Mike's Markings: ESL ANZ Champs Playoffs

Grayhound | A+

Final placing: 1st

Standout performer: INS

There's not much to elaborate on here, as the Australian powerhouse, Grayhound, once again added another trophy to their collection. Despite the absence of aliStair in the grand finals, the event appeared to be a mere formality for them. Grayhound has been steadily building momentum over the past few months, and with their upcoming trips to ESL Cologne & ESL Pro League, they are determined to keep improving.

INS was superb again putting up an insane 1.43 rating over the event. With 13.7 grenade damage per round it's clear to see that INS really has his fingers on the pulse of the lesser Australian teams.

Vertex | B-

Final placing: 2nd

Standout performer: Group Effort

The Vertex boys delivered an overall commendable performance, firmly establishing themselves as the second-best team in Australia. However, in the context of the grand final, they may feel a sense of disappointment. Given that aliStair was absent, they would have fancied their chances of triumphing over Grayhound in a best-of-five series. 

For Vertex, each of their four big guns seem to take turns having impact. Meanwhile BRACE, the in-game leader, obviously contributes beyond the scoreboard. Despite his lower rating, we often see impactful rounds from him. As I like to say; don't count the frags, make the frags count.

Rooster | C

Final placing: 3/4th

Standout performer: chelleos

A lacklustre finish for Rooster in this event. Their progression since returning from Europe has been underwhelming. Fancied as potential grand finalists, Rooster's C rating reflects their disappointment, including a disappointing series loss to Sunday School. While individually talented, their overall team play seemed to let them down. 

A promising sign is the resurgence of Chelleos and his 1.27 rating over the event. He also led the elite awpers in AWP kills per round (0.38) and opening kills per round (0.18). If he maintains this level of form, coupled with their immense rifle firepower, this team will be a certain threat moving forward.

Elemonators | B-

Final placing: 3/4th

Standout performer: apocdud

The newly formed lineup for Stage 2 displayed great promise during the super week, securing victories over Antic, The Big Dogs, and Sunday School. Their formidable performance against Rooster instilled high hopes as they approached the finals. However, their momentum faltered against the weakened Grayhound team, as they struggled to leave a mark on the server. Given time, we can anticipate the team developing more strategic depth. From my observations, it appeared that they had dedicated significant practice to their set rounds, potentially due to time constraints.

Apocdud, their In-Game Leader, regained his elite form with a 1.14 rating. He is also lowkey one of our country's best flashers, this event averaging an opponent's flashed time of 2.24s. We love to see a good mixture of support to go along with his fragging numbers.

Sunday School | B+

Final placing: 3/4th

Standout performer: rekonz

Despite my seemingly absurd rating placement above Elemonators, it's important to consider the context. Elemonators have dedicated considerable time to practice, while Sunday School, on the other hand, typically only assembles a team for ESEA Cash Cups without engaging in regular scrims or practice. With a lineup that experiences frequent changes, Sunday School essentially operates as a PUG team. Nevertheless, they showcased their ability by securing series wins against both Rooster and Elemonators, although they ultimately fell short in the later stages of the tournament. 

Nexar emerged as the standout player, boasting a commendable 1.15 rating throughout the event. It's remarkable to think that he is only 19, as he has been on the radar of the Oceanic CS:GO scene for a couple of years now. Hopefully, he will have the opportunity to fully commit to Counter-Strike 2 and continue making strides in his career.

The Big Dogs | D

Final placing: 5/6th

Standout performer: nauh

Personally, I can't help but feel a sense of disappointment in the results achieved by this team in Stage 2. Over the past six months, they had been on a positive trajectory, making their underwhelming performance all the more disheartening. With their experience and longevity as a team, I had hoped they would be able to surpass teams like Elemonators and Sunday School. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The absence of damyo, who had been a reliable performer for them, likely played a significant role in their struggles. They were unable to find a suitable replacement to fill his role.

It's worth noting that there were no standout players worth mentioning. However, it is worth highlighting that NAUH excelled in 1vX situations, ranking among the top three performers in that category throughout the event. This statistic could potentially serve as a foundation for the team to build upon in the future.

Mindfreak | C+

Final placing: 7/8th

Standout performer: Forleks

Often regarded as a "project" team, it seems that, for the time being, this team is content with the opportunity to compete in the pro league. While their performances showed promise, their ultimate goal is likely to secure a spot in Division 1 and steadily improve under the guidance of veteran player Tucks. Despite their overall record, they managed to secure a map win against the formidable Big Dogs, which is undoubtedly a positive takeaway for them.

Among the team, one player stood out as particularly impressive. Forleks displayed exceptional skill, boasting an impressive rating of 1.39. This achievement is especially noteworthy considering that the team faced numerous losses throughout the tournament. Additionally, Forleks led the entire event in several statistical categories, including kills per round (0.92) and KAST (Kill-Assist-Survive percentage) with an impressive 79%.

Antic | D-

Final placing: 7/8th

Standout performer: N/A

Composing a roster of highly experienced players who have enjoyed success in the past within the CS:GO scene, Antic came together with the aim of making a comeback through dedicated practice. However, at present, they appear to be lagging behind their competitors. Their series performances were lacklustre, and as a result, we didn't witness much of Antic's potential throughout the season. They struggled to remain competitive in the maps they played, failing to make a significant impact.

Nevertheless, I personally support the resurgence of former players returning to the scene and giving it another shot. It is my hope that the Antic team remains undeterred by their current setback and continues to put in the hard work behind the scenes. With perseverance and further improvement, we may witness an enhanced version of Antic in future competitions.