A strong field of young golfers took to the course last weekend for the October Monthly Medal at Ayr Golf Club, with 19 juniors turning out for a great morning of competition and practice ahead of this weekend’s major event — the Karrie Webb Junior Masters.

In the three-hole division, Frank McKeough claimed the Monthly Medal, while Patrick Richards took out the gross winner title.

The six-hole competition saw Pia Mauro crowned Monthly Medal winner, with Tyler Smith recording an impressive gross score of 42 to secure his division. Fletcher Sgroi also celebrated a personal best round, finishing with 52 shots.

In the nine-hole division, nine juniors competed, with Evelyn Mahoney winning the Monthly Medal and Amaya Mahoney taking the gross winner honours.

This weekend marks one of the most exciting events on the junior golfing calendar, as Ayr Golf Club proudly hosts the annual Karrie Webb Junior Masters. The event will feature the club’s namesake and Australian golfing legend Karrie Webb in attendance, along with more than 90 junior players travelling from Brisbane, Hervey Bay, Yeppoon, Cairns, and across North Queensland.

With a full field and perfect course conditions expected, the Karrie Webb Junior Masters promises to be a fantastic showcase of young golfing talent and a memorable weekend for all involved.

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What: Karrie Webb Junior Masters
When: Saturday, 8th November
Where: Ayr Golf Club

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Pia Mauro, Frank McKeough and Evelyn Mahoney (Photo Supplied)

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The Ayr Bowling Club has celebrated another excellent week on the greens, with members coming together for a mix of club Championship games and engaging social matches. The atmosphere and enthusiasm around the club is fantastic.

Men’s Social bowls on Wednesday saw two games of triples and a pairs game played. Winners on the day were Al Hardcastle and Chris Berkery defeating Ron Smythe and Col Essex.

Winners on Wednesday night bowls were Evelyn Wiltshere, Rob Jorgensen and Sam Caltabiano. In game two John Cesconetto and Gary Pearce had a win. Wednesday night is the perfect opportunity for new bowlers to play and learn the game. Sign up is at 6.30pm bowling commencing 7pm call the club for details or message us on Facebook.

Fun Friday Night Bowls saw a full green of bowlers turn out for a fantastic night of bowls. First place went to Leanne and Ally defeating Colin, Phil and Andrew. Second place went to Sophie, Kira, Lyndal and Helen defeating Johnny, Holly, Bek and Ross. Sportsman prize went to Anthony, Lorraine, John and Cisco. Thanks to our sponsor Ayr Medical group for sponsoring our Friday Fun Night.

Saturday’s Social bowls saw a turnout of 24 players, with four games of triples played. The winners on the day were Jennette McDonald, Betty Schultz and Anthony Bull defeating Karen Shepherd, Barry Hewson and Lachlan Grantz.

This week in Club Championship Games one game of mixed singles was played. Winner was Gary Pearce defeating Irene Wilson. A & B Pairs Cisco and Sam Caltabiano defeated Ron Smythe and Ron Soper 22 - 20. In mixed Triples Beryl Cornford, Pam Power and Maurie Power defeated Karen Shepherd, John Pirrone and Barry Shepherd 24 - 17. In Ladies Handicap pairs Lorraine Wolffe and Irene Wilson defeated Meryl Smith and Mary Poli winners now proceed to the next round. In the Men’s Championship Triples Final Shane Stanford, John McDonald and Anthony Bull defeated John Cesconneto, Sam Caltabiano and Lachlan Grantz 18 – 10.

If you are interested in giving Bowls a try, Friday Roll Ups are a good place to start. They are held every Friday afternoon from 3:00 - 5:30pm. Whether you're looking to hone your skills, enjoy some friendly training tips, or simply unwind with a drink, these casual roll-ups are the perfect way to kick off the weekend. Come down for some training, enjoy a few drinks, and join in the fun with fellow club members.

Photos:
1. Friday night fun
2. Saturday night's winners

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In a four-week period that has also seen Opals stars Lauren Jackson and Tess Madgen visit the region, the Burdekin’s young basketballers were treated to another special guest on the weekend when Townsville Fire head coach Shannon Seebohm and his S3 Academy team hit the courts for a high-energy skills clinic.

Hosted in partnership with Burdekin Basketball, the event saw Seebohm—joined by his wife Jaimee and assistant coach Miles—run a day of hands-on training sessions focused on teamwork, energy, and passion for the game.

Seebohm, a five-time WNBL Coach of the Year and current assistant coach of the Australian Opals, has an impressive record of developing athletes who’ve gone on to succeed in the WNBL, NBL, WNBA, and international leagues.

Burdekin Basketball organisers said the visit gave local juniors a major boost.

“Thank you to S3 Academy—Shannon, Jaimee and Miles—for visiting the Burdekin and helping to encourage and extend our junior ballers,” the club said. “They all thoroughly enjoyed their sessions.”

The S3 team praised the region’s community spirit and enthusiasm, describing the Burdekin as having a “beautiful, family-first culture that truly loves the game.”

The day wrapped up with a hearty lunch courtesy of Queens Hotel Ayr, which the S3 crew thanked for their “amazing hospitality and good vibes.”

It was, in every sense, a slam dunk for local basketball.

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Another warm spring afternoon set the scene on Rummeny Green as 18 players took to the rinks for a lively session of triples.

On Rink 5, Warren “Yogi” Bunn, Dino Poli, and Steve Doig were in top form, comfortably defeating Margaret Chapman, Bruce McCallum, and Gary Nosworthy. Rink 6 saw Paul Vass, Alex Bojack, and Mick McClosky secure a strong win against Terry Feakes, Ron Smith, and Hugh Montgomery. Meanwhile, on Rink 7, Elaine Young, Michael Young, and Glen Bones Berryman produced a solid performance to overcome Bob Young, Joclyn DeFranciscus, and Trevor Elton. Today’s winners are pictured: Yogi Bunn, Dino Poli, and Steve Doig.

In club news, the Bowen Fours tournament is scheduled for 25–26 October, with entries closing on 18–19 October. The day’s raffles also brought excitement, with Steve Doig taking home the meat tray and Gary Nosworthy winning a bottle of wine.

Home Hill Bowls continues to offer a full social calendar. Monday morning fitness sessions and Tuesday Trimmers provide opportunities to stay active, while Tuesday Funday encourages newcomers to learn the game and meet fellow bowlers. Wednesday mornings feature the popular Kraft Group, and Wednesday evenings attract a lively crowd for barefoot bowls and a sausage sizzle. Thursday mornings see enthusiastic participation in Bingo, followed by afternoon social bowls. Saturday afternoons are dedicated to $5 social bowls, drawing players each week.

The club looks forward to another week of enjoyable bowls and camaraderie on Rummeny Green.

Photo and report by Stephen Doig

Winners Yogi Bunn, Dino Poli, and Steve Doig. Photo supplied

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It was a weekend to remember for Home Hill Cricket Club, with both the Second and Third Grade sides producing commanding all-round performances to secure back-to-back wins.

In Third Grade, Home Hill’s top order set the tone with a powerful display, piling on 4/223. Captain Alexander Romeo anchored the innings with a composed 51 from 72 deliveries, while Simon Vickers blasted 65 off 47, finding the boundary eight times and clearing it once. Michael Richards added a rapid 37 from just 22 balls, and Daniel Olditch chipped in a brisk 34 from 24. Luke Mottin and Leo Olditch closed out the innings unbeaten, ensuring Home Hill finished with momentum.

Their bowlers then backed it up in style, restricting Wests to 8/178 for a 45-run win. Tomey Mathew led the attack with an inspired 4/21 from 5 overs, including a maiden, while Zappa, Olditch, Wallwork, and Mottin each grabbed a wicket. Behind the stumps, Michael Richards showed sharp reflexes with two stumpings to complete a well-rounded team effort.

In Second Grade, Adam Camer starred with a superb 99 from 111 balls, steering Home Hill to 7/197 against Norths. His near-century was supported by Zakk Myles (29) and JD Wilkins (18), ensuring a competitive total on a testing surface.

Defending the target, Home Hill’s bowlers delivered with precision and firepower. The father-son duo of Al and JD Wilkins combined for eight wickets—Al taking 4/19 and JD matching with 4/35—to bowl Norths out for 176 and claim a 21-run victory.

Outstanding fielding capped off the win, with sharp catches from Tristan Richards, plus crucial run-outs from Thomas Cardillo and Zakk Myles.

Both matches showcased Home Hill’s growing depth and determination, as strong batting foundations and disciplined bowling efforts continue to drive the club’s success.

Home Hill Third Grade in action
Home Hill Second Grade in action
Photos supplied

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It has been a busy couple of weeks for Home Hill Junior Cricket. At the Nutrien Ag. Solutions Cricket Complex on the weekend of October 4 and 5 juniors from Bowen, Charters Towers, Herbert River and Proserpine travelled to Home Hill to play in the 2025 Queensland Country Bank NQ Country Cup. It was a great success with cricket being played on four fields all weekend. The ages of the players ranged from 8-18 years old. Special guest, Ex Australia, Queensland and Brisbane Heat player Nathan Hauritz ran clinics for each age group throughout the carnival when they weren't playing games.

Last Friday saw the start of our local 25/26 Junior season at the club. In the "Gold Group" Marshall Parker scored an unbeaten 28 runs including 4 fours, the next highest was Alex Cullen on 19 also not out. Marshall Parker, Kaisen Petersen and Xavier Cross all took a wicket each when bowling. Billy Muilwyk in his first game in "Gold" got the "McDonalds Sports Award" and Alex Cullen was awarded the other for his great batting and fielding.

Kye Quinlan and Corbett Cross took home the "McDonalds Sports Awards" in the "Blue Group". Kye for scoring 14 runs not out and bowling a wicket maiden and Corbett for taking 2 wickets for only 4 runs. Other notable mentions go to Kip Nicholas, 17 runs and Jake Cullen 12 runs. Both Kip and Jake also took a wicket each.

The Rookie Blasters start on Thursday October 16 at East Ayr State School and Challengers start on October 17 at the Nutrien Ag. Solutions Cricket Complex.

Contributed with thanks to Scott Heidke

1. Billy & Alex
2. Kye & Corbett
3. Scott Heidke, Nathan Hauritz & Ross Parker

Photos supplied

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The Burdekin FC Presentation Night will be held on Saturday 25 October at Populin’s Hall. Get your tickets on-line now, or at the Mad House on Tuesday night.

Congratulations to Alan Chatfield, a Burdekin FC Life Member, on being recognised with the Service to Football – Platinum Award for his outstanding contribution to the game.

Night Soccer

The third week of competition with just one forfeit. The nineteen games produced seventy goals, and there were three Sin Bins! Top scorers were RG Customs with seven goals and Clare Cutters, Always Fits, Let’s get Messi and Young Guns all with four. Top individual scorer was Dom Arrate with four goals for Clare Cutters, Perry Horan scored a hat trick for Oary’s Levellers, and quite a lot of players scored twice. The clash between Mottin Earthmoving and UDS saw Sin bins for Andrew Washbourne for Mottins and Luke Torkington for UDS and Harry Haynes was binned for Wires Down.

After three weeks, Nutrien Ag and Clare Cutters lead in Mens A Grade and DL Lager top the table in B1. Bennetts Old Grumpies and Jaime’s Boys lead in B2.

In the Ladies competition, Scoregasms leads from Red Carded, Young Guns and Chicks and Chooks in AI, and 6 TO UR 7 leads in A2 from Rocky Pond Wonders.

Juniors

The Junior Social Soccer season kicked off on Tuesday with over forty teams in four grades. The Under 7s kick off at 4.00pm, the Under 8/9s play at 4.30, the Under 10/12s at 5.30 and the Under 13/16s at 5.30.

Please check the Burdekin FC Facebook page and emails from the club for the draw each week and any information and updates on the season.

National and International

The 2025-6 A League season kicks off this Friday 17 October. It is a twelve team competition and Brisbane Roar’s first match is at home to Macarthur on that date. The Women’s A league starts on Friday 31st October with eleven clubs.

The Australian Championship started last weekend. Effectively a national second division competition, it has sixteen teams, mostly from the metropolitan areas but including South Hobart from Tasmania.

The Matildas next match is a friendly against Wales, in Cardiff on 25 October, followed by another friendly against England on 29 October. They then have a rest before the AFC Women’s Asia Cup. Their first match is against the Philippines on 1 March, they then play Iran on 5 March, and their final group match is against South Korea on 8 March. In the FIFA World Rankings, Australia is ranked at 15.

The Socceroos first friendly was against Canada in Montreal last Saturday resulted and in a 1-0 victory with a goal from Nestory Irankunda. They next play the USA in Denver, Colorado on Wednesday. In the FIFA World Rankings, the Socceroos are currently ranked 25th, and the US 16th.

The Young Socceroos defeated Cuba 3-1 in their final group game of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025 in Chile. However, results in other groups went against them and they failed to qualify for the Round of 16.

The 2026 World Cup starts on 11 June with the Final on 19 July. Forty eight teams will compete in twelve groups of four team in the US, Canada and Mexico. The top two teams from the groups plus the best eight third placed teams qualifying for the Round of 32. The Group Draw will be made in Washington DC on 5th December. So far seventeen countries, including Australia, have qualified plus the three host countries.

Because of the 2026 World Cup Qualifying games last week, there were no games in the major European leagues. They will resume this weekend. In the Group games there were no real surprises although Austria thumped San Marino 10-0 and Turley won 6-1 away to Bulgaria. Ukraine did very well to win 5-3 in Iceland, Norway thumped Israel 5-0 and Faroe Islands defeated Montenegro 4-0.

Quote of the Week is from Trevor Brooking former West Ham and England Star, on playing Sunday morning football for Havering NALGO. “You drop your shoulder and move round a defender only to discover he didn’t read your first dummy. So you crash straight into him, and he comes away with the ball”

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Ayr Surf Club Takes On Forrest Beach Carnival

30 members from the Ayr Surf Club headed north over the weekend to compete at the Forrest Beach Carnival. The team along with their families, volunteer officials, water safety and age managers attended the two day event with other clubs from across the North Barrier Branch. The competitors some phenomenal individual and team results helping Ayr to take out second place overall, only behind a significantly larger cohort of competitors from Arcadian club.

The Forrest Beach carnival is always a fantastic family friendly weekend full of surf sports, good food, club camping and making friends and this year did not disappoint. The club is continuing to train leading up to North Australian Championships in a few weeks time in Mackay, as well as conducting voluntary patrols each weekend to provide a valuable community service to the Burdekin region.

Weekend Roster

Saturday 18/10 1-5pm - Group A - Richard Dale PC, Chris Wicks PC, Jane Olsen, William Holt, Stephanie Dale, Zacary Dale, Warne McShane, Nico Ortner

Sunday AM 19/10 9am -1pm - Group C - Jane Jones PC, Lauren Champman PC, Gavin Jones, Emma Jones, Isla Chapman, Milla Chapman and Shaize Christie

Sunday PM 1/10 1-5pm Group B - Terry Lund PC, Kristy Wassmuth PC, Anita Giddy, Heather Scott, Briella Wassmuth, Emilee Wassmuth

Contributed with thanks to Kellie Lawry and Kristy Wassmuth

Photos:
1. Ayr Team Colour Party
2. Under 13 Wade Relay - Alyssa Irvine, Eva Rickards, Isabella Flower & Harrison Sartori
3. Emilee Wassmuth diving in Under 14 flags
4. Bella Lawry in Under 17 ski race
5. Warne McShane & Zachary Dale winning Under 15 Board Rescue
6. 2 Person R&R - Charlotte Lawry & Emilee Wassmuth
7. Cole Pontifex in Under 14 Board Race
8. Ryan Irvine in Under 11 Board Race

It all began with a spark of community spirit. In May 1954, locals gathered at the Renown Movie Theatre in Brandon to discuss the possibility of forming a bowls club. From that meeting, the Brandon Bowls Club was born, with Mr. Vic Green elected as the inaugural president. Three blocks of land were purchased from G. Venables, H. Brickhill, and S. Brickhill at £50 each, and on 23 January 1955, the first blades of grass were planted, marking the start of a sporting legacy.

Through The Years At Brandon Bowls Club

Continued from cover

On 30 May 1955, a special meeting decided the position, size, and construction of the club house. The ladies formed an associate club in August, with Mrs. Toll as inaugural president. The first games were played on 24 and 25 September, leading up to the official opening on 5 and 6 November 1955, conducted by President Vic Green and NQMBA President Mr. Charlie Thomas. Tragically, one of the club’s hardest workers, Mr. Gordon Toll, passed away the day before the opening, never seeing the club he had helped bring to life. Mrs. Toll stepped down briefly but later resumed her position, continuing her dedication to the club.

A kitchen was added in 1963, with many further improvements over the years. In 1992–1993, the grass green was replaced with a synthetic green, though it proved less successful. Since then, three additional synthetic greens have been installed, each an improvement on the last, thanks to the dedication of Green Director Mr. Richie Mau.

Through decades of hard work, dedication, and volunteerism, Brandon Bowls Club has nurtured outstanding bowlers and claimed many district titles. On 5 October, the club proudly celebrated its 70th anniversary, welcoming visitors from NQDMBA and NQDLBA, council representatives, and fellow bowlers from across the region, all joining in the festivities.

Seventy years on, Brandon Bowls Club is still going strong, thanks to its members, volunteers, and love of the game.

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15 excited gymnasts from The Burdekin Academy made the journey to Ingham to participate in the 2025 Ingham Flames Gymnastics Competition last September.

Attracting over 100 competitors from communities across the state, gymnastics from The Burdekin Academy put on a showstopping performance, displaying exceptional levels of technique and expertise, executing each routine excellently.

Gymnasts from levels one through to four entered in the competition and The Burdekin Academy’s Club Manager and Head Coach, Amy Cranitch, was beyond proud of the work of her students.

“They all did an amazing job of showcasing their routines to the judges on floor, bars, bean and vault,” said Amy.

“Our Level 1 and 2 gymnasts were awarded ribbons on each apparatus of good, very good or excellent, and our Level 3 gymnasts who just recently moved up from Level Pre 3 did an excellent job!”

Level 3 gymnast, Ella, placed 2nd on both beam and floor, and 3rd on vault, receiving 3rd place overall. Level 3 gymnast, Adelyn, placed 3rd on vault and bars, and received 4th place overall. Level 4 gymnast, Amity, placed 1st on vault, bars and floor, and 3rd on beam, earning 1st place overall.

“For some of our gymnasts, it was their first ever competition and we are super proud of all of them for getting out in front of the judges and showing us their amazing skills,” added Amy.

In the lead up to the annual competition, the academy’s gymnasts were perfecting their routines across both Term 1 and Term 2, with Level 1 and 2 gymnasts training two hours each week, and Level 3 and 4 gymnasts training up to 8.5 hours weekly, concentrating on skill development and routines.

“Our club has had a rough start with the heavy rain fall in February causing significant damage to a lot of our hall and equipment - despite this our gymnast’s determination and attitude towards training has shone through and showed us strength when we needed it!”

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Ella Croatto Level 3, Amity Baxter Level 4, and Adelyn Goggi Level 3 with Coach Amy Cranitch (Photo Supplied)
Ella Croatto 3rd Overall Level 3 Champion, Amity Baxter 1st Overall Level 4 Champion, and Adelyn Goggi 4th Overall Level 3 Champion (Photo Supplied)
Coach Maggie with Level 1 & 2 Gymnasts (Back Row) Ariella Lewis, Kyrah Bereicua, Amaya Goggi, Willow Melville, Lucy Gorey, (Front Row) Lis Kelly, Lauretta Wegert, Everly Nichols, and Laine Malone (Photo Supplied)
All of the Burdekin Academy's Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 competitors eagerly waiting for awards presentations (Photo Supplied)

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The Clash of Clubs at the weekend was a huge success with old Burdekin players travelling from all over the state to take part. The Masters Final was won by Easts who beat Home Hill Rangers and the Seniors Final was decided on penalties, Saints winning after tying 1-1 with Rangers at full time.

The next big occasion will be the Escriva Cup which will be played early in November.

The Burdekin FC Presentation Night will be held on Saturday 25 October. Get your tickets now.

Night Soccer

The second week of competition and with three forfeits (School holidays?) The seventeen games produced sixty three goals, and the three scratch games produced a few more! Top scorers were DL Lager with five goals and Plumb Dingers, Nutrien Ag, 6 TO UR 7 and Willy Wackers all with four. Top individual scorer was Oscar Licciardello with a hat trick for BA and quite a lot of players scored twice.

After two weeks, Nutrien Ag, UDS and Clare Cutters lead in Mens A Grade and Wires Down and DL Lager top the table in B1. Bennetts Old Grumpies are the only team with maximum points in B2. In the Women’s Groups, Red Carded and Scoregasms lead in AI, and 6 TO UR 7 leads in A2.

Juniors

Preparations are well underway for the start of the Junior Social Soccer season on Tuesday 14th October. Teams are in, players looking for teams sorted. Due to the huge numbers of teams, we have to mark out Field 2 at International Park. If you can lend a hand marking the fields on Saturday morning that would be much appreciated. The time will be confirmed.

Please check the Burdekin FC Facebook page and emails from the club for the draw each week and any information and updates on the season. Each week, the ages groups play at the following times: U5-7 - 4pm, U8-9 - 4.30pm, U10-12 - 5pm, U13-16 - 5.30pm.

The name of the game is the kids to have fun playing with their friends and also forming new friendships.

National and International

The 2025-6 A League season kicks off on Friday 17 October. It is a twelve team competition and Brisbane Roar’s first match is at home to Macarthur on that date. The Women’s A league starts on Friday 31st October with eleven clubs.

The Matildas next match is a friendly against Wales, in Cardiff on 25 October, followed by another friendly against England on 29 October. They then have a rest before the AFC Women’s Asia Cup. Their first match is against the Philippines on 1 March, they then play Iran on 5 March, and their final group match is against South Korea on 8 March. In the FIFA World Rankings, Australia is ranked at 15.

The Socceroos have two friendlies coming up. They are away to Canada on Saturday and then play USA next Wednesday. In the FIFA World Rankings, the Socceroos are currently ranked 25th, the US 16th and Canada 26th.

The Young Socceroos have defeated Cuba 3-1 in their final group stage game of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025.The result means that the Young Socceroos finished third in Group D. The team will await results in Group E and F tomorrow to determine if they will advance to the Round of 16 as one of four best third-placed teams.

The 2026 World Cup starts on 11 June with the Final on 19 July. Forty eight teams will compete in twelve groups of four teams, with the top two teams from the groups plus the best eight third placed teams qualifying for the Round of 32. The Group Draw will be made in Washington DC on 5th December. And yes, Australia has qualified!

In the EPL, Liverpool lost again and has now dropped to second place one point behind Arsenal. Spurs and Bournemouth are a further point behind, and Manchester City has moved up to fifth place. Oh, and Ange’s Notts Forest lost again, and it is not looking good. And at the foot of the table, none of the bottom seven teams won. Wolverhampton managed another draw and now has two points from seven games.

In Germany’s Bundesliga, after six games, Bayern is the only club with maximum points. They lead Dortmund by four points with Leipzig a point behind in third place. At the foot of the table two of the bottom seven teams won but Heidenheim was not one of them. Monchengladbach managed a draw but with Mainz still look to be in trouble

In Italy only three of the top six teams won and Napoli and Roma stay at the top of Serie A with fifteen points. AC Milan stays in third place two points behind and Juventus, still unbeaten stay in fifth place. At the bottom of the league all four teams lost. Pisa and Genoa are now equal on two points from six games.

In Spain, only three of the top six teams won and Barcelona got thumped 4-1 by Seville. Real Madrid won and now top the table two points ahead of Barca with third placed Villarreal three points further adrift. Real Betis are fourth and Atletico fifth. Of the bottom six clubs only Girona won and are now a point clear of Mallorca and Real Sociedad.

Meanwhile in France, PSG were held to a draw by Lille and are now only one point clear of Marsellie, Strasbourg and Lyon. Monaco and Lens are a further two points away. None of the bottom nine teams managed a win and Metz with just two points from seven games are in trouble.

Quote of the Week is from Frank Lampard former Chelsea and England star and now Coventry City manager - "Goals never come easy. No one gives you goals."

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The Seniors Final was decided on penalties, Saints winning after tying 1-1 with Rangers at full time.
The Masters Final was won by Easts who beat Home Hill Rangers.
Ladies Teams

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The Junior Touch Football season is set to kick off tomorrow night, Friday 10th October, welcoming boys and girls aged four to thirteen. Sign-on will take place at the Touch clubhouse on Wickham Street from 5:30 pm, with a season fee of $20 per child.

Teams will be organized from the nominations, and each week participants will enjoy a mix of skills, drills, and games. Sessions will run from 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm every Friday night throughout the season.

For further information, contact Michael Littlefield on 0408 000 497, Bec Watson on 0400 705 205, or Peter Knapton on 0437 710 500.

Contributed with thanks to Peter Knapton

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Twenty-two players turned out on a very warm spring afternoon, with temperatures peaking at 36°C around 2:30 pm. Fortunately, a welcome breeze arrived just in time. We were pleased to welcome Vicki and Ian Connell, as well as Steve Motu and Jeff Taylor, all visiting from Giru.

On Rink 3, Paul Vass and Gary Nosworthy defeated Bruce McCallum and Glen Bones Berryman. Rink 4 saw Warren “Yogi” Bunn, Bob Darr, and Ian Connell account for Steve Motu, Ron Smith, and Terry Feakes. Meanwhile, Michael Young, Vicki Connell, and Joe Linton proved too strong for Bob Young, Elaine Young, and Steve Doig on Rink 5. On Rink 6, Margaret Linton, Joclyn DeFranciscus, and Jeff Taylor prevailed over Judy Elton, Trevor Elton, and Mick McClosky.

The prawn tray raffle was won by Jeff Taylor, with second place going to Steve Motu, reversing last week’s result. Giru must be a lucky place! Today’s winners were Paul Vass and Gary Nosworthy; unfortunately, Paul had another commitment and had to leave before the photo. The photo includes Vicki Connell, Steve Motu (slightly obscured), and Ian Connell, all from Giru, alongside Gary Nosworthy.

Club activities continue throughout the week with Monday morning fitness, Tuesday Trimmers and Funday sessions, Wednesday morning Kraft group, and Wednesday evening barefoot bowls and sausage sizzle, which is likely to grow in popularity as temperatures rise. Thursday brings morning BINGO and social bowls in the afternoon, and Saturday sees $5 social bowls continue as usual.

Till next week – good bowling.

Photo and report by Stephen Doig

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Vicki Connell, Steve Muto and Ian Connell with Gary Nosworthy. Photo supplied

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It’s been a fantastic week of fun and fierce competition at Ayr Bowling Club! The greens have been buzzing with energy as members threw themselves into both social games and championship matches. With the championship season coming to an end, the talent and sportsmanship on display have been nothing short of impressive.

On Wednesday, we saw a great afternoon’s social bowling competition. There were two games of Pairs and one game of triples. Winners were Cisco, Wayne and Dave.

Saturday Social Bowls saw 28 players on the green for a fantastic day of bowling. The day was sponsored by the Mahjong ladies with two prizes up for grabs. Winners were Karen Shepherd, Betty Schultz and Al Hardcastle. Second place went to Barry Hewson and Ron Soper. It was wonderful to have some visitors to the come on this day too.

In Championship games this week, the Mixed Singles saw a very tightly contested game, Beryl Cornford defeated Lorraine Wolffe 27 – 22. In the A & B pairs game, John McDonald and Col Essex defeated Al Hardcastle and Barry Shepherd 26 – 12. In the Men’s Triples Cisco, Sam Caltabiano and Lachlan Grantz defeated Ron Smythe, Joe Grabbi and Ron Soper 21 – 13. All winners now progress to the next round.

If you are interested in giving Bowls a try, Friday Roll Ups are a good place to start. They are held every Friday afternoon from 3:00 - 5:30pm. Whether you're looking to hone your skills, enjoy some friendly training tips, or simply unwind with a drink, these casual roll-ups are the perfect way to kick off the weekend. Come down for some training, enjoy a few drinks, and join in the fun with fellow club members.

Friday Fun Night will be on Friday 10th October, starting at 6 PM. This is sponsored by Ayr Medical Group. This evening promises fun for bowlers of all levels, encouraging participants to bring friends or join solo to meet new people. The entry fee is $10 per game, which includes a sausage sizzle at 6 PM and a light supper after bowling begins at 7 PM. Get some friends together and come and have an evening of fun and laughter.

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The Burdekin Rugby Union Club held its annual Presentation Night on Saturday, 27 September at the Queens Hotel, recognising the achievements of players, volunteers, and club representatives from the past season.

First and Second Grade awards highlighted standout performers. Player of the Year honours went to Kelsey Hesp (First Grade Women), Kasey Parison (First Grade Women), and Wainui Matainavora (Second Grade), while other awards recognised Most Improved, Most Consistent, Best Forward, Best Back, and Player’s Player across grades.

Representative honours were awarded to Dom Arrate, Amanda Brown, Julea Farry, Tubby Heron, Caitlin Holmes, Jack McIntosh, Nathan Steel, and Brooke Smith for their selection in Townsville and North Queensland teams across multiple grades.

Club awards celebrated contributions beyond the field, with Dedication to Players (Senior) awarded to Joe Paoletti, Volunteer Contributing the Most to Craig Steel (accepted by Nathan Steel), Player Contributing Most (Don Marshall Shield) to Caitlin Holmes, Spirit of Rugby (Gary Jensen Shield) to Jody Horan, and Clubman of the Year to Robbie Cantarella.

The night was a fitting celebration of the talent, dedication, and community spirit that define Burdekin Rugby Union Club.

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