1996 Victorian Three-Man Series
The 1996 Victorian Three-Man Series was a paintball competition organised by the Victorian Paintball Players Association across venues in Victoria, Australia. Three rounds were completed, while a planned fourth round was cancelled. Apparition won the overall series, followed by the Red Lizards and Combat Wombats.[1]
Organisation and format
The series used three-player teams and allowed competitors to use their own equipment. Each tournament was limited to 20 teams to accommodate the available playing time.[1]
Points accumulated during the preliminary rounds contributed to the series standings, with additional points awarded for finals performances.[1]
The contemporary report credited Anthony Surie, Steve Bradshaw, Jodie Hollingsworth and Vlad Markov with organising the series.[1]
Rounds
| Round | Venue | Teams | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Splatball Village, Carrum Downs | 14 | Challenge Raiders | Apparition |
| 2 | Paintball Frankston | 19 | Apparition | The Scuds |
| 3 | Paintball Action Games, Ballan | 20 | Rat Pak Bad | Red Lizards |
First round
The opening tournament was held in March at Splatball Village in Carrum Downs. Most teams played eight preliminary games, followed by a finals round and a championship game between the two leading teams. Challenge Raiders defeated Apparition in the deciding game.[1]
Second round
The second tournament took place at Paintball Frankston and included teams travelling from South Australia. With shorter winter daylight hours, the preliminary programme was reduced to four games per team. Apparition defeated The Scuds in the final.[1]
Third round
Paintball Action Games at Ballan hosted the third round in cold, wet conditions. The tournament reached its 20-team capacity before the entry deadline. Rat Pak Bad defeated the Red Lizards in the final.[1]
Cancelled fourth round
The planned fourth tournament was cancelled. The series concluded with a presentation evening at which the overall standings and individual awards were announced.[1]
Overall standings
| Team | Series points |
|---|---|
| Apparition | 1095 |
| Red Lizards | 960 |
| Combat Wombats | 764 |
| Rat Pak Bad | 560 |
| Rat Pak Good | 519 |
| The Scuds | 505 |
| Challenge Raiders | 481 |
| Loony Tunes | 435 |
| Pesticide | 390 |
| Cockatoo Creed – Itchy | 345 |
| Psychosis | 345 |
| Dead Serious 1 | 295 |
| KMA | 236 |
| Cockatoo Creed – Scratchy | 219 |
| Top Hat Jokers | 210 |
| Magnum – Good | 195 |
| Thunder Pigs | 190 |
| Nemesis | 178 |
| Team Extreme | 175 |
| Apparition 2 | 160 |
| Under Pressure | 100 |
| Magnum | 100 |
| Dead Serious 2 | 75 |
| Lady Tunes | 40 |
| Rat Pak Ugly | 25 |
Source: contemporary series report.[1]
Individual awards
Peter Richards won the Glenn Palmer Medal for the series’ overall best and fairest player, finishing one point ahead of John Lennard. Mic Bradshaw and Danny Cummings finished a further point behind.[1]
Troy Dix received the Bruce Roberts Award for refereeing across the series.[1]
References
- Three’s a Crowd. Mic Bradshaw, Paint, issue 5, March 1997.