Welcome to the Aussie Pickleball Bros Excellent Adventure to the Pacific Pro Melbourne 23 on November 3-5. The Bros had never been to a Pickleball Tournament and had no idea what to expect. Well we have some first impressions and thoughts on the Tournament.
Let’s kick it in.
The Pacific Pro Melbourne Venue
The Maroondah Nets Venue was huge, with a stack of outdoor courts set up. The layout was perfect and players were battling it out on the courts and having fun.
The show courts for the event were inside the venue. A colored mat was placed on the court which looked great. And the MLP and PPL branding was around the court and venue. The stands were full of people watching the MLP games and the setup was really nice.
The MLP Pickleball Matches
The Bros have only played amateur pickleball and have watched Pro Pickleball online. And there is a perception that Pickleball is a fun sport to play but is dull to watch. After watching the MLP Pros play at the Pacific Pro Melbourne Event, the Bros will now debate that point with ANYONE.
Watching the pros play Pickleball was unbelievable. Sitting so close to the action, the Bros were absorbed into the game. The speed and intensity is difficult to capture while watching a match on TV or Online. Only when you are close to the game can you truly appreciate the Pro Players. The Power shots and rallies were fantastic, and the crowd was loving it.
Really…Truly… If you enjoy playing Pickleball you HAVE to go out and watch the Pros play. Especially close up, the technicalities of the shots were visible. Spin shots were more apparent, and when all four players were at the kitchen line, it was like an old style western shootout. The reflexes to keep those rallies going was pretty amazing.
The Tournament Atmosphere
The Bros knew a few of the players from Facebook and social media. So it was great to see them in action on the court. And the Bros enjoyed the State-based teams. It makes it easy to choose a side to barrack for. And the Melbourne Mavericks had the home team advantage and they had a lot of fans cheering them on.
The format of the game is faster, using the MLP Rally Scoring system. The atmosphere was great with background music and a party vibe drifting through the venue. The matches were entertaining and it was fun to listen to party tunes while enjoying the matches.
Prizes were handed out between matches, with commentary and post-match interviews by the MC. All that was missing was the Mexican wave, inflated beachballs, and maybe a bar to feel like a sports event.
Catch up on the MLP Action with the Show Court One and Show Court Two Matches Via the PPL YouTube Channel. The Matches look great on Video – but you really have to see it LIVE in person.
Final Thoughts
The Pacific Pro Melbourne 23 was a success! The Bros enjoyed the first MLP tournament in Melbourne. it was a great experience and we really believe that if any player is slightly interested in playing Pickleball, you HAVE To see the MLP Pros play. And hopefully, by attending these events, more players may join the amateur tournaments and have a go.
Congrats to the Brisbane Breakers for winning the Gold. And Congrats to PPL and MLP for putting on a Sweeeeeet tournament. As previously reported, It was really a lot of fun and the Bros look forward to the next one.
Pickle On!
The Aussie Pickleball Bros.