Jesse Young and Ryan Bugeja took out Bundaberg Touch Association (BTA)’s most prestigious trophies on Juniors Grand Final Night on Friday.
Jesse took out the Luke Turnbull Memorial Shield for Outstanding Achievement and Ryan was awarded the Tremaine Tairawhiti Memorial Award.
The Luke Turnbull trophy, which was inaugurated after the young sporting champion’s tragic death at the age of just 16 in 1997, is awarded to a player who has excelled as part of the association throughout their junior years.
The player is in their last year of Junior Touch, has been a Bundaberg Touch Association representative player and has also been heavily involved in the association as a coach, referee, and volunteer and Jesse certainly ticks all those boxes.
The Tremaine Tairawhiti trophy, now in its fourth year, is presented to a Bundaberg Touch player who always enjoys playing touch, no matter the outcome and enjoys being part of any team.
The player demonstrates respect to all other game participants, shows commitment by consistently turning up for the team under all circumstances, is a hard worker and willing to put in the extra effort to help the team.
Ryan was a thoroughly deserving recipient.
Siblings Fletcher and Alex Churchill picked up the Junior Male and Female Referee of the Season awards respectively, while Riley Dingle claimed the Junior Coach of the Season.
Basil “Baz” Cutmore was also very popular as the 2021 Club Person of the Year.
Ryan was also a star in the Hurricanes side that was beaten by Tsunamis 8-4 in the U17 mixed grand final, but he received some consolation when he claimed the Male Season Best and Fairest for the division, while Bridget Woodman of Cyclones, was the U17 Female Season Best and Fairest.
Will Hamilton, who notched a double, along with Noah Klowss, was the Player of the U17 Final.
In U14 Boys, Xander Driver was a match winner with a double as Death Adders downed Taipans 4-2, but team-mate Cooper Nugent was Player of the Final, and Cobras’ Jomar (Junior) Gustilo was the Season Best and Fairest.
Marissa Harris crossed three times in a Player of the Final performance in U14 Girls Division 1, while team-mate Zoe Stone, who was rewarded with the Season Best and Fairest, also bagged a hat-trick.
Portia Hancock and Shanae Oosthuizen each touched down twice to spearhead Sapphires to a 6-3 victory over Pearls in U14 Girls Division 2, with Portia completing the Player of the Final-Season Best and Fairest double.
Nathan Eggmolesse and Cohen Sundblom each doubled up as Leopards accounted for Jaguars 6-3 in the U12 Boys Division 1 battle of the Big Cats, with Nathan the Season Best and Fairest but another Leopard, Jordan Galea, the Player of the Final.
Tyler Jones ran in four tries as Tigers outgunned Panthers 8-5 in U12 Boys Division 2, but he was edged out as Player of the Final by team-mate Malachi Iboro, while Panthers’ Kobey Walsh was the Season Best and Fairest.
In U12 Girls Division 1, Chelsea Medley led the charge with two touchdowns in a Player of the Final display as Kangaroos bounded away against Kolas 4-1, but team-mate Layla Collins, who was also among the scorers, was the 2020-21 Best and Fairest.
Lola Wood was the U12 Girls Division 2 Player of the Final with four of the best in Platypus’ 6-3 triumph over Wallabies, but another Churchill sibling Abigail, of Wallabies, was the Best and Fairest.
Fresh from his bronze medal at the Queensland Schools Swimming Championships earlier in the week, dynamic all-rounder Ethan Giles was the most prolific scorer on the night, amassing five to be U10 Boys Player of the Final as Magpies plucked Eagles 7-5, while Joseph Power notched a hat-trick in a beaten side, and fellow Eagles’ talent, Elroy Gustilo was crowned Best and Fairest over the course of the Season.
Another exciting multi-talent Charli Pollock stole the show in U10 girls, scoring all four tries as Sparkles pipped Rainbows 4-3, but there was light at the end of the rainbow for Ryan Bugeja’s sister Jessica, who was awarded as the Player of the Final from the losing side, and Season Best and Fairest.
Bundaberg Touch Association special awards
- 2021 Club Person of the Year – Basil ‘Baz’ Cutmore.
- Junior Male Referee of the Season – Fletcher Churchill.
- Junior Female Referee of the Season – Alex Churchill.
- Junior Coach of the Season – Riley Dingle.
- Luke Turnbull Award – Jesse Young.
- Tremaine Tairawhiti Award – Ryan Bugeja
Bundaberg Touch grand final results
U10 Boys
Magpies 7 (Ethan Giles 5, Zaide Barlow, Jack Bowman) d Eagles 5 (Joseph Power 3, Scott Rosenberger 2). Player of the Final – Ethan Giles (Magpies). Season Best and Fairest – Elroy Gustilo (Eagles).
U10 Girls
Sparkles 4 (Charli Pollock 4) d Rainbows 3 (Ava Ilander 2, Kaylee Overland). Player of the Final – Jessica Bugeja (Rainbows). Season Best and Fairest – Jessica Bugeja (Rainbows)
U12 Boys Div 1
Leopards 6 (Nathan Eggmolesse 2, Cohen Sundblom 2, Hudson McKenzie, Jesse Scott) d Jaguars 3 (Brayden Jenner, Seth Sheppard, LeBron Tanner). Player of the Final – Jordan Galea (Leopards). Season Best and Fairest – Nathan Eggmolesse (Leopards)
U12 Boys Div 2
Tigers 8 (Tyler Jones 4, Koby Cross 2, Taj Cooper, Blake Kraay) d Panthers 5 (Levi Hack 2, Kobey Walsh 2, Slater Wilkin). Player of the Final – Malachi Iboro (Tigers). Season Best and Fairest – Kobey Walsh (Panthers)
U12 Girls Div 1
Kangaroos 4 (Chelsea Medley 2, Layla Collins, Elextra Lythall) d Koalas 1 (Ruby Potter). Player of the Final – Chelsey Medley (Kangaroos). Season Best and Fairest – Layla Collins (Kangaroos)
U12 Girls Div 2
Platypus 6 (Lola Wood 4, Courtney Driver 2) d Wallabies 3 (Tamara Oosthuizen 2, Freya Cook). Player of the Final – Lola Wood (Platypus). Season Best and Fairest – Abigail Churchill (Wallabies)
U14 Boys
Death Adders 4 (Xander Driver 2, Tallen Chapman, Ryan Gaze) d Taipans 2 (Taj Arsenault, Riley Goddard). Player of the Final – Cooper Nugent (Death Adders). Season Best and Fairest – Jomar Junior Gustilo (Cobras)
U14 Girls Div 1
Rubies 7 (Marissa Harris 3, Zoe Stone 3, Chloe Galea) d Opals 3 (Sienna Nugent 2, Ella Rasmussen). Player of the Final – Marissa Harris (Rubies). Season Best and Fairest – Zoe Stone (Rubies)
U14 Girls Div 2
Sapphires 6 (Portia Hancock 2, Shanae Oosthuizen 2, Lainey Branch, Lily Mitchell) d Pearls 3 (Billee-Jae Dingle 2, Alexandria Kersnovske). Player of the Final – Portia Hancock (Sapphires). Season Best and Fairest – Portia Hancock (Sapphires)
U17 Mixed
Tsunamis 8 (Will Hamilton 2, Noah Klowss 2, Kacey Lloyd-Jones, Sophie Moore, Chloe O’Neill, Lachlan Runge) d Hurricanes 4 (Mitchell Sly 2, Annabel Roelofs, Trev-Tremoi Rowe-Leedie). Player of the Final: Will Hamilton (Tsunamis). Season Best and Fairest – Female – Bridget Woodman (Cyclones), Male – Ryan Bugeja (Hurricanes).
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