Shunta Nakatsuka (中塚 駿太) - 2017-18 Melbourne Aces

Nakatsuka was a Japanese import who played with the Melbourne Aces during the 2017-18 ABL season. Nakatsuka had made his NPB debut in 2017 with the Saitama Seibu Lions, playing a single game during the season. In 2018 he added another 2 NPB games with the Lions to his tally.

2017-18 Melbourne Aces Shunta Nakatsuka card front - ©2018 Adam East

Julian Paramonov - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

Paramonov was a Canberran youngster brought in as a developmental player with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2017-18 ABL season. Unfortunately for Julian he didn't make his ABL debut during that season. In 2018-19 he is studying at the Dakota Wesleyan University in the USA.

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

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Julian Paramonov alternate card front - ©2018 Adam East

Dermot Fritsch - 2017-18 Brisbane Bandits

Brisbane youngster Fritsch made his ABL debut with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2017-18 ABL season. In 2018 he commenced study and playing with the Western Nebraska Community College in the USA.

2017-18 Brisbane Bandits Dermot Fritsch card front - ©2018 Adam East

Sung-Gu Han (한성구) - 2018-19 Geelong-Korea

Merry Christmas for 2018! I only managed to get to my first ABL game of the 2018-19 ABL season last Thursday, the opening game of the series between the Canberra Cavalry and the new Geelong-Korea expansion team. Because of a lot of overseas and interstate traveling I hadn't done any concept designs for my 2018-19 cards yet. So. I was in the position where I had some 2018-19 photos but no design templates to put them into.

I started mucking around with some concepts over the weekend and after several iterations came up with the following. The vector used in the card design was designed by Jasim Jawahir from Pngtree. There's probably some more tweaking to be done in the design - I may try and work in the player number and position into the design, and may look at changing the font and spacing, but it'll probably just be small changes. Also unsure as to whether I'll keep the hangul in the design or not for the Korean players.

The player featured is Sung-Gu Han (한성구), who, like all of the 2018-19 Geelong-Korea players, is Korean (I'm going to assume South Korean :) ). Han spent a season in the KBO, playing with the Kia Tigers in 2012.

2018-19 Geelong-Korea Sung-Gu Han card front - ©2018 Adam East

Karl Hoschke - 2017-18 Adelaide Bite

Sydney born Hoschke returned for his third season with the Adelaide Bite and fourth in the ABL during the 2017-18 ABL season.

2017-18 Adelaide Bite Karl Hoschke card front - ©2018 Adam East

Trent D'Antonio - 2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox

D'antonio is now a true veteran of the Sydney Blue Sox with the 2017-18 ABL season being his eighth in the league. I'm pretty sure he is one of only 4 Blue Sox players to have played in every season since the league's inauguration. (The others being Craig Anderson, Vaughan Harris, Luke Wilkins and Jacob Younis.) Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong though.

2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox Trent D'Antonio card front - ©2018 Adam East

Scott Mitchinson - 2017-18 Perth Heat

Mitchinson returned for his sixth ABL season with the Perth Heat during the 2017-18 ABL season.

2017-18 Perth Heat Scott Mitchinson card front - ©2018 Adam East

Liam Bedford - 2017-18 Melbourne Aces

Local player Bedford returned for his fifth ABL season with the Melbourne Aces during the 2017-18 ABL season.  I'm unsure whether it's a permanent career change but I note that Bedford isn't on the 2018-19 Aces roster, but is listed as being a part of the 2018-19 Golf team at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon.

2017-18 Melbourne Aces Liam Bedford card front - ©2018 Adam East

Liam Doolan - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

Doolan is a Sydney youngster who made his ABL debut with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2017-18 ABL season. In 2018 he committed to playing for the Lamar Community College in Colorado.

It's not the best photo of him however he only played in two games during his debut season, with this shot coming in his second game.

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

Update 28/12/18: Although it's not an action shot I found this photo which at least gives us a better look at Mr Doolan.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Liam Doolan alternate card front - ©2018 Adam East

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