Hey everyone,
Well, the season drew to a rather unceremonious end last week with back to back wins over the Bundaberg Bulls. It was good to go out on a winning note, but the fact that it was over one of the last place teams detracted from the celebrations somewhat. So too did the fact that we missed the playoffs by one game after dropping a match to the only team worse than Bundy. But all in all it was a good season, we finished .500 at 9 wins and 9 losses, a significant improvement on where the team has finished in the past. I've also made some pretty good friends over the last few months, along with some connections that will hopefully allow me to continue 'living the dream'. This season I averaged 18.5 ppg, 9.1 rbg, and led the league in blocks, so that should be enough to get me on with a team somewhere in the world.
The highlight of the season, however, would have to be playing basketball against a real life Wookie. One of the Centre's in the league, a Swed by the name of Michael Kingma, played a Wookie in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. He wasn't wearing the actual suit during the game, but he was still unmistakably wookie-ish.
With basketball now on the backburner for a bit, I'm hoping to do some more travelling. Right now I'm in Canberra hanging out with ex-gryphon and Franks regular Joel Richardson. Should be a cracker of a weekend. Updates to come.
Duncan
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Duncan: Cultural Learnings of Australia for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Canada
Hey everyone,
A lot has happened since I last blogged, and I'm not really sure where to begin. Basketball has gone south of cheese. We're on a 3 game slide, and we pretty much need to win out the season to have a chance at the playoffs. We're capable of doing so, but each game from here on out will be a real dog fight. Should be exciting for anyone who wants to wake up in the middle of the night and follow us on stat tracker, but I'll understand if you don't.
Things off the court have been going much better. I've been traveling the local terrain, observing the people, and carefully harvesting nuggets of wisdom for anyone who has ever asked themselves; What is Australia really like? The truth is, its not that much different from Canada. The people are laid back, friendly, and fun loving. "Getting on the piss" is a national past-time, and they'll use just about any excuse to do it. This includes my friend Leighroy, who got very excited for Canada day, and insisted that we partake in all its hallowed rituals. Unfortunetly fireworks are illegal here, so it quickly turned into the typical Wednesday night dust up at the local sports club.
Rumors of Kangaroos littering the freeways of Australia are, unfortunatly just that, rumors. The only time I've actually seen one was in Roo Haven at Australia Zoo. Originally started as a crocodile sanctuary by the late great Steve Irwin, Australia Zoo showcases all the indigenous wildlife of Australia, and some of South East Asia, making it perfect for tourists such as myself. The keepers there try to make it as interactive as possible, and I got to feed an elephant and pet a Koala while I was there. Koalas are interesting animals. They snack all day on eucalyptus, which when ingested in large quantities gets them as high as kites. But there's so little nutrition in the leaves, that they spend most of their time sleeping. They're the teenage stoners of the animal kingdom.
Perhaps the coolest feature of the Zoo was the aformentioned Roo Haven, an open concept park where you can enjoy the company of Kangaroos up close and personal. They were very docile animals, and would let you come right up and pet them, although one of them seemed a little put off when I tried to get in its pouch.
The diet of the average Australian is pretty similar to Canadians, with a few key differences. Firstly, finding a good cup of coffee is next to impossible. It's a bit of a culture shock, especially coming from a place where you can't open a door without walking into a Starbucks. Those old Tim Horton's adds suddenly seem a lot more realistic.
Secondly, they have strange cheeses. Cheddar is an anomaly, and most cheese comes in either Tasty or Extra Tasty varieties. This isn't me being clever, that's actually what they're called. This begs the question, why would anyone buy Tasty cheese when they could get Extra Tasty?
Thirdly, and maybe this has something to do with the cheese problem, but no one remembered to teach Australians how to make Pizza. Even Dominoes pies pale in comparison to their Canadian cousins.
Sports are also quite different here. Basketball is about the 8th most popular sport, behind a list of others that are, to my knowledge, rarely played in Canada. Australians love Cricket, Horse racing, and most of all Rugby. They love rugby so much they've got 3 different kinds; Rugby League, Rugby Union, and Aussie Rules Football. I've been watching a bit of each, and I think I've finally worked out the differences. They're all great games though. I actually had the privilege of going to an NRL game, the Brisbane Broncos vs. the New Zealand Warriors. The Broncos are similar to the Maple Leafs in popularity, so you'd have to be willing to give up your first born just to get into the nosebleeds. Our coach hooked us up with the CEO of the stadium, so we got to watch the game from field level, which was a truly amazing experience.
Well, that's about all i've got to say about that. Basketball keeps me tied down in a one horse town, but once the season is over I'm looking forward to more traveling, including trips Thailand and New Zealand.
In conclusion, Australia is a great country, but my heart belongs to Canada, and I can't wait to get back.
A lot has happened since I last blogged, and I'm not really sure where to begin. Basketball has gone south of cheese. We're on a 3 game slide, and we pretty much need to win out the season to have a chance at the playoffs. We're capable of doing so, but each game from here on out will be a real dog fight. Should be exciting for anyone who wants to wake up in the middle of the night and follow us on stat tracker, but I'll understand if you don't.
Things off the court have been going much better. I've been traveling the local terrain, observing the people, and carefully harvesting nuggets of wisdom for anyone who has ever asked themselves; What is Australia really like? The truth is, its not that much different from Canada. The people are laid back, friendly, and fun loving. "Getting on the piss" is a national past-time, and they'll use just about any excuse to do it. This includes my friend Leighroy, who got very excited for Canada day, and insisted that we partake in all its hallowed rituals. Unfortunetly fireworks are illegal here, so it quickly turned into the typical Wednesday night dust up at the local sports club.
Rumors of Kangaroos littering the freeways of Australia are, unfortunatly just that, rumors. The only time I've actually seen one was in Roo Haven at Australia Zoo. Originally started as a crocodile sanctuary by the late great Steve Irwin, Australia Zoo showcases all the indigenous wildlife of Australia, and some of South East Asia, making it perfect for tourists such as myself. The keepers there try to make it as interactive as possible, and I got to feed an elephant and pet a Koala while I was there. Koalas are interesting animals. They snack all day on eucalyptus, which when ingested in large quantities gets them as high as kites. But there's so little nutrition in the leaves, that they spend most of their time sleeping. They're the teenage stoners of the animal kingdom.
Perhaps the coolest feature of the Zoo was the aformentioned Roo Haven, an open concept park where you can enjoy the company of Kangaroos up close and personal. They were very docile animals, and would let you come right up and pet them, although one of them seemed a little put off when I tried to get in its pouch.
The diet of the average Australian is pretty similar to Canadians, with a few key differences. Firstly, finding a good cup of coffee is next to impossible. It's a bit of a culture shock, especially coming from a place where you can't open a door without walking into a Starbucks. Those old Tim Horton's adds suddenly seem a lot more realistic.
Secondly, they have strange cheeses. Cheddar is an anomaly, and most cheese comes in either Tasty or Extra Tasty varieties. This isn't me being clever, that's actually what they're called. This begs the question, why would anyone buy Tasty cheese when they could get Extra Tasty?
Thirdly, and maybe this has something to do with the cheese problem, but no one remembered to teach Australians how to make Pizza. Even Dominoes pies pale in comparison to their Canadian cousins.
Sports are also quite different here. Basketball is about the 8th most popular sport, behind a list of others that are, to my knowledge, rarely played in Canada. Australians love Cricket, Horse racing, and most of all Rugby. They love rugby so much they've got 3 different kinds; Rugby League, Rugby Union, and Aussie Rules Football. I've been watching a bit of each, and I think I've finally worked out the differences. They're all great games though. I actually had the privilege of going to an NRL game, the Brisbane Broncos vs. the New Zealand Warriors. The Broncos are similar to the Maple Leafs in popularity, so you'd have to be willing to give up your first born just to get into the nosebleeds. Our coach hooked us up with the CEO of the stadium, so we got to watch the game from field level, which was a truly amazing experience.
Well, that's about all i've got to say about that. Basketball keeps me tied down in a one horse town, but once the season is over I'm looking forward to more traveling, including trips Thailand and New Zealand.
In conclusion, Australia is a great country, but my heart belongs to Canada, and I can't wait to get back.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
G'day everyone,
Call off the search parties, I am in fact still alive. If anyone actually reads this blog, then I'm sorry for the hiatus. I'll be blogging like a fool for the next couple days to catch you up on what's been going on. For those of you who don't read the blog, rest at ease, you haven't been missing much.
Alright, lets start off with Basketball. A lot has happened since the last post. We've played 5 games and have gone 2 and 3. The week following the Northside game we went up against the Southwest Metro Pirates. It was a messy affair, neither side playing the way they're capable of, but we managed to come out on top by a slim margin. At 4-0 on the season, we were riding high the following week when we came up against the Brisbane Capitals. With a 20 point lead in the first quarter and the win just about in the bag, all defensive effort and shooting ability came to a grinding halt. The Capitals, who decided to play all 48 minutes, pulled off a shocking 50 point swing and won the game by 30, handing us the first loss of the season.
Things didn't get much better from there. The next weekend we took off up the coast for a double header against Rockhampton and Mackay, two of the top teams in the province. Rockhampton boasted a tough line up, including a high flying import and a 7 foot center. This was made worse by the fact that it seemed the only thing to do in Rockhampton on a Friday night was watch Basketball. The bogans in the stands were out numbered only by the mounting number of beer cans littering the aisles of the small stadium. All of this would have easily made this game the hardest of the season, even if it wasn't played on the back of a six hour road trip. Despite all these factors, we played hard and the game wasn't truly decided until the 4th quarter when the Rockets pulled away to a 15 point win.
The next day saw us on the road early for a further 4 hours to Mackay. Worn out from the Friday game and the long road, we didn't stand much of a chance against Mackay, who now sit at the top of the league. They were a good team, but it was really a lack of mental toughness that did us in, as consistent turn overs and missed opportunities plagued us through out the game. The only upside to the trip was the impetus it gave us to tear the town apart that night.
The following weekend we were back at home against the Maroochydore Clippers, whom we beat in the first round by six. Although both teams had undergone changes since our first meeting, the result was the same.
For stats on any of these games, just go to http://www.qabl.basketball.net.au/ and click the draws/results/ladders link.
Thanks for reading, i promise to be more regular in the posting.
Duncan
Call off the search parties, I am in fact still alive. If anyone actually reads this blog, then I'm sorry for the hiatus. I'll be blogging like a fool for the next couple days to catch you up on what's been going on. For those of you who don't read the blog, rest at ease, you haven't been missing much.
Alright, lets start off with Basketball. A lot has happened since the last post. We've played 5 games and have gone 2 and 3. The week following the Northside game we went up against the Southwest Metro Pirates. It was a messy affair, neither side playing the way they're capable of, but we managed to come out on top by a slim margin. At 4-0 on the season, we were riding high the following week when we came up against the Brisbane Capitals. With a 20 point lead in the first quarter and the win just about in the bag, all defensive effort and shooting ability came to a grinding halt. The Capitals, who decided to play all 48 minutes, pulled off a shocking 50 point swing and won the game by 30, handing us the first loss of the season.
Things didn't get much better from there. The next weekend we took off up the coast for a double header against Rockhampton and Mackay, two of the top teams in the province. Rockhampton boasted a tough line up, including a high flying import and a 7 foot center. This was made worse by the fact that it seemed the only thing to do in Rockhampton on a Friday night was watch Basketball. The bogans in the stands were out numbered only by the mounting number of beer cans littering the aisles of the small stadium. All of this would have easily made this game the hardest of the season, even if it wasn't played on the back of a six hour road trip. Despite all these factors, we played hard and the game wasn't truly decided until the 4th quarter when the Rockets pulled away to a 15 point win.
The next day saw us on the road early for a further 4 hours to Mackay. Worn out from the Friday game and the long road, we didn't stand much of a chance against Mackay, who now sit at the top of the league. They were a good team, but it was really a lack of mental toughness that did us in, as consistent turn overs and missed opportunities plagued us through out the game. The only upside to the trip was the impetus it gave us to tear the town apart that night.
The following weekend we were back at home against the Maroochydore Clippers, whom we beat in the first round by six. Although both teams had undergone changes since our first meeting, the result was the same.
For stats on any of these games, just go to http://www.qabl.basketball.net.au/ and click the draws/results/ladders link.
Thanks for reading, i promise to be more regular in the posting.
Duncan
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Warning: before reading this blog, know that one of the characters on the computer I am using has stopped working all together. See if u are able to guess which one.
Hello everbod, (was that simple enough)
After what seemed like an impossiblie long hiatus, the Caboolture Coastal Suns came off the (sounds like pie) week with a tough match up, going head to head against the Northside Wizards. A perennial wash out for the Wizards, this match up had bloggers around Australia claiming the game in their favor before it even began. Boasting a strong starting five (including a six foot nine, 35 point-a-game nightmare in Cameron Tragardh) the wizards were no doubt the Goliath in this battle. However, we found our David in the return of all-star point guard Martin Ajai, and all it took was one good 'rock' (ebonics for basketball) to put this giant down.
The game started out like most do, both teams passing the lead back and forth like it was a game of hot potato rather than basketball, and the game was all but even at half time. In the third, things turned in the Suns favor and we began widening the gap. At the end of the quarter, we were up 10. This momentum was spoiled, however, bi a 13-0 run from the Wizards to start the fourth. With the game tied up, the last quarter became crunch time, as both teams went at it hammer and tong, both desperate for the win. Despite 2 weeks of preparation and consistent double teams, Tragardh managed shoot his weigh to his average, while Shane Davis made 8 threes in the second half to put the Wizards up late. The Suns responded with balanced scoring and managed to sta within striking distance. With the clock winding down, the score tied 98-98, and the ball in the Wizards possession, things looked almost hopeless for the Suns. Even more so when a foul was called with 5.8 seconds left that put White on the line for 2. He missed the first, but gave his team a seemingly insurmountable lead with the second. The ball was inbounded to Ajayi, and the clock began ticking its last breaths. Blasting up the court, draped in Wizards defenders, Martin took off from the foul line and lobbed up a one handed floater that even an atheist could only describe as a prayer. It arched high in the air before finally dropping through the center of the hoop. The faint splash of ball on twine was consumed by the roar of the crowd as the seconds dropped from the clock and the game ended 100-99.
As always hear are some links to stats and articles about the game. Thanks for reading.
Duncan
http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/14/00/03/69/40iGNDQZB0qdM/
http://caboolture-shire-herald.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/last-minute-triumph/
ps. be sure to check in next week, when we take on the South West Metro Pirates. Click here for a preview
Hello everbod, (was that simple enough)
After what seemed like an impossiblie long hiatus, the Caboolture Coastal Suns came off the (sounds like pie) week with a tough match up, going head to head against the Northside Wizards. A perennial wash out for the Wizards, this match up had bloggers around Australia claiming the game in their favor before it even began. Boasting a strong starting five (including a six foot nine, 35 point-a-game nightmare in Cameron Tragardh) the wizards were no doubt the Goliath in this battle. However, we found our David in the return of all-star point guard Martin Ajai, and all it took was one good 'rock' (ebonics for basketball) to put this giant down.
The game started out like most do, both teams passing the lead back and forth like it was a game of hot potato rather than basketball, and the game was all but even at half time. In the third, things turned in the Suns favor and we began widening the gap. At the end of the quarter, we were up 10. This momentum was spoiled, however, bi a 13-0 run from the Wizards to start the fourth. With the game tied up, the last quarter became crunch time, as both teams went at it hammer and tong, both desperate for the win. Despite 2 weeks of preparation and consistent double teams, Tragardh managed shoot his weigh to his average, while Shane Davis made 8 threes in the second half to put the Wizards up late. The Suns responded with balanced scoring and managed to sta within striking distance. With the clock winding down, the score tied 98-98, and the ball in the Wizards possession, things looked almost hopeless for the Suns. Even more so when a foul was called with 5.8 seconds left that put White on the line for 2. He missed the first, but gave his team a seemingly insurmountable lead with the second. The ball was inbounded to Ajayi, and the clock began ticking its last breaths. Blasting up the court, draped in Wizards defenders, Martin took off from the foul line and lobbed up a one handed floater that even an atheist could only describe as a prayer. It arched high in the air before finally dropping through the center of the hoop. The faint splash of ball on twine was consumed by the roar of the crowd as the seconds dropped from the clock and the game ended 100-99.
As always hear are some links to stats and articles about the game. Thanks for reading.
Duncan
http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/14/00/03/69/40iGNDQZB0qdM/
http://caboolture-shire-herald.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/last-minute-triumph/
ps. be sure to check in next week, when we take on the South West Metro Pirates. Click here for a preview
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Hello everyone,
The Caboolture Coastal Suns are now 2-0 after trouncing the Toowoomba Mountaineers. We climbed high into the Great Dividing Range to the mountain-top city of Toowoomba to play in a stadium that was little more than a tin shed. Despite being 15 degrees out, the guys were all dressed in sweaters and toques, 'whinging' about how cold it was. And it showed early on, as the mountaineers jumped out to a twenty point lead in the first quarter. After hitting every shot they looked at for the first five minutes, we found ourselves down 28-6. Then the flood gates broke. Baskets started pouring in from everywhere, while our opponents struggled to get the ball over half. Despite it being a close game into the third, it never looked like one. The eventual 40 point victory was well deserved, especially after the disastrous first quarter, and the amount of heart our guys showed in fighting back was incredible. We've got a bye this week, which should result in increased activity in the off the court portion of the blog. Keep posted for more adventures... down under.
ps. check out the live stats section of the website even after the game. Very informative.
http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/14/00/03/63/74kP3RrgpwhPw/
The Caboolture Coastal Suns are now 2-0 after trouncing the Toowoomba Mountaineers. We climbed high into the Great Dividing Range to the mountain-top city of Toowoomba to play in a stadium that was little more than a tin shed. Despite being 15 degrees out, the guys were all dressed in sweaters and toques, 'whinging' about how cold it was. And it showed early on, as the mountaineers jumped out to a twenty point lead in the first quarter. After hitting every shot they looked at for the first five minutes, we found ourselves down 28-6. Then the flood gates broke. Baskets started pouring in from everywhere, while our opponents struggled to get the ball over half. Despite it being a close game into the third, it never looked like one. The eventual 40 point victory was well deserved, especially after the disastrous first quarter, and the amount of heart our guys showed in fighting back was incredible. We've got a bye this week, which should result in increased activity in the off the court portion of the blog. Keep posted for more adventures... down under.
ps. check out the live stats section of the website even after the game. Very informative.
http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/14/00/03/63/74kP3RrgpwhPw/
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Chapter 1: The Beginning
G'day everyone, and welcome to the first installment of Big D Down Under, a semi-daily series chronicling a young boys journey across the globe on the road to basketball superstardom... or something like that.
I've been in Australia for just over a week now, and I'm finally starting to get settled in. Up until now I've been a prisoner in my own home, chained here by my ignorance of how to drive on the left side of the road. The first time I tried it I found myself in the right lane, staring down both the headlights and the finger of a fellow motorist. I've gotten the hang of it now though, and as long as I keep chanting "left, left, left" to myself, I do alright.
I'm living in a small community about 15 minutes from the coast called Caboolture, about half way between the bustling 'metropolis' of Brisbane and Caloundra, the city that we play out of. It's not a bad place to live, sort of between everything. It is about 30 degrees every day though, which isn't bad for winter. I still haven't figured out the local dialect, but it seems to be an aggressive mixture of pig latin and cockney slang. I'm sure with a little more practice I'll be conversing with the locals in now time. Ironically enough, after flying for more than 12,000 km, I find myself living with not only a fellow Canadian, but someone who I'd played against back at Guelph. His name is Martin Ajayi, former McMaster Marauders point guard and problem on the court. He's down here as the other professional import for the Caloundra Coastal Suns.
With regards to basketball, things are going pretty well so far. I'm playing under former Guelph All-star Mike Ayanbadejo. Coming from the same alma mater, and playing under the same coach, we have a lot of the same ideas about basketball, making the transition much easier than it could have been. Just don't let anyone tell you that professional basketball is easy work.
Here are some links to local papers and websites for game info and results and all that. We played our first game last Saturday against Maroochydore. I'll leave the retelling of this epic battle to the professionals, but with out giving away too much, we scored more points.
That's all for now, but be sure to check in for the next installment of Big D Down Under.
http://caboolture-shire-herald.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/suns-will-rise-again/
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/apr/28/suns-import-suffers-injury-minutes-debut/
http://www.sportingpulse.com/comp_info.cgi?a=ROUND&compID=85844&c=1-4144-0-0-0
I've been in Australia for just over a week now, and I'm finally starting to get settled in. Up until now I've been a prisoner in my own home, chained here by my ignorance of how to drive on the left side of the road. The first time I tried it I found myself in the right lane, staring down both the headlights and the finger of a fellow motorist. I've gotten the hang of it now though, and as long as I keep chanting "left, left, left" to myself, I do alright.
I'm living in a small community about 15 minutes from the coast called Caboolture, about half way between the bustling 'metropolis' of Brisbane and Caloundra, the city that we play out of. It's not a bad place to live, sort of between everything. It is about 30 degrees every day though, which isn't bad for winter. I still haven't figured out the local dialect, but it seems to be an aggressive mixture of pig latin and cockney slang. I'm sure with a little more practice I'll be conversing with the locals in now time. Ironically enough, after flying for more than 12,000 km, I find myself living with not only a fellow Canadian, but someone who I'd played against back at Guelph. His name is Martin Ajayi, former McMaster Marauders point guard and problem on the court. He's down here as the other professional import for the Caloundra Coastal Suns.
With regards to basketball, things are going pretty well so far. I'm playing under former Guelph All-star Mike Ayanbadejo. Coming from the same alma mater, and playing under the same coach, we have a lot of the same ideas about basketball, making the transition much easier than it could have been. Just don't let anyone tell you that professional basketball is easy work.
Here are some links to local papers and websites for game info and results and all that. We played our first game last Saturday against Maroochydore. I'll leave the retelling of this epic battle to the professionals, but with out giving away too much, we scored more points.
That's all for now, but be sure to check in for the next installment of Big D Down Under.
http://caboolture-shire-herald.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/suns-will-rise-again/
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/apr/28/suns-import-suffers-injury-minutes-debut/
http://www.sportingpulse.com/comp_info.cgi?a=ROUND&compID=85844&c=1-4144-0-0-0
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