My T8M's Fantasy Fantasy All-Timer Tournament team- Part 2

Hello and welcome to Part 2 of the tournament draft review from my 8th Man All-Time fantasy fantasy team. 

In part 1, we went through picks 1-7 and in this part, we'll have a look at picks 8-14 and why and how I decided to pick them in this All-time hypothetical fantasy tournament. 

Let's get to it!

Pick #8- Joshua Andrews

Photo Credit- Isabella Gong Photography

Position(s)- Seeker/Keeper
Notable teams played for- UTSA Quidditch, Texas Cavalry, Austin Outlaws (MLQ Team), USA National Quidditch Team (USNQT)

Country- USA

With half a roster drafted, I turned my attention towards a seeker. I anticipated that seekers would be on the agenda for the other GMs at this point too so I knew I needed to get in there now before some of the better options disappeared. As was discussed in the draft coverage, seeker wasn't a straightforward selection to make as there have been numerous talented seekers throughout history but very few who have consistently caught snitches to win games across multiple tournaments and seasons. Luckily for me, Josh Andrews was still available come my 8th pick and I was more than happy to add him to my squad. Put simply, Andrews is the man for the big occasion. While a member of Texas Cavalry and Austin Outlaws, Andrews has made the most snitch catches in USQ and MLQ finals history. While part of being a good seeker is playing on a team that puts you in the position to win a game, Andrews has proven that when that opportunity presents itself, he can take it. A tall and powerful man, Andrews really uses his height and strength to grapple with the snitch runner and go for the snitch grab at the right moment. Also, Andrews' bulk provides this team with a different approach as a keeper in the quaffle game should it be required. Considering the small size of the roster, I felt that it would be important for the seekers on this team to contribute in the other aspects of the game prior to the end of the seeker floor which was also a point in favour of Andrews over other seeking options who are almost exclusively known for their seeking ability.  

Credit- Alchemy Video

Credit- US Quidditch

Pick #9- Jessica Markle

Photo Credit- Sierra Harris Photography

Position(s)- Beater
Notable teams played for- Texas State Quidditch, THC Heat, San Antonio Soldados (MLQ Team), USA National Quidditch Team (USNQT)

Country- USA

Choosing another female beater wasn't easy as I didn't exactly have a long list of players to choose from with some of my potential options already taken by other teams. I knew it was important to prioritise this position at this stage in the draft before any more were taken off the board and I felt it would be useful to take a beater with recent MLQ experience who could offer that insight to the team so I went with USNQT's Jessica Markle. As an individual, Markle is a very solid player who plays with a calm head, often making the most sensible play to diffuse high pressure situations as they appear in the beater game, not to mention a powerful throw that can catch opponents off-guard. It's these types of players who can bring stability and consistency to their team which can be really valuable when a game isn't quite going to plan, as can be the case for particularly aggressive beaters. The chemistry Markle has established with Ryan Nawrocki (more on him below) and Jackson Johnson is another important asset to this team. The connection between the trio was forged at Texas State and has been further developed at Texas Hill Country Heat and provides a great base for the beater core to establish themselves on rather than having a team of beaters from all kinds of different backgrounds and hoping they somehow click together. While we know that Markle can be partnered with either Nawrocki or Johnson, her style of play can also provide a perfect foil for Lucy Q in a double female beater set, something Lucy often did while with the Nottingham Nightmares, giving this team another tactical aspect to exploit.

Credit- Gerry Taylor (Tyger TV)

Credit- US Quidditch

Pick #10- Ryan Nawrocki

Photo Credit- Hope Eaton Photography

Position(s)- Beater
Notable teams played for- Texas State Quidditch, THC Heat, Austin Outlaws (MLQ Team), San Antonio Soldados (MLQ Team), USA National Quidditch Team (USNQT)

Country- USA

Choosing a second male beater was by far the hardest decision of this whole draft. There were many options to choose from but not much separating them in terms of ability so I decided to prioritise chemistry and fit. USNQT's Ryan Nawrocki is a real speed beater, using his pace to apply pressure on the opposition, make risky plays and cover for any mistakes. Ryan has played with all the other Texas based players on this roster in some capacity but it's his previous experience with fellow beaters Johnson and Markle that is most valuable to this team. Nawrocki is a diverse player. Alongside Markle, he is confident enough to take the game to the opposition and cause havoc knowing that she'll have his back while with Johnson, Nawrocki can play more as the free beater while Johnson engages or combined, they can collectively create absolute chaos depending on the situation. Adding Nawrocki to this team provides us with two established beater partnerships and provides a player who can adapt his game based on who he is playing with.

Credit- Texas State Quidditch

Credit- Major League Quidditch

Credit- Texas State Quidditch

Pick #11- Miguel Esparza

Photo Credit- Major League Quidditch

Position(s)- Keeper/Chaser
Notable teams played for- THC Heat, UTSA Quidditch, San Antonio Soldados (MLQ Team), Austin Outlaws (MLQ team), Mexico

Country- USA/Mexico

With a lot of options taken at this point, I faced a bit of a selection dilemma when choosing a second keeper. While there were various routes I could've gone down, I focused on two key factors- 1. Overall, I'd prefer to have a keeper who is an amazing hoop defender thanks to their reflexes and ability to read the game over a keeper who is a physical driving presence but doesn't quite have those same qualities. This becomes even more important when you consider the increased hoop spacing used in MLQ rules, meaning that keepers are required to react faster and be better positioned in order to effectively cover all 3 hoops. 2. Speaking of MLQ, I realised that I had very few players on my roster who had played under the new MLQ rules introduced in the 2019 season and I felt that by choosing a key ball handler who had the tactical insight of playing under those conditions at the highest level, my second rotation would be left in safe hands. After watching film, it became clear that Miguel Esparza ticked both of those boxes. As captain and keeper on the San Antonio Soldados in 2019 and as a chaser on the Austin Outlaws' 2018 MLQ Championship team, Miguel proved his ability to be a reliable team player both with and without the ball. Besides being lightning quick (which suits the ethos of this team perfectly), I admired how he moves off ball to create space for himself and others then with the ball in hand, had the confidence and the intelligence to make the correct play for him or his teammates to score. A great 'glue guy' who can slot in wherever he's needed and one with pre-established chemistry with the other Texas based players on this team.

Credit- International Quidditch Association

Credit- International Quidditch Association

Pick #12- Cassia Menkhorst

Photo Credit- Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography

Position(s)- Chaser/Beater
Notable teams played for- Melbourne Manticores, Victorian Leadbeaters, Australian Dropbears (Australian National Quidditch Team)

Country- Australia

Cassia Menkhorst is one of the most successful quidditch players in Australia. With the Melbourne Manticores, she has won multiple QUAFL titles as well as multiple State Shields with the Victorian Leadbeaters, and of course, she was a member of that Australian Dropbears team that shocked the USA and the world to win the 2016 World Cup. Playing alongside Cal Mayling across all these teams, Menkhorst knows what it's like to play with someone as dominant as Mayling is, both to create opportunities for her teammates with screens and off-ball movement and to get herself in the right areas to score for herself. Menkhorst is also a tenacious defender and is capable of deputising as a beater should an injury occur, adding an element of versatility to this team. Winning has followed Cassia everywhere's she's gone in her quidditch career and having that experience to add to this group of players will be valuable especially in tight situations.

Credit- Quidditch Australia

Credit- Quidditch Australia

Pick #13- Bill Orridge

Photo Credit- Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography

Position(s)- Utility
Notable teams played for- Loughborough Longshots, Velociraptors QC, East Midlands Archers (QPL team), Team UK

Country- UK

In a roster of just 14 players. I wanted someone who is a true utility player, someone who could offer a bit of everything at any position either to cover for an injury or just to give the team a different tactical approach. Internationally, Bill Orridge is known as a destructive beater however in QPL and at club level, he has proven on multiple occasions that he is also a reliable quaffle player and seeker. Orridge is an athlete who mixes brute physicality and stamina with a deceptive turn of pace and a cannon of arm, making him a deadly threat with bludger or quaffle in hand. In this team, Bill could beat alongside long term beater partner Lucy Q and provide a major tackling threat in the beater game, play as a driving or shooting threat and point defender in the quaffle game or stick a yellow headband on and use his explosive power to bring a different dimension to that of fellow seekers Andrews and Bell. A real team player, expect Bill to go about whatever task he is given to do with a calm professionalism and compliment the abilities of those around him. 

Credit- International Quidditch Association via Ruhr Phoenix TV

Credit- Quidditch Premier League via Triple Hoops Films 

Pick # 14- Benan Emre 

Photo Credit- Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography

Position(s)- Chaser
Notable teams played for- ITU Honeybees, METU Unicorns, Team Turkey

Country- Turkey

With my last pick, I still needed another female/gender non conforming chaser to round out the roster. I decided I wanted a player who had excellent finishing skills and could clinically capitalise on opportunities created by themselves or by their teammates. Often playing in a double male beater system with 2 time European silver medalists METU Unicorns and World Cup 2018 Bronze medalists Turkey, Benan Emre tends to get lots of opportunities to showcase their skills. Capable of making cuts outside the opposing keeper's line of vision, Benan is often underestimated and makes other teams pay for it with their clinical use of space and the timing of their attacks at the hoops. Also, as a chaser who plays in Turkey, a country renowned for its tough, uncompromising brand of quidditch, I'm sure Benan would adapt well to the MLQ rule set and, as the only Turkish player in the draft, they may bring a unique perspective on quidditch to this mostly American team.

Credit- Quidditch Europe via Ruhr Phoenix TV

Credit- International Quidditch Association via Ruhr Phoenix TV

So that was the roster I picked for the All-Time Fantasy Fantasy Tournament. With literally every player to ever play competitive quidditch available and then later in the draft with many incredibly talented players already chosen by the other 7 GMs, the process of selecting these players was certainly fun but far from easy. I had to make some difficult calls and leave out players that I highly respect in favour of making the best selection to win the competition but in the end I'd say I'm pretty happy with the team I was able to select.

The results of the tournament can be found here

And in this link, you can find my draft summary of my team as well as those of the other GMs.

In the end, my team just fell short, finishing 2nd in both the public and judges voting which I am immensely pleased with.

I hope you enjoyed these 2 articles and that you may have gained a greater or new appreciation for these players. The plan is to release more Fantasy draft content in the coming weeks so if you enjoy this then there's a good chance you will enjoy that too.

Until next time.

#LiveTheGame