Across The Waves Eagles will be chasing their 11th AFL senior premiership when they take on 2019 champions Bay Power in the grand final at 3pm Saturday at Frank Coulthard Oval.
The Eagles were formed in 1997 by a merger between Souths and Norths and they were an immediate success, winning it in each of their first three seasons.
They added further flags in 2001, 2006, 2008, 2011, then another three years in a row from 2014-16, but they failed to qualify for the finals for the first time last year when Power went on to claim their maiden flag.
Honours have been split between the two teams this season, with Power prevailing 9.12 (66) to 2.6 (18) on July 25, and Eagles flying high 10.9 (69) to 7.9 (51) on August 15 and 13.10 (88) to 10.8 (68) on September 5.
Waves claimed the minor premiership with a superior percentage to Hervey Bay Bombers and gained direct passage to the decider, while Power qualified with a return to form 40-point victory over the Bombers in the semi-final.
The Eagles will also meet the Bombers in the Colts and Reserves grand finals at 11.30am and 1.15pm respectively.
The Under-12 finale at 8am will be an all-Bombers affair between their Black and Red teams, while it will be a Hervey Bay derby between Bombers and Power in Under-14 at 9.45am.
Cricket
Two rounds of Bundaberg T/20 fixtures will be played in each division this weekend at Kendalls Flat before they have a weekend off when the Bulls Masters Country Challenge is contested at Salter Oval from next Friday-Sunday.
In Division 1 tomorrow, at 10.30am, Brothers will be hoping to bounce back from their capitulation at the hands of East Bundy Magpies when they take on Hervey Bay, while the unbeaten Waves meet Norths.
Then at 2pm, Norths do battle with the Brethren and the Magpies will look to swoop on the Bay.
Rugby league
Wests Panthers (Under-18) and Bundaberg Grizzlies (Under-16) have their minor premierships secure prior to this weekend’s last round of Bundaberg Junior fixtures in Hervey Bay and the Waves Sports Complex but a number of battles will go down to the wire for both minor titles and second and third positions and accompanying semi-finals berths.
Sunday’s under-18 match at the Waves at 2.40pm will feature second placed Wallaroos and last-placed Waves Tigers who will be keen to finish their year with a bang.
Football
Zye Cory, whose father Troy was formerly one of Wide Bay’s best rugby league players, achieved a rare feat, hammering in 11 goals for ATW Hot Spurs in an 18-0 white-wash of Bargara in under-14 last Saturday.
That took his season tally to an impressive 33 in 11 matches.
There are no Football Bundaberg matches this weekend due to the school holidays recess, but they will resume next weekend with three rounds remaining before the finals.
Greyhounds
Bundaberg trainer Paul Burgess claimed a treble at this week’s greyhound meeting at Thabeban Park, winning with Flying Mariposa (4th Grade) and Wildash Macie (5th Grade) and taking out the quinella in another 5th Grade with Factional and New Waves respectively.
Meanwhile, Churchable trainer Jamie Hosking picked up a double with Waddling Witch (Bundaberg Cup Prelude) and Lanark Blue (Masters 5th Grade) respectively.
Three other district trainers were also successful with Loose Wire making it back-to-back wins for Tracy Trigg in the Novice, Savoir returning to the winners’ list for Phillip Carter in a fifth grade, and Savuro also completing two straight for Allen Kelly in the Best 8.
In horse racing, Bundaberg trainers Darryl Gardiner and Ian Jackson were successful at the Gympie meeting on Saturday with Shenzi (Class B) and Pexbury Avenue (Benchmark 55) respectively.
Athletics
Bundaberg Athletic Club (BAC) and West Bundaberg Athletics will host the Queensland Little athletics Spring Carnival at their Bundaberg Super Park complex for the eighth year in a row tomorrow with a record 535 competitors from throughout the state ranging in age from under-7 through to Masters.
Club President James Bulbert said all running, throwing and jumping events would be contested in all divisions in a bumper program starting at 11am and running through until 8-9pm.
There will be 62 athletes representing the host club plus strong representations from all the other clubs from throughout the district.
Spectators are welcome within COVID-safe plans.
- TOMORROW: Special feature on Bundaberg's hockey Olympian
