By HARRY CLARKE
THE heartbreak of last year’s grand final loss became an irrelevant and distant memory for the outback community of Mitchell, as their mighty Magpies fought off a surprise attack from the Wallumbilla-Surat Red Bulls to claim the club’s first A-grade competition win in more than two decades.
The Magpies, battlers for years who struggled repeatedly to make the final four, have blown the Roma & District Rugby League away this year, completing a steady and years-long club rebuild to deliver their loyal supporters an undefeated season and become, finally, premiership winners.
Hundreds of Mitchell locals who travelled to Bassett Park to ultimately see their team fall short of Roma Cities in the 2022 grand final multiplied and returned to the grounds Sunday, forming an enormous tunnel as the boys ran out and flooding the field in jubilation after the final buzzer.
Behind on the scoreboard for two excruciating periods during the game, the Magpies eventually proved they were too hungry for the trophy to let the gallant Red Bulls spoil the party.
The final score was 18-12 to Mitchell, where the premiership celebration will undoubtedly continue for days to come.
“It’s bloody unreal – surreal. It’s everything I wanted it to be and a little bit more,” said A-grade co-captain and Magpies veteran of 11 years, Ollie Peak (pictured).
“We had to work for it. We knew the Red Bulls were going to come hard but I honestly wasn’t expecting them to be in the game for that long.
“They did really well. They came to play and we just got into the grind and we loved it.
“We’ve loved the grind all year.”
All four of the Magpies’ grand final tries were scored out wide through tackle-breaking runs in backline, but the ruthless defence from Mitchell’s whole forward pack, including Number 14 Boyd Jump, put the winners ahead in the contest.
Prop John Russo led the attack, while in defence, lock Charlie Brumpton was everywhere and second rower Will Jones pounded the Wallumbilla attack with some huge hits when the game was at its most tense.
Revered competition halfback and Mitchell co-captain Thomas Kennedy played a staring role.
Kennedy was dangerous in attack, burrowing through for the first try of the game and putting the Magpies back in front midway through the second half when he broke through the Red Bulls defence and darted around star Wallumbilla fullback Matt York for his second try.
“To be captain with my mate Tommy Kennedy for these last – howevermany years we’ve been playing together – and to win this with him is really special,” Ollie Peak said.
Peak was awarded the Scott Arthur Memorial trophy for A-grade player of the year in the Roma & District Competition.
SLIDESHOW – A-grade grand final action
An upset by the Wallumbilla Red Bulls would have been too cruel for Mitchell, who smashed oppositions all year, but there were times when a grand final boil over was on the cards.
Red Bulls centre Tom McCoy broke through with seeming ease to score his team’s first try and the Magpies’ defence was scrambling whenever the ball came his way thereafter.
Coby Fechner, Brodie Hourne and captain Harvey Wright, playing 11, 12 and 13 respectively, matched Mitchell’s aggression through the middle, while a classy try off a high ball to five-eighth Ben York, breaking a 6-6 deadlock just after half time, had Magpies supporters nervous.
“It was tight. I was praying for those last three minutes to go really quick at the end,” Mitchell coach John Birkett (pictured) told the Caller.
“We blew a lot of chances but our defence got us through, we kept them camped down their end and we were a fitter side.
“We didn’t get ahead of ourselves and we just kept to our process. We’ve got some awesome footballers.”
Birkett was playing half back when the Mitchell Magpies last won an A-grade premiership in 2002. He said victory for the tiny town in the highly competitive south western rugby league competition meant a great deal to the community.
“It’s a club effort, it’s a town effort and I’m just so happy for the team,” he said.
“Some of the guys were that hurt last year, they thought they let the town down, but they’ve come back and rectified that. It’s awesome.”
MITCHELL (18): Les Wortley, Jackson Nicholls, Thomas Kennedy (2). Conversions – Ollie Peak
WALLUMBILLA-SURAT (12): Tries – Tom McCoy, Ben York. Conversions – Mav Fisher (2)
Cheers all round for Chook’s Chinchilla Reggies
Back off the field with a hammy not long into the Reserve-grade grand final, a downcast Chinchilla Bulldogs club stalwart in Luke “Hurler” O’Dea lamented that his latest injury might spell the end of his playing career of 30-plus years.
“I just felt my good hamstring go ‘pop’ and I reckon that’s a pretty good sign I should throw these boots into Charley’s Creek when I get home,” Hurler told the Caller from the reserve bench.
But only minutes later, O’Dea’s spirits improved sharply when his Bulldogs team mate Tom Lenihan took a pass from dummy half, shot through the middle of the field and shrugged off five defenders for a remarkable individual try, countering a late charge from Mitchell Magpies reserves.
WATCH: Tom Lenihan’s solo try for the Chinchilla Bulldogs
Chinchilla would score yet again in the second half for a well-earned grand final win of 36-16.
Captain-coach Jacob “Chook” Sommerfield said playing experience from the likes of O’Dea and halves pair Anthony Horswood and Steven Brownhalls helped steer the Bulldogs to their premiership win.
“It’s unreal,” Sommerfield said.
“We’ve worked hard all year. I’d like to thank the boys for all of their commitment. It’s been an honour to coach these boys and lead them out.
SLIDESHOW: Action from the Reserve-grade grand final
“It was a tough game of footy. We needed to get in the grind early and once we got a few points on them I think we felt a bit comfortable. We let them in for a couple of tries but managed to come back and rectify that.”
In response to O’Dea’s retirement declaration, Sommerfield said “we’ll see about at that”.
The 2023 Reserve-grade minor premiership went to the Mitchell Magpies, who lost only one game during the regular season.
CHINCHILLA (36): Tries – Brandon Paerau, Dan Gleeson, Steve Brownhalls, Tom Lenihan, Jordan Ashurst (2). Conversions (4)
MITCHELL (16): Tries – Harry Hancock, Dan Dwyer, Ryan Laverty, Dan Cox
Dragons deliver historic Under-18s win
Last year the Caller interviewed St George Dragons club veteran and Under-18s coach Sam Davis following his team’s disappointing grand final loss to the Wallumbilla-Surat Red Bulls.
Twelve months on, at the same spot beside Bassett Park oval, Davis was interviewed again but the outcome against the Chinchilla Bulldogs was the opposite.
The tight-knit team of St George Under-18s recorded the grade’s first premiership win in 10 years, beating minor premiers Chinchilla in a physical, 36-20 contest.
“Wallumbilla (2022 premiers) last year probably had a bit more experience than us and a few older boys, whereas we kept the majority of the 18s side from last year into this year,” Davis (pictured below) told the Caller.
SLIDESHOW – Action from the Under-18 grand final
“With that extra year of experience we really played as a team today. They just turned up and threw everything at them and put their bodies on the line like they’ve done week in week out this year.
“It’s been a tough old year for St George Under 16s and 18s because we’ve only had the bare 13/14/15 players. Under-18s only have 14 so the Under-16s come and sit on the bench for them, so it’s a massive effort.
“They’re a pretty talented bunch of kids.
“I know it’s an old cliche but this was a team effort. Your backs can only work with the platform that the forwards set for them, and you have to defend as a team. No individual can defend 13 players and the boys worked off the back of that.
“I’m proud of them.”
ST GEORGE (36): Tries – Braxton Beardmore, Tyson Woodbridge, Nate Davis, Shontayne Prince, Amdes Saunders. Conversions – Nate Davis (4)
CHINCHILLA (20): Tries – Isiah Madigan, Kyan Ferguson, Angus Pascoe, Jono Pitt. Conversions – Jono Pitt (2)
Young Red Bulls revel in grand final victory
In yet another case of the minor premiers being pipped in the grand final, the Wallumbilla-Surat Red Bulls overcame St George to lift the shield after the Under-16s grand final.
The final score was 28-20.
“It’s been unreal. These boys deserve it. They’ve had a tough two years and they’ve showed why they’re here today, so well done to them,” coach Coby Fechner said.
“We stared a bit poorly and St George are a quality team – you give them a sniff and they just keep coming like they did all game and all season.
“But full credit to the boys. We stuck in there and got the choccies in the end.”
WALLUMBILLA-SURAT (28): Tries – Kyaan Sewell (2) Jade Beardmore, Lachlan Anderson, Hunter Price, Bailey Tighe. Conversions – Mathew Walsh (3), Alex Freeman (1).
ST GEORGE (20): Tries – Tasma Croden-Hazel, Tye Clark, Cohen Neven, Riley Tattam. Conversions – Christopher Neven (2).
