Hi all,
Finally, the big day arrived -- yesterday I received my set of 2009 Team Coach prize cards, won by finishing second in the online game in round 21.
The interesting thing about the TC prize cards is that they feature different shots from the main set. Presumably, the best shots are used in the main set, so I was keen to see how the prize cards came up. Thought I would also share a few pages from the album with you!
First up, page 1. And it's a great start! I'm struck by the shimmering effect that comes from the strong, large silver panel in the bottom half of the cards. The opening set of shots are also very good, especially Doughty, Adcock and Dalziell.
Note that the metallic finish plays havoc with the camera; the shot of Bock is the closest representation on page 1 to what the eye sees.
Next up is page 2 and despite some less-than-perfect shots of O'Brien and Fletcher, the quality is pretty good. I especially like the shot of Jarrad Waite bursting away from a tackle and Andrew Lovett looking upfield for options.
Page 3 sees the first of the unique grand final shots that are a feature of the Hawthorn set. While both shots (Brown and Hodge) are OK, the really good GF shots come later! Elsewhere, there are terrific cards of McPharlin and Enright but a few of the other shots lack excitement.
Page 4 is the first set of cards to underwhelm. Firrito has his eyes shut, Rawlings is out of focus and the two Tigers, Newman and Moore, have odd expressions.
Page 5 is a definite improvement, however. Great actions shots of Sam Fisher and, especially, Andrew Embley are a highlight. Glass, Goddard and Malceski also feature in excellent cards.
There is really only one average shot on page 6, Dale Morris. All the others are winners, in particular Gilbee, Griffen and Thompson.
Page 7 finds the first of the out-and-out superstars of the competition, Chris Judd. But the photo is a severe disappointment! Not only can you barely see his face, the action itself (holding the ball inside the boundary line) is flat and uninspiring. Happily, all the other big stars fare much better. Marc Murphy and Dane Swan feature in the best cards on page 7.
On page 8 there are great shots of Jobe Watson, Rhys Palmer and Cameron Ling. The little master features in a pretty good shot, as do the other two cats, Corey and Bartel. Cats fans will be happy.
Next up is the Hawthorn midfield on page 9, and another set of GF shots. Bateman, with the shimmering afternoon sun sparking a glint on the premiership cup, and Sewell, rapping ecstatically with the fans, are the clear highlights. Hawk supporters will also love seeing Mitchell on the dais with the cup.
Page 10 and the next big superstar scores a brilliant card... yep, it's Cuzzy at his sinewy, vain-popping, muscle-pumping best and this one will be sought after! It's the clear highlight of a page that also features good cards of Salopek and Kornes.
Page 11 has some really nice shots. Hayes pumping out a handball, McVeigh breaking out of a pack after a hard ball get and Priddis downhill skiing are the best. Nice page.
Crow fans will love page 12, with excellent shots of Goodwin in full celebration mode and the Porpoise hunting the big sticks. Also good is Leon Davis celebrating with an index finger to the crowd.
Page 13 is let down by an average shot of Daisy Thomas but redeemed by excellent cards of Scott Lucas and the Pav.
Despite Cam Mooney looking like he's seen a ghost and Stevie J appearing to be stuck in a wind tunnel, page 14 is the best of the book. All four Hawthorn GF shots are brilliant. I can see why this set of Hawks cards are selling for such big dollars. Michael Osborne has the shot of the set, holding the cup as he leads the team down the race towards the changerooms. It's an outstanding photo and Team Coach must be rapt they got hold of it! Roughhead's celebration pose and Buddy rapping with the crowd also make for winning cards.
Page 15 has some excellent shots, including Boomer Harvey in fist-pumping mode, Miller and Petrie bombing long kicks and Brett Ebert beautifully balanced as he launches into a scything pass.
On page 16, Richo and the Roo are treated well in their shots, although the pick of the page is Nate Brown. Tigers fans should indeed be well pleased with the selection of cards for their team. Nice shots of Goodes and BBBBH round out the page.
Page 17 is not a vintage page, with the only real highlights being Aker as he assess his options downfield and Ben McKinley in a powerful celebration. Shots of Bob Murphy (eyes closed) and Jamie Charman (fire poker up the bum expression) let down the page.
Fantastic, however, is page 18. Unusually for ruckmen, these cards have come up a treat. The pick, again, is the Hawthorn card, Rob Campbell. But cards of big Sandi, Brogan and Troy Simmonds are also excellent. A great page of cards.
The final four cards on page 19 are OK, with Darren Jolly's the best.
My overall assessment is very positive. I'm rapt to have won the prize. With only 66 sets being issued in the home and away series, they are by far the rarest cards I own.
As an (amateur) sports photographer and graphic designer, I know how hard it is to take good shots of the footy, let alone having to work with a "B" set of shots for these prize cards. I have wondered in the past whether Team Coach should just use their main set of shots and change the design for the prize set. But seeing these in the real convinces me they've got it right, even if a handful of shots are pretty ordinary.
My picks of the series are as follows:
1. Michael Osborne -- one of the best sports photos I've ever seen becomes one of the best cards I've ever seen. A classic, classic card.
2. Chance Bateman -- a tricky photo into the sun has been pulled off and makes for an unforgettable image.
3. Ben Cousins -- by far the best of the "superstar" cards. It's classic Cuzzy; monster biceps and incredible focus for the next play. Love it.
4. Jarrad Waite -- bursting from a tackle, ball under the arm, excitement written all over his face. Beautifully cropped and framed shot and the best of the Blue boys.
5. Andrew Embley -- not dissimilar to Waite's, it's a shot of classic Embley turning on his heels to sprint away with the ball. Great stuff.
6. Aaron Sandilands -- the big fella is wrapped up in a Crow tackle but looks for all the world like he's about to burst through it. Captures the beanpole perfectly.
7. Brent Harvey -- little Boomer features as one of several "celebration" shots and this is the pick of them, against a perfect back drop of blue of white.
8. Brad Sewell -- yep, another Hawk GF shot. I guess I like these shots so much because they are so unique on a footy card. The sheer joy of a premiership comes through on this card.
9. Jason Porplyzia -- great shot of the Crow forward bursting towards goal.
10. Michael Doughty -- fingers strapped up, determined expression, powerful running; everything this underrated bloke is known for. Superb card.
So there you have it. No matter who you support, there is a handful of cards in this series that are a delight to own. I probably won't be selling mine, but if you see a team set or the whole series being sold, have a good think about buying them. Rare and very good quality!
Cheers.
Glenn
Finally, the big day arrived -- yesterday I received my set of 2009 Team Coach prize cards, won by finishing second in the online game in round 21.
The interesting thing about the TC prize cards is that they feature different shots from the main set. Presumably, the best shots are used in the main set, so I was keen to see how the prize cards came up. Thought I would also share a few pages from the album with you!
First up, page 1. And it's a great start! I'm struck by the shimmering effect that comes from the strong, large silver panel in the bottom half of the cards. The opening set of shots are also very good, especially Doughty, Adcock and Dalziell.
Note that the metallic finish plays havoc with the camera; the shot of Bock is the closest representation on page 1 to what the eye sees.
Next up is page 2 and despite some less-than-perfect shots of O'Brien and Fletcher, the quality is pretty good. I especially like the shot of Jarrad Waite bursting away from a tackle and Andrew Lovett looking upfield for options.
Page 3 sees the first of the unique grand final shots that are a feature of the Hawthorn set. While both shots (Brown and Hodge) are OK, the really good GF shots come later! Elsewhere, there are terrific cards of McPharlin and Enright but a few of the other shots lack excitement.
Page 4 is the first set of cards to underwhelm. Firrito has his eyes shut, Rawlings is out of focus and the two Tigers, Newman and Moore, have odd expressions.
Page 5 is a definite improvement, however. Great actions shots of Sam Fisher and, especially, Andrew Embley are a highlight. Glass, Goddard and Malceski also feature in excellent cards.
There is really only one average shot on page 6, Dale Morris. All the others are winners, in particular Gilbee, Griffen and Thompson.
Page 7 finds the first of the out-and-out superstars of the competition, Chris Judd. But the photo is a severe disappointment! Not only can you barely see his face, the action itself (holding the ball inside the boundary line) is flat and uninspiring. Happily, all the other big stars fare much better. Marc Murphy and Dane Swan feature in the best cards on page 7.
On page 8 there are great shots of Jobe Watson, Rhys Palmer and Cameron Ling. The little master features in a pretty good shot, as do the other two cats, Corey and Bartel. Cats fans will be happy.
Next up is the Hawthorn midfield on page 9, and another set of GF shots. Bateman, with the shimmering afternoon sun sparking a glint on the premiership cup, and Sewell, rapping ecstatically with the fans, are the clear highlights. Hawk supporters will also love seeing Mitchell on the dais with the cup.
Page 10 and the next big superstar scores a brilliant card... yep, it's Cuzzy at his sinewy, vain-popping, muscle-pumping best and this one will be sought after! It's the clear highlight of a page that also features good cards of Salopek and Kornes.
Page 11 has some really nice shots. Hayes pumping out a handball, McVeigh breaking out of a pack after a hard ball get and Priddis downhill skiing are the best. Nice page.
Crow fans will love page 12, with excellent shots of Goodwin in full celebration mode and the Porpoise hunting the big sticks. Also good is Leon Davis celebrating with an index finger to the crowd.
Page 13 is let down by an average shot of Daisy Thomas but redeemed by excellent cards of Scott Lucas and the Pav.
Despite Cam Mooney looking like he's seen a ghost and Stevie J appearing to be stuck in a wind tunnel, page 14 is the best of the book. All four Hawthorn GF shots are brilliant. I can see why this set of Hawks cards are selling for such big dollars. Michael Osborne has the shot of the set, holding the cup as he leads the team down the race towards the changerooms. It's an outstanding photo and Team Coach must be rapt they got hold of it! Roughhead's celebration pose and Buddy rapping with the crowd also make for winning cards.
Page 15 has some excellent shots, including Boomer Harvey in fist-pumping mode, Miller and Petrie bombing long kicks and Brett Ebert beautifully balanced as he launches into a scything pass.
On page 16, Richo and the Roo are treated well in their shots, although the pick of the page is Nate Brown. Tigers fans should indeed be well pleased with the selection of cards for their team. Nice shots of Goodes and BBBBH round out the page.
Page 17 is not a vintage page, with the only real highlights being Aker as he assess his options downfield and Ben McKinley in a powerful celebration. Shots of Bob Murphy (eyes closed) and Jamie Charman (fire poker up the bum expression) let down the page.
Fantastic, however, is page 18. Unusually for ruckmen, these cards have come up a treat. The pick, again, is the Hawthorn card, Rob Campbell. But cards of big Sandi, Brogan and Troy Simmonds are also excellent. A great page of cards.
The final four cards on page 19 are OK, with Darren Jolly's the best.
My overall assessment is very positive. I'm rapt to have won the prize. With only 66 sets being issued in the home and away series, they are by far the rarest cards I own.
As an (amateur) sports photographer and graphic designer, I know how hard it is to take good shots of the footy, let alone having to work with a "B" set of shots for these prize cards. I have wondered in the past whether Team Coach should just use their main set of shots and change the design for the prize set. But seeing these in the real convinces me they've got it right, even if a handful of shots are pretty ordinary.
My picks of the series are as follows:
1. Michael Osborne -- one of the best sports photos I've ever seen becomes one of the best cards I've ever seen. A classic, classic card.
2. Chance Bateman -- a tricky photo into the sun has been pulled off and makes for an unforgettable image.
3. Ben Cousins -- by far the best of the "superstar" cards. It's classic Cuzzy; monster biceps and incredible focus for the next play. Love it.
4. Jarrad Waite -- bursting from a tackle, ball under the arm, excitement written all over his face. Beautifully cropped and framed shot and the best of the Blue boys.
5. Andrew Embley -- not dissimilar to Waite's, it's a shot of classic Embley turning on his heels to sprint away with the ball. Great stuff.
6. Aaron Sandilands -- the big fella is wrapped up in a Crow tackle but looks for all the world like he's about to burst through it. Captures the beanpole perfectly.
7. Brent Harvey -- little Boomer features as one of several "celebration" shots and this is the pick of them, against a perfect back drop of blue of white.
8. Brad Sewell -- yep, another Hawk GF shot. I guess I like these shots so much because they are so unique on a footy card. The sheer joy of a premiership comes through on this card.
9. Jason Porplyzia -- great shot of the Crow forward bursting towards goal.
10. Michael Doughty -- fingers strapped up, determined expression, powerful running; everything this underrated bloke is known for. Superb card.
So there you have it. No matter who you support, there is a handful of cards in this series that are a delight to own. I probably won't be selling mine, but if you see a team set or the whole series being sold, have a good think about buying them. Rare and very good quality!
Cheers.
Glenn
