Written by Mary Toney on September 26, 2026. Posted in State Championships

2026 Winter Indoor Carnival

On the 29th August, players from across the state travelled to Bendigo for the UV Winter Indoor Carnival where they got to compete in a double round robin against other indoor Ultimate teams from different cities. Locals also had the opportunity to come down and experience the game in a come & try session.

To make the competition more interesting, each round robin followed slightly different rules. The first full round robin round consisted of 2x 20 minute halves, 5 minute half time, tap and go continuous play, and had players trying to score in the netball ‘D’. The second full round robin followed the following rules; 4x 9 minute quarters, 2 minute quarter time breaks, non-continuous play, and had players trying to score in the same rectangluar endzone for the whole quarter.

Congratulations to all teams who played!
1st – Looney Tooneys
2nd – Ballarat Ultimate
3rd – SMURFs

All teams finished the day with equal Spirits scores of 11.

After each game, teams voted for their most Spirited player on the opposition team.
Shout out to our 3 Most Spirited Players:
Lana Baard (Ballarat Ultimate)
Camila Gonzales (Looney Tooneys)
Leah Cushion (Ballarat Ultimate)

After the double round robin competition, players enjoyed a ‘fun rules’ version of the game where every 4 mins there was a rule change, such as ‘Family Point’, ‘T-rex arms’, overhead throws only, etc.

Here’s what a player, Nivedita, had to say about the event:

“The Winter Indoor Carnival 2026 in Bendigo was an absolutely exhilarating day. Indoor Ultimate is a format that has steadily gained more traction and having these opportunities to play competitively with teams across Victoria are very much appreciated. I played with the SMURFs, a team consisting of members of the Saturday Ultimate Frisbee community who play regularly on grass fields in Princes Park, Melbourne. Some of us have experience playing Indoor, while others had never tried their hand at it prior to the Carnival. Despite the initial learning curve, everyone quickly adapted to the new format and it was safe to say that we all had a hoot of a time.
Three teams participated in this year’s tournament. Any apprehensions that the smaller number of participants might dull the fun were quickly erased by the bustling program Ultimate Victoria put together for the day. We began with round robin matches that followed a continuous point format, with scoring occurring within the D-shaped arc on the basketball court. Following this, we played a second set of round robin matches that were non-continuous, with scoring within a rectangular end zone. It was an interesting brain exercise to move to the second format after having just gotten used to the first, but the open communication and spirit exhibited by all the participating teams made the games we played throughout the day incredibly enjoyable.
Having each played four enthralling games in one-day, it was safe to say that all the teams were fairly knackered as the presentation ceremony approached: but the smiles, high-fives and hugs across the board were testament to how much fun was had throughout the event. Afterwards, despite the soreness setting in, some of us frisbee fanatics even stayed back for an additional game with silly scoring rules (e.g., throwing with the opposite hand you received the disc with), before heading to the pub for some well-deserved grub.
A huge thank you to Ultimate Victoria for organizing the Winter Indoor Carnival. The day would not have run as smoothly or been as thrilling without your support. The SMURFs will see you again in 2027!”

Ultimate Victoria would like to say a big thank you to The City of Greater Bendigo, Bendigo South East Secondary College, Sports Marketing Australia, Eight Apostles Photography, and Bendigo Disc Golf for their support of the event!