The Australian League starts today.  Given the time difference, it already has started.  So, here's a brief overview of the league down under.

There are six teams in the Australian League.  The teams play a forty-two game schedule.  They play mostly Friday through Sunday, with an occasional Thursday or Monday game, until January, when they play Thursday through Sunday.

Three teams make the playoffs.  Based on last year, the second and third place teams play each other in a best-of-five playoff.  The winner then plays the first place team in a best-of-three playoff.  That seems kind of odd, but that's the way it was last year, anyway.

Here's a look at the teams

ADELAIDE BITE

Manager:  Charlie Aliano.

Coaches:  Rick Knapp, Craig Watts

Names you might know:  Fu-Te Ni, Josh Cakebread, Stefan Welch

BRISBANE BANDITS

Manager:  Kevin Jordan

Coaches:  Gary Nilsson, Gareth Jones, Steve Livesey, Shane Watson

Names you might know:  Logan Wade, Alex Kaminsky

CANBERRA CAVALRY

Manager:  Michael Collins

Coaches:  Clayton McCullough, Michael Wells

Names you might know:  Brian Grening, Caleb Albrecht

MELBOURNE ACES

Manager:  Phil Dale

Coaches:  Phil Allen, Russ Spear, Stephen Black, Neil Burke, Mitsuharu Nagayama, Jonathan Schuerholz, Damian Shanahan

Names you might know:  Sam Gibbons, Lewis Thorpe, James Beresford, Justin Huber, Bubbie Buzachero

PERTH HEAT

Manager:  Steven Fish

Coaches:  Greg Jelks, Graeme Lloyd, Rick Steven, Marshall Yanzick

Names you might know:  Brendan Wise, Allan de San Miguel, Luke Hughes, Warwick Saupold

SYDNEY BLUE SOX

Manager:  Jason Pospishil

Coaches:  Darian Lindsay, Graheme Cassel

Names you might know:  Tim Atherton, Josh Guyer, Brad Thomas, Todd Van Steensel, Jacob Younis, Trent Oeltjen, Mitch Dening