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Round 10 brought the regular season to its conclusion, and while the Australian Baseball League’s Championship Series pairing had been foreshadowed a week earlier, the final answers were only locked in after a tense, rain-affected weekend.

Sydney became the first team to clinch a spot in the Championship Series, navigating a road trip to Perth to take three of four. At the same time, Adelaide powered through Brisbane with a matching 3–1 series win, dragging themselves back to .500 and keeping their momentum in the battle for second.

Friday night football in Brisbane, and a chance to complete a useful comparison. This was my second A-League fixture of the series, with Brisbane Roar hosting Auckland FC at Suncorp Stadium for a 6:35 pm kickoff. Having seen the Roar play Wellington Phoenix at Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium a week earlier, this felt like the natural next step: same league, same team, but in the city’s main sporting cathedral.