This year's Final of the AUS GC Men's Championship is being held at Sandy Bay CC. The finalists this year are Chris McWhirter from WA and Terry Hopkins from VIC. Match starts at 11:00a.m. local time.

Welcome folks to this year's final. Callum Hyland here as your commentator for Game 1 - Kevin Beard will be taking over for game 2.
It's a lovely day here at Sandy Bay, the lawns are looking good.
Today's final is a Best of 5. Terry has won the toss and is playing Blue and Black - Chris Red and Yellow.
Game 1 has just started and Chris is up 1-0, having scraped through by about 1cm.

Black is in the jaws of 2, with yellow touching it on the playing side. Blue is up by C2, Red on W.Boundary about 5y south of the corner. Red to play.

Red can't do anything so lags to the halfway line to 3.
Black runs hoop 2. Score = 1-1

Kevin Beard and Lester Hughes have just come back from testing the speed of lawn 1 (which is running about the same as lawn 2 upon which the final is being played). The verdict is 11seconds.

H3 has just been made - didn't see how, but the Score = 2-1 to Terry

Black and Yellow are now in contact about 1y North of H4.
Terry has placed Blue 4y North
Red shoots at the Black/Yellow combo and somehow manages to remove Black to 1y East of 4

Black scatters Yellow to Peghigh, about 5y west
Yellow takes position 1.5y NW of 4
Black came to rest directly in line with Blue and the hoop, so Blue rushes Black to 1y North.
Red shoots at Black from S.Boundary and misses

Black runs H4. Terry leads 3-1

Yellow to 4ft South and 3ft west of 5
Blue to directly in front, 4y out.
Red 1y East
Black to 2ft in front - looks straight.

Yellow scatters blue to 2y East of 4 - Yellow ends up 5y South.
Blue lags to in front 3ft out.
Red scatters Black to S. Boundary. Red now 3ft in front, about 18in west of Blue

Black lags to 4y out,
Yellow scatters blue to N.Boundary, Yellow ends up 6y West and 2 North of 5
Terry deliberates....

Blue to the halfway line,
Red runs 5 firmly to 5y almost directly North of 6.
4-2 to Terry
Black lags to 2y directly in front of 6
Yellow to 1y directly in front of 6
Blue hits up gently and runs into yellow, pushing it to 1ft in front, with Blue stopping 6in behind - directly in line?
Red shoots at Black and misses to S.Boundary
Black scatters Yellow to N. Boundary, ending up 3y NE of 6

Yellow couldn't do anything and Blue has run Hoop 6.
Terry now really leads 4-2. I was being a bit ahead of myself earlier...

Red makes Hoop 7.
Chris trails 3-4

Yellow makes Hoop 8. Scores are level at 4-4.

While things are moving along, a few words about how the players have been going this tournament...
Chris played up and down during the Gold Medal last week, but never had any games that could really be considered terrible, and few that were top-notch all the way through. Haven't seen him much in the Men's, but all his wins have been convincing and he seems to be judging the lawns well. Chris' style of play seems a good balance between calculated risk-taking and percentage tactics. His clearances are usually very convincing and he's been making hoops from everywhere.
Terry's has improved as the tournament has gone on. His play is relatively safe but consistent, and he's not afraid of taking on the long hoops or big clearances when necessary. He seems to have a more limited range of tactics than Chris but what he does, he does well. He is a good smooth hoop-runner and a reasonable roqueter.

Chris misses a 3ft hoop at H9, leaving a reasonably straight-forward jump for Terry.
Black makes H9, to put Terry ahead 5-4
Yellow, Blue and Red have all taken position about 3y out from H10
Black shoots firmly (from Peg-high) and ends up against the left hand wire of 10. The hoop is still clear.
Yellow shoot at the hoop and ends up in the jaws - about 1/3 through

Blue taking on the jump?

Terry has been on and off with his jumps this tournament. Half have been perfect (mostly those straight in front within about 3y), and the other lot rather less so...
Fails to 3in West of the hoop.
Red tries to rush Yellow through - hits the leg.
Black doesn't look like it can hit anything so tries to hamper the swing on yellow.
Yellow runs Hoop10 anyway.
5-5

Blue sits in front of 11
Red clears it to 5y west ending up in front.
Black takes position.
Yellow clears it to 5y west (very near Blue)

Blue rushes black into Red, but just nicks it.
Red is still runnable and does so - ends up 3y North of the peg.
Black goes to 2y South of peg - don't know why....
Yellow jawses from up near H2. Top shot!

Terry looks thoroughly perplexed. Blue is to play and is still 4y West and 1y South of H6

Plays to 2y North of Rover - seems to be trying to block the rush through by Red.
Red shoots at whatever target it has and clears blue to 2y East of Rover. Red ends up on S.Boundary
Black to 4ft North of Rover. Must think Chris can't run the hoop??

Looks like he was right. Yellow is now 3/4 through the hoop and Blue can't clear it as it's out the side.
Blue to 1ft NW of Rover.
Red shoots at Black from S.Boundary and misses.
Black going for the jump from 4ft straight.

Should get it and does so convincingly, leaving Yellow in the unenviable position of being smack in the middle of Rover.

Yellow to 5y North of H6.
Blue takes position 3y North of H13.
Red plays from West Penalty Spot to 3y in front - 2ft East of Blue
Black to 3y N and 1y West of 13, blocking Yellow from Blue
Block successful.

Terry runs hoop 13 smoothly to take Game 1 7-6.

Over to Kevin as Game 2's Expert commentator.... (as opposed to the mug AC commentator you've just had. His lack of passion for GC probably reflected in his commentary...)

KB here. Chris starts game two with Red just past to un-runnable position. After all balls are played in red clears Blue leaving Black a long shot at the hoop.

Terry misses the hoop with Black and Chris runs it by a yard. Chr
is 1-0

Chris also successful at hoop 2. Chris leads 2-0

Terry gets Blue into the jaws of hoop three and Chris extracts it from the hoop safely with a 90 degree shot from the border. All to no avail - terry runs the hoop with Black. Terry 1-2

At hoop 4, Chris has Yellow just breaking the plane of the hoop. Terry jumps successfully with Blue from 6 feet straight in front. S
core 2-2

At hoop 5, Chris clears Black to give Terry a 20-yard shot to clear Yellow which has one yard position dead in from of the hoop. Terry misses and Chris the hoop with Yellow Chris leads 3-2.

Weather has changed suddenly. The players have left the court in search of wet weather gear. Manager (Callum) is expecting 8 spots of rain - from the safety of the clubhouse....

Thunder!

Terry returns to take his next shot dressed in elegant black pants with a light grey top. Terry puts black an inch in front of the hoop, leaving Red in jumping position.

Chris uses Yellow to clear Blue to the far border, and Terry returns the compliment clearing Red. Afew more successful clearances before Terry jaws Blue and Chis fails a jump shot putting Blue through hoop 6 in the process. Score 3-3

Rain coming down properly now. Heavy duty wet weather gear is now appearing. Terry still looks elegant.

Chris runs hoop 7 from the border with Terry in front of the hoop with both balls. Chris leads 4-3

Terry has reasonable position with both balls at hoop 8. Chris shoots twice and misses. Terry runs the hoop with Black. Score 4-4

Chris runs hoop 9 with conviction and Yellow to lead 5-4

It is a shooting match at hoop 10 which is not highly successful for either player. Eventually Chris is able to run the hoop with Yellow a one yard angled position. Chris is up 6-4

Chris has achieved a close position (a few inches) with Red in from of hoop 11. All the other balls are on borders. Terry takes position with Black. Chris clears Black a few yards with Yellow and then Terry clears the dangerous Red with Blue

Half ball clearances by both players leaving Chris a 4-foot hoop shot which he misses. All the balls come back - 4 balls with 4-feet of the hoop. Chis clears Blue with Yellow, Terry misses Red and Chris has another opportunity from the same position with Yellow a minute ago. Misses again. Terry goes in off to make it 5-6.

Chris gets good position at 12 with both balls. Terry has hampered shot with Black (the 4th ball down to 12) and gets faulted - the ball goes back. Chris clears Blue to the border, Blue misses Red and Chris runs 12 with Red to win the 2nd game 7-5.

The best of 5 match is one all. Chris-Terry 6-7, 7-5.

Handing over to Callum after he finishes resetting the hoops

Thanks Kevin, feel free to keep chipping in with your expertise.

CH: In other news, Martin Clarke has just Won the Y event (1st round losers of the Knockout), defeating Ron McBride in 3 games.

Other results are: Winner of Z = Tom Komene, defeating Peter Freer, Winner of W = Matthew Whitfield, defeating Peter Brown, and the Plate was won by Tony Hall (defeating Eric Miller in 3). Tony had an excellent tournament as soon as he was knocked out from the main event, clobbering just about everyone since then.

CH: Game 3 has started and H1 is being hotly contested. Both players have had close position but have been cleared. Chris has finally run H1 with Yellow from the S.Boundary.

CH: Weather has been perfect this week until the Final started. 18-22 degrees and fine. Now it's raining and fine in bursts of about 5 min on, 10 off. I attribute this to the arrival of the Deputy Lord Mayor, who brought the rain with him mid-morning on the opening day of the season as well.

CH: Chris runs H2 well and now leads Game 3, by 2-0

CH: Terry had a runnable position at H3 with Blue, but was cleared convincingly to the E.Boundary by Yellow

CH: Blue takes position 1y out,
Red tries for the hoop from 5y out on about a 20degree angle and just bounces out.
Black blocks Yellow from blue successfully and Blue proceeds to run H3 by 2ft.
Chris leads 2-1

CH: Red plays a lovely 20y shot to take perfect 1y position in front of 4.
Black plays town and ends up short. Kevin observes that Terry has been ending up short quite a bit this game (and in the last)
Red is cleared and it's now an even playing field for H4

CH: Black had position 2y out, red was 10y up the lawn, Red cleared black with a snick and ran the hoop.
Chris leads 3-1

CH: Blue was 2/3 of the way between 4 and 5, and Terry tried to rush it into position, missed and Black ends up 4y West of 5.

KB: Chris' slow/soft clearing shots are working very well for him. He has hit several centre ball to gain an advantage

CH: Red has position a little under 1y out, Black shoots for the hoop from 8ya South, 4ya East.
Yellow Blocks Blue (which is on S.Boundary) from Red.
Blue shoots mid-pace for hoop and nicks the leg (the wrong side).
Red runs H5 to half way between Peg and H6, slightly west.
Chris leads 4-1

CH: Blue clears Red, leaving Black 5ft out and Yellow 4y out.

CH: Black makes 6, Terry trails 2-4

CH: Sun is nearly out again. Weather bureau said the rain would clear by 1, so 1 silver star for the BoM.

CH: Yellow looks jawsed in 7. Red scatters Black away to up near H3, and Red ends up on the S.Boundary basically on the centre line.
Black shoots at Yellow in the jaws and hits the leg. Yellow is unperturbed and runs the hoop to 3y North of 8, 1y West.
Chris leads Game 3 by 5-2

CH: Fascinating conversation going on in the background of the clubhouse - re. the correct remedy for ant infestations... Spectators are obviously enthralled by the GC business...

CH: Speaking of spectators, there are probably about 40? people here. Most of the other players have turned up having finished at other venues and are venturing outside again now that fine weather has resumed.
Chris runs H8 and leads 6-2.

CH: In news from the North, Wendy Dixon is playing Anne Quinn in the Final of the Ladies (as I'm sure you all know...) and has just taken the 1st game 7-4. Don't know if they're playing a Bo3 or Bo5.

CH: Terry appears to have run H9 from quite a way out (can't see properly as view is blocked by various TCA and ACA executives.)

CH: Apologies to Wendy - Dickson is spelt with no X.

CH: Hoop 10 is shaping up to be hotly contested, but Red has just scattered Blue to South of 5, while keeping good position.

CH: Blue replies with a similar shot, although Red hasn't gone quite as far and Black slightly further.
yellow shoots gently from 8y out and ends up against the Left hand leg. Not sure if it's runnable.

CH: Blue has magically appeared 1/2 way up the lawn (can't explain it and the spectators were discussing Tea cosies so can't tell me.
Yellow has however now run Hoop 10, to take the score to 7-3 to Chris, who now leads 2 games to 1.

Back to you Kevin?

KB: The scores after 3 games are Chris-Terry 6-7 7-5 7-3

CH: Kevin is currently shifting executives from out of our view, and will be back shortly.

Terry is first with Blue in Game 4. Takes long position 2.5 yards just past the centre line. Chris chooses not to shoot with either ball. Terry fails the hoop with Blue, Chris fails with Red and then Terry runs it with Black.

KB: Both Chris' balls go past hoop 2. Terry runs the hoop at the first opportunity with Blue Terry leads 2-0

Regulation hoop 3 - Chris runs it with the first ball across - Red. Chris 1-2

KB: Chris gets 2 inch angled position at hoop 4 with Yellow and clears Black to the border behind the hoop. Terry doesn't have many options and chooses to come up behind Yellow to hamper the hoop shot. Chris successfully navigates the obstruction and runs the hoop for a 3-1 lead.

Terry short with Blue across to hoop 5, but then nudges it in front of the hoop hidden behind Chris' Red. Great shot. Chris rises to the occasion by hitting parter (Red) which cannons the danger ball (Blue) to a position where it can't run the hoop. Also a great shot.

A bit of manoeuvring and Terry runs hoop 5 with Black. It is now Terry 3-2 (my last score was wrong)

KB: Chris wins hoop 6 to level the score at 3 all.

Terry wins hoop 7 with Black and Chris gets good position at 8 with Yellow. Terry shoots with Blue but misses to border. Chris jaws Yellow which is cleared by a great shot from the border with Black. Chris runs a good hoop 8 with Red. Score is 4 all.

Terry first to hoop 9 with Black but cleared to South border by Chris. Players then take position, but Terry runs the 7-yarder with Black. Terry leads 5-4

KB: Terry gets an opportunity to run a long hoop but misses and Chris calmly runs a 3-yarder with Red. Scores level at 5 all.

Terry gains ascendancy at 11 and runs a 4-foot hoop with Blue with all the other balls spread out over the court. Terry leads 6-5

Chris puts Red in 2 inch position on an angle. Similar to the last game... Terry takes position with both balls and Chris tries to nudge Red with Yellow to hoop running position. Doesn't happen. Terry tries to clear Yellow with Black but misses. Chris tries to clear Blue with yellow but misses. Terry jumps Red with Blue from 4 feet to win the 4th game 7-5

KB: Match is 2 games all. Chris-Terry 6-7 7-5 7-3 5-7

Callum is resetting hoops again

KB: Wendy Dickson has won the second game of the Women's final to either (a) lead 2-0 or (b) to have won 2-0. I don't know if it is best of 3 or best of 5......

KB: Over to Callum

CH: Thanks Kevin.
Game 5 has started and Chris has just run H1 with Yellow to just short of peg high.
Weather is cloudy but fine.
A plethora of our foreign visitors here are complaining about the freezing temperatures. Locals have been in short sleeves most of the day.

CH: Chris again runs past H2 with both balls. Blue shoots at the hoop from 9y out, bounces out the side.
Red takes 2ft position.
Black shoots (at a double of red and hoop?), hits hoop and bounces to C2
Yellow disposes Blue to South of H1

CH: Blue shoots at hoop/ball, hits hoop and bounces up near c2.
Red makes hoop.
Chris leads 2-0

CH: Black, Yellow and Blue are all between 3-4y out from H3, various angles.
Red tries to clear and misses to E.Boundary.
Black fails hoop from 30degree angle.
Yellow shooting for the hoop - 3y pretty straight. Runs through to 5y directly North of 4

CH: Blue positions 2y North
Red Lags to 3y North, 1y east.
Black to just under 2y North, blocking Yellow even more
Yellow clears Blue to near C4 and ends up just past runnable position next to hoop.
Blue puts it back in front,
Red deposes black to South of H1

CH:Black to 1y North
Yellow runs 3y Hoop

CH: Chris leads 4-0 in Game 5

CH: Blue takes 3in position at 5 - looks slightly off centre.
Red to 3ft straight.
Blue reinforces the block.
Yellow shifts black but not Blue.
Blue jawses...

CH: Red knocks Blue out (it had only just started running the hoop)
Black takes 2ft good position
Yellow shoots at Black from W.Boundary, snicks it and shifts it 1ft further south.
Blue takes =distance position with Black.
Red clears Black to S.Boundary

CH: Black returns to 3ft straight.
Yellow shooting from E.Boundary - wired from blue? Looks like it. Hits H4

CH: Blue had 3ft position but crawled through 6in.
Chris leads 4-1.
Red attempts to take position at and hits the peg and ends up slight east of it.
Black = ditto
Yellow is the first to successfully navigate the peg and takes 3ft straight position at 6.

CH: Blue shoots gently(ish) at yellow and slides 2y past.
Red tries to hamper black and doesn't quite get it.
Enough... Black goes somewhere spurious and Yellow cruises through 6.
Chris leads 5-1....

CH: lots of balls have position at 7, someone clears someone.
Red and Black still have good position, Blue shooting from W.Boundary

CH: Blue disposes of Red to just N of H6.
Red Shoots at Black and misses.
Black has a good chance at the hoop.

KB: Chris is now 5-1 up and looks strong heading to his 3rd Australian Men's GC Championship in a row. Terry is playing in his first ever Australian final and his first best-of-5, and will have to draw on all his sporting experience to win from here.

CH: Black scrapes a crucial hoop to make it 2-5... Chris looks confident now and Terry's shots are still going ok but not completely convincing.

CH: Yellow and Red have good 2 and 3y positions at hoop 8. Blue is 8y North.
Black has shot and missed. Good chance for Red

CH: or Yellow rather... However, yellow fails the hoop to 1ft East.
Blue shooting.

CH: Blue hits outside wire of hoop and red scrapes through.
Chris McWhirter leads 6-2 - final (5th) game.

CH: Black to 5y South and 2 West of H9
Yellow to boundary South of 9
Blue to 2y SW of Hoop
Red to 4ft straight position

CH: News from the North, Wendy Dickson takes the Australian GC Ladies Championship in straight games (2). Well done Wendy.

CH: Black shifted Red
Yellow fired at hoop and bounced out.
Not sure what else happened but Blue is 1y out, Black 8ft, Yellow 7ft, and Red y
Blue to play

CH: Terry runs hoop 9 with Blue to make it 3-6. Had a hampered approach and came through only about 4ft
Red takes perfect 1y position at H10..

CH: Black to 9y south of 10.
Yellow perfectly hampers Blue.
Blue can't do a thing and hits up the lawn as far as possible - nowhere near red.....

CH: Red runs hoop 10 to make it 7-3.
Chris McWhirter is the Aus GC Men's Champion for the 3rd year running. Well done Chris, excellent play overall.

CH: That's it from Kevin and I, thanks for reading.
Bye for now! and keep up your Association Croquet :)