Tag: Mixed

Nationals 2022: Mixed preview

The mixed division was exciting at the top last season with a slightly unexpected semi final result and some very good streamed games at the end of the weekend. This season there are four extra teams and it looks like the depth is also a bit better with enough teams to make the races for the title and the fourth spot at Euros intriguing.

The schedule will see the bottom four go to a pool while the top two in each will go directly to quarters and play out from there.

SMOG

SMOG are the reigning champions and definitely one of the favourites for the title. They’ve won two in a row, they have great athletes at every spot and they have generally played together for years so have really strong chemistry. However, they have had a mixed season by their lofty standards. They finished a very strong fourth at Windmill but had a tough draw in the pre-quarters at WUCC and after losing that seemingly struggled to pick themselves back up. They eventually ended up in 27th which is far below where they would have hoped to be. This is a great chance for them to show that they remain the best team around and set themselves up for a shot at European glory, where they’ve generally struggled in the past. 

Reading

The other favourite will be Reading. They finished eighth at Windmill and then went and repeated that feat in Cincinnati, coming a few points away from being the first European semi-finalists in mixed. After such a fantastic high it might be difficult to come back down to earth and play in the UK again. Regionals was a slight hiccup as they lost on universe point to Deep Space in a shorter game, but without several key players that doesn’t feel a true representation of who this team is. With everyone back and everyone firing they’ll be ready to aim for the top of the division for the first time since 2016.

Deep Space

Last year’s losing finalists finished 21st at WUCC (and finished third in spirit) so had a really positive tournament overall. They also won regionals and finished 13th at Windmill so this has been a good season so far. They’re second seeds here and will very likely play Reading in the semi on Sunday morning, a repeat of last year’s game but with a very different looking squad for the Londoners. The team overall is a bit younger this year with key roles for newcomers like Akito Oyama, Tom Davies and Alvaro Iturmendi. Leila Denniston still provides her all around excellence as well, and Allie Thacker might be the fastest woman in the division so watch out for her as she continues improving. This is a squad that can compete this year but also one that has some room to grow and develop, and could well be even better in a couple of years than they are now. 

SMOG Rising

Fourth place is the final Euros spot and that will be tightly contested. SMOG Rising are the incumbents, going to WUCC this season and finishing in 29th. Making the top 32 was a really good achievement for what is a young team, and the performances of players like Alex Plant-Hately, Ollie Tanner-Smith and Amy Constantine was a real positive for Rising and SMOG more widely. Playing teams like Mixtape and Hybrid will have been an incredible learning experience for all these players as well. However, they did finish fourth at Windfarm, below Lemmings who made the final. SMOG has had two teams in the top four for two nationals in a row but this time around there’s real competition and Rising will need to perform well to keep that streak going and book their spot in Caorle.

Glasgow

Lemmings would have been the next team on my list before regionals, but Glasgow made the final against SMOG with a brilliant comeback to pre-Covid levels for them. A team with a history of being very solid and making nationals, last season was tough for them but they have come out of it with a team capable of mixing it with the top teams and competing for a European spot. They don’t have a huge amount of games to look back on this season as a result of some travel issues but given their performance at regionals they are clearly a team to be taken seriously. A quarter against Lemmings looks on the cards and that is potentially going to be a classic given how the teams play; both are unafraid of the huck.

Leamington Lemmings

Lemmings are also going to be in the mix for Euros spots. They were missing a few people at regionals but will be back at something near full strength this time around and will be really aiming to solidify their progress over the last couple of years with a Euros spot. Nate Sanders has been the leader of the team for some time but there are other very strong players on this roster with Tyler East and Persephone Pantling back from starring roles at JJUC and Megan Daly and Amelia Edwards still on the roster this season. They are optimistic and have high hopes, and the fourth spot is absolutely not out of reach. These three teams are very closely matched and there’ll be some tight games.

Oxford

Oxford have been very solid in the mixed division for a few years now. Consistently making life difficult for the teams above them and churning out wins against the teams around them, they finished sixth last season and will be aiming to be in the mix for quarterfinals again this year. They play very good D, mixing tight match that makes it difficult to reset with a good zone that lets teams make plenty of passes in the middle before locking down on the sidelines. Key players like Anthony Howgego, Serena de Nahlik and Maks Tobiasiewicz will make a difference but their strength is their lack of weak links. Everyone contributes and everyone runs hard.

Thundering Herd

Herd have started preparations in earnest relatively late as many players had been focusing on WMUCC (me included). The teams split into Her and He at Windfarm to work on connections there and finished in the top eight at YDG. Regionals was a decent performance, holding seed and reaching nationals after a universe-point game against Oxford and some competitive games against teams that finished just outside the qualification spots. The team should be good enough for quarters but will face a tough game against Birmingham in the pool to earn that spot.

Birmingham

Birmingham have been in a similar boat to Herd. Some of their main players were in Limerick so their preparation has been held back but over the last few months they’ve been able to get more at trainings and so were able to churn out some good results at regionals. They’re bringing a very similar team to the one that competed at regionals so they’ve built some level of consistency with each other now, and will undoubtedly be physical and competitive as Birmingham teams always are. They’re the first of the teams seeded bottom in their pool but they’ll definitely be looking at their first game, against Herd, as a winnable one to try and nab a spot in quarters and stay out of the bottom four.

Purple Cobras

Cobras missed out on nationals initially but made the field after no Irish teams entered. They are a team of players from a number of different places that have been a good outdoor team for a few seasons now after starting out playing more indoors. They were tough opponents at regionals and pushed the teams above them in stretches, showing the ability to make good plays and to challenge teams defensively. They have a tough pool against the two SMOG teams but I’m sure they’re looking forward to playing on this stage.

Nemesis

This team is something of a blind spot for me, I will admit. They are a team of young players from Durham university who have done extremely well to qualify for nationals. Their pool is a very interesting one with Glasgow and Oxford providing tough opposition but missing SMOG, Reading and Deep Space means it feels a little like anything could happen. I doubt Nemesis can win the pool given the results at regionals and the experience gulf they’re going to have to bridge but we shall see!

Black Sheep

Black Sheep are making their second appearance at nationals, having made it in 2018. They are another team that has had a disrupted build-up but have done well in recruitment after Covid. They have a number of young players from schools and universities in the area and players who will be playing their first nationals with plenty of room to grow – players like Ben and Kieran Tempest, Pete Smart and Naomi Jesse. Making the field was a pleasant surprise, and the focus for Sheep will I’m sure be on enjoying the experience, playing as hard and spirited as usual and in developing some of the exciting young players on their roster.

Prediction

I think the pools will hold to seed (Herd bias acknowledged). SMOG, Deep Space and Reading should come through their quarters pretty unscathed but the Glasgow vs Lemmings game will be fascinating. I am going with Lemmings based on what I’ve seen of them but Glasgow will be feeling just as confident heading into the game. That means semis of SMOG vs Lemmings and Deep Space vs Reading. I’ll take a Reading vs SMOG final, with Reading winning. I’d say Glasgow and Rising will come through their semis and a game between the two would be fascinating again. I will back Glasgow here given how they did at regionals, and I would back Deep Space to beat Lemmings this time around. That would set us up for another Glasgow vs Lemmings game in the game to go to Euros. I’ll back Lemmings again, but beating a good team twice at one tournament is very tough.

  1. Reading
  2. SMOG
  3. Deep Space
  4. Lemmings
  5. Glasgow
  6. Rising
  7. Oxford
  8. Herd
  9. Birmingham
  10. Purple Cobras
  11. Nemesis
  12. Black Sheep

The World Games 2022: what’s coming from tSG

If you ask most players what they see as the pinnacle of ultimate is, they’ll say the World Games. It’s a multi-sport event, it’s quadrennial, there’s a very limited number of teams invited and even then, the rosters are hugely down on what you’d usually expect from an international team; it’s got the Olympic sheen on rarity of both occurrence and opportunity.

Great Britain has played in the World Games twice before, in 2009 and 2013. The last edition in 2017 did not feature a British team as GB was ranked below the top five teams – the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and Colombia – and the host nation always gets the last spot, which in that case was Poland. Getting a spot in this tournament isn’t a given, although the expansion to eight teams has boosted the chances a bit, so even sending a team is incredibly special.

So, this is about as big as it gets. Being in the running for the World Games squad is a badge of honour and something that people involved in all three squads can be immensely proud of, including those who were part of the training squad and those who travelled as reserves. With that in mind, and ahead of the World Games starting on Tuesday next week, I spoke to some of the players involved in this year’s squad.

Some of the players I talked to will be playing in Alabama and trying to secure GB’s best-ever finish (fifth in ’09 and sixth in ’13, both before the field was expanded to eight). Some will be travelling but not playing. Some will be watching with everyone else at home but with an added investment in the outcome, and added anxiety watching their teammates compete in such high-pressure games.

The interviews will be published over the next few days, and on Tuesday I’ll be taking a closer look at what I think might happen in the tournament as a whole. When the games start I’ll be posting on our social media channels and we’ll have reactions coming as well. Follow the ShowGame on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to join in the discussion and follow along on the hype!

In the meantime, you can listen to the podcast I did with GB coach Sam Vile below.

tSG Awards ’21: Best Defender

The easiest one to define yet! Offence is great but in almost every game you’re going to need blocks. These players get blocks.

MIXED

Third place: Ben Wilson, Reading

Not to be outdone by brother Sam, Ben was a huge asset for Reading defensively this season. Taking on the most difficult matchups and generating turns is a rare pairing that he managed to pull off this season. The Reading defensive unit was so strong all year, and Ben’s breakout club season was a big reason for that.

Second place: Rachel Naden, SMOG

Rachel was one of the best defensive players in the country when she played for Reading in the mixed division in 2018, and has continued to dominate since then. She was phenomenal in the National League season and carried that form into Nationals, taking on tough downfield matchups and throwing bombs on the turn. Not only can she do a bit of everything offensively, defensively she’s a star.

WINNER: Bex Palmer, Reading

Bex won the Best of the Rest award and now adds another award to her collection. She’s always been one of the best handlers in the division but really showed her value on the defensive end this year. She was not only able to mark out handlers but was extremely effective on cutters too, showing hugely impressive versatility as she took on whoever was causing Reading trouble and made life harder for them.

WOMEN’S

Third place: Claire Sharman, London Masters

Claire’s work as a defender this season was incredibly impressive. Her footwork is impeccable and she’s able to block off the space that cutters are trying to attack seemingly with ease. She’s also a great help defender, peeling off her mark to muck up the space in front of the disc or to challenge a deep throw. Claire can do everything that good defenders need to be able to do, and does it all at a very high level.

Second place: Lynden Chiang, Bristol Women

Lynden emerged as a vital player for Bristol this season and showed that value on defence most of all. Versatile enough defensively to match against top cutters and to play in the middle of a hybrid zone defence, her speed, intelligence and positioning meant she was able to generate blocks but also able to smother her mark and keep them out of the game altogether.

WINNER: Amelia Kenneth, Iceni

Amelia has been one of the best defenders around for a while now, and this season was no different. Her speed and aggression mean she gets blocks against anyone, and that she’s a huge threat going long after the turn. One of Iceni’s leaders as they reached the final of Nationals, she had another dominant defensive season to add to her CV.

OPEN

Third place: Joel Terry, Alba

Joel has been one of the top defenders in Scotland for some time, previously starring for Glasgow in the mixed division. Still only 24, he’s one of a number of Alba players capable of taking on hugely challenging matchups and making life very unpleasant for them. Pairing great instincts with rock solid fundamentals, he’s another to watch in the coming years as he continues getting better and better.

Second place: Nathan Wragg, Clapham Ultimate

Some defenders are all positioning and smarts, but some defenders bring those tools along with a dash of all out chaos. The ‘Peroxide Demon’ (shoutout Lorcan Murray, and yes I did see who I guess was someone in Nathan’s family say that the colour is natural but the nickname works too well to pass up) flew around fields all over the UK this season, ready to punish any throw that was even slightly off-target. His athleticism and quick reactions meant he caused plenty of turns, and he was a reliable asset once those turns were secured too.

WINNER: Andrew Hillman, Clapham Ultimate

Andy was one of the leaders for Clapham this season but that responsibility didn’t mean his level of play slipped at all. Long one of the two or three best handler marks in the country, this season he was able to completely smother the best disc handlers on the other team and pressure them into bad throws when they were able to shake free of his vice-like grip. He was also crucial once the disc had turned, his crafty lefty throws giving Clapham’s D line a reliable source of yards.

tSG Awards ’21: Best Cutter

This is another fairly easy award to define. Some people pick the disc up a lot and do most of the work swinging and generating movement in the backfield. Those people are not the people we are thinking about today. There are some players on this list that you could call hybrids, but largely these players are the ones who start further down the field and generate big gains with both their legs and their throws.

MIXED

Third place: Eddy Codd, SMOG

Eddy was metronomic and reliable for SMOG this season, using his height and huge catch radius to make a difference downfield. He was also consistent and safe with the disc in hand and was excellent defensively when needed. He hasn’t enjoyed the same kind of profile as some of his teammates in recent years but his role has been crucial in getting SMOG to the top of the tree in UK ultimate.

Second place: Leila Denniston, Deep Space

Leila was a dominant downfield cutter this season. She was unstoppable at times at Nationals, using her speed, height and great hands to bring down some grabs it seemed she had no shot at. Her goal in the penultimate point of the Nationals final was a great case in point; speed to run the disc down, great hands to catch it at full extension and a defender trailing with no ability to affect the play. A great season for a great player.

WINNER: Sam Wilson, Reading

Sam’s season was something of a breakout, as we discussed yesterday, and it was all based around his ability to beat his marks with his speed. He was able to live in the deep space and then beat people underneath once they started trying to take the long cuts away. He’s been a great addition for a Reading team that was already packed with talent.

WOMEN’S

Third place: Claire Sharman, London Masters

Claire was central to the LMU success this season, with her ability to keep churning yards and getting blocks when they were needed. Her ability to get open reliably always gave the LMU handlers an option and her ability to take away the best cutters on the opposition and challenge deep throws whether they were to her mark or not meant that teams had to account for her at all times on both sides of the disc.

Second place: Molly Wedge, Bristol Women

No new player made a bigger impact than Molly this season. She was a shutdown defender, a reliable source of yards as a cutter and a dominant force with the disc in the air. She was a huge part of the title-winning season for Bristol, as her POTY runner-up spot shows, and was one of the best downfield players in any division this season.

WINNER: Ellie Taylor, Iceni

You could talk about a lot of things with Ellie’s game. She’s a very solid thrower who rarely turns over, she’s able to go up and challenge in the deep space when the disc is hanging and she rises to the big moments, making plays when her team desperately needs them. The main thing, though, is speed. Ellie is probably the fastest female player in the UK and has zoomed around pitches making big plays for Black Eagles, Great Britain Mixed and now Iceni as they all played in huge games.

OPEN

Third place: Cameron Agnew, Alba

Agnew was a vital part of the Alba team that has performed so well for the last two seasons and will surely be a part of the success they seemed primed to enjoy in the coming years. Pairing speed and shiftiness downfield with big throwing ability and great fitness, he’s as tough a cover in the open division as there is.

Second place: Justin Foord, Clapham Ultimate

Perhaps a victim of some voter fatigue, nevertheless Justin has had another imperious year this season. He’s still arguably the most vital part of Clapham’s O line and when things start creaking slightly and a play needs to be made, he’s still very often the man that steps up to the plate. His game-winning layout block at the Madrid Invitational was just one example of what he’s still capable of over a decade into his Clapham run.

WINNER: Ollie Gordon, Clapham Ultimate

Ollie was shifted from his longstanding role on the D line to play offence for the Clapham machine this season and was wildly effective. Not only did he show that his throwing was good enough to survive at the highest levels in Europe on the O line, but his height, athleticism and smarts meant he was open basically all year. Maybe the best season he’s had with Clapham after a long time with the team, he now has his sights set on Cincinnati and the prospect of a second World Games appearance.

tSG Awards ’21: Best Thrower

We’re looking to recognise great throwers here. Most of the time these players are the ones entrusted to pick up a dead disc, the hardest spot in the game to throw from, but there’s a few people who are also fantastic first cutters who can cause damage to defences when they get the disc slightly higher up the field.

MIXED

Third place: Sam Vile, Deep Space

Sam is one of the best handlers in any division in the country. A wide array of throws isn’t his only strength – he’s also got a lightning quick release and his give-go movement is probably the most difficult to stop in mixed. He’s played for and run Great Britain teams in the past, and with WUCC and the World Games both coming up in 2022 it’ll be a pretty big one for him.

Second place: Helen Thompson, SMOG

Helen was a brilliant addition to SMOG in 2021, bringing disc skills and smarts to their backfield. She was excellent throughout the season but was particularly good at Nationals and helped bring the title back to the north. She’ll be captaining the champs during their WUCC campaign, looking to build on finishing 21st in 2018.

WINNER: Tom Bennett, SMOG

The main field-flipper for SMOG is the winner here. TB has a huge arm on both sides and can hit the endzone from pretty much anywhere on the field. His return from Chevron gave SMOG’s deep game a huge boost with his ability to hit one of their many extremely talented cutters in stride once they had roasted their mark. The national final showed very clearly how much of a weapon that is, and how useful it will be heading into 2022.

WOMEN’S

Third place: Jenna Thompson, London Masters

Jenna is one of the best of any kind of skill, really, but her throwing is really the skill that sets her apart. She can do whatever she wants with the frisbee, and remains one of the most dangerous throwers in the country.

Second place: Hannah Brew, Iceni

Hannah has been one of the best handlers in whatever division she’s played in for several years. Moving from Brighton mixed to Iceni and the women’s division has been a huge gain for the Londoners for the past few seasons, as she brings her composure, ability to break marks and throw long with equal aplomb and leadership skills to the table.

WINNER: Becky Thompson, Iceni

Going one better than her sister, Becky has been a huge addition for Iceni this season as well. She can play on both sides of the disc, she can push the disc downfield in a hurry and is also able to carve up marks in the shorter game (as well as pull pretty well too). She and Brew are two of an outstanding handler set for Iceni, a brilliant building block as they seek to get back to the top of UK ultimate in 2022.

OPEN

Third place: Josh Kyme, Chevron Action Flash

Josh has been a central part of Chevron’s handling corps for years, with the relationship between him and Dom Dathan forming an important part of the offence. This season other players took on handling duties as well so his role shifted slightly but he remains one of the best mark breakers in the country and has added some big throws to his repertoire to round out the ways he can attack defences.

Second place: Andrew Boxall, Alba

Andy has a full range of throws, able to attack defences at every level with equal ability. His composure and ability to control points is huge for the Scots and has been a key part of their improvement. He’s shown that he’s one of the best handlers around and will get to show that against competition from Europe and wider afield next year.

WINNER: Josh Briggs, Clapham Ultimate

Josh’s backhand is an excellent throw, but it’s his flick that’s really the defining part of his game. He can throw it to any spot on the field with a rapid release that’s incredibly difficult to stop. It means that almost every team in Europe now forces the 10-time European champs backhand just to avoid being burned deep by Briggs’s bombs. Chevron tried more poachy looks in the Nationals final and Briggs duly obliged with three big assists on the flick side. Once they took it away, he obliged with a backhand one too, because that’s what great throwers can do.

tSG Awards ’21: Best of the Rest

This award is to recognise those who don’t make the final of Nationals. Team success is often wrapped up in the awarding of individual awards, when there are fantastic players up and down the rankings in all three divisions. This is our way of trying to recognise those players.

MIXED

Third place: Kim Marsh, SMOG

Kim played for SMOG 2 this season and seemed to improve with every passing month. After playing well for the SMOG women’s team in the National League, she took that form into Nationals and was a key player as SMOG 2 returned to the semi-finals. With two SMOG teams going to Cincinnati in 2022, she’s sure to have an opportunity to test herself against the rest of the world.

Second place: Sam Wilson, Reading Ultimate

Sam has been around for several years, playing with JR in the mixed division and EMO in open before. This season was something of a breakout with Reading, though, as he had a huge effect on both sides of the disc with his speed. One of the fastest players in the division, he had dominant games downfield where he left defenders in his wake and emerged as a key player for Reading as they won the National League but lost in the Nationals semi-final to Deep Space. He’ll be looking to help Reading improve on that going into WUCC next season.

WINNER: Bex Palmer, Reading Ultimate

Bex has been a stalwart for Reading for years. Playing on the D line this season she showed that she’s just as adept winning back possession as controlling it, and took on some of the toughest match-ups in mixed with aplomb. She’s long been crucial to everything that Reading do on the field, and has been recognised with inclusion on Great Britain teams to boot. She’s one of the best players in the country, and a very worthy winner here.

WOMEN’S

Third place: Emily Potter, Spice

Emily was a dominant force at times for Spice, not only getting blocks but also being a fulcrum of the offence. Next season Spice will be heading to Cincinnati to compete against the best teams in the world and Emily will be one of the players they’ll be leaning on to make things happen on both sides of the disc.

Second place: Jenna Thomson, London Masters

Jenna was the best female player in the UK in the 2010s, and it appears the only thing that can slow her down is not playing as much. She was dominant when she needed to be at Nationals; running points with the disc, roasting people downfield and skying them when they caught up. She’s always been an all-around player, and is absolutely still one of the very best around.

WINNER: Rupal Ghelani, SYC

Talking of an all-around player, Rupal has been building her reputation as one of the best players in Europe for years. She’s a solid handler, she’s a great cutter and she’s a smothering defender. Pairing dedication and work ethic with technical talent and a sky-high frisbee IQ, she has very few chinks in her armour and yet is only getting better.

OPEN

Third place: Ross Nugent, Alba

Alba had an excellent season, only losing to Chevron and Clapham all year but making those games very tight and competitive, so it’s not surprising to see one of their players here (and stay tuned on that). Ross is another that has been developing his reputation over the last few years, earning a bronze medal with Great Britain playing mixed on the beach and solidifying his position as a defensive handler with Alba after starting with Fire. Another name to watch over the next few years heading into WUCC and the next Great Britain cycle.

Second place: Cameron Agnew, Alba

Cammy has been one of the best players in Scotland for years, starring for Black Eagles before Alba. He made the Great Britain Mixed team that was going to play in 2020 before the pandemic and is one of the best downfield weapons in the division. He’s led Alba to third place after finishing fourth in 2019 and will be looking to crack that top two in 2022.

WINNER: Andrew Boxall, Alba

Completing the Scottish sweep of this award, Andy has been one of the fastest risers in the last few years. He made the Great Britain Mixed squad that won gold in Gyor in 2019 and has been a crucial part of Alba’s rise. A brilliant handler who can play on both sides of the disc, he’s another who’ll be looking to continue improving heading into a huge 2022 season.

tSG Awards ’21: Best Young Player

This award is easier to define. The best young player is the best player in the division that’s eligible for the under-24 teams. This is the best player this season, so where there were some players who we thought were all fantastic, the tie-breaker was how we thought they performed in 2021.

MIXED

Third place: Josh Hanham, SMOG

Josh was an important part of SMOG 2 this season, and is another player who seems to be developing rapidly on SMOG’s roster. They have a knack of taking talented university players and helping them become effective operators in the club scene, and Josh’s performances this season indicate that he could be one to watch for next season as SMOG send both teams to WUCC.

Second place: Ollie Tanner-Smith, SMOG

Ollie, another young SMOG player, was a handler on team that won Nationals this season so seems to be doing pretty well in his young club career. Another who could make an impact during SMOG’s Worlds campaign despite having a lower profile than some of their established stars, his ability with the disc and versatility stand him in good stead as he keeps developing his skills.

WINNER: Amelia Edwards, Leamington Lemmings

Amelia picks up her second award of the year here, and this is one she might have a chance at for a few years yet. Still only 19, she’s just started university and so has plenty of time to play under-24s and to play even better than she did in her outstanding 2021 season. Given her impact so far it feels as though it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see her in the running for other awards before long.

WOMEN’S

Third place: Katie Trim, SCRAM

Katie was an important part of the SCRAM D line despite being early on in her career. Still a student at St. Andrews, she uses her height to affect throws both on the force and downfield and is an effective target for deep throws. She’s also able to make tough catches when needed, as her layout grab against LMU at Nationals showed. Still very early in her career, she’s yet another very promising player with a bright future to come out of the productive Scottish ultimate pipeline, already making the GB Women’s indoors team.

Second place: Chee Ling Wu, Iceni

Iceni have had several valuable imports in their storied history and Chee is the latest in that line. Another on these lists from Hong Kong, Chee was a valuable part of Iceni’s D line all season, getting blocks and also moving the offence after the turn as one of the handlers. She had a great 2021 season and is set to be a central part as Iceni try to wrestle back the national title in 2022.

WINNER: Nat Oldfield, Bristol Women

As we talked about in the Best Newcomer write up, Nat has been a vital part of the Bristol D line this season. Not only is she in a great position to continue developing with defending champions Bristol, she’s captaining her university team this season and so will be taking on even more responsibility there. An exciting 2022 lies ahead for her and for all on this list.

OPEN

Third place: Seamus Turvill, Smash’D

Seamus is one of the better defensive players for Smash’D, bringing athleticism and physicality to the field as he helps shut down opposition players. He’s also an asset with the disc after the turn, being one of the handlers for that unit and helping to progress the disc after winning it back, and was a real miss for the team in Bruges. He will have benefitted hugely from playing a prominent role with Smash’D rather than perhaps going to a different team and playing fewer points and is in a great position to continue getting better.

Second place: Ethan Morrell, Chevron Action Flash

Ethan has been a fixture for Chevron since 2018 when he attended WUCC and marked Kurt Gibson on a must-score point. Since then he’s become a more rounded offensive player and was a crucial cog for Chev in their campaign to the final of Nationals. Offensively mature and intelligent with great throwing ability, he has the potential to be one of the defining players for Great Britain for the coming years.

WINNER: Joshua East, Chevron Action Flash

Josh has been playing for Mighty Hucks and Chevron for a while despite his age. He’s more focused on the defensive side than Ethan and has made a name for himself with flying layout blocks and stifling downfield defence. His layout catch in the final of Nationals gave Chevron a glimmer of hope, but the potential of Josh, Ethan and several of their teammates is much more than a glimmer for the future of both Chevron and Great Britain.