How to Handle the Missing 2016-17 Perth Heat?

I commented previously about how I wouldn't get the opportunity to get shots of the Perth Heat during the 2016-17 ABL season - that I was travelling interstate through the season and my travels wouldn't line up to be near when they were playing. Being a bit of a completist this of course has bugged me no end.

Originally I thought I'd just have to "suck it up" and only have cards for the other 5 teams for 2016-17, however I realised that there was a possible solution. I have a number of my unused shots from the 2015-16 ABL season of Perth Heat players that I could use for their 2016-17 cards. Unfortunately, the uniform is a little bit different between the two seasons - the Heat logo on the chest was smaller in the 2016-17 season uniform compared to the 2015-16 uniform and there were some other minor variations, however they were otherwise fairly close. If I didn't care about the uniform at all, there were additional unused shots I could have used from earlier years as well.

Here's a shot of the 2016-17 uniform from off the web.

However, despite the uniform issues, I've decided to use some of my unused 2015-16 season photos to produce my Perth Heat 2016-17 season designs. Obviously, I'm limited to those players who appeared in both seasons, but I should at least be able to get some Perth Heat 2016-17 card designs for the returning local players.

Jacob Younis - 2016-17 Sydney Blue Sox

Younis was one of the Sydney locals who seems to have survived the recent exodus of longer term locals at the Blue Sox. The 2016-17 ABL season was Younis' seventh season in the ABL and with the Sydney Blue Sox. He spent 2016 playing for the Hamburg Stealers in the German Baseball Bundesliga.

2016-17 Sydney Blue Sox Jacob Younis card front - ©2017 Adam East

Wigberto Nevarez - 2016-17 Melbourne Aces

Nevarez is a Puerto Rican import from the Atlanta Braves organisation who played with the Melbourne Aces during the 2016-17 ABL season. Nevarez spent 2016 playing for the Rome Braves, Atlanta's single A affiliate in the South Atlantic League.

I'm really happy with how this shot turned out - I feel it has almost a digital painting look to it.

2016-17 Melbourne Aces Wigberto Nevarez card front - ©2017 Adam East

Boss Moanaroa - 2016-17 Canberra Cavalry

Moanaroa faced a hard choice prior to the 2016-17 ABL season, as he had chosen to represent New Zealand previously due to his heritage despite being Aussie born. Unfortunately for him and for several others, New Zealanders were to be classed as "imports" for 2016-17 instead of being classed as "Australian" players as had previously occurred.  Moanaroa chose to play as an Aussie, giving him his second season with the Cavalry and sixth season in the ABL overall.

2016-17 Canberra Cavalry Boss Moanaroa card front - ©2017 Adam East

Wade Dutton - 2016-17 Brisbane Bandits

After a 5 year hiatus with the club, the younger of the Dutton brothers returned to the Brisbane Bandits for the 2016-17 ABL season. Wade last played with the Bandits in the 2011-12 season back when his older brother Brad was still with the club.

2016-17 Brisbane Bandits Wade Dutton card front - ©2017 Adam East

Jordan Cowan - 2016-17 Adelaide Bite

American import and member of the Seattle Mariners' organisation, Cowan returned for his second season in the ABL with the Adelaide Bite during 2016-17. In between his Adelaide stints he spent 2016 playing for the Mariners' low and high A level affiliates, the Everett AquaSox and the Bakersfield Blaze. Seattle may have considered it a bit of unfinished business for Cowan as he dislocated his shoulder early on the 2015-16 ABL season with Adelaide, missing the rest of the season and the start of the American 2016 season.

2016-17 Adelaide Bite Jordan Cowan card front - ©2017 Adam East

Hiroki Yamazaki (山崎 裕貴) - 2016-17 Sydney Blue Sox

Yamazaki is a Japanese import who played with the Sydney Blue Sox during the 2016-17 ABL season. I was a little bit unsure about the Kanji for Yamazaki's name. The ABL has him listed as Hiroki Yamazaki however his name seems to transliterate as Yuki Yuzaki or Yuki Yukasaki in the several searches I did. From what I can tell, Yamazaki played with the Honda Motor Company's baseball team prior to coming to Sydney. You can see his Honda helmet tucked under his arm in my card image.

2016-17 Sydney Blue Sox Hiroki Yamazaki card front - ©2017 Adam East

2016-17 Sydney Blue Sox Hiroki Yamazaki alternate card front - ©2017 Adam East

Brandon Stenhouse - 2016-17 Melbourne Aces

Stenhouse is a local Melbourne youngster who has signed with the New York Yankees organisation. Stenhouse played with the Melbourne Aces during the 2016-17 ABL season, his second season with the Aces. In 2016 he played for the Rookie league GCL Yankees West, also his second year in the Rookie leagues.

2016-17 Melbourne Aces Brandon Stenhouse card front - ©2017 Adam East

Mike Reeves - 2016-17 Canberra Cavalry

Reeves is a Canadian import from the Toronto Blue Jays organisation who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2016-17 ABL season. He spent 2016 playing with the Dunedin Blue Jays, Toronto's team in the Advanced A Florida State League. Reeves is currently on the roster of the Canadian team in the World Baseball Classic.

2016-17 Canberra Cavalry Mike Reeves card front - ©2017 Adam East

2016-17 Canberra Cavalry Mike Reeves alternate card front - ©2017 Adam East

Zac Treece - 2016-17 Brisbane Bandits

Treece is an American import who played with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2016-17 ABL season. He spent the previous 4 years playing the independent Frontier League, most recently with the River City Rascals. Nobody has ever seen Treece and Weird Al Yankovic together in the same room ...

2016-17 Brisbane Bandits Zac Treece card front - ©2017 Adam East

AC Carter - 2016-17 Adelaide Bite

Carter was an American import who played with the Adelaide Bite during the 2016-17 ABL season. After playing for Georgetown University he played for  Louvain-la-Neuve Phoenix in the Belgian Professional Baseball League (KBBSF) in 2015, and the Cologne Cardinals in 2016. He was playing club ball in Adelaide where he was signed up to the Bite roster. In 2017 he has signed with the  Montpellier Barracudas in the French Elite League.

I know the second shot isn't the most flattering image but I do like the look of boredom/dejection that seems to be captured in this shot - the life of the backup catcher in the bullpen :)

2016-17 Adelaide Bite AC Carter card front - ©2017 Adam East

2016-17 Adelaide Bite AC Carter alternate card front - ©2017 Adam East

Trent D'Antonio - 2016-17 Sydney Blue Sox

Veteran Sydney player D'Antonio suited up for his seventh straight ABL season with the Blue Sox in 2016-17. With an abundance of cathcers on the team, he was listed as playing third base throughout the year, however, as you can see from my photos, he still undertook some catching duties and I've kept him listed as a catcher.

Unfortunately I only realised when I was making D'Antonio's cards that the font I'd chosen for the player names didn't include an apostrophe, so he's showing up as DANTONIO instead of D'ANTONIO.

2016-17 Sydney Blue Sox Trent D'Antonio card front - ©2017 Adam East

2016-17 Sydney Blue Sox Trent D'Antonio alternate card front - ©2017 Adam East

Mark Hamburger - 2016-17 Melbourne Aces

Hamburger is an American import who played for the Melbourne Aces during the 2016-17 ABL season. Hamburger came with good credentials as a former Major League player, having played a handful of games with the Texas Rangers in 2011. Besides his MLB stint, he has extensive experience across various leagues, having played 8 seasons in the minor leagues between 2007 and 2015, split between Minnesota, Texas, Houston and San Diego, as well as time in the Puerto Rican, Venezuelan and Mexican Pacific Winter Leagues. In 2016 he played fro the St Paul Saints in the independent American Association.

2016-17 Melbourne Aces Mark Hamburger card front - ©2017 Adam East

2016-17 Melbourne Aces Mark Hamburger alternate card front - ©2017 Adam East

Aaron Sloan - 2016-17 Canberra Cavalry

Following his unexpected return to the Cavalry in 2015-16, the younger Sloan brother found himself a regular in the starting line-up for the Cavalry during the 2016-17 ABL season, his fifth with the Cavalry.

2016-17 Canberra Cavalry Aaron Sloan card front - ©2017 Adam East