Photo: Peter Oliver Imagery
Happy Sunday,
And that’s it for season 2025. The Goulburn Dirty Reds last team standing, the Hibernian Hotel sponsored first grade side, gallantly finished their season with a 34-17 loss to the Wests Lions.
Even 11 minutes out Goulburn trailed by just two tries, but Wests, who had maintained the momentum throughout, held on to control and will now progress to next weekend’s Preliminary Final against Queanbeyan for the right to play Uni Norths in the grand final.
Like any season, this one had its fair share of highs and lows. The women’s side struggled early in the XV a side competition, and continued to struggle for numbers throughout. The men’s teams had good numbers across both grades for a change, but injuries to key players meant the Dirty Twos had to surrender many players to the higher grade. But these Baby Reds were one of the gutsiest, most enthusiastic the club has fielded for many years and, but for a few close losses would have made the semis.
First grade started slowly, and were beyond mid-season before they cracked the top four. They finished the year strongly with a third place in the home and away season. The final match didn’t go their way but they are also poised for a well poised for a good 2026.
That’s it for the Reds for 2026 (except for the prezo in September – details to follow) and that’s it from me. I’m stepping back a bit next year to concentrate on a few things that I need to. This has been my 36th season with the Reds and it has been continuously one of the best things in my life each week and each year.
I hope I’ve added to the club in a few ways. I also hope this doesn’t mean the end of the weekly round ups, the website, the stats and the ground announcing but if I keep hanging around no-one will ever take it on. I’ll still be doing a lot of Club stuff, like trying to finish a book on the club’s complete history, and I hope to get to the home games, so it’s more of a semi retirement. It’s been an absolute pleasure and an honour and I remain, always, a Dirty Red.
Now to the rugby.
Seniors
Click on hyperlinks for score sheets, reports and further details.
ACT Third Grade: All games have their moments, and this one had plenty. Goulburn led 3-0 just 3 minutes in, and despite trailing 19-3 near the close of the first half, snuck in a Michael Cooke try and Brandon Courts conversion to be 19-10 and just 9 points behind at the break. With 11 minutes remaining in the match, and now trailing 29-10, Goulburn seized another moment through a desperate Mikael Webber try and Courts conversion to be trailing by just 12 – two converted tries short of a win and there remained hope. But Wests scored three minutes later and the maths put a win out of reach, the Lions very deserved winners in the end having dominated for most of the match.
It was a disappointing end of the season, as all ends that aren’t premierships tend to be, but was a strong finished to what had started with mixed form and finished with confidence, discipline and courage. Goulburn had beaten Wests in both games in the competition proper (once by 60-10) but this was a very different day, and a very different team.
Congrats to the team, to coaches and managers Dave Anable and Corbie Yeo for the ridiculous amount of hours they dedicate not just on match day but on many other days of the week, to all support staff, to the committee, to all sponsors and all supporters. It’s not the end of the season you’d hope for but it was just one game in a season full of hope, unearthing new talent, mentoring young men and women and continuing to build for the future. In other words, a very successful and enjoyable season. Reds together. Reds Forever.
Around the Grounds:
ACT Premier Third Grade
- Uni Norths 52 bt Queanbeyan 24
- Wests 34 bt Goulburn 17
ACT Premier Fourth Grade:
- Gungahlin 64 bt Royals 19
- Uni-Norths 57 bt Tuggeranong 7
Tables:
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