NATIONAL O LEAGUE

Canberra Cockatoos win National League again

Blair Trewin

FOR the eleventh time in twelve years, the Canberra Cockatoos won the 2005 National League. It was a close-run thing as their depleted team tried to hold off a fast-finishing Victorian Nuggets over the final rounds. When the gap dropped to six points with the AUS Relays to come it was anyone’s competition, but Canberra held steady in the relays, and it was the Victorians who stumbled at the last hurdle. The NSW Stingers were also there or thereabouts for much of the season but never quite pressed for the lead, with lack of depth amongst the women being their biggest problem. As expected, Grant Bluett won the men’s individual title comfortably. The main interest in Tasmania was in second place, as Rob Preston tried to chase down the score that Dave Shepherd had posted earlier in the season. He looked good for much of the week but was in a position where he could not afford any poor results, and a ninth in the Australian Sprint Championships ended his hopes. Top-four placings in the last four rounds saw Ben Rattray into fourth place. Like Shepherd, Jo Allison posted a score for everyone to chase before going to Tasmania. The two possible challengers were Hanny Allston and Tracy Bluett, but neither could put a foot right. A fifth in the Tasmanian Championships ended Allston’s hopes. Bluett was still in contention with two events to go but illness on Australian Championships weekend meant she could get no closer, and Allston’s Australian Championships win saw her take second. Teams: Canberra Cockatoos 213, Victorian Nuggets 195, NSW Stingers 188, Queensland Cyclones 137, Southern Arrows 130, Western Nomads 110, Tassie Foresters 108. Men: Grant Bluett 243, Dave Shepherd 199, Rob Preston 193, Ben Rattray 183, Eric Morris 181. Women: Jo Allison 225, Hanny Allston 216, Tracy Bluett 213, Grace Elson 187, Anna Danielsson 176, Clare Hawthorne 176.

The Canberra Cockatoos win the 2005 National League. From left: Grant Bluett, Nicki Taws, Gareth Candy, Heather Harding, Andy Hogg and Anna Danielsson.

WA wins Junior Division for the first time

SPEARHEADED by a women’s team that hardly dropped a point all season, Western Australia won their first major national team title when they took out the Junior Division of the National League. It was a tight competition, with all seven teams still mathematically in contention for the title before the final round, but good performances earlier in the season meant WA always had their nose in front, and they went further away from the field in the AUS Relays. Tasmania and Queensland, both of whom finished the season very well, filled the minor placings. Western Australia also supplied the two leading female individuals. Erin Post got more good results on the board than anyone else, and while Ainsley Cavanagh briefly promised to challenge she could not sustain it. An excellent Australian Championships week by the emerging Sarah Dunnage saw her accumulate enough points to pip Cavanagh for second; Jasmine Neve might have overhauled both of them had she run W17-20E in more than six events. David Meyer always looked the likeliest winner amongst the men. Simon Uppill and Chris Naunton did their best to challenge, but both would have needed either a string of victories in Tasmania, or a disaster for Meyer in the races he ran, to have a chance, and neither happened. In the end Meyer’s win at the Australian Championships saw him take the title comfortably, while Uppill held Naunton off for second place. Teams: WA 102, Tasmania 84, Queensland 80, NSW 74, Victoria 74, SA 74, ACT 70. Men: David Meyer 207, Simon Uppill 189, Chris Naunton 180, Louis Elson 171, Ryan Smyth 162. Women: Erin Post 201, Sarah Dunnage 172, Ainsley Cavanagh 170, Zebedy Hallett 163, Jasmine Neve 159.

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Erin Post won the Junior Women’s National League title this year. Photo: Bob Mouatt. Dave Meyer won the Junior Men’s National League title this year. Photo: Bob Mouatt.

WA won the Junior National League title for the first time. Photographed here is Sarah Dunnage, Cody Whitfield, Kellie Whitfield, Ivan Komyshan, Erin Post and Rhys Challen.

Grant Bluett won the Senior Men’s National League title. Photo: Mike Hubbert.