Rhys Niit - 2017-18 Brisbane Bandits

Stalwart Aussie reliever Niit returned for his sixth ABL season with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2017-18 ABL season.

2017-18 Brisbane Bandits Rhys Niit card front - ©2018 Adam East

Loek van Mil - 2017-18 Adelaide Bite

The world's tallest (former) professional baseball player, Dutchman Loek Van Mil returned for his third season with the Adelaide Bite during the 2017-18 ABL season.

Update: I scheduled several weeks ago for this post to go up today. News has come through this morning that Loek was injured in Canberra on Saturday whilst there for the Bisbane vs Canberra series. Loek transferred from Adelaide to Brisbane for the 2018-19 season. He is reported as being in hospital with head injuries. It's coincidence that this posted the same day as the news of his accident was made public.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Loek and his family at this time.

Update 12th Dec: My previous update about the head injury being from a car accident was incorrect. I'm not sure where I'd heard that, but it was obviously wrong, so I've updated the post. Media today is saying that he was actually hiking solo in the outskirts of Canberra and ended up falling and hitting his head badly. He apparently lay unconscious for around 24 hours before being discovered by another hiker. In positive news Doctors have said that brain surgery isn't required and he will potentially be released from hospital in 10 days or so depending on how he recovers.

2017-18 Adelaide Bite Loek van Mil card front - ©2018 Adam East

Mitch Edwards - 2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox

After having played his debut season the previous year with the Canberra Cavalry, Canberran youngster Edwards made the move to the Sydney Blue Sox for the 2017-18 ABL season. In 2018 he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies organisation.

2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox Mitch Edwards card front - ©2018 Adam East

Jake Turnbull - 2017-18 Perth Heat

Perth youngster Turnbull returned for his third season in the ABL with the Perth Heat during the 2017-18 ABL season. He had missed the entire 2016-17 ABL season andspent 2017 playing with the Cincinnati Reds rookie level team in the Pioneer League, the Billings Mustangs.

2017-18 Perth Heat Jake Turnbull card front - ©2018 Adam East

Ryan Dale - 2017-18 Melbourne Aces

Local player Dale returned for his sixth season with the Melbourne Aces during the 2017-18 ABL season. In 2017 he spent his fifth season in the Kansas City Royals playing for the Burlington Royals in the Rookie level Appalachian League. Unfortunately for Dale, he would be released by the Roals after the end of the 2017-18 ABL season. He went on to play for Quick Amersfoort in the Dutch Hoofdklasse during 2018.

2017-18 Melbourne Aces Ryan Dale card front - ©2018 Adam East

Sean Guinard - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

American turned Aussie Guinard played his third season with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2017-18 ABL season. Just to emphasize his love for his adopted country after marrying a Canberran girl, Guinard even took up playing Australian Rules Football in the AFL Canberra.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Sean Guinard card front - ©2018 Adam East

Ryan Bollinger - 2017-18 Brisbane Bandits

Bollinger is an American import who played with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2017-18 ABL season. Bollinger had originally spent three seasons in the Chicago White Sox farm system between 2011 and 2013 before being released and playing independent ball. In 2015 and 2016 he played with the Trois-Rivieres Aigles in the Canadian-American Association.

In 2017 he was playing in Germany and following discussions with the New York Yankees played in the ABL before joining the New York Yankees farm system in 2018, playing for both their Double and Triple A  affiliates.

2017-18 Brisbane Bandits Ryan Bollinger card front - ©2018 Adam East

Jackson Brebner-Russ - 2017-18 Adelaide Bite

Brebner-Russ returned for his third season with the Adelaide Bite during the 2017-18 ABL season.

2017-18 Adelaide Bite Jackson Brebner-Russ card front - ©2018 Adam East

Alex Howe - 2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox

Howe returned for his fourth season with the Sydney Blue Sox and the ABL during the 2017-18 ABL season.

2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox Alex Howe card front - ©2018 Adam East

Jett Wright - 2017-18 Perth Heat

Wright is a 17 year old Aussie rookie who made his ABL debut with the Perth Heat during the 2017-18 ABL season.

2017-18 Perth Heat Jett Wright card front - ©2018 Adam East

Jackson Boyd - 2017-18 Melbourne Aces

Boyd is an Aussie youngster who made his ABL debut with the Melbourne Aces during the 2017-18 ABL season. He was also a member of The Three Amigos from the Aces' bullpen.

2017-18 Melbourne aces Jackson Boyd card front - ©2018 Adam East

2017-18 Melbourne Aces Jackson Boyd alternate card front - ©2018 Adam East

Kyle Perkins - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

The older of the Perkins brothers returned for his sixth ABL season with the Cavalry during the 2017-18 ABL season.

I have to say that I was quite happy with the emotion I got in this shot.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry card front- ©2018 Adam East

So Near, Yet So Far - Start of the 2018-19 ABL Season

Tonight marks the start of the 2018-19 ABL season with the 2 new expansion teams - the Auckland Tuatara and Geelong-Korea joining the competition with the 6 traditional Aussie clubs. Unfortunately for me though, the season still seems so far away. Because of renovations to Canberra's home stadium, they play the first 3 weeks away from home. Their home opening series will actually then occur in Week 4 when I'm away interstate visiting family. I won't actually get to see my first ABL game this season until the second Cavalry home series ... in Week 6 of the competition - basically half way through the season. That kind of sucks.

Below are the promos from the ABL Facebook page for the opening series of the season.

Andrew Campbell - 2017-18 Brisbane Bandits

Despite being only 26 years of age, Campbell is a veteran of the Bandits' lineup, returning for his eighth ABL season with  Brisbane during the 2017-18 ABL season.

2017-18 Brisbane Bandits Andrew Campbell card front - ©2018 Adam East

Jordan McArdle - 2017-18 Adelaide Bite

McArdle is a South Australian youngster who returned for his second season with the Adelaide Bite and in the ABL during the 2017-18 ABL season.McArdle has spent both 2017 and 2018 playing Rookie Level ball for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Arizona League.

2017-18 Adelaide Bite Jordan McArdle card front - ©2018 Adam East