Tyler Ash bagged four tries in a player of the final performance as Ankle Bullies reclaimed the Bundaberg Touch Men’s title.
They has a 6-2 victory over Transformers at Greg Duncan Fields despite being without their captain and best player Luca Felesina.
Ankle Bullies snared the crown two seasons in a row before shocked by QNZLDer 8-7 in the 2022 Season 1 Grand Final in June.
But they again powered to the minor premiership, ahead of QNZLDer, before torching them 11-4 in the Major Semi-final.
QNZLDer were then without their captain and driving force Blake Hornbrook when they suffered a shock 3-2 Preliminary Final defeat at the hands of Transformers, who won only two games during the regular season to be last of the four teams, before edging out Renegades 4-3 in the Minor Semi-final.
But Cooper Mortensen drew first blood for Ankle Bullies in the decider, before Tyler Ash scored twice for a 3-0 half-time lead.
Stand-in captain Oliver Moreny extended their lead early in the second stanza, but instead of flying the white flag, Transformers struck back soon after to open their account.
However, that was as close as they got, and Tyler put the icing on the cake with two more touchdowns, although Transformers never stopped trying, and they grabbed a late consolation try.
Nathan Harvey, of QNZLDer, took out the Season Best and Fairest Award.
Ankle Bullies also topped the Mixed Division 1 table with QNZLDer second, and they also claimed their second title for the year at the expense of their arch-rivals with six players who were also part of their Men’s Grand Final outfit, defeating them 7-6 in another classic finale with doubles to three of them, Tyler Ash, Oliver Moreny and Will Hamilton, while another of them, Cooper Mortensen, who crossed once, was the Player of the Final.
Noah Klowss bagged a game-high three tries for QNZLDer, but it was not enough.
Ankle Bullies had triumphed 7-3 last season.
Captain Luca Felesina, who also missed the Mixed final, picked up the Male Season Best and Fairest gong for the division, while Sophie Moore, of last placed Long Ballz, was the Female Season Best and Fairest.
In the Women’s Division, Minor Premiers Shalom McGrath also added the premiership, pipping two-times defending champions Weekes Property Co 4-3 in another epic duel with four individual scorers, after scores had been locked at 2-apiece at oranges, but Weekes Property Co superstar Britt Edwards received some consolation when she was awarded the Player of the Final.
One of their scorers, Taylor Driver, picked up the 2022 Junior Representative Player of the Year, while her mother Sarah was a deserved recipient of the 2022 Club Person of the Season.
Queensland State of Origin Masters star Jude Bust was hailed as the 2022 Senior Representative Player of the Year.
Young Gun Lola Wood, of All Stars, was crowned as the Women’s Season Best and Fairest.
In Masters Division 1, NADS came from third position on the table to complete a hat-trick of titles with a 5-3 dispatch of minor premiers QNZLDer, with Matt Churchill snaring his second Player of the Final award for the year with two tries in a signature five-star performance.
Matt later also was awarded the Association’s coveted Jakey Award, which is presented annually in honour of the late Steve Jacobsen for all-round excellence.
Team-mate Chris Russo also notched a double, but Michael Gordon, who placed second on points before being bundled out with losses to QNZLDer, and NADS 2-1 in the Preliminary Final, was rewarded with the Season Best and Fairest.
Hot Crab also completed a hat-trick of Masters Division 2 triumphs, disposing of Lawngrubs 7-2 with Adam Lovett their only multiple scorer with two but being edged out for Player of the Final by team-mate Scott Bretag, while their team also included Season Best and Fairest Josiah Manteit.
Mixed Division 2 minor premiers Purple Plan, who were beaten grand finalists last season, received that Premiership on forfeit by Steve, but neither of those sides featured in the Season Best and Fairests, with those taken out by Corrina Haynes (QNZLDer) and Kale Johnson (Guns and Posers) respectively.
Turf Trotters had too many guns for Crickets in Mixed Division 3, running out 7-3 victors, with Gabrielle Galea crossing twice, her sister Jessica the Season Female Best and Fairest, and another team-mate Jay Rivett the Player of the Final.
Cayde Lister, of Ankle Bullies B, was the Male Season Best and Fairest.
QNZLDer’s only premiership came in Mixed Division 4, where they accounted for defending champions Grasshoppers 7-2, with doubles to Cayden and Seth Sheppard, and Cassie Hornbrook, Seth clinching the Player of the Final, and Sophie-Lee Burke (The Spooners) and Xander Hills (Grasshoppers) the Season Best and Fairests.
Scores:
Women: Shalom McGrath 4 (Sebella Marano, Taylor Driver, Kate Moreny, Chloe Galea) d Weekes Property Co 3 (Sophie Moore, Ella Branch, Cadence Taylor); Player of the Final – Britt Edwards (Weekes Property); Season Best and Fairest – Lola Wood (All Stars).
Men: Ankle Bullies 6 (Tyler Ash 4, Cooper Mortensen, Oliver Moreny) d Transformers 2 (Ben McLaughlin, Dawson Hess); Player of the Final – Tyler Ash; Season Best and Fairest – Nathan Harvey (QNZLDer).
Masters Division 1: NADS 5 (Matthew Churchill 2, Chris Russo 2, David Shilton) d QNZLDer 3 (Joel Keune, Matt Dobbie, Andreas Nona); Player of the Final – Matt Churchill (NADS); Season Best and Fairest – Michael Gordon (Never on Side)
Masters Division 2: Hot Crab 7 (Adam Lovett 2, Paul Mason, Michael McMahon, Andrew Chesham, Jeff Morley, Josiah Manteit) d Lawngrubs 2 (Mitch Barlow, Shanon Newton); Player of the Final –Scott Bretag (Hot Crab); Season Best and Fairest – Josiah Manteit (Hot Crab)
Mixed Division 1: Ankle Bullies 7 (Tyler Ash 2, Oliver Moreny 2, Will Hamilton 2, Cooper Mortensen) d QNZLDer 6 (Noah Klowss 3, Blake Hornbrook, Luke Griffin, Lily Mitchell); Player of the Final – Cooper Mortensen (Ankle Bullies); Season Best and
Fairest: Female – Sophie Moore (Long Ballz), Male – Luca Felesina (Ankle Bullies).
Mixed Division 2: Purple Plan d Steve on forfeit; Season Best and Fairest: Female – Corrina Haynes (QNZLDer 2), Male – Kale Johnson (Guns and Posers).
Mixed Division 3: Turf Trotters 7 (Gabrielle Galea 2, Riley Pimm, Jessica Galea, Karrie Hills, Jay Rivett, Andrew Galea) d Crickets 3 (Tyler Young, Abigail Young, Tony Hoger); Player of the Final – Jay Rivett (Turf Trotters); Season Best and Fairest:
Female –Jessica Galea (Turf Trotters), Male – Cayde Lister (Ankle Bullies B).
Mixed Division 4: QNZLDer 3 7 (Cayden Sheppard 2, Seth Sheppard 2, Cassie Hornbrook 2, Tim Baker) d Grasshoppers 2 (Kyiah Hills, Aaron Hills); Player of the Final – Seth Sheppard (QNZLDer 3); Season Best and Fairest: Female – Sophie-Lee Burke (The Spooners), Male – Xander Hills (Grasshoppers).
Bundaberg Touch Club Awards:
Jakey Award – Matthew Churchill
2022 Club Person of the Season – Sarah Driver
2022 Junior Representative Player of the Year – Taylor Driver
2022 Senior Representative Player of the Year – Jude Bust
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