Goulburn have secured second position in the Women’s Premier 15s competition with a 25-0 win over the Queanbeyan Whites.

The win was a genuine team effort, with the Reds forced to work hard throughout the game by a powerful Whites outfit.

The game was physical and at times brutal, with Queanbeyan seemingly determined to make a statement at the contact. However Goulburn were unrattled and continued to bounce back every time.

Goulburn were first on the board through the boot of Amelia Vitek after eight minutes and from there the Reds kept the scoreboard ticking over. A well-worked play from a line out saw Elly Hazelton cross for her second try of the season.

While every Reds player dug deep throughout the game, Madyson Tooth was outstanding. Her partnership in the centres with Hazelton created numerous attacking opportunities for Goulburn, capped off with a 50m try in the shadows of half time. The conversion saw captain Ash Mewburn reach 100 points for the club – the first woman to achieve the milestone.

Tooth would later double her tally in the second half through more hard running. That the Reds kept the powerful Queanbeyan runners from scoring is testament to their attitude and effort, especially when they were reduced to 14 after flanker Bella Sheen was given ten minutes in the naughty chair for a high tackle.

The win was soured by a serious knee injury to front rower Dani McDonald in the final play of the game with Goulburn chasing the bonus point try.

Unsurprisingly, Tooth was recognised for her efforts with the Players’ Player award from her teammates, along with three Best and Fairest points. Two points went to Hazelton, with Vitek and Lyndal Morris sharing one point. Vitek was her usual busy self around the field, while Morris marked her first game back since 2019 with a whole-hearted 70 minute effort in the front row.

The result sets up an intriguing match next week against last year’s grand finalists Uni Norths Owls, who narrowly lost to the Tuggeranong Viqueens 12-7 on the weekend.

Goulburn Dirty Reds 25 (Tooth 2, Hazelton tries, Vitek 2 pen, con, Mewburn con) defeated Queanbeyan Whites 0.