Earlier this month the Weasleys travelled to the Sunshine Coast to compete in the 8th annual Australian Quidditch Championships! The Weasleys won 4 of their 8 matches in the Championships, massively improving on their previous two Championship performances in 2016 and 2017.
Weasleys results from 2018 Australian National Championships:
| Time | Winner | Score | Score | Loser | Game Type |
| Sun 3pm | Macarthur Weasleys | 130* | 50 | Brisbane City Bin Chickens | 17th place playoff |
| Sun 10:10am | Macarthur Weasleys | 130^ | 90* | USC Nifflers | Positional (W20/21 v W17/24) |
| Sun 8:30am | Macarthur Weasleys | 120* | 40 | USYD Unforgivables | Positional (20th v 21st) |
| Sat 4:30pm | USYD Unbreakables | 90* | 30 | Macarthur Weasleys | Pool play (Pod 5 v Pod 4) |
| Sat 2:50pm | Sydney City Serpents | 230* | 20 | Macarthur Weasleys | Pool play (Pod 5 v Pod 1) |
| Sat 11:50am | USC Dementors | 150* | 20 | Macarthur Weasleys | Pool play (Pod 5 v Pod 3) |
| Sat 10:10am | Melbourne Ravens | 160* | 20 | Macarthur Weasleys | Pool play (Pod 5 v Pod 2) |
| Sat 8:30am | Macarthur Weasleys | 140* | 90 | UQ Dumblebees | Pool play (Pod 5 v Pod 6) |
The usual obligatory Weasleys selfies throughout the tournament:
The Australian National Championships first began in 2011, and although the Weasleys have been competing in NSW state tournaments since 2014, they only began competing nationally in 2016:
| Position | Played | Won | Lost | Win % | Snitches | Snitch % | |
| 2016 | 19th of 23 | 6 | 1: UQ Dumblebees | 5 | 16% | 0 | 0% |
| 2017 | 21st of 25 | 5 | 1: Monash Mudbloods | 4 | 20% | 2 | 40% |
| 2018 | 17th of 24 | 8 | 4: Brisbane City Bin Chickens USC Nifflers UQ Dumblebees Usyd Unforgivables | 4 | 50% | 4 | 44% |
Out of 24 teams, the Weasleys finished 17th this year. That might not sound too impressive, but after just missing out on making the Sweet 16 Finalists on the Saturday, the Weasleys were undefeated in their 3 positional playoffs on the Sunday to finish at the top of the non-qualifying teams. This was also the Weasleys best finishing position to date.
Unfortunately the Weasleys’ forfeits in the September state tournament affected their seeding for the Championships, which placed the Weasleys in Pod 5 of 6 where they otherwise had a good chance of being seeded in Pod 4. So the Weasleys were in for a difficult draw.
Saturday began with a dreaded 8:30am start – the Weasleys are well aware of their tendancy to play at their worst in early morning matches. This first game was against UQ Dumblebees – a Pod 6 team which on paper the Weasleys were expected to defeat, which only added to the pressure of the early morning voodoo. The Dumblebees put up a good fight and managed to keep the match in snitch range. Luckily the Weasleys caught the snitch, sealing their first win of the championships 140*-90. This brought the Weasleys to a 2-0 win tally over the Dumblebees, who first played each other in a consolation match in the 2016 championships.
Next up was the Weasleys first and only match against a Victorian team this championship, the Melbourne Ravens. Despite the Ravens being a debut team this year, they boasted a lineup of excellent players including some Australian Dropbears. This was not a game the Weasleys really had a chance of winning. The Ravens were aware of this and might have been saving their energy for the Championships’ more important games, and the Weasleys managed to keep the score at 20-10 for the first chunk of the match. The Ravens realised the Weasleys were there for a serious contest so they stepped up their game accordingly, eventually running away to a final score of 160*-20.
The third Weasleys game of the day was against the tournament’s gracious hosts, the USC Dementors. The Dementors were far superior and commanded the game right from the beginning, and took out the match 150*-20.
This was followed by the Weasleys most difficult game of the tournament, against Sydney City Serpents of Pod 1. Games against the Serpents usually go one way and that’s the Serpents way, 230*-20 to be precise in this case. It might be worth noting that the Weasleys were only one of two teams who scored more than 1 goal against the Serpents on Saturday, but then it should also be noted that 230 points was the highest amount of points scored by any team the entire tournament.
With one win under their belts, the last game of the day against USYD Unbreakables presented a first-time opportunity for the Weasleys, with the winner qualifying for the Top 16. This was dubbed a grudge match, as it was a replay of October’s NSW Division B Grand Final which the Weasleys lost. The Weasleys kept the game within snitch range at all times, but struggled to maintain any sort of control of the match and eventually lost 30-90*. So the Unbreakables qualified for the Top 16 (for the first time – congratulations!) and the Weasleys just missed out, but this was the closest they’ve ever gotten to qualifying.
If there was one good thing to come out of missing out on the Top 16, it was that it set up the Weasleys for a comparatively easier Day 2 schedule. Had the Weasleys qualified for the Top 16 they would have gone up against the top 4 Whomping Willows, Sydney City Serpents, Usyd Unspeakables or Melbourne Manticores in their first Day 2 game.
Instead, the Weasleys ranked 20th after Day 1 pool play and were scheduled to play 21st-placed Usyd Unforgivables as their first Day 2 match. The Unforgivables fought hard, keeping within snitch range for a good portion of the game during the Weasleys’ usual early morning jitters. But the Weasleys regained their composure and came away with a 120*-40 win over the Unforgivables. This marked the first time the Weasleys have won more than 1 game at an Australian Quidditch Championship tournament!
This win advanced the Weasleys to play the winner of the 17th v 24th match which was the USC Nifflers, who defeated UQ Dumblebees. The Weasleys were up 90-60 but the Nifflers caught the snitch to take the match into overtime. In overtime the Weasleys scored a goal and caught the snitch, ending in a 130^-90* win.
The final Weasleys game of the day was the playoff for 17th place – the top ranking among the teams who didn’t qualify for the Sweet 16. This pitted them against the Brisbane City Bin Chickens, who ranked 18th after Day 1, and won their playoffs against Wollongong Warriors (23rd after Day 1) and Melbourne Unicorns (winner of 18th v 22nd match). The Weasleys defeated Brisbane City 130*-50 to clinch 17th place out of 24 teams, or “Top of the Bottom” spot. The Weasleys came away very happy being undefeated in their 3 games on Day 2 of the Championships.
Congratulations go out to the Melbourne Manticores who won the 2018 Championships, runners-up Usyd Unspeakables, and Sydney City Serpents & Whomping Willows for rounding out the top 4. Here are the full rankings after the completion of the tournament:
Congratulations also goes out to our own Weasleys keeper Michael Moustakas, who was voted in the Top 10 MVPs in the 2018 Australia Quidditch Championships.
The Weasleys are ecstatic with their result, bringing a great end to their 2018 season. The Weasleys look forward to 2019, hosting the Macarthur Fantasy Quidditch Tournament on Saturday January 19.
Macarthur Weasleys Quidditch Club 