Matt Hardman cut loose with three tries as Bundy Outdoors completed a hat-trick of Brothers Social Touch Mixed Division A titles with a 5-0 whitewash of Hitz FM in the Winter Season Grand Finals at Brothers Sports Club.
Bundy Outdoors had beaten McColms in both the Winter and Summer deciders last year, claiming their maiden top-grade gong in the mid-year finale, before defending the crown with a 7-0 blitz, when Luke Turnbull was their only multiple-scorer with a double but Matt had also touched down.
This time, they came up against last season’s Division D victors who had done brilliantly to qualify for the Blue Riband play-off, but Bundy Outdoors simply had too many guns.
A new champion was crowned in the Open Division, with AFL star Damian McCrae a match winner for Touch Me Now as they downed Mad C’s 4-2.
2022 Summer Season Open victors Ace moved to the Over-35’s Division A category in 2023, and they again triumphed, edging out three-times defending champions Cheshire Machinery 2-1.
Misfits’ quest for three Mixed Division B premierships in a run fell just short, pipped by Marshalls 5-4 with Marshalls getting home on the back of doubles to Andrew and Lil McCracken and one try to Australian Surf Life Saving Beach star Ky Woods.
Justin Gaze and Jomar (Junior) Gustilo both bagged doubles for Misfits, but it was not enough.
Blake Aplitt stole the show for Bits and Pieces in Mixed Division C, scoring all three tries as they trumped Jokers 3-2.
Nutz and Jugs made it back-to-back successes in Mixed Division D, awarded the prize as first scorer after a 3-all deadlock with No Names could not be broken in extra-time.
Former Bundaberg Rugby League A Grade star Joel Keune was also a hero with a double to be a match winner as Nathan Broadhurst’s Team prevailed against Solar Gain 3-2 in Mixed Division E.
Stalwarts McHugh Steel chalked up their second straight Winter Over-35’s Division B Trophy, also adding to their long honours’ list over many years with a 2-1 dispatch of reigning premiers LLE.
OPEN: Touch Me Now 4 (Damo McCrae 2, Lachlan Walker, Nick Larsen) d Mad Cs 2 (Nick Moore, Keenan Pudre)
MIXED A: Bundy Outdoors 5 (Matt Hardman 3, Sam Puusaari, Luke Turnbull) d Hitz FM 0
MIXED B: Marshalls 5 (Lil McCracken 2, Andrew McCracken 2, Ky Woods) d Misfits 4 (Justin Gaze 2, Jomar Junior Gustilo 2)
MIXED C: Bits & Pieces 3 (Blake Aplitt 3) d Jokers 2 (James Walker 2)
MIXED D: Nutz & Jugs 3 (Lilyanna Callaghan, Amy Kelly, Harry Millbank) d No Names 3 (Rueben Fleming, Luke Fleming, Will Guest) in extra-time as first scorer.
MIXED E: Nathan Broadhurst’s Team 3 (Joel Keune 2, Josh Killer) d Solar Gain 2 (Adam Baxter, Joshua Bulbert).
OVER 35s A: Ace 2 (Ryan Gelhaar, Dion Fatiaki) d Cheshire Machinery 1 (Brian McMah)
OVER 35s B: McHugh Steel 2 (Michael Castelli, Greg Messenger) d LLE 1 (Danny Blair)
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