ABL 20/21

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The world as a whole has been hit hard by COVID-19, and we’ve seen all but a few minor sporting leagues cancelled or suspended.

Baseball has not been immune, with the MLB season suspended, and no fixed date for a return, while there is now genuine concern that Minor League Baseball may lose the entire season, and the Japanese NPB has been postponed until at least late May. On the bright side, after rain delayed the start of their season, Taiwan is underway while Korean KBO is slated for an April 21 start.

Closer to home, the AFL has been suspended, with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews noting his belief that the AFL had “many weeks and months to go” before on-field action would recommence.

The matter of a return to the field for the NRL has been most fascinating to follow. After much debate regards the financial situation of the league, a restart date of May 28 for a return of the competition has been put forward, however Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will not give NRL sides from Queensland exemptions to travel to NSW as Queensland’s borders remain closed. And what of the New Zealand Warriors, who would be required to play all their remaining matches in Australia should the competition recommence?

Elsewhere, the financial side of matters has impacted sporting codes and leagues. There are some reports that the AFLW, which was seemingly gaining in strength, may become defunct, while in the NBL, the Illawarra Hawks were placed into voluntary administration and the ownership license handed back to the league. The leagues latest expansion venture, Tasmania, still appears on track for a 2021-22 entry to the league, but given the current climate, NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger did recently note the expansion side “…maybe coming into the competition 12 months later…”

(Un)Fortunately, a decade on from its re-birth, the ABL still remains a small player in the Australian sporting market, and as yet, there has been no media regards that challenges season 2020-21 may face. While there is still over six months before season eleven is scheduled to commence, there is no guarantee that aspects that we take for normal, such as international travel, will be a viable option in November/December.

With so many things uncertain at this point, there is a number of questions for the leaders at ABL HQ to work through in the months leading in to season 2020-21.

Are all the privately owned teams still in a position of financial backing from their owners or ownership groups? Will the ABL/BA have to step in and take control of one or more teams for season 2020-21?

Should the ABL/BA step-in and take control of one/more teams, are they in a solid enough financial position themselves to do so?

Will current sponsors have the money to continue to support the competition, or at a lower scale, a club, given the existing environment, and given media attention is still on a smaller scale? What is the potential for new sponsors at this time?

With international travel restrictions potentially still being in effect at the time the league is scheduled to commence, will the team from Geelong-Korea remain in the league? Given the initial two-year deal for the team to play in Geelong has expired, should the Korean entry remain in place, will it remain in Geelong?

Will the Auckland Tuatara, coming off an excellent second season in the league, be required to enter a season of hiatus given travel restrictions? If there are no import players available, is the squad depth in New Zealand sufficient for a roster for the Tuatara?

With international travel restrictions potentially still being in effect at the time the league is scheduled to commence, is there a genuine scenario whereby any competition would see the entire playing/coaching base made up of local (Australian) players/coaches? If so, what of the salary cap/existing contacts for season 2020-21?

Should domestic airline travel still be restricted, will players/coaches be able to access flights, or will there be the requirement for bus/car travel for some fixtures to be completed?

Will the much-bally-hooed ABLW still go ahead? Will the initial desire for exhibition matches in 2020 and a commencement of the league in 2021 still go ahead? If not, what are the amended dates for the league? If the concept for the league is consigned to the dust-bin, what of the $30000+ that has been donated to the start-up fund at www.aleagueofherown.com.au, a page which is still accepting donations at the current time?

There is likely no easy answer any for of these questions, but again, they are challenges to be faced in a challenging time by the leaders at ABL HQ. The next few months will be worth following closely.

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On April 14, the ABL posted an article on its website regarding an owners teleconference around the current COVID-19 situation. The article noted the teleconference would be followed by a meeting of the Baseball Australia board on May 1, by which time it was hoped the league and the clubs would possess a clearer position about the lay of the land for the eleventh season of the ABL.

Reaction on social media was initially mixed, with comments ranging from the potential of there being no season at all, to an opportunity for the league to have a vastly greater talent pool available to ABL clubs should Major League and Minor League baseball continue to be impacted in America, where the COVID-19 death toll continues to rise, and restrictions have been lifted in some states where rates are still increasing

One potential outcome mentioned for the 2020-21 ABL season was to go ahead with rosters to be compiled solely of local players, a distinct possibility given border restrictions could still be in place for foreign nationals when the calendar somewhat mercifully turns over to 2021.

Such a scenario has not been experienced since the 2009 Claxton Shield competition, which was won by Victoria, and somewhat ironically a return to an Australian competition comprising only of local players would come at a time that the Shield holder would again come from the southern capital.

But is the depth of talent for an ‘Australians-only’ ABL there?

Leaving aside the situation of the Auckland Tuatara, which is another debate for another time, let’s look at the situation for the six foundation clubs of the ABL.

Back in 2009 when the ABL was in the process of completing its rising like a Phoenix from the Flames, then Manager of Baseball Operations Ben Foster released a four page document comprising Player Information and Frequently Asked Questions.

When discussing the topic of the make-up of ABL rosters, the following was noted:

“We expect the majority of the players to be Australian nationals playing professional baseball in the US and Asia at the Rookie to AAA level, a couple of international professionals from other countries, three to four Australian “veterans”, and four to five Australian amateurs. (Obviously the balance here may change considerably from team to team)”

“We consider “veterans” to be those who either played professionally in the US or Asia, or who have been a consistent contributor at the Claxton Shield over many years, whereas “amateurs” are those players who are still looking to be signed and are strong prospects.”

In the inaugural year of the predominantly MLB-backed league, the make-up of the competition largely followed the above two paragraphs, with all teams rosters comprising a maximum of eight imports on a roster, for a total of forty-eight imports at any time.

Fast forward twelve months and the Canberra Cavalry had been granted an import increase to twelve, and despite finishing in a four-way tie for third in what was a race for finals positions that went down to the final day for five teams, were granted a further increase to sixteen imports for season three. The initial number of forty-eight imports had become fifty-six. Following their ABL Championship in season 2012-13, the number of imports for the Cavalry fluctuated, even to a point where a tweet questioning the number of imports on Canberra’s early 2013-14 roster was met with a prompt response from the ABL, noting a ‘temporary exemption’ for the Cavalry – something that had not been made public before the season began.

By 2017, Canberra’s exemptions had largely eroded, with one article noting a mix of Canberra’s success, coupled with then national manager Jon Deeble’s “…push to use the ABL as a development league for his national team…” as a reason for the Cavalry’s decline in fortune on the field. This prompted a response from Cam Vale that “…if it means a few more imports for the short term, that's what it'll have to be."

While it’s understandable for the Cavalry to want to have the strongest team they could muster (pun intended) at Narrabundah BallPark, it would be difficult to fault Jon Deeble for his desire to see Australian players in the ABL. Firstly, he was, at the time, the Australian manager, and secondly, as per Ben Foster’s document quoted above “…the emphasis from MLB is that this league exists primarily to develop young Australian professionals.”

The debate over imports largely became a moot point when the ABL became open to private ownership, and while restriction on the number of imports on a roster at any time has been lifted, there is a points system in place, with the concept for 2019-20 requiring teams to balance the number of imports, locals and marquee players on a roster throughout the season.

It can be argued that the move to private ownership for ABL franchises largely saved the ABL from a second cessation of play, however it can further be argued that it has come at the expense of developing young Australian talent.

If we go back to 2011-12, the second season of the ABL, fifty-one players were Australians of the age twenty-one and under, with thirty-five appearing in five or more matches. Moving forward to 2019-20, the number of age twenty-one or under players decreased to thirty-eight, with just twenty-six players appearing in more than a couple of matches. (see graph 1)

This number is more alarming when taking into consideration there was no development list for each team in 2011-12, whereas all six foundation teams had access to their own development list for season 2019-20.

While the number of what Ben Foster phrased as ‘young Australian professionals’ has significantly decreased, the ABL has seen an increase in the number of ‘imports’ through a majority of its foundation clubs from the same time period as noted above. (see graph 2)

The reasoning behind two clubs that have seen a reduction in imports from 2011-12 to 2019-20, Canberra and Perth, can be relatively easily explained.

By the end of the 2011-12 season, Canberra was experiencing significant roster turnover as they scrambled to complete a competitive roster on a weekly basis, while the Heat fed off import pitchers largely from the WA State League. Perth added and subtracted pitchers from their roster based on whether the State League rules allowed them to pitch or not. As such, the likes Travis Bass, Matt Erikson and Ben Moore all appeared just once for the club, Trevor Fox and Trevor Caughey twice, Jack Frawley three times and Matt Zachary and Jacob Clem four times. Clem for example threw a complete game win at Melbourne before being taken off the roster for the following weekend.

Across the league however, the number of imports rose from seventy-eight to ninety-three over the two seasons in comparison, an average of two and a half players per foundation team.

As the league has developed, the style of import player has also changed.

Whereas at the beginning, foundation teams were aligning themselves with MLB, NPB and KBO clubs, there has been a move towards independent league players, many of who posses time at the Major League level.

In season 2019-20, the Melbourne Aces drew on the experience of former MLB players Darin Downs, Shane Robinson and Delmon Young, with the trio helping the Aces defeat an Adelaide Giants team that featured a duo of former MLB players, veteran pitcher David Holmberg and late-season acquisition Jeremy Hazelbaker.

The desire for a more seasoned import player at the expense of a young Australian, has also seen a substantial rise in the average age of a player across the league as ownerships have become privatised.

When taking out players with two appearances or less in a season in order to focus on the more regular player on a roster, the average age of a hitter fluctuated between 23.8 and 24 years of age, however over the past three seasons, the average age has jumped a full year and a half to 25.3, the first time such an average age has been above twenty-five. (see graph 3)

Pitching wise, the league has experienced something similar, with the average age staying constant for six seasons before three straight seasons of a consistent rise in the average age of an ABL pitcher before somewhat of a correction in 2019-20.

This is not in any respect a situation of ‘pointing the finger’ at the owners and ownership groups of the foundation clubs. Each of the ownerships and coaching panels has the right to put together a roster of players they perceive as providing the best opportunity to win the Claxton Shield. At this point however, is each teams focus on Championship glory coming at the expense of the young Australian player?

The figures above certainly suggest it is.

In fairness to teams, we do have around one hundred young Australians furthering their scholastic learning at US collegiate levels, which does dilute the local talent pool. If even ten percent returned from college and were able to contribute substantially at the ABL level, it would be of significance to the ABL and to Australian baseball in general.

So why should there be a requirement for more young Australian talent?

While the Australian collegiate numbers are indeed solid, the professional numbers continue to decrease. Back in 2010, eighty-four Australian players were playing professional baseball in America. Come 2018, the number was down to thirty-six, and of those three dozen players, at least a dozen enter the 2020 season no longer in possession of a contract in US baseball, whether it be affiliated or independent level.

In 2019, Australia enjoyed a largely successful Premier 12 tournament under manager David Nilsson, and entered 2020 as the number six ranked nation in the world. The Southern Thunder possessed an experienced heavy roster, with only the recently crowned Helms Award winner Aaron Whitefield entering the tournament under twenty-five years of age.

Looking ahead, following Tokyo 2021, baseball at the Olympic Games will likely be held next at Los Angeles in 2028. Of the players who represented Australia in the Premier12 competition, the below notes how old they will be should Angels Stadium and Dodger Stadium host baseball at the 2028 Olympics:

31 – Aaron Whitefield.
33 – Dean Aldridge.
34 – Josh Guyer, Jon Kennedy, Robbie Perkins.
35 – Darryl George, Sam Street.
36 – Ryan Battaglia, Andrew Campbell, Logan Wade.
37 – Tim Atherton, Mitch Nilsson, Todd van Steensel
38 – David Kandilas, Warwick Saupold, Josh Tols, Luke Wilkins.
39 – Steven Kent, Daniel Schmidt, Ryan Searle.

While there will be World Baseball Classic and Premier12 tournaments in which Australia can compete in the meantime, if eight of the above players were to be in the squad for LA2028, the then manager would require around fifteen players to complete an Olympic roster. As of 2019-20, only fourteen players aged twenty-one and below played a dozen or matches in the ABL.

A return to the Claxton Shield format of only using Australian payers, while keeping in place the current ABL twenty-two man roster, would open up to fifteen roster positions for teams to fill, and while some positions would likely go to more experienced players from club baseball, and recently ‘retired’ ABL players, we would also likely see a number of young players added to improve or complete rosters. While not every young player exposed to the ABL in 2020-21 should it be a ‘locals-only’ competition, in all likelihood we would see a number come through for careers either at ABL or in organised baseball that otherwise may not have received an opportunity, much the same as if not for the ABL, Warwick Saupold would most likely have not experienced a career in organised baseball to the point where became Australia’s thirty-second Major League representative.

But what of the current teams? In a ‘locals-only’ ABL for season 2020-21, who would be returning? What holes would teams have to fill? Who would be in line to replace them?

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Continuing from yesterday - if the ABL were to be a ‘locals-only’ ABL for season 2020-21, who would be returning? What holes would teams have to fill? Who would be in line to replace them?

Adelaide Giants

The Giants possessed the youngest roster of the six foundation teams in 2019-20, and while there are some exciting young Australians on the Giants roster, when subtracting the imports, a few holes certainly open up -

C – Mitchell Edwards
1B – Rixon Wingrove
2B – Mitch Lightbody
SS –
3B – Curtis Mead
LF –
CF – Aaron Whitefield
RF – Matt Hutchings
DH – Jordan McArdle

SP – Michael Gahan
SP –
SP –
SP –

RP – Greg Mosel
RP – Jason Lott
RP – Tom Fitzgerald
RP – Tyson McKee
RP –

The gaping hold for the Giants comes on the mound, where imports completed 233.1 innings, while the six Australian pitchers used by Chris Adamson in 2019-20 logged 70.2 innings, the lowest of any of the six foundation clubs.

Only Michael Gahan (3) made a start for the Giants over the course of the season, with Gahan (26.1) and Jason Lott (22.1) pitching more than twenty innings.

A number of holes however provides a number of opportunities for players. Should the Minor Leagues not proceed in 2020, the door would likely be open for Jack O’Loughlin (Tigers) and Jack Higginbotham (Pirates) to log innings. The Giants would also have to look at former players such as Jackson Brebner-Russ (10-3 2.77era and .392-3-24-0 @ Sturt) and Nathan van der Linden (7-0 2.08era @ West Torrens). Could Wilson Lee (4.60era and .315-4-20-6 @ Sturt) make the roster as a two-way player?

Line-up wise, a number of former players had solid seasons in the State League. How many of the following could earn a call-up?

Angus Roeger (.345-5-23-6) ‘retired’ during 2019-20, while Mason Clavell (.318-3-27-1) had a good season for Glenelg and could make his return to the ABL level for the first time since 2017-18.

Could Stefan Welsh (.386-11-32-2) make his second return to the ABL and make what would be a fairytale run at a potential spot at Tokyo 2021?

Brodie Arriola (289-1-17-8) posted solid numbers at Port Adelaide and would be just nineteen come the commencement of season 2020-21, while other former players such as Jeremy Cresswell (.296-1-21-1), Tom McGarry (300-3-13-5), Tyrone Hambly (.330-4-24-1) and Landon Hernandez (.297-8-40-0) all had solid seasons at their respective clubs.

Player to target – Tom Bailey (Perth Heat)

Bailey made four starts for the Heat in season 19-20, but had trouble with his location, walking eleven while giving up just eight hits). He threw eighty-seven innings in the WA State League for a 2.69era and if he can prove his control is back, he’ll be a handful for ABL hitters in 2020-21. At 26, he’s the right fit for the Giants, and did play for the West Beach locals in their series against Lotte in their exhibition series.

Brisbane Bandits

On the back of four straight ABL titles, the Brisbane Bandits effort to complete ‘De5tiny’ came up empty in 2019-20, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014-15, however this is far from a team to take lightly, especially if an all-Australian ABL comes to fruition.

C – Ryan Battaglia
1B – David Sutherland
2B – Wade Dutton
SS – Logan Wade
3B – Mitch Nilsson
LF – Nathanael Vankan
CF – Andrew Campbell
RF – Liam Taylor
DH – Dan Nilsson

SP – Tim Atherton
SP – Travis Blackley
SP –
SP –

RP – Ryan Searle
RP – Sam Holland
RP – Matt Timms
RP – Mitch Hughson
RP – Justin Erasmus

The Australian core is largely intact, however it’s an older list, with only Sam Holland (25) the only regular under the age of twenty-seven.

Having (understandably) primarily focussed on their core players and imports during their championship run, bringing the next line of players through hasn’t been high on the Bandits agenda, who have given just fifty-four at-bats to teenagers over the past three seasons, while teenagers have only made three appearances and thrown 2.1 innings since the beginning of 2013-14.

On the positive, the infield looks relatively solid, with manager David Nilsson able to start an infield made up of players who represented Australia at the 2019 Premier 12, while the pitching depth chart looks in better shape than most other teams.

Nathanael Vankan (.404-4-16-25 at Pine Hills) and Liam Taylor (.252-5-24-2 with the Padres) are both twenty years of age and both experienced some game time with the Bandits in 2019-20 and showed enough to suggest they would be worth another chance in an outfield that made an ABL worst eight errors last season. Daniel (.290-4-26-17 at Pine Hills) and Jacob Nilsson (.299-4-25-13 at Pine Hills) spent time in the Bandits squad this season, while former ABL platers Carter Bell (.356-1-23-14 at Padres) and Karl Hoschke (.305-6-22-11) enjoyed sold seasons in the GBL competition, as did Jake Turcato (.350-2-21-1 with Redlands), who last played with the Bandits a couple of years ago.

Pitching wise, former Bandit Jason Kilby (5-2 2.40era) made twenty appearances and logged over eighty-two innings for Padres, Ryan Duncan made a dozen appearances, while could someone like Hayden Timberlake, formerly a catcher in the Astros system be an option after a solid 3.96era over ten appearances at Pine Hills?

While there a decent gap in the ages between the regulars and the next level, there are some exciting youngsters coming through the GBL ranks.

Kai-Noa Wynyard (.263-0-7-8 and 3-1 3.24era) had an excellent season both in the batters box and on the hill for the Padres, Jack Waters (5-6 4.03era) had eighteen appearances for the Cubs, while Deegan Powell (2-3 4.46era) took the mound for Surfers Paradise on thirteen occasions. Brandan Bidois did not play with the Bandits in 2019-20, but did sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Could his Bandits pitching debut come in 2020-21?

While Wynyard provides an option both ways, Tim Preston (.254-0-5-2) played twenty games for Carina and gave Bandits fans something to celebrate with a hit in his only at-bat at ABL level this season. Windsor Royals duo Josh Marriott (.184-1-12-3) and Angelo Natale (.261-1-19-0) also are worth keeping an eye on for the future.

If you’re looking for a wildcard, what of Lewis Thorpe, a big name signing a couple of years ago who is yet to play for the Bandits. If there is no/little MLB play this season, will Thorpe look to the ABL for innings?

Player to target – David Kandilas (Canberra)

Over 140 games for Canberra, Kandilas has put up impressive numbers (.305-19-86-13), and a move to the hitter friendly confines of Holloway Field would likely suit a hitter such as the powerful righty. Brisbane requires outfield depth, and Kandilas would tick many of the boxes as far as a needs level would go for the Bandits.

Canberra Cavalry

An All-Australian league in 2020-21 would likely be two-three years early for the Cavalry, who are still working on extending their local talent base, a task not easy with just six clubs in the Baseball Canberra competition.

Aaron and Jason Sloan still have a season to run on their ASADA-related suspensions and there is a host of ACT talent in the American collegiate program, though they are largely at Freshman and Sophomore level. Only Campbell Quirk and Lukas Symonds are currently in their senior year, and the cupboard consisting of local talent in the Minor Leagues is empty.

To complete a roster comprising only Australian talent in 2020-21, the Cavalry will have to cast a wide net and see who they can attract to Narrabundah BallPark.

C – Robbie Perkins
1B –
2B – Logan Kingham
SS – Cam Warner
3B – Lee Mills
LF – Kyle Perkins
CF –
RF – David Kandilas
DH –

SP – Steven Kent
SP - Frank Gailey
SP – Steve Chambers
SP – Josh Warner

RP – Rhys Niit
RP – Cooper Morgan
RP –
RP –
RP –

Player to Target: Boss Moanaroa (Sydney)

Yes, the Cavalry’s pitching depth is minimal, but Moanaroa goes a long way towards completing a solid hitting line-up for Canberra. He is far from a threat on the bases (0 career ABL steals in 255 matches), however Moanaroa is a terror at the plate for most ABL pitchers, and hit .288-18-93 in his time with Cavalry before moving back to the Blue Sox in 2019-20. The Cavalry had just three AB from Australian left-handers in 2019-20 so his skill set would be most useful in 2020-21 for Canberra.

Tomorrow – Melbourne, Perth and Sydney

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Melbourne Aces

The Aces 2019-20 ABL Championship victory ended the longest period that Victoria or a Victorian-based team had gone without the Claxton Shield, but would an All-Australian ABL make it easier or harder for the club to defend the title?

It could largely depend on who stays retired, or who comes back to play, as Allan de San Miguel, Luke Hughes, Peter Moylan and Dushan Ruzic all confirmed their respective retirements either during or after the season came to a close with Shane Robinson’s catch to secure Game Two of the ABLCS, and the ABL Championship.

If two or three of those players decided to put their retirements on hold for a season given the current climate, then the Aces would arguably have a better chance of launching a run at back-to-back titles.

C – Chris Burke
1B – Jack Barrie
2B – Jarryd Dale
SS – Darryl George
3B – Ryan Dale
LF –
CF – Jared Cruz
RF – Mitch Ellis
DH –

SP – Josh Tols
SP –
SP –
SP –

RP – Jon Kennedy
RP – Scott Mitchinson
RP – Sam Street
RP – Cam Gibbens
RP – Jack Enciondo

Should none of the retirees reverse their decisions, it will be a much younger Aces team, and on face value, a team that is short on depth and star players.

The infield would be bolstered by the return from injury of Darryl George, and combined with Jarryd Dale provides a solid defensive base up the middle, while the quartet of Jack Barrie, Ryan Dale, Jared Cruz and Mitch Ellis can help make up the corner infield positions, or spell either George or Dale.

The outfield however is wafer thin, and it seems that there is a distinct lack of outfield depth in the state of Victoria.

Aside from Ben Leslie (forty-six games with the Aces and hit.346-1-14-7 at Blackburn this season), Nathan Aron (fifteen games with the Aces) and Adam Silva (thirty-five games with Canberra), there has been little in the way of outfield talent that’s come from Victoria in recent seasons, with the Aces preferring to rely on a host of import outfielders to compliment the infield, catching and pitching local depth the Aces have possessed. Aside from twelve appearances from Jared Cruz, there have been no starts by an Australian in centre field since the 2012-13 season when Elliot Biddle played for the club (trivia question – who were the other two Australian players to appear in CF?). On the corners, it’s been more makeshift outfielders, though it could be argued that Nick Rossell (.281-2-13-4 at Blackburn) was a permanent option. Regardless, there are question marks across the outfield at Melbourne BallPark heading into season 2020-21.

On the mound, the imports provided much of the depth, and the loss of Moylan and Ruzic is significant. Josh Tols is signed and is in line to lead the club on the hill. Scott Mitchinson heads a competent bullpen, though ability of Sam Street to come back and perform at his former level will have a determination as to whether the bullpen can match it with the best in the ABL.

With the Minor Leagues likely in hiatus for the season, Dan McGrath could provide a starting option, Matt Beattie (Detroit) and Blake Townsend (Seattle) are potential options from the bullpen, while the recently signed duo of Mitch Ellis (Kansas City) and Cam Gibbens (Los Angeles Dodgers) will be looking for opportunities to impress having lost their chance to make an initial impression with their respective organisations. Jeremy Young (9-2 3sv 1.78era at Sunshine) did not play with the Aces in 2019-20 but would have to be in consideration heading into the 2020-21 season.

The Aces may also get some help from the college ranks to provide some depth, with Chase Hodgkinson (catcher) and the infield trio of Mitch Holding, George Callil and Sam Trend-Beacom all finishing their college careers. 2019-20 development players Dante Caruso (.302-0-13-1 at Cheltenham), Keenan Spence (recently committed to Texas Tech for his collegiate career) Henry Heyman (.367-0-16-4 at Malvern) and Conor Myles (.296-1-11-1 at Cheltenham) will also provide further options.

Trivia Answer – the only Australians aside from Jared Cruz to play CF for the Melbourne Aces since 2012-13…James Beresford (two innings) and Scott Wearne (one innings).

Players to Target – Tim Atherton (Brisbane) and Trent D’Antonio (Sydney)

As noted earlier, the Aces line-up was the oldest they have put on the field in the ten seasons of the ABL, so why not stay with the ‘veteran flavour’ that took them to the title in 2019-20 and go after the Illawarra-based pair?

D’Antonio will be 35 at the beginning of the coming season but still wants to be a part of the national team make up. He had a poor season with the Blue Sox (.145-0-8-3 in 138pa) in season 2019-20 but a change of scenery may invigorate him. If Chris Burke was to take the reigns as the number one catcher in Melbourne, if the experienced D’Antonio could catch one game, play in the field for another, DH one and come off the bench in a fourth match, he would be of great value to the Aces.

Taking out his disastrous outing against the Heat, Atherton possessed a 3.26era across his other nine starts and pitched at least five innings in eight of his ten outings. A one-two combination with Josh Tols would give Melbourne a strong top of the rotation as they look to defend their title.

Perth Heat

C – Alex Hall
1B – Sam Kennelly
2B – Mitch Neunborn
SS – Robbie Glendinning
3B – Jess Williams
LF – Ulrich Bojarski
CF – Tim Kennelly
RF –
DH –

SP – Tom Bailey
SP – Conor Lourey
SP – Nick Veale
SP –

RP – Josh Hendrickson
RP – Josh Rawlinson
RP – Daniel Schmidt
RP –
RP –

Perth is arguably the leading ABL franchise in promoting locally-based Australian players into the competition, and while Brisbane looks poised to start the season with a solid line-up of players who are twenty-seven or above, the Heat possesses a potential line-up of players with experience who are vastly younger in age.

Tim Kennelly is the exception at age 32 as far as the line-up fares, and you almost have to check Dan Schmidt’s birth certificate a second time to realise he’s just 32, however aside from that, only pitchers Tom Bailey, Conor Lourey and Nick Veale (all 26) finished last season over the age of twenty-three.

For the holes the Heat require to fill, there appear to be a number of options that management would be optimistic of getting solid seasons from. As noted earlier, Bailey had some control issues in his handful of appearances in 19-20, however if he rectifies that he’s got the ability to be a rotation leader, or at worst a solid number two. Lachlan Southee has had time with the Heat before and had an excellent season in State League, striking out over a batter per innings in over seventy innings with an ERA of 3.10. Will Sheriff is just eighteen but is another young Perth pitcher who has tremendous upside while the Heat does also possess veteran options in the likes of Benn Grice, Cameron Lamb and remember the name Josh Silvi? After a season of eighty innings at club level last year with solid numbers, could we see his return to the ABL this season? Could we see Warwick Saupold back with the Heat? What about Liam Hendriks?

The line-up is for the most part sorted; however Jake Bowey (7hr) and Jake Turnbull (4hr) showed at club ball they still have plenty to offer to an ABL team. Adam Barbarich (.359 17 steals) is a name Heat fans may remember from years before and a team like the Aces would be envious of having someone of his level as a fourth/fifth outfield option, while Byron Armstrong and Mitchell Schofield are both youngsters who could progress greatly with 80-100 at bats at the ABL level.

Player to target – None

Not saying they wouldn’t go after the right player if they had the chance, but Perth has historically promoted from within instead of importing talent from other teams in the ABL. They will be competitive even without picking up anyone from another team.


Sydney Blue Sox

Season 2019-20 was a season to forget for the Sydney Blue Sox, who just couldn’t take a trick at any stage throughout the season, ending their campaign in fourth place in the Northeast Conference. The line-up couldn’t generate much in the way of run support, finishing eighth in the league in batting average (.235) and runs per game (4.05), while the pitching ahead of only Geelong-Korea in runs per game (5.25), ERA (4.97) and WHIP (1.498).

C – Alex Howe
1B – Boss Moanaroa
2B – Travis Bazzana
SS – Max Brennen
3B – Jacob Younis
LF – Connor McDonald
CF – Michael Campbell
RF – Jaylin Rae
DH – Trent D’Antonio

SP – Josh Guyer
SP –
SP –
SP –

RP – Luke Wilkins
RP – Todd Van Steensel
RP –
RP –
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There is enough ABL depth in the hitting line-up to suggest that in an all-Australian ABL, the Blue Sox would be more like the 25-15 team of 2018-19 than the 16-23 team of 2019-20. Of the line-up above, all the players had more than twenty at-bats aside from Travis Bazzana, however if the teenager can get a full season in the ABL before heading off to Oregon State then he will give Blue Sox fans a taste for what is to come when he returns from college. Remember the name. There is some catching depth with Will Fullerton and Trent D’Antonio able to go behind the plate if necessary, while the door could open for Guy Edmonds to make a return to the ABL level for the first time in several seasons.

As far as the pitching goes, Josh Guyer (2-4 5.36) is the number one and his performance over the past couple of seasons has seemed to reflect the teams. A year earlier, Guyer was 7-1 2.60 as the Blue Sox pushed the Brisbane Bandits all the way at the top of the Northeast Division. A big season from him could easily pace the Blue Sox in 20-21.

Luke Wilkins and Todd Van Steensel are proven performers in the bullpen, however otherwise there is little depth behind the two Australian representatives.

The experienced Todd Grattan (32) threw just nine innings, Matthew Rae (31) had three appearances in week one and none the rest of the way, while of the younger players there wasn’t many innings given to them. Brad Simon (22) threw two innings, Alex Brook (19) four, Blake Cavill (17) one, and Liam McCallum (16) three. Younger arms will likely need more exposure for any Sydney success this season.

The opportunity however comes in the form of Minor Leaguers who will have been starved of opportunities and will be fresh and ready to set themselves up for season 2021 back in America.

If the Wells brothers, Alex and Lachlan can link up with Josh Guyer in the rotation then Sydney immediately moves up from one of the weaker rotations to one of the best, while if Dean Aldridge, Josh Gessner and Zac Shepherd are added to the pitching staff, then the Blue Sox would get even deeper in a hurry.

Player to Target – Jon Kennedy (Aces)

Kennedy has been a solid pitcher since the 2012-13 season when he debuted as a 17yo, and had a fine season out of the bullpen for Melbourne in season 19/20 with a 0.35era and 1.19whip. While his 2018-19era was 5.00, his whip was even lower than his 19/20 mark at 1.11!

Aside from Josh Guyer (10 starts), Sydney only had one other start from a local, which came from the recently retired Vaughan Harris, and Kennedy has made twenty-eight ABL starts. Working out whether he is best starting or relieving at Bankstown would be a headache worth having if you were managing the Blue Sox in season 2020/21.