In an Adelaide Roller Derby showdown, the Road Train Rollers (Roadies) sent the Wild Hearses to the morgue with a triple-digit defeat.
For over 11 years, the Wayville Showground pavilion has resounded with the thud of flesh on flesh and the scrape of skates and kneepads on concrete. Before the AFLW, before Ronda Rousey, the Adelaide Roller Derby was the main outlet for female athletes with a hankering for full-contact competition.
Despite the proliferation of feminine biffo on footy fields and in octagons in recent years, the derby still attracts a loyal and healthy following, even on an evening (12 May) when up the road, the Power and Crows competed in a tightly fought Showdown.
This is undoubtedly because of the community spirit that imbues the sport. The Roadies and Wild Hearses migrated to The Metro after the bout, no doubt to compare bruises and jest about the ten-woman pile-up in the closing minutes.
While nobody could question the intensity of both teams while the clock ticked, during the warm-ups, rivals held hands as they sang Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’.
It is not a restrictive clique, though. Commentators and competitors ensure that the admittedly baffling rules of the game are explained through a pre-bout demonstration. There are dance breaks, birthday shout-outs, post-bout guards of honour.
While this can all be a little foreign to newcomers, the Adelaide Roller Derby certainly seems to encourage and welcome fresh meat.
While this evening’s bout was lop-sided – 390 to 101 – there were stand-out performances on both sides. For the Road Train Rollers, Honey Homicide was a killer, while Elle Catraz always seemed to escape the prison of limbs and torsos that surrounded her.
The Ghan and VVarlust managed to steam through the imposing Roadie blockers, just not quite often enough on this night for the Wild Hearses.
For newbies interested in checking the derby out, it is advisable to do a little boning up on the rules before heading along; there is a great Derby 101 article on the Adelaide Roller Derby website (click here to read it).
The derby faithful also knowingly arrive with cushions and blankets to ensure maximum comfort. Once these preparations have been met, the derby is the perfect place for community and crunch.
Click here to read our review of Adelaide Roller Derby Bout 2 (28 April).
The next bout takes place in July; click here for more details.
