Saturday brought to an end season 2023 for the Goulburn Club, but not the end that they wanted. While the Men’s first grade side battled it’s way through to the grand final in gutsy fashion across a tough season, they lost in the final match as did the club’s Women’s 10s side a week earlier. Judged on grand final wins, it may not have been a successful year, but there’s a lot more happens in a season than just grand finals. 

There were numerous achievements and accomplishments across the year, including the following just to name a few:

• Chloe Waddell, Mikael Webber and Ashley Kara each scoring 100 in a year – as far as I can tell the only year the club has had three players score 100 points
• Mikael Webber played his 300th game, Jackson Reardon and Ben Todkill played their 200th games and Rob Sheekey returned to knock over his 150th
• Chloe Waddell was the club’s leading point scorer for the season with 126 points (six points ahead of Mikael Webber and 15 ahead of Ashley Mewburn
• Ashley Mewburn was appointed the inaugural Australian Womens Rugby 7s coach and brought up 300 points for the club – still the club’s all-time highest scoring woman player
• Brandon Courts brought up 600 club points and 100 first grade points
• Ben Todkill brought up 300 first grade points
• Eric Brown brought up 100 first grade points
• Rugby Park Goulburn hosted Brumbies Provincial Champions weekend with a bunch of our women’s and men’s players earning rep honours

The club also unearthed many new players with incredible potential – players we hope will wear the mighty maroon for years to come. Win, lose or draw the reserve grade side rolled up their sleeves, gave it all they’ve got and made us proud every single week. 

Our three grades ensured that each week, even if the numbers barely scraped through, we put three teams on the paddock while many other clubs are reducing in number, and that is a hell of an achievement in difficult times. 

We also saw the likely retirement of some very important custodians of the club, including Mikael Webber, Jackson Reardon, Ben Todkill and Justin Benn… and Rob Sheekey who came out of retirement to retire. Maybe some will rethink retirement, and there may be others we are unaware of, but the input of these players over so many years, games and points has been outstanding. That input may be numerically quantifiable but their impact is inestimable. Thank you to all who have given long service to the club.

Thanks to all of our coaching and sideline staff, including new men’s coach John Maxwell who got us to the big dance in his first season with the club. All of those “pitt crews” keep the team running and make it possible for the players to get out there and have some fun. And thanks to the committee, not only for going through that seventh ring of hell known as committee meetings but for ensuring the club is viable, organised and progressing.

And a HUGE vote of thanks to all of our sponsors especially our generous major sponsor, the Hibo. They don’t have to part with their hard-earned dollars but because they do, we get to play football. It’s that simple. It’s not taken for granted and it’s greatly appreciated.

And what’s ahead for the club? In the short term we are getting on board the One Foot Forward fundraising activity for Mental illness and suicide prevention – a cause near and dear to the club and one I’m sure we will widely support (details below). We have the club preso coming up, which i think will include the naming of the Women’s “Team of the First Five.” Next year there are [SPOILER ALERT] whispers of a possible end of season overseas tour (you didn’t hear it from me), and even talk of the women’s side considering playing XVs next year, if we can get enough players to prioritise rugby over that other weekend past-time (editorial comment – send hate mail to the usual address).

Thanks everyone for a great year. These are my last rugby photos and match reports. I’ve been doing them off and on since 1990 and while I keep hoping it’s someone else’s turn, I have to stop whether someone else picks it up or not.  I’ll still be doing the registrar job, stats and ground announcing if I’m wanted, and obviously still supporting and helping out the BEST. CLUB. ANYWHERE.

See you all back for more ’24.

One Foot Forward

• you join
• you select how far you plan to walk across October
• you raise money
• you walk
• you record your distance each day

• Goulburn Rugby Men: 5 members so far, have raised $153 already. 
• Goulburn Rugby Union Women: 7 members so far, have raised $27.
• Goulburn Fizzy Reds: 1 member so far, $42 raised.
• Goulburn Rugby Oldies & Supporters: 1 member so far, $42 raised.

Seniors

Men’s 1st grade: The planets didn’t align, the elements didn’t come together and despite some pretty good chances, the Goulburn Dirty Reds first grade side didn’t win the ACT First Division First Grade grand final for the second year in a row. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team (and their supporter base) keener for a grand final win than Uni-Norths Owls were. And even though a few lucky breaks went the Owls way, they capitalised on them and their win wasn’t just a matter of luck.

The Reds were forced to try to peg back an early lead, never optimal in a grand final, and while it was evenly matched in the second half and Goulburn was in the ascendancy as the game progressed, there wasn’t enough time to wrest the win back. The Reds gave it their all in the final match of the season and can be proud of not just this game but all of the games and training sessions that got them here. Captain Will Mooney stood out in a gutsy Goulburn side. Full report, click the links. 

Goulburn’s Results

• ACT 1st Division 1st Grade: Uni Norths 21 bt Goulburn 7

Grand Finals:

John I Dent Cup (ACT Premier Division 1st Grade):

• Gungahlin 33 bt Tuggeranong 22

Spence Cup (ACT Premier Division 2nd Grade):

• Tuggeranong 19 bt Royals 12

ACT 1st Division 1st Grade:

• Uni-Norths 21 bt Goulburn 7

ACT 1st Division 2nd Grade:

• Gungahlin 34 bt Royals 17

ACT Women’s Premier Division XVs:

• Uni-Norths 30 bt Tuggeranong 26

ACT Colts:

• Queanbeyan 53 bt Tuggeranong 33

Tables:

Check your stats

• 1st Grade stats
• 2nd grade stats
• Women’s stats
• Club stats

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