The excitement of the sporting world is reaching a crescendo as the league passes the season’s half-way point. There are so many questions. Can reigning premier SuperMario, now part of Better than Charles, take consecutive titles? Is the whole “better than Charles” question finally settled? Can the Dukes of Normandy lift themselves off the canvas? Who will be the next to forfeit?

In spectacular sunshine at North Cottesloe in Round 4, Better than Charles was too good for the Dukes, prevailing 8-5. BTC also scored eight in its victory over the Second Eleven, cruising home 8-4.

The Second Eleven, usually comprising Reg, HRH Prince Andrew II and Cannonball, expected Andy not to attend, relying on a report from him that he couldn’t attend because he had to find his missing cat. The judges agreed that this excuse scored points for novelty. As mentioned, the Eleven II lost its first game to BTC.

Playing sans Andy, Reg and Cannonball then went down 2-7 to Motherchucker, expressing some surprise when Andy turned up and explained that said cat, not missing, was actually in a box.

This caused some speculation about whether a cat could simultaneously be in a box and not in the box. Of course, the AATBL has long had a reputation for dealing with life’s important questions.

In the Dukes’ other game, they lost 2-7 to Athletes for Life, despite a long-range shot-of-the-day from SNHDT. The Dukes are yet to open their 2023 account.

The Burley Hurlers (Digger and Barney playing without Serge) lost convincingly to Gonad, 0-7. Fun fact: So far this season there have been two non-forfeit 7-0 results and the Burley Hurlers were on the losing end of both.

If one factors in the fact that 14 of the Burley Hurlers’ 28 points scored this season came from forfeits, one begins to wonder whether the Dukes of Normandy might feel buoyed.