All systems go for season
The long what is over and the winter season of touch are only days away from kickoff. Albert and Fawkner Park comp’s will both commence on Monday 18th May. Vipers will have 4 teams during winter with once again a strong Mixed showing with 3 team competeing at Albert park on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Vipers will also field for the first time a Men’s team which didn’t look like having a comp to play in 2 weeks ago due to the cancellation of the Albert Park Men’s A division, but work behind the scene and patients has allowed the team to participate in the Fawkner park Men’s A comp on a Tuesday night. Vipers could have fielded another Men’s team but due to restriction on the number of teams due to field allocation the 2nd Men’s team will have to sit out the season but may get regular call ups to fill in if required.
So now that all the work has been done it’s time to get on the field and play. The mixed competition will be one of great interest with 2 teams each from Vipers and Melb Uni in the A grade. As luck would have it and maybe a promoters dream the two namesake teams will each face off against each other in round one and look to claim the first of the seasons bragging rights.
Bayside Vipers mixed are the current Fawkner Pk Mixed A premiers from last summer season and will have Women’s MVP Amy Lewicki on board again in 2009, Amy will be assisted by regular Vipers in Danni and Em not to mention Derek, James, Jimmy and Tommy all returning from Summer looking for back to back titles. This team has recruited well in the off season and with four debutants in the Vipers strip for the first time it should provide the team with extra spark around the park as Megan Hales, Catherine Sitch, Beau Te Aute and Graham Wise all look to impress in their first winter season with Vipers.
Harcourt Vipers will be no easy opponent and boast some very experienced players from Vipers VT League and Sunday teams in Doigy, Sal, Rob Mair and JP not to mentin new recruits from the northern states which have choosen to be part of Vipers in 2009 as they settle into their new home in Melbourne. The new northern recruits come with very good credentials as well with NTL experience as well as a couple of international players in the team Michael Solomon, Tristan Drummond, Sharyn Cassell and Elspeth Langford have all ventured from north of the victorian border. But the big question remains what does a Scotsman an Aussie and a Kiwi have in common………………….. Well they are all new recruits in Vipers Mixed team in 2009 Gareth James, Anthony Down and Kiri Kane will all play their first games for Vipers next week in the local derby.
Bitemark Vipers will once again blood some new faces to in Celeste Potter, Andrea Gilbertson and Matthew Gilbertsona regular fillin but now full time Viper will all get their first Vipers strip next week. The advantage to the Bitemark team is that they have had a strong playing group over the past 2 years with regulars in Felicity Gilbertson, Kathy Luvara, Suzanne Bracegirdle, Brett Gilbertson, Matthew Bracegirdle, Daniel Hopps, Nev Marounga and last years MVP Brent Davidson all retunring over winter they will once again be a team to respect on a Thursday night.
The first Vipers Men’steam can also boast some very experienced players and also hosts a wealth of new and unknown talent. This team is some what of a unknown to many as 5 currently compete in the VT League and the other 6 players have all conacted the club looking to have a run and play some competitive touch with Vipers. So with Youngy, Burky, Johnny Moore, Greg Mathews and Matt Dent all current Vipers players and then you throw in Tristan Langford, Andrew Burke, Greg Somers, Michael Solomon, Jonothon Powell and Bernie McMullen you have the makings of a very competitive team, but with so many new combinations to form it is anyone’s guess how they will go in season 2009.
Vipers wish all teams the best of luck for the season ahead.
During winter why not purchase some of Under Armour ColdGear to keep the body warm during those colder nights on the field, Under Armour offer Vipers members a full 15% discount off all gear ordered through the club. So check out the Under Armour range in the Sponsors & Links section.
Under Armour is the originator of performance apparel – gear engineered to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout. The technology behind Under Armour’s diverse product assortment for men, women and youth is complex, but the program for reaping the benefits is simple: wear HeatGear® when it’s hot, ColdGear® when it’s cold, and All SeasonGear® between the extremes.
