play came in May, which gave me three months to tune my game before departing mid-August. This involved plenty of putting practice and field work with Luke Bayne. The goal was to play well at some of the local Brisbane tournaments leading into the final weeks before departure.  I’m happy to say this went according to plan.

It’s been said that there’s no such thing as too much preparation. I had a simple response to the many questions from friends and family at home about our chances of success:

‘The winning team might not be the best disc golfers, but those that play best on the courses that week as a team.’

With that in mind we were the first team to arrive in Varazdin leading into the event. Four days allowed us plenty of practice rounds together across the two challenging courses, and time to deal with the jetlag we all felt. We held multiple intra-team matches to ensure we were in peak competition mode, both physically and mentally. We simulated the scoring and formats of match play singles and doubles.  There was no going easy on anyone in these matches.  Not only did we want to challenge each other and lift our performances, but I sensed quite a few players were here to prove their point and justify their selection to others in the Team. This process instilled a noticeable confidence in the whole group. I think we left the warmup days with a heightened level of belief.  

Wearing the Green and Gold

Receiving the Aussie jersey was a milestone of the trip and something I’d been eagerly anticipating. The evening before the competition kicked off, we held a presentation at the hotel with all players receiving their personalized team kit.  After a few motivational speeches from the leadership group and it was clear that the green and gold jersey carried an aura. We were no longer just disc golfers; we were now Australian representatives.

As soon as I got back to my room I unpacked my shirt, threw it on, stared at the mirror and just smiled. It is hard to put into words how I felt, but I remember for a few minutes that it seemed like nothing else in the world mattered. I was completely present in the moment.  I took a minute to reflect and acknowledge the people back at home who’d helped make this dream come true. Nobody climbs Everest alone. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride. Pride in myself for the sacrifices and efforts I’d put in to get here. I was now ready to do myself, the team and everyone back at home proud.

The Fellowship of the Sugar Gliders

Leading into the event I was always a little curious as to how a team of players from all parts of the country would gel.  Especially as this was the first-time meeting for quite a few of us. From the handful of video meetings we’d had throughout the year it was clear that the player personalities were very diverse. Would people feel lonely or out of place? Would it feel weird playing doubles with someone you hardly knew? Absolutely not.  This mismatch of personalities was the secret sauce we needed for a cohesive team.  Everyone brought a fresh perspective and opinion to enhance the overall experience. Something that, I believe, proved to be a differentiator for Team Australia.

Disc Golf for the most part is anything but a team sport. Typically, you are entirely focused on your own game, not at Team Worlds though.  You need everyone playing well and find yourself bending over backwards to make that happen. This requires honesty, motivation and discipline.  Moreover, it requires every single team member knowing and owning their individual role in the team, whatever that may be.  We’ve all seen caddies before, but imagine a caddy for a caddy – yup, that’s how committed and caring to each other we were.

The one thing that stood out for me was that no individual felt larger than the team.  Every decision made, was done with the team’s best interests at heart. I honestly believe that our leadership group had it easy given the level of selflessness amongst the team. Everyone was totally focused on going as deep as possible in the tournament and if that meant putting yourself aside for a stronger player then so be it. They say that a strong team beats with one heart – no member of our team would argue this.

Battling the Inner Beast

Disc Golf challenges the mind in ways very few other sports do. The weight of expectation and fear of failure can crush you. Throw in the strategy and mindset of match play and this is a very different beast to what I was used to. Imagine then how amplified these feelings can be when you are representing your nation with the coat of arms on your shirt; no longer playing as an individual but as part of a team. This is something that is almost impossible to train for.

I entered the final group match against Estonia relatively calm and focused.  They were one of the top seeds for the event and possessed a seriously powerful team (they were the eventual champions).  I was tasked with playing singles against one of their top MPO players, Henar Ruudna, who was rated significantly higher than me.  Luckily it was on a section of the course that I felt was well suited to my game, so I believed I had a chance.  It started horribly, a misfire on the first hole meant I went down by 1 immediately.  Doubt creeps in, ‘how many holes will I last? This guy is way better than me’. Let those thoughts come and go, reset, and breathe.

If there’s one thing typical of Australian sportspeople, it’s that we don’t lie down, we fight to the end. I’m proud to say that every match I played went down to the last hole, something that might sound unusual to those unfamiliar with the format, but in match play you can win or lose very quickly.  Now was the time to fight. By the last hole Henar and I were all square.  Hole-9 is one of the tightest tunnel shots I’d ever seen, extending some 50 metres past the tee.  We fist pump and wish each other good luck.  Henar tees and hits a tree, presenting me with an opportunity to strike.  I disc down, hit the gap, and leave myself with a 5m putt for the win.  Five metre putts should be straightforward, but this was the hardest putt of my life. So many things going through my head.  I was no longer putting for the win but putting to defeat my demons. I made the putt and felt I’d justified my selection.  They don’t feel much sweeter! For the record, Henar and I swapped jerseys and shared some nice compliments at the end-of-play party.

We Rise, We Fall, and We Rise Again.

Disc golf is rarely smooth sailing.  Our run through the event had its highs and lows.  The quarterfinal loss to Canada was shattering and probably the low point of the event. The level of belief in the team was so high, so to lose on the final hole of that match was a hard pill to swallow. We genuinely felt we were capable of finishing on the podium. We played extremely well, and it could easily have gone the other way. Personally, it was a privilege to caddy for Luke Bayne that day and watch him almost lead us to the semi-finals.  

There was still time to leave on a high.  We could now finish as high as 5^th and with a laser like focus we lifted again to achieve the best finish at this event ever for Australia. A credit to everyone involved and reward for the time and preparation the squad had invested.

Playing for Peace

There is no greater story than the attendance of Ukraine at the event. Their attendance was only confirmed in the weeks prior to kick-off. Ukrainian men are currently forbidden to cross the border due to the ongoing war with Russia, so getting their team to Varazdin was no easy feat. Privately, I’d wanted to play against their side from the moment I heard they were a chance of coming. Ten years ago, I spent my 22nd birthday in Kiev and only have fond memories. I’ve always felt a special connection to the country and its people. This hope wasn’t about competition, it was just to be with them and show them that they have support from the other side of the globe. Given the standing ovation they received at the opening ceremony, it was clear that everyone there felt the same way.  Luckily for me the wish came true on the first day of play and I was paired with David Perry to play Doubles against them. I don’t think I’ve ever clapped so hard or cheered so loudly for an opponent’s throw – these guys knew how to play! In the end we tied the match, and personally, that felt like the perfect result.

Winning on and off the course

Winning the Spirit of the Game Award was a great way to top off the event. I know the team holds this recognition in high regard because it is earned through character not skill and assessed entirely by your opposition.  I’ve always believed that Australians pride themselves on fairness – so to be awarded this medal only further confirmed this belief.

But this was not the highlight for me. Nor was the 5^th place finish. Rather, I hold the bonds I’ve made with my teammates as the highlight of the event. I’m proud to call each one my friend and these are relationships for life.  Together we rise, together we fall, and together we rise again.

It might not be in front of a stadium full of people at an Olympics or Commonwealth Games (yet), and it’s played out in a fairly convivial atmosphere among members of the disc golf tribe from all over the world – but representing our country, with that coat of arms over the heart, makes every single throw matter like it’s never mattered before. The twelve members of the Australian Disc Golf team rode those emotional highs and lows together for a week of intense competition at the WFDF World Teams Disc Golf Championships from August 17 to 20.

After losing in heartbreaking fashion to eventual bronze medalists Canada in the quarter final, the Sugar Gliders won in a tense playoff for 5th place against Germany to finish the event. Australia entered the Championships seeded 11th. Before the event Captain Chris Hill (Chilly) made a bold prediction in an interview with AFDA: “My personal goal for the event is to make the top 8 teams. And then we are just 3 wins away from winning the whole championship… Who knows what might happen! …Let’s show the world what Aussie disc golf can do.” And show the world they did.

The team also won the the spirit award, as voted by all the competitors at the event. That’s a strong endorsement for the culture of the team and how they represented us all. Well done to The Sugar Gliders from everyone in Australian Disc Golf.

Story by Kingsley Flett and Emilie Cameron