Fred Quod is celebrating 27 consecutive weeks of top picks as he prepares to head to the National Rugby League grand final on Sunday, October 2.

The Blast H20 owner finished Mackay and Whitsunday Life newspaper’s Footy Tipping Comp in the top spot with a more than impressive score of 142.

His winning points tally saw him collect the prize of $1500 dollars and two tickets to the NRL Grand Final at Accor Stadium, Sydney.

Fred credited his excellent tipping form – in his first ever tipping competition – with having played rugby league himself as a young buck.

“It was knowing what teams can do, over the years following the competition, seeing who’s popular, who the coach is, and who the coach is not; they lose the coaches pretty quick!” Fred laughed.

“But it’s the form guide, injuries to gun players, dropping them out of the equation and not picking them.”

Unlike some tippers, Fred said he wasn’t a stats man, it was “all just intuition”.

“The big difference was that I’d played rugby league, but I took to it with due diligence; I focused on it and it paid dividends in the end. I wanted to get it right,” Fred said.

“I had a perfect round, some sevens out of eight, and I just really enjoyed myself; it was good fun.”

An enormous North Queensland Cowboys fan, Fred is hoping his boys can get up so he can celebrate them lifting the trophy this year with front row seats.

Fred said he’ll be taking his daughter, Alyce, who lives in Albion Park, south of Wollongong, to the final.

If you would like to be part of the Footy Tipping Competition next year call Mike McCann on 0427 897 960. Spots are going fast, so get in quick to reserve your place.

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On the weekend, nine Cannonvale Cannons participated in the SNQ Relay Supremacy event held in Townsville.

SNQ Captains Jy Parkinson and Hayley Andrejic guided their teams through various relay challenges.  

Jy’s team, Jy’s Jets was comprised of Jacob Bell, Lochlan Jamieson, Ehsan Helou, and Anisa Helou. Hayley’s team, Hayley’s Comets, were Tiana Bell, Remy Hedges, Shantelle Short, and Holly Perrin.

The scores were very close - 101 to 103 - with Hayley’s Comets pipping it by two points in the end.

The Cannons hosted another fun Club Night on Wednesday where Club Secretary, Giselle Burton presented Jasmine Gerlofsma with the Swim Star Award based on her “cracking 50m Freestyle swim”.  

Giselle also presented Upgrade Certificates to Levi Smith, Jasmine Gerlofsma, Lily Maher, Celeste Orenshaw, Isaac Pisaniello, Lilah Mewha, Piper Walker, and Indi Smith.  Ehsan Helou and Levi Smith were presented with the Chocolate Awards for best personal bests.  

The coaches, Mark Erickson and Ken Crittenden were very excited by standard of swimming at Club Night.  

Isabella Pisaniello had a very successful night swimming four personal best swims, and an awesome 100-metre IM in 1.39.53 which was a 22.75 second personal best.

Isabella’s brother, Isaac also swam extremely well, swimming three personal bests. His 50-metre Butterfly saw him improve on his previous best the most, swimming a 52.98 second 50-metre.

Shailee Mewha and Jack Ganter had a cracking Club Night, achieving three personal bests.  

Shailee swam a super 50-metre Breaststroke in 58.74 seconds, and one of Jack’s best swims was his 200-metre IM, which he swam in 3.06.29.

Jack’s brother, Thomas swam an excellent 200-metre Freestyle in 2.55.78 – an 8.52 second personal nest.  Lily Maher swam a super 100-metre IM in a time of 1.49.83 - a 9.88 second personal best.

The club extends its thanks to all the volunteers and parents for their support. Club Nights will continue over the school holidays.

Contributed with thanks to Raylene Rasmussen

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The Proserpine Junior Sportspark came alive with brightly coloured jerseys and thousands of families setting up camp for the weekend, when the Paul Bowman Carnival came to town, attracting 75 players from across the state.

Councillor Al Grundy said that with no declared winner of the tournament, the event is set up to promote participation and sportsmanship for the formative years of under nine competition.

“It’s about getting the kids involved!” he said.

“And it was so nice to see so many people coming from so far away and travelling from all over the state.

“The whole event went really well – it was so well organised and the volunteers did a fantastic job. The people think it’s really amazing and it was lovely to hear them all saying thank you.”

Cowboy players Heilum Luki and Mitch Dunn both said they were thrilled to see such a great following for the event.

“It reminds me of going to this sort of carnival when I was younger and now they are all coming to see me!” said Heilum.

Coordinator Kim Bates said she was proud of all the organising committee and volunteers.

“It gets better every year, it’s wonderful for the whole community and we always do it for love!”

Kate Clark, Manager of the Whitsunday Brahmans under-nine team said it was awesome seeing everyone gather for the kids.

“Everyone played their best and showed really good sportsmanship,” she said.

Image: 75 teams from across the state played at the Paul Bowman Challenge over the weekend

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Nine of the Whitsundays top distance competitors headed south for the gruelling Sunshine Coast Half Ironman earlier this month, representing the region in perfect fashion on a world class course.

Whitsunday Triathlon Club members competed in the extreme form of triathlons which tasks them with completing a 1.9-kilometre swim, 90-kilometre cycle, and 21.1-kilometre run around Mooloolaba’s spectacular coastline and hinterland.

The nervous energy was aplenty on the Saturday registration day for the race, as the Whitsunday competitors racked their bikes alongside hundreds of others.

Over 1488 individual participants registered in all age groups, some in teams, but most out to test their own stamina and endurance. Saturday was a day of rest, reflection and carbohydrate loading for the nine local athletes.

It kicked off with the swim - a rolling start in waves of colourful caps as the sun came up over Mooloolaba’s stunning surf beach.

Following up was the bike course, which headed out onto the Sunshine Motorway on a fast, smooth surface, and then the run, which took competitors along the Iconic Mooloolaba boardwalk and Esplanade with picture perfect views.

The nine Whitsunday racers were relieved to see the finish arch as they headed back onto Beach Terrace where welcoming sustenance, massages and recovery tents awaited them.

The Whitsunday Triathlon Club members not only represented the club by completing the race, but by finish with some amazing times

Chief among them was Airlie Beach local and Hamilton Island firefighter Daniel McDonnell, who placed 20 overall with a time of 3 hours, 48 minutes and 44 seconds putting him on the Podium as third in his Age group of 18-24

Others who smashed the race and claimed a personal best time were Fraser Lyon in four hours and 15 minutes, Julia Wheway in five hours and 38 minutes, Shane Bellert with four hours and 57 minutes, Craig Langevad in six hours and 40 minutes, Mark McConkey in six hours and 21 minutes, and finally Alisha Rust in five hours and 17 minutes.

Whitsunday Triathlon Club also hosted a team: the Chipmuncks, comprised of Karen Maddock (swim and run) and Robyn Corrigan (cycle), who finished in six hours and 43 minutes.

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Saturday saw the Whitsunday Sea Eagles hold their 2022 Season Club Presentations celebrating a brilliant year on what was a superb day.

2022 saw Sea Eagles Under 17s and Under 12s play in Grand Finals doing a great job for the Club against stronger opposition.

Senior Men and Under 14s made Preliminary Finals, coming third in their respective grades, while Senior Women celebrated their growing skill development with a few more wins on the board.

Young Sea Eagle Aidan Allen-Fancke went back-to-back in the Under 17s AFLQ Mackay League Best & Fairest, and Sea Eagles look forward to seeing what he can do with his talented future.

Remaining teams saw many votes across the League to end a year of achievements for a relatively small but growing Whitsunday Australian Football Club.

Whitsunday Sea Eagles Senior Men’s Best and Fairest went to Brent Downie who consistently works hard around the ground. Runner up was Ryan Lee, who had another skilful year until injury took him out of the running through the season, whilst Leading goalkicker Sam Keating was a reliable set of hands in front of goals for the second year running.

Senior Women Best and Fairest was taken out by Cleo Dickie, who also scored some votes in the League Best and Fairest. Runner up was the ever-reliable Grace Bell.

Under 17s Best and Fairest Aidan Allen-Fancke once again doubled up from the League medal in what was another stunning year for the young gun. Runner up was Jordan Daniels, who was outstanding around the ground, and Leading goalkicker with 33 goals went to Brodan Cornwall.

Under 14s Best and Fairest went to Zavier Goswell with Runner up Blake Hanks. Under 14s Female Player of the Year went to Charlotte Fleming, while leading goalkicker with a whopping 38 was Cody Love.

Under 12s Best and Fairest was so close votes could not separate them, shared between Lochlan Jeffries and Tyson Fowler. Not far behind was runner up Reef Weller with these top three also tying for the Players Player award. Leading goalkicker Sterling Rogan-Hamilton managed 13 for the season.

The perpetual Cody Gibbs Memorial Trophy was unveiled to be awarded to a Club member who showed they were Resilient, Courageous, Selfless and Respectful. The deserving recipient of the Cody Gibbs Memorial Trophy this year for resilience and courage throughout ongoing injuries, loyal support of the Club and support to Cody throughout his battle, was Oxsen Prosser.

Sea Eagles would like to thank their Sponsors and the community for their amazing support this year for AFL in the Whitsundays and look forward to seeing you for AFL Mackay Preseason Carnival in March 2023.

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Over an eight-week training regime, participants from Base 51 Functional Fitness challenged themselves to gain muscle and lose weight for the chance to nab a cash prize of a thousand dollars.

With a combination of personal training and dieting, the eight-week challenge winner and “$1000 Dollar Man” was Paul Douthwaite, who pulled off some staggering results.

Paul’s outcome was a loss of 10 kilograms of Body Fat – dropping him down to 8.7 per cent body fat – and a gain of six kilograms of lean muscle mass.

Base 51 Head Trainer John Russolillo said he was astounded by Paul’s “legendary results”.

“The effort, showing up every day, consistency and a good program is what gets those kinds of results,” John said.

“It’s testament to both the training of Base and to Paul’s commitment.”

Paul, who took part in Base 51’s Elite Squad small group personal training as well, attributed his success to a few factors.

“My body has changed dramatically in the time I’ve been training. I couldn’t even do a push-up at the start and now I’m kicking goals everywhere,” Paul said.

“I’ve been to plenty of gyms and lasted a few weeks, but here it captured my attention. There’s a family there and that’s a real appeal – you see the same faces every week and you get to know each other.

“We were all working together towards a goal and that helps you form bonds. The training and making sure you’re working out with the right form helps massively. It’s helped me get back into my running, which I haven’t done for two or three years.

“Being able to work out alongside my wife and my son now is really the biggest reward. And my golf is at a different level now, so I have to thank John and Base 51 for all of that.”

Paul is now being affectionately known at the gym as the “$1000 Dollar Man” and plans to take part in another challenge – although he’s not expecting to lose another 10-kilograms.

Image1: Winner, winner chicken dinner for Paul Douthwaite as heclaimed a $1000 dollar prize in the Base 51 Functional Fitness Eight-WeekChallenge

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Grand Final Day, Saturday, September 17: With two teams in Grand Finals for the first time ever, Whitsunday United Supporters were buzzing with excitement whilst players nervously waited for the action to start.

With the U14 Premiers side playing early in the day and a supporter bus organised for the Premier Men, the tangerine machine was going to be out on force and vocal on the sidelines.

The U14 Premiers took to the field focussed, ready to play and determined to add the Grand Final Trophy to their collection. Unfortunately, lady luck was not wearing orange on Saturday morning and despite one of their best performance all year, the young Whitsunday side fell short of a win.

They started strong, and despite running into a tough headwind, were equal to everything the Crusaders threw at them. The Mackay side scored first and Reef Peel returned the compliment with a great finish to equalise.

The arm wrestle continued till half time and the Whitsunday side was looking good with a 1-1 score and the wind at their back for the second half.

Against the run of play, Crusaders scored an early goal in the second half and despite being camped in front of the Crusaders goal, the Whitsunday side was unable to capitalise on several chances and went down in a nail-biting finish. A genuine contest between two string sides and the U14's have every right to be proud of the Minor Premiership they achieved in 2022.

As the evening drew on, the excitement built for the clash of the day. The matchup between arch rivals Whitsunday and Mackay Lions was eagerly anticipated by the large crowd of supporters and with their team favourite to win, the Whitsunday fans were in full song, adding to the electric atmosphere.

The anticipation was palpable.

After a stellar year in which the Whitsunday Premier Men took out the Minor Premiership, The Championship was within their grasp for the first time ever.

From the opening whistle, the crowd was treated to a fast and physical opening to the match with both sides determined to dominate early, and Lions knowing that a front running Whitsunday side would be impossible to catch.

To the Whitsunday crowd raucous delight it took only 7 minutes for their side to draw first blood through a brilliant strike by Tommy Torzsok off a Ben Smith pass. It was a dream start to the game and Whitsunday started to dominate play with their speed and precision. Scott Ferries and Tommy Torzsok controlling the middle whilst Ben Smith caused havoc up front with a brilliant performance.

The second goal was only 12 minutes later as Harry Hodgen drove forward down the left wing working towards goal, beating his man and cutting back a perfect ball for Francisco Puentes to drive into the net. With a two-goal lead, the Whitsunday freight train was on a roll and continued to pile on the pressure. With only minutes to go in the first half, a perfect Ben Smith long range free kick found the net again but was disallowed.

It didn’t take long for Whitsunday to seal the game in the second half, with Marty Goodey charging down the left-hand side, beating several players and feeding a beautiful ball to Ben Smith who calmly slotted it past the keeper. Players and supporters both went wild with pandemonium breaking out in the technical area with coaches, official, subs and players embracing.

Player awards after the match included Harry Hodgen with the Golden Boot award and Scott Ferries the league’s season MVP. A well-deserved and popular win to top off a great year for Whitsunday.

With the Premier Men leading the way, and strength through all age groups, Whitsunday United is looking forward to 2023 already and is aiming to be the major force in the regional football league for many years to come.

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Infront of a huge crowd at BB Print Stadium, the Bowen Mudcrabs faced off against their closest rivals, the Proserpine Whitsunday Raiders, in a grand-final matchup with extreme bragging rights.

The question on the region’s lips was whether the pincer would be mightier than the sword when the two sides met for the Mackay Rugby Union final on Saturday – and there was only one certainty: it would be a tight affair.

Raiders had fought hard against Kuttabul the weekend before to make their claim in this final trophy game, with the Mudcrabs having taken a well-deserved break the week before, having already beaten Raiders to shoot straight through to the final game.

The Bowen side had served up Raiders their only loss in almost two seasons in that Major Semi-Final, leaving the Proserpine side with a point to prove coming into the game.

Each of their matchups in the season had been arguably some of the best games of Mackay Rugby Union played in years, and the pressure was mounting.

And this grand final did not disappoint; it was an instant classic.

Busloads of fans witnessed Bowen and Whitsunday players leave it all on the pitch, decked out in their supporter gear – one even dressed as a crab – and revelled in a rugby final that well exceeded the price of admission.

For the Bowen side’s supporters who made the three-hour trip down to the Sugar City, the petrol price was worth its weight in gold.

It was one of the most incredible final games the league has ever seen, with it heading right down to the wire with Casper Turner scoring for Bowen in the last 10 seconds to win it.

Muddies made history come the end of the 80 minutes, winning the final and ending their 41-year drought in the process, claiming their first ever league title with a 25 to 22 win against the Proserpine Whitsunday Raiders.

Coach Tom Anderson, whose father was one of the original Mudcrab founders of the club and was watching on the day, led the long, post-match celebrations that ran through into the early hours of Monday morning.

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The 14th annual Paul Bowman Challenge saw 5000 young footballers and their families, spread over 75 teams from as far afield as Mount Isa, attend the Proserpine Football grounds this weekend.

The Under 9’s two-day Rugby League carnival is held in the Whitsundays every year and over the weekend excited kids were queuing up in droves to meet their favourite sport stars, Cowboys players Heilum Luki and Mitch Dunn.

5000 Attend Paul Bowman Challenge

The Proserpine Junior Sportspark came alive with brightly coloured jerseys and thousands of families setting up camp for the weekend, when the Paul Bowman Carnival came to town, attracting 75 players from across the state.

Councillor Al Grundy said that with no declared winner of the tournament, the event is set up to promote participation and sportsmanship for the formative years of under nine competition.

“It’s about getting the kids involved!” he said.

“And it was so nice to see so many people coming from so far away and travelling from all over the state.

“The whole event went really well – it was so well organised and the volunteers did a fantastic job. The people think it’s really amazing and it was lovely to hear them all saying thank you.”

Cowboy players Heilum Luki and Mitch Dunn both said they were thrilled to see such a great following for the event.

“It reminds me of going to this sort of carnival when I was younger and now they are all coming to see me!” said Heilum.

Coordinator Kim Bates said she was proud of all the organising committee and volunteers.

“It gets better every year, it’s wonderful for the whole community and we always do it for love!”

Kate Clark, Manager of the Whitsunday Brahmans under-nine team said it was awesome seeing everyone gather for the kids.

“Everyone played their best and showed really good sportsmanship,” she said.

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Two long-time rivals battled for the Mackay table tennis open women’s championship last week.

Emma Widdup and Anne Sheridan have been teammates and competitors since they were in their teens, both first winning Mackay Closed women’s titles as juniors in the 1990s. Between them have won an estimated 15 championships.

Emma repeated her feat of winning all her matches at the recent Queensland Veterans Championships in Mackay, taking out every event she contested at the closed titles.

She also won the mixed open doubles with Andrew McHugh, beating Mick Ruhl and Andrea Nicholson, but her most treasured win was in the women’s doubles with veteran Coral Morgan, over Anne Sheridan and Janice Kent.

“It was most special because last year in the final against the same pair we were down 9-10 and I served a fault,” she said.

“After that game last year I did a Kerry Saxby walk around the hall to process my disappointment - Coral cheekily said she’d play with me again this year only if I didn’t fault to lose the match.”

Perennial winner Mick Ruhl has taken out another Mackay Closed men’s championship at the Mackay Table Tennis Centre.

Mick defeated another former title winner Andrew McHugh, to bring his tally of titles to eight.

Emma Widdup kept up her good form to win the women’s open singles from Anne Sheridan, building on her form at the Queensland Veterans Championships in Mackay when she was unbeaten in singles.

Emma and Anne will play in the Australian Veterans Championships in Darwin next month. Nine Mackay players will compete at the titles.

Persistence paid off for Branko Vucurovic, who won the singles and doubles crowns at the Avril Hodges Memorial tournament at the Mackay Table Tennis Centre.

Branko won the singles final -11, 8, 9, 5 over Charlie Payne, and teamed with Donna Abbott to take out the doubles over Steve Mathieson and Coral Morgan.

Using a steady, defensive style, most players find it very hard to get on top of Branko.

David Butler won the B singles final over Noreen Fredericksen, and John Hamelink and Ian Dodds won the doubles over Robyn Bushell and Sharon Muller.

The tournament is played in memory of Avril Hodges, a popular figure who was one of the main organisers of the Tuesday morning fixtures during the 70s.

The fixtures will now break for the school holidays and resume on October 5. New players are welcome, contact Iris Grasso 0419 702 392.

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Mackay Rangers Football Club are finalising preparations for its annual

eight-a-side soccer tournament to be staged at Eric Homan Park at Cremorne

during the October long weekend.

With $6000 in prizemoney and titles up for grabs, football enthusiasts

are in for a treat when the two-day carnival kicks off on Saturday

October 1.

The unique eight-a-side concept is an Open Men’s and Women’s competition for players aged 17 years and older, drawing teams from far and wide including Sarina, Yeppoon, Rockhampton, Hall Creek, Emerald, Townsville, Innisfail, Cairns, Brisbane, Toowoomba and Sunshine Coast.

An added highlight is the Penalty Shootout competition which is

traditionally staged on the Saturday night when participating teams put

forward a goalkeeper and striker to compete for $150 cash.

Mackay Rangers boast a proud 54 year history in the Football Queensland Whitsunday Coast Premier League Association where they have annexed numerous championship titles and produced a host of talent among the Men’s and Women’s grades.

The Carnival is traditionally run each year on the October long weekend

with round fixtures and finals held over the Saturday and Sunday and is

one of only a handful of senior competitive Football Gala events that

are staged in Queensland.

For further details and registration inquiries contact Mackay Rangers FC

eight-a-side co-ordinator Andrew Susani 0400 000 990.

Contributed with thanks to Chris Karas.

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Monday 12 September 22 – Under and Overs Teams Event

1st Under - Angela Welks and Cheryl Machen, Overs – David Ting and Karin Le Roux

2nd Under – Griffin Bancroft and Marylin Wilson – Nicoll, Overs – Terrence Sheedy and Janelle Conroy

Tuesday Evening – 13 September 2022 – 3 Table One Winner Green Points

1st Terrence Sheedy / Helen Van Den Broek

2nd Janelle Conroy / Eric Leivesley

3rd Janel Hansen / Diane Morgan

Wednesday 14 September 22 – 8 Table Mitchell

1st Janet Hansen / Del Ryan 1st Sandra Morris / Jan Harris

2nd Josie Cowley / Barbara Tait 2nd Carol Gaskell / Ian Gaskell

3rd Karin Le Roux / Nancy Wix 3rd Noel Bugeia / Doone Mitchell

4th Ming Ting / David Ting

1st Mick King / Patricia Garner

2nd Graeme Smith / Diane Stokes

3rd Ken Seaniger / Robert Carless

Thursday 15 September 2022 – 4 Table One Winner

Friday 16 September 22 – 9 Table Mitchell Green Points

N/S E/W

1st Terrence Sheedy / Noel Bugeia 1st Lorna Shuttlewood / Karin Le Roux

2nd Graeme Smith / Nancy Wix 2nd Julie O’Neill / Ann Whitmore

3rd Monica Darley / Del Ryan 3rd Susan Wright / Clare Wallace

4th Marie McGuire / Diane Stokes 4th David Ting / Ming Ting

Saturday 17 September 22 – 10 Table Mitchell Green Points

N/S E/W

1st Ken Seaniger / Terrence Sheedy 1st Frances Brown / Alan Brown

2nd Christine Nice / Faye Wright 2nd Janelle Conroy / Robert Carless

3rd Geoff Taylor / Del Ryan 3rd Diane Stokes / Ann Whitmore

4th Janine Rogers/ Mick King 4th David Ting / Ming Ting

5th Doone Mitchell / Lorna Shuttlewood 5th Susan Wright / Patricia Garner

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With an abundance of natural sporting skill in its ranks, long

established St Patrick’s College remains a rugby league stronghold in

the Mackay region.

Having chalked up two Grand Final appearances in both the prestigious

Confraternity Shield Rugby League and Aaron Payne Cup secondary schools

competitions this season, the depth of talent has never been stronger.

This was evident when the Wanderers club squared off with Northern

Suburbs Devils in the recent Mackay and District Junior League Under 17

Grand Final in Mackay.

No less than 18 members of the St Patrick’s College first grade Class

of 2022 featured in the title decider with Wanderers claiming the

premiership honours after a stirring 24-18 victory.

Talented Wanderers’ five eighth Ethan Van Kerkwyk was judged best

player on the ground after a superb display in the number six jumper –

igniting the attack with his sharp running and creating opportunities

with clever passes and a sound kicking game.

Van Kerkwyk was one of 15 St Patrick’s top grade players in a powerful Wanderers line-up that also included boom hooker Xavier Kerrisk, fullback Kai Simon, half back Will Shears, back rowers Hudson Galletly and Jack Clark and lock forward Reece Morris.

Other St Patrick’s students that helped the Wanderers lift the Under

17 trophy were centre Leo Gupwell, props Patrick Shanks and Oscar

Tweddle, centre William Veitch, Lachlan Cocco, forwards Campbell

Grisan-Hodges and Hunter Harris and 16-year-old Jeff Peady.

St Patrick’s young gun Jaxon Purdue spearheaded the Devils’ title

charge along with school colleagues in lock forward Levi Love and second

rower Tyler Shandiman.

Playmaker Purdue gave Norths an early 12-0 lead when he collected a try

double and booted the extras inside the opening 16 minutes.

Soon after the Wanderers put points on the board with a Simon penalty

goal before strong running centre Veitch (24th minute) and back rower

Clark (31st minute) burst through for tries to set up a 14-12 advantage.

When the dynamic Shears scooted over for his side’s third try after

48 minutes that was converted by Simon and the Wanderers had surged ahead

20-12.

Nippy hooker Braedyn Roberts kept the Devils in the hunt when he

burrowed over for a second half try in the 55th minute with Purdue

potting the extras.

Grisan-Hodges responded minutes later when he crashed over for a

deserved try to seal the premiership for Phillip Davies’ well-drilled

charges.

Wanderers had trump cards in Van Kerkwyk, Simon, Shears and Kerrisk –

all part of a formidable St Patrick’s College spine – while the gifted Purdue was at his classy best for Norths until sustaining an injury late in the first half.

Impact forwards Levi Love and Tyler Shandiman turned in wholehearted displays for the Devils, who suffered only two losses during the preliminary rounds to finish minor premiers on 22 points and with the best defensive record in the competition.

Contributed with thanks to Chris Karas.

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Pioneer Swimming Club held its first club night of the season on Thursday, 8 September 2022 at the Pioneer Swim Centre.  The night was a great start to the season with returning swimmers excited to welcome many new members and their families to the club – sharing a barbeque and an evening full of fun racing.

There were many personal bests achieved – swimmers having shaved seconds off their previous season’s times, several swimmers challenging themselves by taking on distances they had never attempted in a race setting before and even one new member overheard boasting how proud they were to have made new friends.

The club will be hosting its long course carnival on 1 and 2 October 2022 at the Pioneer Swim Centre.  If any families are thinking about making the plunge into the sport of swimming, this would be a great event to attend and experience the excitement and fun this sport brings, even if just to observe for the weekend.

The club will also continue to hold an almost weekly club night and we encourage families to “come and try” Pioneer Swimming Club.  Simply contact the club either via Facebook or email the club secretary, Tahnie Malagueno, secretary@pioneerswimclub.com.au.

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Five past presidents were among 93 bowlers who celebrated the 80th anniversary of Sarina Ladies Bowls Club.

The roll-up included 78 bowlers from clubs throughout the district, four past members and extra guests.

A two-hour game of bowls was followed with a little entertainment from several Sarina lady members, then a lovely lunch and cent sale to finish the day.

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PHOTOS:

1:

Sarina Ladies Bowls Club president Rita Hughes, centre, with Mackay District president Lynn Jackson and Bowls Queensland representative Colleen Ryan at the club’s 80th anniversary celebrations. Photos: Contributed

2:

Mackay District president Lynn Jackson and Sarina president Rita Hughes cut the cake

3:

Sarina Ladies Bowls Club bowlers at the club’s 80th anniversary celebrations.

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