Great Southern Slam Explained

Year:2010 - present
Great Southern Slam
Location:Adelaide
Establishment:2010
Format:Group stage, knockout
Month Played:June
Current Champion:Victorian Roller Derby League

The Great Southern Slam (TGSS) is the largest competitive roller derby event in the world,[1] contested by teams from New Zealand and Australia. It is held bienially in Adelaide in South Australia. TGSS was created and continues to be both hosted and run by volunteers from Adelaide Roller Derby.[2] Initially held in 2010, it was the first flat track roller derby tournament to be held in the southern hemisphere.[3]

Format

The first round of the tournament sees teams divided into groups, which play on a round robin basis. Each group includes one of the most experienced teams from Australia or New Zealand, a middle-ranking team, and one less experienced team. The group winners and other teams with the highest point difference qualify for the quarter-finals, and the tournament then continues on a knockout basis.[4] The 2012 tournament introduced additional bouts between twelve other teams, and some themed bouts with mixed teams, but these were separate from the main competition.

2010 tournament

The 2010 tournament included fifteen teams. Geelong and Ballarat formed a joint team, while Team Pot Luck included skaters from a number of otherwise unrepresented leagues. More than five hundred skaters were involved in the event.[5]

Round one
Pool Result
A Adelaide 165 42 Canberra
A Canberra 137 63 Van Diemen
A Adelaide 147 35 Van Diemen
B 22 134 Victorian
B 45 155 Northern Brisbane
B 18 185 Victorian
C Sun State 178 16 Wollongong
C Townsville 91 81 Wollongong
C Sun State 168 7 Townsville
D Pirate City 145 30 Sydney
D Sydney 166 31 Western Australia
D Pirate City 197 25 Western Australia
E Geelong-Ballarat 148 80 Perth
E Perth 136 85 Pot Luck
E Geelong-Ballarat 94 60 Pot Luck
Quarter finals
Adelaide 152 102 Geelong-Ballarat
28 184 Sun State
19 234 Victorian
51 207 Pirate City
Semi finals
60 124 Sun State
69 94 Victorian
Third place play-off
Adelaide 93 89 Pirate City
Final
99 117 Victorian

2012 tournament

The 2012 tournament was held from 9 - 11 June.[6] It expanded to eighteen teams, divided into six groups for the first round.

Round one
Group Result
A 66 202 Victorian
A Auckland 107 89 Newcastle
A 51 233 Victorian
B 62 131 Sun State
B 96 110 South Sea
B 13 193 Sun State
C Adelaide 125 72 Brisbane City
C Brisbane City 180 78 Western Australia
C Adelaide 118 78 Western Australia
D Northern Brisbane 126 42 Pirate City
D Northern Brisbane 229 35 Wollongong
D Pirate City 168 103 Wollongong
E Canberra 124 98 Perth
E Gold Coast 130 125 Perth
E Canberra 199 75 Gold Coast
F 79 155 Sydney
F 84 98 Convict City
F 31 177 Sydney
Quarter finals
53 310 Victorian
Adelaide 173 139 Brisbane City
Northern Brisbane 180 103 Pirate City
54 195 Sun State
Semi finals
75 361 Victorian
110 159 Sun State
Third place play-off
119 217 Northern Brisbane
Final
115 198 Victorian

2014 Tournament

The 2014 TGSS was held at the Adelaide Showgrounds on 7-9 June 2014. The tournament was expanded again to 45 teams from Australia and New Zealand, playing in two divisions.

Division 1 Finals
Bout Result
Semi-final 1 Victorian 352 71 Sydney
Semi-final 2 Sun State 176 100 Vice City
3rd place play-off Sydney 137 175 Vice City
Grand Final Victorian 197 168 Sun State
Division 2 Finals
Bout Result
Semi-final 1 Western Sydney 192 240 South Side
Semi-final 2 106 301 Reef City
3rd place play-off Western Sydney 185 162 Wollongong Illawara
Grand Final South Side 140 225 Reef City

2016 Tournament

The 2016 TGSS was held from 11-13 June, with 45 teams again playing in two divisions.[7]

Division 1
PoolResult
1Reef City12 764Victorian
1Reef City204125Dragon City
1Victorian9212Dragon City
2Sun State40969South Sea
2Sun State42259Coastal Assassins
2286152Coastal Assassins
3Sydney267106Geelong
3151153Northside
3Sydney39140Northside
4Perth37841Varsity
4Varsity187160Northern Brisbane
4Perth35266Northern Brisbane
5Canberra 45929Ballarat
590239Convict City
5Canberra 52761Convict City
6227127Western Australia
6Western Australia334121Whakatane
638280Whakatane
7Brisbane City36767The Bay Rollers
7The Bay Rollers159213Newcastle
7Brisbane City26094Newcastle
Division 1 Finals
Bout Result
Quarter-final 1Sun State36687Brisbane City
Quarter-final 2Perth84204Canberra
Quarter-final 3Victorian70816Western Australia
Quarter-final 4Sydney205103Adelaide
Semi-final 1 128 146 Sydney
Semi-final 2 Victorian 471 18 Canberra
3rd place play-off 103 217 Sun State
Grand Final Victorian 561 15 Sydney
Division 2 Finals
Bout Result
Semi-final 1 West Side 134 146 Devil State
Semi-final 2 Diamond Valley 160 140 Inner West
3rd place play-off West Side 142 105 Inner West
Grand Final Devil State 66 234 Diamond Valley

2018 Tournament

The 2018 TGSS was held from 9-11 June, with 48 teams competing over three divisions. 2018 was the first year that a third division was added.

Finals Results!Division!Team!Score!Team!Score
1Canberra Roller Derby185Victorian Roller Derby (B)138
2Victoria Roller Derby League (C)205Brisbane City Rollers138
3Westside Derby Dolls137South Sea Roller Derby113

2020 Tournament

TGSS was planned to be held in 2020 from 6-8 June at the Adelaide Showgrounds but was cancelled due to COVID-19.

2022 Tournament

In 2022 TGSS was held from 11-13 June at the Adelaide Showgrounds. 30 teams competed across three divisions.[8] It was the first roller derby tournament to be held globally since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

!Division!Team!Score!Team!Score
1Victoria Roller Derby League (A)248Adelaide Roller Derby (A)66
2Convict City Rollers196WestSide Roller Derby101
3Light City Derby251Nerdy Dragons50

2024 Tournament

2024's TGSS was held at the Adelaide Showground and included 45 teams from Australia and New Zealand playing across 65 games over three divisions. Three additional challenge bouts were also played.

For the first time ever TGSS doubled as the WFTDA Oceania Regional Championships, which meant that the first and second place winners of Division 1 will earned a place in the 2024 WFTDA World Championships to be held in Portland, Oregon. Victorian Roller Derby and Adelaide Roller Derby were the first and second placed teams for the WFTDA Oceania Regional Championships.

DivisionTeamScoreTeamScore
1Victoria Roller Derby League (A)302Adelaide Roller Derby (A)79
2Brisbane City Rollers166WestSide Roller Derby142
3Kingston City Rollers171Dragon City Roller Derby100

References

  1. Web site: SupaNovas join the BattleStars on wheels. The Northern Star. 2 September 2015. 29 May 2014.
  2. Web site: ยป Contacts - The Great Southern Slam. greatsouthernslam.com.au. 2015-09-02.
  3. Beck Wise, "Feature Preview: The Great Southern Slam ", Derby News Network, 8 June 2012
  4. Beck Wise, "Tournament Recap: The Great Southern Slam ", Derby News Network, 23 June 2010
  5. Kirsty Bennett, "Behind the news", ABC News, 22 June 2010
  6. Emily Altschwager, "Gloss put on a real sport", Eastern Courier, 8 April 2012
  7. Web site: Great Southern Slam rolls into action as roller derby begins. Gage. Nicola. 2016-06-11. ABC News. en-AU. 2020-02-10.
  8. Web site: Participating Leagues . The Great Southern Slam . 7 June 2022.

External links