Hills District Independent August 2020 #62 August 2020 | Page 33

SPORT
Ultimate frisbee finds a home in the Hills
The sport of Ultimate frisbee has been
slowly gaining popularity in the Hills
District. The sport is unknown to many but
has a large following in the country it was
invented in, the United States of America
and now, the Hills District.
Ultimate frisbee is a non-contact sport
that takes parts of games such as netball,
NFL and any game that involves passing,
as teams attempt to catch the disc in the
other team’s end zone.
Unlike most sports, Ultimate frisbee is
self-officiated, meaning the players make
the calls about the game.
Based at Eric Mobbs Recreational
Reserve in Castle Hill, the Hills Ultimate
frisbee league runs two main leagues
throughout the year with four divisions for
all skill levels.
Executive Board Member, Betty Tan,
explained that the league caters for all
participants.
“The Leagues are mixed, with an equal
number of men and women for each
team,” Betty said.
“We have players of all ages ranging
from 14 through to 60. As a non-contact,
high-paced social sport, Ultimate frisbee
is perfect for all community groups,
friendship groups, school-aged students,
parents, families and multi-sport athlete’s
looking for a change.”
The League has four
divisions based on skill
level during each season.
“We have total
beginner teams and also
players that have played
at a world level,” Betty
explained.
“Our local Hills club
has a proud tradition of
our players representing
Australia across a number
of teams.”
Most recently the Hills
Ultimate Frisbee Club
had two athletes who
were set to travel to the
Netherlands to compete
in the World Championships, initially
scheduled for the month of July. The event
has been postponed due to COVID-19 with
a confirmed date not yet announced.
The two athletes, Rebecca Carmen
and Mark McLeay, are both apart of the
Barramundi’s Mixed Ultimate Team.
Betty stated that any interested player
can join the league,
“People can register as a team or as an
individual. There are always teams looking
for new players to join them, so you don’t
need to have a full team to register.”
The league started in 2004 and has
had the support of a great
group of volunteers who
run the league and liaise
with the other clubs that
use the reserve.
For more information
about participating,
you can get involved by
their Facebook Page @
Hills Ultimate or contact
the league by email at
admin@hillsultimate.
com.au.
HARPO’s MARKS
WITH TOM SARGEANT
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS FROM PAGE 30
Jake Michaels is a highly respected
Australian-based Associate Editor at
American cable sports channel, ESPN, so
I was interested to read his views on the
Top 10 Australian sporting achievements.
I agreed with several of his choices
and disagreed on others and most
definitely on his number one selection.
Michaels’ picks from 10 to one were:
10. John Eales’ after the bell long
range penalty for the Wallabies to beat
New Zealand 24-23 and retain rugby
Union’s Bledisloe Cup.
9. Shane Warne’s “ball of the
century” to utterly bamboozle England’s
Mike Gatting in spinning from well
outside leg stump to beat the bat and hit
the off stump.
8. The great – and by crikey, geewillickers
he was that as a man and
athlete - Peter Norman for his stance
in supporting American sprinters, John
Carlos and Tommie Smith, when they
gave their Black Power and human rights
protest on the on the 200m sprint medals
dais.
7. Steve Bradbury’s miraculous
performance in winning the 1000m speed
skating gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake
Winter Olympics after the other five
finalists came a-cropper on the final turn
leaving Bradbury to come from 20 metres
off the pace to get the bikkies.
6. Cadel Evans’ victory at age 34 in
winning cycling’s most precious gift,
the Tour de France yellow jersey, after
a sensational ride in the penultimate
event on the 21-stage tour. Evans had the
second fastest time in the time trial to
edge himself into the lead and have the
honour of riding into Paris the next day as
the champion.
5. Adam Scott showed nerves of steel
to win the 2013 US Masters. He needed to
make a tricky 16-foot birdie putt to force
a play-off with Angel Cabrera and he
duly put the ball into the hole. He landed
another long-range birdie putt on the
first play-off hole to earn the prized green
jacket.
4. Ian Thorpe’s come from behind
final leg lap swim to snatch victory in the
final few strokes for Australia to become
the first nation to beat the USA in the 4
x 100m men’s freestyle at an Olympic
Games. His colleagues were Michael
Klim, Chris Fydler and Ashley Callus.
3. Australia II’s heart stopping
victory in the final and deciding race of
the America’s Cup Challenge at Newport,
Rhode Island on September 26, 1983.
Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand,
had trailed 1-3 in the best of seven final
series.
2. John Aloisi’s successful penalty
kick to send the Socceroos into the 2006
World Cup series – our first appearance
on soccer’s world stage since 1974. The
match against Uruguay was drawn and
the result went to a penalty shoot-out.
Australia led 3-2 and Aloisi’s final penalty
attempt smacked into the back of the net
to send Aussie soccer fans into delirium.
Michaels’ number one spot goes
to Cathy Freeman for her magnificent
performance in storming away from her
rivals to win gold in the 400 metres at the
2000 Sydney Olympics.
I agree with Michaels in that it was
one of the all-time great performances
by an Australian athlete, but I can name
many other Olympic medal-winning runs
and swims which match Cathy’s effort.
Just think of Shirley Strickland,
Marjorie Jackson, Betty Cuthbert, Herb
Elliott, Maureen Caird, Raelene Boyle and
Debbie Flintoff-King.
And what about swimmers such as
Shane Gould, Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose,
Kieran Perkins, Michael Wenden, Susie
O’Neill, Grant Hackett – the list goes on.
Not to forget the wonderful
performances of tennis’ Norman
Brookes, Frank Sedgeman, Rod Laver,
Ken Rosewall and Margaret Court, and
of course the squash maestro, Heather
McKay.
And as you are well aware, boxing is
one of my great loves and I’m amazed
Michaels didn’t include any pugilist in
his top 10 – men such as Les Darcy, Dave
Sands, Lionel Rose, Johnny Famechon,
Jeff Fenech, Kostya Tszyu or the ultracourageous
Jeff Harding.
I know you are all waiting with bated
breath for me to tell you which I believe
is the greatest performance in Australian
sporting history.
And for me, the greatest Australian
sporting moment was Australia II
breaking the USA’s 132-year hold on
yachting’s Holy Grail, the America’s Cup.
The Americans had held the coveted
trophy since 1851 when the schooner,
America, after which the trophy was
named, won a race around the Isle of
Wight as part of the World’s Fair.
The United States embarked on what
would become the longest winning streak
in the history of sport, 132-year stretch
saw boats representing the country
successfully defend the trophy 24 times
from 1870 through 1980.
The 25 th challenge in 1983 pitted
Australia II and John Bertrand against
Liberty and its famous skipper, Dennis
Connor.
Throughout its history, the America’s
Cup has enchanted leaders of industry
and royalty from tea merchant Sir
Thomas Lipton, to brewing and real
estate mogul Alan Bond, aviation pioneer
Sir Thomas Sopwith, the Aga Khan,
media giant Ted Turner, and champion
yachtsman and railway mogul, Harold S.
Vanderbilt.
So the stage was set for a memorable
battle between Liberty and Australia II
which boasted the Ben Lexen designed
whoopy-doo winged keel.
After Liberty took a 3-1 lead, the
Australians fought back to square the
series taking it into the seventh and
deciding race.
Lemme tell ya, just about everyone
in this country sat glued to the TV set
to witness the battle between two
magnificent boats and their crews.
And that’s no exaggeration!
There were hardly any vehicles on
roads across the country, shops were
empty of customers – the country
stopped for the duration of the race.
I have never witnessed such interest
in any sporting event before or since!
The euphoria around the country
generated by Australia II breaking the
USA’s stranglehold on the America’s Cup
was truly mind blowing.
And I’m sure any of you who bore
witness to the event will agree with
me that that moment back in ‘83 when
Australia II crossed the finish line, was the
most exciting and euphoric moment in
the history of Australian sport.
SAD MARKS: The passing last month
of Sir Everton Weekes, the last of the
famous “Three Ws” - following Frank
Worrell and Clyde Weekes to their maker.
All three cricketers were knighted for
their services to the game. They were
the men who steered the West Indies to
become a powerhouse in the game.
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT www.hdinews.com.au ISSUE 62 // AUGUST 2020 33