Down by eight points with three minutes to go, Gin Gin Hawks grabbed two tries, including a last-second equalizer to livewire lock Maka Taliauli, before Cameron Ross converted after the siren to clinch a stunning 28-26 victory over two-times defending champions Avondale Tigers in their Northern Districts Rugby League first round showdown at South Kolan on Sunday.
Then South Kolan Sharks recovered from a shaky start against Miriam Vale, with weight of numbers a factor as they fielded a full contingent of 19 players to the Magpies’ 15, and Jake Evans came off the bench to bag a hat-trick of tries in a 52-10 demolition.
The Tigers however defeated the Hawks 18-10 in the Women’s League Tag.
In the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership, the three first round victors each won again, with, at Salter Oval on Saturday, Wests Panthers pulverizing Wallaroos 60-30, and Easts Magpies prevailing in a real arm wrestle against Waves Tigers, getting home 24-12, and in Hervey Bay, the Seagulls plucked Past Brothers 32-20.
Highly potent centres Dyirun Johnson and Jensen Deamer each bagged doubles for the Panthers, while quality five-eighth Andreas Nona was a match winner for the Magpies also with two superb tries.
AFL
Sarah Pizzey kicked three goals as Across The Waves Eagles sealed the AFL Wide Bay Takalvan’s Women’s Premiership minor title with two rounds to go with a 9.7 (71) to 2.1 (13) home victory over Gympie Cats at Frank Coulthard Oval on Saturday.
But Brothers Bulldogs remained win-less, suffering an 11.10 (76) to 2.0 (12) home defeat at the hands of Bay Power.
The Bulldogs’ men also had a tough day at the office in the opening round of the Senior Premiership, put to the sword by their hosts Hervey Bay Bombers, who ran out 13.9 (87) to 0.4 (4) winners.
Football
Jake Brough was a hero for Brothers-Aston Villa, scoring in the 89th minute to break the deadlock and clinch a 2-1 victory over Across The Waves at Martens Oval on Saturday night.
The win also maintained their perfect record and consolidated their lead on the Wide Bay League Premier Men’s ladder.
New sensation Nykodah Smith scored for the previously all conquering Waves in the 42nd minute, but Villa equalized via an own goal seven minutes into the second stanza.
Both sides continued to engage in a pulsating end-to-end battle, but a draw appeared certain, until Jake struck, but Villa could also thank their keeper Cory Holzberger for a string of superb saves as Waves really turned up the heat as the clock ticked away.
Hockey
Eighteen-year-old Ethan Rach, playing along-side his father and life-time club champion Jamie, came to the fore, bagging a hat-trick of goals to spearhead Waves Cities to a 7-1 victory over Arrows/Athletics in their Bundaberg Division 1 Men’s showdown at Hinkler Park on Saturday.
All Blacks young gun Isaac Wales also hammered in three goals as four-time defending premiers All Blacks outgunned Raiders/Rovers 5-1.
Division 1 women’s premiers Waves/Cities also continued on their winning ways with Milee Flanders and Katie Yick both bagging doubles in a 5-2 dispatch of Arrows.
AFL Wide Bay
Senior
Hervey Bay Bombers 0.0, 8.7, 12.7, 13.9 (87) d Brothers Bulldogs 0.2, 0.3, 0.3, 0.4 (4)
HERVEY BAY BOMBERS – Goal Kickers: J. Hickey 3, T. Baldwin 3, M. Lewis 2, B. Ottery, J. Feben, D. Rowe, L. Hodgetts, L. Woodhams. Best Players: T. Baldwin, J. Andrew, D. Rowe, J. Simms, J. Hickey, D. Johnstone
BROTHERS BULLDOGS – Best Players: Griffin Webb, Tristan Taylor, Kyle Anderson, Jefferson Baulch, Zak Mercieca, Harrison Hodgson
Takalvan’s Women’s Premiership
Round 8
Bay Power 3.2, 5.3, 8.5, 11.10 (76) d Brothers Bulldogs 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 2.0 (12).
BAY POWER – Goal Kickers: B. Thom 3, K. Hill 2, A. Grimsley 2, J. Cullen, K. Sims, G. Williams. Best Players: L. Dooley, A. Easton, B. Thom, K. Hill, I. Williams
BROTHERS BULLDOGS – Goal Kickers: Laura Branch, Jessica Galea. Best Players: Kieranne Zunker, Jessica Galea, Gabrielle Galea, Chelsea Morrison, Narda Girvan, Tanya Thiele
Across The Waves 4.4, 5.9, 7.12, 9.17 (71) d Gympie Cats 0.0, 0.1, 2.1, 2.1 (13)
ACROSS THE WAVES – Goal Kickers: Sarah Pizzey 3, Kelly Blair 2, Taylor Jardine, Kirstyn Abbott, Sarah Enever, Monica Hung. Best Players: Rachael Jose, Sarah Pizzey, Taylor Jardine, Marie Smith, Kayla Osborn, Olivia Wightman
GYMPIE CATS – Goal Kickers: E. Findlay 2. Best Players: K. Monk, Z. Binney, E. Findlay, C. Mallett, J. Scott, A. Mitchell
Football Wide Bay
Premier League Men
BROTHERS-ASTON VILLA 2 (Jake Brough, own goal) d ACROSS THE WAVES 1 (Nykodah Smith).
Bundaberg Second Division Men’s Cup
ATW 7 d SC CORINTHIANS 0.
Hockey Bundaberg
Division 2 Women
Raiders Rovers 10 (Hailey Kendall 1, Zoe McDonnell 1, Reegan Wightman 2, Kerri-Anne Lund 3, Susan Kendall 3) defeated All Blacks 0
Arrows Athletics 1 (Hannah Munro 1) defeated Waves Cities 0
Division 2 Men
Arrows Athletics 4 (Jake McCaig 1, Keith Scherer 3) defeated Waves Cities 1 (Michael Callaghan)
Division 1 Women
Raiders Rovers 3 (Susan Kendall 1, Jasmine Fagg 2) defeated All Blacks 1 Hana Sherlock
Waves Cities 5 (Anna Smith 1, Milee Flanders 2, Katie Yick 2) defeated Arrows Athletics 2 (Malanie Stehbens 2)
Division 1 Men
Waves Cities 7 (Adam Harradine 1, Matthew Quaite 1, Joel Latham 2, Ethan Rach 3) defeated Arrows Athletics 1 (Harry Gardiner)
All Blacks 5 (Cody Sherlock 1, Thomas Chadwick 1, Isaac Wales 3) defeated Raiders Rovers 1 (Josh Crow)
Rugby League
Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership
Round 2
WESTS 60 (Dyirun Johnson 2, Jensen Deamer 2, Chris Robinson, Jake Coros, Marcus Tanner, Daniel Tanner, Shaun Ezzy, Caleb Tull, Dallas Bamberry tries; Chris Robinson 6, Gage Laird, Caleb Tull goals) d WALLAROOS 30 (Ben Waters 2, Luke Waters, Bailey Robertson, David Ball tries; Jordan Kemble 5 goals).
EASTS MAGPIES 24 (Andreas Nona 2, Matthew Ross, Craig Bek tries; Matthew Craven 4 goals) d WAVES TIGERS 12 (Tom Dexter, Reece Maughan tries; Layton Chambers 2 goals).
HERVEY BAY 32 (Mitchell Laughton, Scott Walthall, Dylan Crockford, Jeremiah Pati, William Walthall, Dion Bunyan tries; Legona Vetemotu 4 goals) d PAST BROTHERS 20 (Danny Moran 2, Tyrell Priestley 2 tries; Zak Bainbridge 2 goals).
Reserve Grade
EASTS MAGPIES 30 (Isaiah Gala 2, Chris Larsen, Denim Rogers, Chris Royan, Tyler Jones tries; Jackson Paulson 3 goals) d WAVES TIGERS 4 (Bailey Brown try).
WALLAROOS 20 (Josiah Alberts, Roger Rainbow, Roger Tobane, Lee Muckan tries; Kynan Watson, Lachlan McConnell goals) d WESTS 18 (Lochlan Modrow, Isaiah Bullard, Rick Nagas, Robert McCormack tries; Ashley Helmore goal).
HERVEY BAY 26 (Brock Shepherd 2, Steven Brudzinski, Ben Keelty tries; Ben Hudson 5 goals) d PAST BROTHERS 12 (Zack Griffith-Lutz, Dylan Harradine-Hall tries; Brendon McKeown 2 goals).
Northern Districts
Round 1
Mens
Gin Gin Hawks 28 (Cameron Ross, Semisi Halapio, Mathew Lawton, Maka Taliauli, Justin Johnson tries; Cameron Ross 4 goals) d AVONDALE TIGERS 26 (Daniel Wendt, Jack West-Combo, Keith Wuruki, Cody Trebbin, Francis Primavera tries; Brendan Prossliner 3 goals).
SOUTH KOLAN SHARKS 52 (Jake Evans 3, Jason Brown, Montgomery Chapman-Dynevor, Darren Broome, Cem Rohdmann, Corey Gough, Jacob Olive, Chris Chapman tries; Jason Brown 3, Andrew Filo goals) d MIRIAM VALE MAGPIES 10 (Brandon Hornby, Raymond Kaestner tries; J Hughes goal).
Women’s League Tag
AVONDALE TIGERS 18 (G Haupt 2, E Mitchell tries; B Gapes, S Atkinson goals) d Gin Gin Hawks 10 (T Young, K Hills tries; E Collinson goal).
Last week's sports report: Australian Age Swimming Championships gold for locals
