The Alcoa SWFL Women’s team have started the Rio Tinto Women’s Championship with a thrilling six point victory over Kimberley at Lane Group Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

The match started brilliantly for the South West with Daisy Rigby kicking truly in the second minute of the match.    Katherine Dann replied for the Kimberley moments later to level the scores.  When Simone Narkle goaled at the eight minute mark, the Kimberley had taken the lead and the South West were on the back foot.

A great goal to Emma Faulkner put the South West back in front, with Giann Evans kicking a late goal on the run to give the SWFL a seven point lead at half time.

Simone Narkle and Cazarah Augustine caused havoc for the SWFL defence in the second half, both kicking goals, the second to Narkle leveled the scores after Lacey Holdsworth had kicked a good goal for the Sotuh West in the high quality contest.

The Kimberley attacked relentlessly in the second half, with Emma Borinelli surviving a bone crunching tackle which saved a certain goal to the Kimberley side.  The South West eventually got the ball forward, with Daisy Rigby tracking the ball deep into the pocket at the Southern end, snapping a great goal which ended up being the winning goal.

The South West will play their second match at 5.00pm

MATCH CENTRE

South West 3.1.19  5.2.32
Kimberley  2.0.12  4.2.26

Goals:  South West – Daisy Rigby 2, Giann Evans 1, Lacey Holdsworth 1, Emma Faulkner 1.  Kimberley – Simone Narkle 2, Cazarah Augustine 1, Katherine Dann 1.
Best:  South West – Trinity Brown, Jessica Verbrugge, Gemma Wharton, Maddy Obal.
Ground:  Lane Group Stadium
Crowd: 300 approx

Photos courtesy of Sharyn Newlands and Shane Horner

Busselton have defeated Carey Park in one of the best ever grand finals by three points at Payne Park on Sunday afternoon before 3522 fans, a great conclusion to the Dale Alcock Homes South West Premiership season.

In an epic contest, the match was marred by the weather, with very windy conditions, which made scoring difficult.  Busselton would kick with the wind in the first quarter and could have almost blown their chances of winning, kicking one goal from seven scoring shots to lead by five points at quarter time.

The Panthers hit back hard in the second quarter in a bruising contest, kicking five goals for the term to lead by a game high 11 points at half times.

Busselton kicked three goals to one in the third term to take back the lead at the final change, leading by five points, with the match to be decided in the final term.

The strength of the breeze could not be under-estimated, with Liam Creighton having four bounces on the outer side, passing to a team mate 30 metres out, but the pass was too strong, and the ball blew back to the centre square on the members side.

Both teams would kick a goal a piece in the final term, with the Panthers first to score putting them a point in front as time ticked down.  Mitch Howlett would convert his second to restore the lead for Busselton, the only player on the ground to kick more than one goal.  The final eight minutes saw the ball live almost exclusively in Carey Parks forward line, with two set shots missing to the near side, as the Magpies defended grimly to the final siren.

The agony and ecstasy was evident to all with Panthers players lying forlorn on the Payne Park turf, while the Magpies celebrated a famous victory, their first since 2015.

Cooper Sparks was adjudged best on ground and won the Pike Medal, the second year in a row the award has been won by a player on the losing team.  It is also the second year in a row that the Grand Final has been decided by less than a goal, after the Hawks beat the Tigers last season by four points.

MATCH CENTRE
Busselton  1.6.12  4.7.31  7.12.54  8.13.61
Carey Park  1.1.7  6.6.42  7.7.49  8.10.58

Goals:  Busselton – Mitch Howlett 2, Brandy Armstrong 1, Liam Creighton 1, Jaxon East 1, Blake Riley 1, Bailey Sanford 1, Austin Styles 1.  Carey Park – Simon Homsany 1, Luke Hutchinson 1, Ryan King 1, Kelvin Lawrence 1, Rory O’Brien 1, Cooper Sparks 1, Harley Sparks 1, Sydney Stack 1.
Best:  Busselton – Jaxon East, Kester Decke, Bailey Sanford, Liam Creighton, Blake Riley, Mitchell Tenardi.  Carey Park – Cooper Sparks, Sydney Stack, Jacob Orsi, Jaxon Bell, Cameron Baker, Harley Sparks
Ground:  Payne Park
Umpires:  Cameron Valenti, Aaron Andrews, Scott Jones
Reports:  Nil
Crowd:  3522

Busselton have defeated South Bunbury in another thrilling Solahart Southwest Reserves Grand Final, at Payne Park on Sunday afternoon.

It would be the eighth time in nine years that the winning margin was twelve points or less. as the Magpies won by 12 points to claim their sixth Reserves Premiership, and first in 23 years.

The match was played in very wind conditions which kept the scoring low and close, with Busselton leading by eight points the first break.  South Bunbury with the aide of the wind took a seven point advantage into half time, is a tough contest befitting a grand final.

The winning move would come in the third term, when Busselton kicked four goals to one, and obstacle in the end the Tigers were not able to hurdle.

MATCH CENTRE
Busselton  2.2.14  3.2.20  7.5.47  8.7.55
South Bunbury 1.0.6  4.3.27  5.6.36  6.7.43

Goals:  Busselton – Kobi Howell 2, Jaice Pardi 2, Brodie Howell 1, Kyle Tickle 1, Seve Toovey 1, Matt Welburn 1.   South Bunbury – Morgan Lane 3, Kurt Cadman 1, Alex Devitt 1, Dale Wilkinson 1.
Best:  Busselton –  Kobi Howell, Brodie Howell, Ben Ganzer, Joshua Fleming, Joshua Lee, Noah Glasson.  South Bunbury – Reece Reynolds, Kurt Cadman, Alex Devitt, Dale Wilkinson, Kaz Black, Ryan Hutcheson
Ground:  PC Payne Park
Umpires:  Braden Surrall, Henry King, Damien O’Donoghue
Reports:  Nil
Crowd:  3522
Don Punch Trophy:  Kobie Howell

Bunbury Colts have done what not many teams are able to do, and that is to go through the entire season undefeated, but the Bulldogs achieved that on Sunday morning when they won the Apprentice & Traineeship Co Colts Grand Final at Payne Park.

The Bulldogs won their eleventh Colts Premiership and fourth in seven years with an emphatic 70 point margin, which saw the Lions unable to kick a goal after half time.

The Bulldogs started with a strong breeze to lead by 19 points at quarter time, and by the same margin at half time, but five unanswered goals made the margin 52 points at the final change, and the Lions had no answers.

The Bulldogs dominated not only the match, but the season, winning every match convincingly and the Lions who came from the Elimination Final were not able to challenge the Bulldogs, particularly in the second half.  On the upside the Lions have a young squad who will no doubt be fighting for the premiership in 2024.

Peter Woods was adjudged the best player on the ground and won the prestigious Kevin Lynn Medal

MATCH CENTRE
Bunbury  3.7.25  5.12.42  10.18.78  13.21.99
Harv Bruns Lesch  1.0.6  3.5.23  3.8.26  3.11.29

Goals:  Bunbury – Fraser Gilchrist 2, Cody Ryan 2, Jett Woods 2, Lucas Andrews 1, Kaedyn Brady 1, Rohan Grout 1, Baiden Parsons 1, Riley Stenhouse 1, Mason Hawkes 1.  Harvey Brunswick Leschenault – Jake Baggetta 1, Levi Cooper 1, Lattrell May 1.
Best:  Bunbury – Peter Woods, Kye Wright, Lucas Andrews, Samuel Allen, Jett Woods, Baiden Parsons.  Harvey Brunswick Leschenault – Jaxon Cuxson, Levi Cooper, Fraser Ward, Jakson McCullough, Bronson Martin, Lattrell May.
Ground:  Payne Park
Umpires:  Matt Stewart, Daniel Ebert, Kevin Hutchins
Reports:  Nil
Crowd: 3522
Kevin Lynn Medal:  Peter Woods (Bunbury)

Cameron Valenti, Scott Jones and Aaron Andrews will be the three Field Umpires in charge of Sunday’s League Grand Final, after the trio were announced at the Umpires Presentation Night earlier this evening.

The three of them presided over last years Grand Final as well.

Valenti was named Umpire of the Year, picking up the Kevin Nettleton Medal for best Field Umpire and will umpire his second League Grand Final.  Meanwhile Scott Jones will officiate his fourth consecutive Grand Final and along with Aaron Andrews will both umpire their seventh League Grand Final, moving to second all time behind Kevin Nettleton who officiated in ten Grand Finals.

The four Boundary Umpires will all officiate in their first grand finals, with Bailee Kent, Brady Larsen, Russell King and Scott Peachey all making their debut.  Talen Guthrie won the Jarrad Andrews Medal for the best boundary umpire, but due to injury he will be unable to officiate.

Martyn Tompkins will officiate in his first Grand Final in Goals, along with Josh Daniels who is officiating in his fifth decider.  Tompkins won the Jason Crowe Medal, as Goal Umpire of the Year.

A full list of appointments can be found on the website under Umpire Appointments.