IT’S been a year of outstanding achievements in Goulburn sport. There have been some incredible highs and some devastating lows, as well as some nail biting ‘what ifs’.
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As the year comes to a close, here are just some of the many success stories that caught the Goulburn imagination throughout the year.
Smith and White claim gold
IT’S hard to go past the exuberant celebrations that transpired when the Australian Hockeyroos defeated England to win the gold medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July.
The emotional success came off the back of the most dramatic of victories.
Crookwell’s Kellie White and Emily Smith were welcomed home with a tickertape parade down Goulburn St as their home town and the region celebrated their golden girls.
Kellie White at the time told the Post: “The town’s been incredible. We can’t say just how much it meant to us.”
Stags do it for country pride
THE Stags football club proved that country kids could match it with the city kids after they made it to the final four in the NSW under-21 Champion of Champions in season 2014.
In the end they were knocked out by Sydney club – Castle Hill United 2-1, but not before the club had gone on to take out the Highlands Premier League for the first time in their history and all supporting grades.
Their long-standing coach David Jones told the Post at the time that “country pride was on the line.”
Jarrod Croker the Raiders’ best
IF there was one breakout year for the home-grown Goulburn boy, it was this year.
The former Junior Stockman not only had his best year on the park, earning himself the competitions’ third best point scorer, but he was picked for the NSW State or Origin squad as a reserve and in the Australian Kangaroos trainon squad.
The highlight though, Croker taking out the Canberra Raider’s most prestigious award – the Meninga Medal in September just days before his 24th birthday.
He is widely touted to be a future captain of the Raiders, he captained their inaugural Auckland 9s side earlier in the year and making his captaincy debut in the Raider’s final game of the season.
Eyes will look to Croker to lead the Green Machine back to their high flying glory days.
Girls leaguies go all the way
THE fairytale story of the year that captured the imagination of the city was undoubtedly the girls Junior Stockmen rugby league team.
After coming into existence earlier this year under some scrutiny and questioning, the group of teenage girls went on to prove to everyone that rugby league isn’t just for boys.
With a team of teenaged players of whom most had never picked up a league ball before, they went on to have an almost undefeated season.
They defeated the Gungahlin Bull 12-8 in the grand-final played at Canberra’s GIO stadium, in front of a vocal and large contingent of Goulburn support.
Coach John Thomas had told the Post at the very beginning that he believed the team would work. When the siren sounded at the end of the grand-final, there was no-one more emotional than he was.
“I mean it was unknown, that first trial game, we had about 10 girls turn up so I wasn’t sure if we’d even have a team, and now it’s all just come together to win it,” he had told the Post moments after the victory.
Turner’s year to remember
ASK Glenn Turner what his highlight of 2014 would be and he would tell you his wedding to long-time girlfriend Rebecca.
But when you consider the year he’s been through… well geez it must have been a hell of a wedding.
For the second time in his life Turner and the Australian Kookaburras were crowned World Champions after beating the Netherlands at the Hockey World Cup in June.
Turner at the time said at the time that it was the defining moment of his career.
Earlier in the year he also reached 100 caps for his country. But it was his return to Goulburn to lead the city’s first Capital League team that proved special for the homegrown hero.
Despite missing the first half of the season due to international commitments, Turner led Goulburn to the grandfinal in their maiden year.
They lost to Central 3-1, possibly his only blemish of 2014, but regardless it was a remarkable achievement.
More recently, Turner celebrated a return stint to the Hockey India League with Dabang Mumbai to the tune of $61,000. It is over double the amount he went for last season…
Dirty Reds prove they’re the best
WHEN Boyd Newby first began at the Dirty Reds he barely knew the game of rugby.
He told the Post upon the eve of his 100th captain’s match that he had always been a softball player growing up.
“As far as milestones go, it’s a big one for me,” he said. “I was a late bloomer at 23 when I first started playing rugby in 2004.”
He has since gone on to be to be one of the Red’s most highly decorated players.
In June he led the Dirty Reds for the 100th time as captain, a club record.
But he also co-led the team to a decisive premiership victory over Cooma 69-6 in August, enforcing the club’s reputation as the best in the region.
For the first grade side, they remained undefeated the entire season. The achievement saw numerous records tumble as they annihilated other teams.
Coach Darren Solomons, it should be noted, remains undefeated as a first grade coach.
Word is Newby and mate Mik Webber may be set to take over the coaching reigns.
All in the family for the Pickers
WE’RE sure in the eyes of the Picker parents, all their children are winners.
Joe Picker just finished a year with the NRL club the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Although he didn’t play in the grand-final winning match, he was instrumental to their successful season.
Michael Picker captained and coached the Workers Bulldogs to the most heartbreaking of grand-final losses against the Queanbeyan Blues this year.
In just his first season in the roles, the club went on to lose 24-20 in nail-biting extra time.
Little brother Ben was the Bulldogs leading point scorer, and his accurate boot arguably got the Doggies out of jail on more than one occasion.
Big brother Dennis Picker, away from the world of rugby league, claimed his first group one Harness racing victory as a trainer.
It was the prestigious Breeders Crown to boot.
Strikers reap redemption
STRIKERS coach Robin Caulfield told Post before the 2014 season had started that he believed his team was capable of taking out the premiership.
He was right, but it was a hard slog to achieve redemption after the side had fallen a game shy of the grand-final the year before. After a continued winning streak the first half of the season, a form slump threatened to un-do their hard work.
Luckily, the team rallied and reached the grand-final. A showdown with the UC Pumas, the only team the Strikers had not able to beat all year, beckoned.
Despite dramatics including Caulfield being sent to the stands by the referee for a side-line incident, the Strikers claimed a dominating victory when it mattered, winning 3- 1. Caulfield told the Post after the game: “We’ve been through some thick times and some thin times but we got it alright today and we got it where it mattered.”
Humphries turns pro
IT’S a hard life breaking into the world of pro golfing. But Luke Humphries has taken it with two hands in his debut year on the pro golf scene.
The 23-year-old caused a stir in his maiden Victorian PGA back in February and was in contention until the final rounds.
Since then he’s traversed Australia playing numerous pro-amateur events. He’s also taken part in other big title tournaments such as the WA PGA and WA Open and the NSW PGA.
Herfoss the king on two wheels
WHAT’S there to say about Troy Hefoss besides the fact that the 27-year-old is a master of anything on two wheels?
2014 was another stellar year. He finished third overall at the Australian Superbike Championships with Team Honda Racing.
He returned to winning ways on the dirt bike and he continued his dominance as a rode bike rider.
He even made his criterion debut for team Charter Mason at the Cycling Australia National Championships back in January.
Hockey girls the best in the state
THE Wollondilly Public School girls’ hockey team beat out every other school in the NSW PSSA system to be crowned the NSW PSSA champions when they defeated Parkes Public School 2-0 in September.
It was the first time the hockey team from Wollondilly had gone all the way and such was the occasion that match updates were broadcast to the entire school via the school’s PA system.
Reid defies the odds
CRIPPLING scoliosis meant that Breanna Reid’s back was curving into the shape of an S.
It got to a stage where Reid underwent surgery to fuse her spine for a better way of life.
All the while, Reid had been dominating the sport of canoe sprints, representing her state and ranking within the top three nationally for the K4 event.
It’s a brave and remarkable achievement for the 16-yearold. She told the Post in September her ambitions to return to the sport once her spine heals.
“The scar reminds me that I can overcome this and I can conquer anything,” she told the Post.
Ryan keeps rolling on
FOR someone so young, Ellen Ryan has achieved in her short career what most would only dream of.
The 17-year-old is one of Australia’s up-and-coming bowls players, and is almost a certainty to continue her winning ways in the future, draped in national colours.
She’s been selected for junior Australian squads and has represented NSW at numerous national tournaments. This year she represented NSW at the Australian Junior Nationals Bowls Championships held in Darwin in October.
She also won the prestigious Golden Nugget award, making her hot property in the world of singles bowls in August.