After more than 20 years spent working to build and promote local rugby league, long-time Goulburn Bulldogs president, Joe Stephens, has decided to step away from the club.
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But far from feeling sadness or regret, Stephens said he is "happy and relieved" to move on from the role that he poured his heart into at the expense of time with his family.
"I feel like I've got my life back, I've contributed to Goulburn District Rugby League and I can walk away knowing I gave it my best job," he said.
"I can move forward into the next chapter of my life, because I gave so much to rugby league and I forgot to look at other things in my life at the time. I lost a lot, but I'm happy for Goulburn Rugby League. It's in a good place."
Stephens' administrative tenure began in 2000, when he became the president of Goulburn Exchange Rugby League after a playing career that spanned most of the 1990s. He held that role for seven years until the formation of the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs in 2007, which he joined initially as club secretary before making his way to the presidency in 2013.
Since the Bulldogs' inception, the club won premierships in various divisions, claimed four McIntyre Medal awards (Michael Dodson twice, Daniel York, and Mitchell Cornish), and consistently has players named in CRRL Teams of the Year.
But the achievement of which Stephens remains proudest is their first premiership in 2009.
"I think the most defining game we won in the early days was in 2009 when we won the Group 8 premiership," he said.
"That was just reward for Goulburn Rugby League and the Goulburn Workers Club at the time for all the hard work we put in, to go back to Canberra, which was a very strong competition and had teams like the Queanbeyan Blues, Queanbeyan Kangaroos, and West Belconnen Warriors at the time.
"To beat them was phenomenal, and it wasn't just a First Grade team effort back then, it was a club effort."
Stephens has been succeeded by Stacey Klower, who was voted in to the presidency of the Goulburn City Bulldogs at the club's AGM on Sunday, November 14.
The incoming president said it was "no secret" that his predecessor did great things for the club. During his tenure, Klower intends to focus on ensuring Goulburn continues to produce high-calibre talent.
"We've got a good culture here, with kids who want to play here," Klower said.
"We just need to make sure our juniors commit to us. We want them playing footy for Goulburn.
"If we think we're a bit short on players, we can go out and find them, but we're not going to go and find six, eight, 10 players a year. We want everyone playing in Goulburn."
Though Stephens will no longer be a formal member of the Bulldogs, he hopes to continue advocating for Goulburn Rugby League as a member of the Canberra Region Rugby League board.
"Firstly I have to be elected, but last year I nominated for the CRRL board that oversees the competition structure," Stephens said.
"I've got 20 years of admin experience and I want to give something back not just to Goulburn, but to our region as well in terms of where we go in future as a collective for Canberra and district.
"It's important for the country teams to have representatives. We've got one of the strongest junior rugby league clubs in Goulburn, and one of the strongest senior clubs in the Canberra competition. It's important that we have a representative that can make sure it's fair and equitable for all."
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