With the regular season wrapped up, Adelaide Roller Derby (ADRD) is now prepping for its Grand Final event at Adelaide Showground on 31 July.
The action will see all four squads participate with Mile Die Club and Road Train Rollers to meet in the major bout – the winner to be crowned 2021 champion.Salty Dolls and Wild Hearses will also battle each other with bragging rights (till next season begins) on the line.
However, given the current SA lockdown the status of the ADRD Grand Final is uncertain. Keep up to date via ADRD's socials.
A safe space for the LGBT+ community, Adelaide Roller Derby is a great way to spend an afternoon and evening with a family-friendly atmosphere, alongside the fierce competition on the track. The players as well as the diverse crowd and commentators all contribute to the fun of the event.
"Adelaide Roller Derby was established in 2007 and is Adelaide's oldest and largest roller derby league," ADRD says.
"If there's one thing we love, it's talking derby! Our league is a not-for-profit organisation that is owned and operated by the ADRD skaters and officials.
"We are super-proud of the community we have built for ourselves and are really grateful to all our supportive family and friends who cheer us on from the sidelines.
"We are also very fortunate to have the support of our sponsors, who have been fantastic at helping us get where we are today.
"If you're new to the world of roller derby, never fear, it's heaps of fun to play and just as much fun to watch. Come along to our next bout and find out for yourself."
If you're interested in lacing up your skates and joining the action next year, ADRD will host an info night at Wheatsheaf Hotel 5 August. More information.
Here, we profile Wild Hearses player Meryl Creep.
Who is Meryl Creep... I started watching the roller derby back in the first few years of its life, because my hockey coach started playing for the Road Train Rollers.
Time passed and I remained a fan, but decided that I wanted to be part of the fun on track and not on the side lines, so I went through the Fresh Meat programme and was selected for my first season with the Wild Hearses in 2018.
My role... Blocker and taking the team selfie every game.
My first roller derby bout was... A long time ago! Probably a game involving the Roadies?
When did you settle on your roller derby name, and was it a unanimous decision? I had two choices for a name, but ultimately Meryl Streep is a bad-ass and I wanted to be as amazing as her so Meryl Creep it was.
Social media is... A bad influence on the youth of today. Can I say that?
My favourite app at the moment is? Libby. A cool app where you can borrow audiobooks and eBooks for free with your State Library card.
I love to look at the cookbooks; I have a habit of buying cookbooks and never using them so this way I can look at the whole book before I buy. But I can also listen to audiobooks on my way to work or on road trips.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... I fell going to the toilet on roller skates and broke my toe before a game. I ended up playing the whole game with a purple toe. I think it was one of my first games against the Roadies at the old Dog Track.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be the team’s spokesperson... That's a hard one. My team is such a unique team, filled with incredibly talented and amazing humans, so I don't know who I would choose that would fit that mould. Ummm. . . Cate Blanchett, just because she is an amazing and talented human who gives a lot to her industry.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party? Kylie Kwong – to do the cooking. Meryl Streep because she's amazing and probably my Mum because I don't get to see her that often.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? I love cooking outside, anything on the Weber including things using veggies from my yard.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? LOVER! I currently rent so I am limited to the number of friends that can live inside my house.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was? Yesterday. Or today it depends when you are reading this.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Washing dishes. Actually – I don't mind washing dishes I just don't enjoy putting things away. That includes clothes. I tend to wear them off the line. Who has time to put stuff away these days?
Do you have any phobias? This one time, someone tried to bury me alive as a 'party trick', so that would have to be up there. There was no intent to hurt me, they just though it would be funny, somehow?! I got away without it happening though.
And spiders. Anything spiders. Ok. Being buried alive with spiders. Ultimate fear. Is it safe to share this?
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Yes! 'The Block' or if Dr. Harry had a reality show or the 'Amazing Race'. Or even 'Fake or Fortune'.
I don't have any potentially famous artworks but I could find some to get on that show. Although, my favourite thing to do is head to my parents' Riverland property and hang out with the horse and dogs and go hiking and help my dad make things.
Or maybe I would start my own show. I have recently become fascinated with Indigenous Australia and the Murray River, so something involving travelling down the Murray learning about the history of each location would be awesome.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Probably Invader Scrim. I’d probably do something lame like rock up to her work in fancy dress. I dunno. I'm not much of a prankster. Or something with chickens. Maybe I'd put a chicken in her car? I couldn't though, I'd feel really bad!
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Spencer Gilpin from 'Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle'. I think because if you know me, I'm a sensitive but confident, strong-minded, caring and helpful person who loves to explore and try new things, like Dr Bravestone, but when you meet me I'm a shy person who keeps to myself and doesn't like to share much about my life.
Last show you binge-watched (and what kept you glued to the screen)? I'm on holidays at the moment, so I have lots of time to indulge in the shows. I've been flicking between one of my childhood favourites, 'Alias', and Zac Efron's 'Down To Earth' which is quite interesting.
