Bulldogs win 2009 Harold Matthews & SG Ball Titles
Two Bulldogs teams Premiers in the one day! That was the case for the Harold Matthews and SG Ball teams on Saturday 9th May 2009 played at St Marys Stadium. Both Bulldogs Junior Representative Teams are now National Champions in their respective age groups. This is the first year that the Harold Matthews and SG Ball competitions have become nationally contested including teams from all over NSW, QLD, VIC, ACT and NT.
Premierships in both grades in the same season have not been achieved by the Bulldogs before. The Bulldogs have only ever won the Harold Matthews competition once in 2007, and the SG Ball competition has been won twice in 1972 & 1978.
The Harold Matthews completed a dream season defeating Parramatta 34 points to 22 in a tough battle. The win saw the Harold Matthews top off their impressive season being Undefeated Minor Premiers & Premiers, with 13 wins from as many starts. Barnstorming back rower David Minute capped off a remarkable season being named Harold Matthews Player of the Year, named after the match during the presentation David was regarded as the best player of the entire competition based on his form throughout the season.
The SG Ball finished their season on top defeating a classy Melbourne outfit 42 points to 16. Going into the half time break at 10 points all the Bulldogs had a battle on their hands. With twenty three minutes remaining Bulldogs Back Rower Lachlan Burr crossed the line for his second of three tries for the day tying the scores up at 16 all. An injury plagued Bulldogs outfit stuck solid together and scored four more tries to cap off a great season. Finishing the regular season in 3rd place the Bulldogs won 11 games with 1 loss and a draw. Ball playing lock Dale Finucane was voted SG Ball Player of the Year for his excellent consistent form all season.
The efforts of Minute and Finucane have never been matched before with two players from the same club receiving the Junior Rep Player of the Year award.
A big congratulations must go to Nathan Towney (Harold Matthews Coach) and Jason Williams (SG Ball Coach) and all their staff for a very successful season.
Grand Final Results
Harold Matthews
Bulldogs 34 (David Minute 2, Villiami Moekiola, Matthew ***o***a, Jermaine Nader, Joshua Rainbow tries Peter Irwin 5 goals)
defeated
Parramatta 22
SG Ball
Bulldogs 42 (Lachlan Burr 3, Richard Irwin, Ali Hijazi, Aidan Sezer, Liam Ayoub tries, Ali Hijazi 7 goals)
Defeated
Melbourne 16