Round 5: BF v East All Stars

After a season-long hiatus from their long history of simmering mutual dislike, the mighty Fish this week resumed hostilities with the repugnant East All Stars. A large contingent of fit players allowed the Fish to rest veterans Weeks, R and Rodgers, N in the lead-up to the first bye of the season. Rajapaksa tried to coax his timid ankle ligaments out from under the couch, only to see them scurry back, yelping wildly, at the first sign of daylight. Fear not, faithful fans, for they will return in two short weeks.

In brief, the game was a reprise of most of our other games against this mob: they jumped us early, we struggled with the demands of a full-court mosquito-onslaught, they became shorter, more irritating and more simian as the game progressed, and eventually a stirring, all-guts revival by the glorious Fish, inspired by a resurgent Foreman, was not quite enough to prevent a sad defeat 38-52.

Sadly, the unequalled defensive intensity from Nissen and Noutz, which, while denying the opposition numerous scoring opportunities, and resulting in 5 fouls each, handed precisely zero season-ending injuries to the little chimps. There's always next time, boys.

And so the the Fish head into the bye with their season on the line, but filled with a surfeit of Black Fish spirit.

And finally, we must acknowledge the temporary departure of BF 'Supporter of the Year 2006', and, numerically, the highest scorer in Black Fish history, the incomparable Ly, H, as she takes a hiatus in order to create new (and hopefully more skilful) Black Fish.