2009 Australasian Gaelic Games
Day 1 Match Reports
Seniors: Qld v Auckland 
The tournament kicked off with an inter-Tasman match between the Queensland and Auckland seniors.
Auckland started off on the attack but Queensland quickly came into the game and put the first point on the board. But Auckland soon put themselves on the board and from there it see-sawed as the teams went point for point.
Queensland showed why they will be a force to be reckoned with this week as they pressured the Auckland backs, with the ball staying largely in Queensland territory for most of the game. However, the Queensland forwards couldn't always find the posts to turn their hard work into points.
Auckland captain Pat O'Sullivan scored a crucial goal for his side, punching the ball in at close range off a Rory O'Grady free kick to give Auckland an important five point lead at half time, 1-4 0-2.
The second half belonged to Queensland, dominating territory and constantly pressuring the Auckland backs. Cameron Carney and Paddy Quirke shone for Queensland as they consistently made significant runs through the midfield to the forward line.
But the Auckland backs didn't let anything in and Queensland had to rely on their half forwards to try for points from further out.
In the end the Queenslanders couldn't get the points they needed despite scoring five for the half and keeping Auckland to one, and Auckland held on for the narrow 1-5 0-7 win.
Women's: WA v SA
Both the South Australian and Western Australian teams will be hoping the cobwebs have cleared after a scrappy opening game in the women's competition.
WA scored first and took advantage of a haphazard South Australian backline to put a further two quick points on the board, with impressive attack by midfielder Bernadette Egan making her one to watch.
South Australia managed to eventually pull the play back into their own half but couldn't come up with the points when opportunities arose.
Mistakes by both teams made for a game of high turnover and hot tempers as frustrations surfaced and several penalties were given.
WA kept South Australia scoreless in the first half to hold a half time lead of 0-7 to nil, with the Padgett sisters Jane and Lydia sharing the bulk of WA's points.
South Australia had plenty to discuss at half time, and showed some improvement in the second half but will still have a long way to go if they're to hold onto the trophy this year.
They showed some signs of revival with Michelle Reid making some good runs through the midfield from the backline, but WA kept the pressure on with Pia Kilburn ensuring the South Australian attack didn't make it through their half forward line.
Alyson Kennelly scored South Australia's first and only point for the game midway through the second half, but it wasn't enough to put her team on the front foot, despite holding WA to one point for the whole half.
WA came away with the 0-8 0-1 win but no doubt will be looking to step it up as the week progresses.
Seniors: Vic v Hutt Valley-Wellington
Victoria and Wellington proved to be well matched in a close and high-quality game which resulted in a 1-6 0-9 draw.
The Victorian backline consistently worked the ball up the field with superb handpassing and teamwork, with windy conditions keeping long-range kicking to a minimum.
However the good work through the backline and midfield didn't always convert into points with the Victorian attack often unraveling in the forwards.
The game was even at 0-2 all when a turnover deep in the Victorian defence resulted in a Robbie English goal for Wellington which put the visitors ahead at half time.
Victoria came out strongly in the second half with several points bringing the scores back even.
Wellington were hurt by a number of free kicks against them, most of which were turned into pointsfrom the prolific boot of Kevin Lawlor.
However the momentum turned to Wellington as they scored a number of points of their own, with a couple of good runs through the midfield and half forward line finished off with points by Peter Markey and Daithi O'Connor.
Victoria's Luke Naughton showed an impressive boot to clock two points for his team, which Wellington weren't able to answer despite pressuring their goal area late in the game, to leave the scores locked at 1-6 0-9 at the final whistle.
Seniors: WA v SA
The final game of day one saw another close match, this time between Western Australia and South Australia.
WA got off the mark first but South Australia were soon to join them on the scoreboard with a succession of points.
Game play remained even through the first half to leave the score tied at half time 0-6 0-6.
Much of the scoring came off free kicks as both sides were penalised for rough play.
South Australia's Gabe Phillips kicked several of his side's frees to clock up his own tally of 0-4.
WA's Rowan Magee kicked a point from a penalty kick and followed it up with another point after a good run through from the midfield.
SA had some good passages of play but couldn't convert it into points, scoring only 0-2 in the second half - both frees from the boot of Gabe Phillips.
WA had a higher success rate in the final stages of the game which made all the difference as they held onto the lead to win 0-11 0-8.
Day 2
Minors: QLD v SA
Queensland were first to score with a point from Christian Lagos, but South Australia hitback where it hurt with a goal from Paul Van Mierle.
From there the South Australian attack was relentless, winning almost every Queensland kickout to keep the ball in the South Australian half.
When Queensland did get the ball, they struggled to get it into the forward line as play broke down in the midfield.
South Australia made the most of their turnovers to score a further two goals - one to Ryan Davison and a second to Paul Van Mierle - and gain a daunting 3-4 0-1 lead by half time.
Queensland took stock at half time and stepped it up in the second half to gain more possession and territory.
Turnovers from the South Australian kickout gave the Queensland forwards some action and some opportunities at goal, but for all their efforts they could only manage two points, from captain Fintan McGrath and Christian Lagos again.
South Australia consolidated their lead with a goal to Patrick Blenkinsop, and held off the Queensland attack for a comfortable 4-7 0-3 win.
Seniors: Vic v WA
Defending champions Victoria found themselves in another close tussle after their draw against Wellington yesterday when they went point for point with Western Australia to come away with yet another draw today.
The Victorians didn't seem to reach the same level they did against Wellington but kept WA on their toes nonetheless as the home side held a 0-5 0-4 lead at half time.
WA benefited from a number of free kicks, consistently converted into points by Brian Dempsey.
Victoria maintained a narrow lead with Mick Conroy and David Stynes both putting points on the board for their team.
However WA kept chipping away and Seamus Kane kicked a point just before the full time whistle to level the scores at 0-9 all.
Minors: Vic v WA
Victoria went on the attack early with the forwards pressuring the WA backline for much of the first half.
However, two WA goals put the visitors in good stead to take a 2-0 0-4 lead at half time.
Both sides suffered on kickouts, with play remaining largely in the half-forward to full-forward lines.
Victoria put first points on the board in the second half to bring the scores even at 2-0 0-6, but WA soon started to take control, keeping the Victorians on the back foot for much of the rest of the game.
While the game remained competitive, WA scored the rest of the points, including a second goal for Craig Kelly to come away with the 3-5 0-6 win.
Women's: QLD v Vic
Although Queensland's Nat Thomas scored the first point in the opening minutes of the game, it was Victoria who started on the front foot, consistently turning over the ball and finding holes in the Queensland back line.
A goal by Laura Corrigan gave the home side a solid lead and the Victorians followed it up with a succession of points as Queensland struggled with kickouts.
But the visitors soon started to claw back some ground, with Roisin McEvoy working hard at half back to feed the ball back to the Queensland forwards, and the points started to come for the visitors.
At half time the Victorian goal was the only difference in the 1-5 0-5 scoreline.
The second half saw both sides gain their fair share of territory, with Victoria nudging ahead on points despite a marked improvement by the Queensland backs in defence.
But Queensland soon caught up on points and were looking for goals to get ahead.
But it was Victoria who found the net in the final stages of the game, to take away a 2-8 0-8 win at the final whistle.
Seniors: Auckland v Wellington
Wellington went on the attack early and maintained a high level of territory for the game, but it was Auckland who scored first, with a point to Andrew McDade followed by a goal to Oisin Lynch.
However, Wellington followed up with a goal of their own from Stephen McBride, then kept up the attack to score a further four points for the half.
But Auckland scored another goal late in the half to lock the scores even at 2-1 1-4 at half time.
The second half didn't see nearly as much scoring as game play remained competitive, but it was Wellington who managed to edge ahead on points to come away with the 1-10 2-2 win.
Seniors: QLD v SA
The final game of the day saw a close and entertaining contest play out between the Queensland and South Australian seniors.
The two sides went almost point for point for the whole first half, with Paddy Quirke doing the damage for Queensland scoring all four points for his side for the half.
Queensland was unlucky not to come away with a goal towards the end of the half, leaving South Australia in front at half time 0-6 0-4.
Both sides came out strongly in the second half, with fast attacking runs through the midfield.
Queensland were first to put points on the board for the half but South Australia followed up with points of their own to hold the lead, despite a tight Queensland defence.
A brilliant save by Queensland goalkeeper Derek Hennessy gave the Queenslanders heart as the scores leveled at 0-9 all.
The final stages of the game were tense as Queensland missed several opportunities to take the lead, but play remained in maroon territory and Chris Canavan soon gave the Queenslanders the point they needed.
Justin Mosch followed up with another point to give Queensland the 0-11 0-9 win at full time.
Day 3 Match Reports
Minors: SA v Vic
Play began evenly but Victoria consistently turned the ball over in their own territory with strong winds helping them gain the attacking edge.
But when South Australia held onto the ball, they made some good attacking runs through the midfield, although couldn't turn it into points.
A low-scoring half saw the half-time score with Victoria in the lead at 0-4 0-1 although the home side missed several scoring opportunities to increase their lead.
The second half saw South Australia make a significant comeback as their defence tightened and midfield came into their own.
Jamie Conlon scored a goal for SA and Jordan Pegoraro contributed several points, while brother Johnny Pegoraro was player of the game for his side at half back.
The Victorians struggled against the wind and were held scoreless throughout the second half, with SA coming back from their single point at half time for the 1-6 0-4 win.
Seniors: QLD v Wellington
A high-quality match saw the ball travel the lengths of the field but good defence by bothsides saw scoring kept to a minimum in the first half.
Queensland had the edge at half time with a 0-5 0-1 lead, and remained constantly on the front foot in the second half, with Paddy Quirke scoring a barrage of points for his side.
Wellington occasionally had their chances but could only manage two more points for the game, as play remained mostly in Queensland territory.
Wellington remained competitive but Queensland kept chipping away to win 0-13 0-3.
Women's: Vic v WA
It was Western Australia who put points on the board early in the match despite going against the wind, with a Renae Campbell penalty goal putting the visitors ahead.
But once the ball reached the Victorian half, the WA girls struggled on their kickouts and Victoria went on the attack.
From there Victoria look like a side in control of the game but didn't have the score to show for it, as they kept missing their shots.
Western Australia took a 1-3 0-4 lead into half time and went from strength to strength inthe second half as Victoria struggled against the wind.
The home side had some strong attacking phases but generally the momentum turned in favour of WA.
Renae Campbell took her scoring opportunities to net a second goal for WA, as well as several overs. She was well supported by Lydia Padgett, while Latoya Wallace also contributed to the WA scoreline.
Consistency in attack helped WA to run away with the win, with a final score of 2-12 0-6.
Hurling: Vic v QLD
The first hurling match of the tournament saw the home side Victoria take on Queensland in a game which see-sawed with the wind.
Victoria put the first point on the board but Queensland, with the wind behind them, soon followed with points of their own, including a goal from Jimmy Whelan.
Stephen Lenahan netted Victoria's first three-pointer not long before half-time, off a free hit from Patrick Raftice on the centre line.
But Queensland hit back straight away with a goal from Alan Murphy, to run to a 2-6 1-2 lead at half time.
However the Queenslanders struggled in the second half against the wind and several mistakes put the visitors on the back foot.
The Queensland half back line of Ronan Devery, Rory Conroy and Mick Coughlan put up a good fight in defence but it wasn't enough to keep the Victorians at bay.
The home side claimed the lead early in the second half with two goals, and stayed in front for the 3-11 2-11 win.
Minors: QLD v WA
Queensland went on the attack in the early stages of the game but couldn't make an impression on the scoreboard to match, with a low success rate from their attempts at the posts.
The Western Australian scoreline also remained low but the WA boys made the most of their turnovers to hold the hairline 0-3 0-2 lead at half time, edging ahead with a well executed run and point by Nathan Caccamo down the right wing.
A goal by David Daley for WA in the early stages of the second half bolstered the WA lead while putting pressure on the Queenslanders who could only manage one point for the half.
However the game remained competitive with pressure on both forward lines, but it was WA who came up with the goods to take away the 1-7 0-4 win.
Seniors: Vic v SA
It was all about Victoria in the first half as the wind blew the home side to a 0-6 to nil lead at half time.
They kept up the attack in the second half, using sharp handpassing to their advantage against the strong winds.
South Australia had their fair share of possession but didn't often make it deep into the forward line.
However SA managed to match Victoria's scoring for the half at 0-2 all, but couldn't make up the ground made by the home side in the first half and it was Victoria who came away with the win 0-8 0-2.
Women: QLD v SA
South Australia went on the attack from the word go and made the most of a loose Queensland defence to do some damage in the early stages of the game, with a goal from Kate Woodlands putting Queensland on the back foot.
SA were up 1-4 before Clare Dolan managed to get Queensland on the board with an over, before Karen Bowe decreased the margin more with a penalty goal.
Alyson Kennelly then hit back with a goal for SA, but Queensland brought the ball back up with Sarah Duncan breaking through the SA half back line for a goal attempt which was punched in by Renee Lee. This brought the score to 2-4 2-1 at half time with SA still in front.
With the wind behind them Queensland went on the attack early in the second half, with Sarah Duncan on the front line to punch in a goal from a Nat Thomas kick from the midfield.
Three-pointers were the flavour of the day with Catherine Cotter bolstering theQueensland lead with a penalty goal.
But SA came back to pressure the Queensland backs, although having tightened up considerably the Queenslanders didn't let much through and turned over the ball regularly.
Tess Robinson was superb in goals for Queensland, making vital saves for her side to keep the Queenslanders ahead.
The game remained close and competitive to the end, but the Queensland women held it together to claim the 4-3 2-6 win.
Day 4 Match Reports
Minors: SA v WA
South Australia had the wind against them in the first half but still managed to take control of the game, with Paul Van Mierle scoring his first of two goals to take his side into a 1-3 0-2 lead at half time.
Jamie Conlon scored a goal for SA in the second half with a high ball from beyond the 30 metre line and Paul Van Mierle added his second goal for the match to consolidate the SA score.
But while SA had been in control of the first half, WA came back to take control in the second half and battered the SA defence with strong attacking play and two goals brought the teams neck-and-neck midway through the half.
From there the lead changed several times but a WA goal on the 25th minute edged the West Australians ahead for the 3-6 3-4 win.
Hurling: QLD v NSW
New South Wales led at half time 1-5 0-6 with the help of an Alan O'Connor goal, but Queensland hit back in the second half to bring the game to a 1-11 all draw.
Michael Fogerty scored Queensland's goal early in the second half, but NSW came back soon after to keep the game tight.
Queensland's Barry Dolan notched up five overs for the game while teammate James Whelan had a tally of four, hitting the final two points to bring the scores level.
Seniors: QLD v WA
The game was competitive through the first half with Queensland taking an early lead.
The Queenslanders were ahead 0-6 0-2 when WA's Philip Doyle scored the first goal on a penalty kick, and the West Australians followed up with another goal to lead 2-2 0-6 at half time.
Queensland went on the attack in the second half to try and claim back the lead, but WA made quick breaks through the midfield to keep ahead.
The scoring was even through the second half with four points apiece, to give WA the two-point win with a 2-6 0-10 final scoreline.
Seniors: Wellington v SA
Play remained fairly even through the first half with both sides going for their points before SA found the net just before half time to take the 1-5 0-6 lead going into the break.
Sam Janetski boosted SA's lead with a goal early in the second half, and with Michael Stevenson booted the next four points to put SA in a strong position.
However Wellington went on the attack and Stephen McBride soon found the net to put three points on the board for his side.
The New Zealanders kept up the attack but the South Australian defence remained tight to keep scoring to a minimum.
The South Australians made some quick breaks and tried for the quick points but couldn't always find the posts.
Opportunities for SA became rarer as Wellington kept picking up possession and threatening an upset comeback.
Two goals for Wellington late in the game including a high angle shot by David Donohue in the last seconds brought the side to within two points of victory, but SA held on for the 2-12 3-8 win.
Minors: QLD v Vic
The first half was competitive but Victoria took the edge, and two goals to the home side early in the second half was the killer blow for Queensland.
From there the visitors struggled to come back, although they kept the backline tight with fullback Keelan Troy and half back Fintan McGrath both playing solid games.
The Victorians excelled at picking up the loose balls, making the most of opportunities and taking control of the game to win 3-10 1-2.
Day 5 Match Reports
Senior: Auckland v SA
Both sides got on the scoreboard early with an over each, but then the play stayed in the middle with neither side able to find the posts until later in the half.
SA had their chances and were able to carry the ball down the field but couldn't capitalise on their hard work and follow it up with points.
James Gallagher eventually broke the deadlock with an over, but Auckland then came back with a point from Martin Connolly from the 45.
Jon McGrinder followed with another point from the 45 soon after to put Auckland ahead 0-3 0-2 at half time.
Tony Hubner kicked a goal for SA not long into the second half to put his side ahead, and the South Australians followed it up with several overs as they kept the momentum in their favour.
Brendan Goodwin kicked a point for Auckland early in the half but the New Zealanders didn't score for the rest of the game, to leave South Australia the winners 1-9 0-4.
Women: WA v QLD
The Queenslanders knew they were in for a tough match and WA came out firing to hit where it hurt early on with a goal from Latoya Wallace.
Jess Harvey showed a steady boot to get Queensland on the scoreboard with two points but her side couldn't consolidate.
WA were hungry for the ball and any loose balls from the Queenslanders were snatched up by the West Australians.
Queensland also had their fair share of turnovers but it was WA who were ahead at half time 1-5 0-3.
WA had the edge in the second half, with Gemma De Knock breaking through the Queensland backs for a clean shot at goal to put the WA girls well ahead.
Queensland didn't give up though, with Catherine Cotter and Jess Harvey kicking overs late in the game.
But it was too little too late for the Queenslanders and the WA girls came away with the 2-8 0-5 win.
Minor semi-final 1: QLD v WA
Western Australia showed why they are the defending champions in this match, not giving Queensland anything in the first half to race to a 2-5 0-1 lead at half time.
But Queensland gave a whole-hearted performance in the second half - their best for the week - to show that this developing side will be one to watch in years to come.
The Queenslanders stepped up their defence in the backline to shut down the WA forwards and keep scoring to a minimum, with Keelan Troy playing a strong game at fullback.
Queensland also outscored WA in the second half, with 2-1 to WA's 0-5 for the half, with captain Fintan McGrath beating several defenders to net a goal at angle.
However the West Australian lead was too great to overcome and the WA side held on for the 2-10 2-2 win to go through to the grand final.
Senior: QLD v Vic
A low-scoring first half saw neither side score until well into the half, with Cameron Carney kicking the first point for the game for Queensland around 15 minutes in.
Ronan O'Shea followed up with a point and play stayed mostly in the Queensland half, with the Victorians not often getting very deep into their own forward line.
However a Victorian goal late in the half brought the home side a point ahead at half time 1-0 0-2.
Early in the second half John McMahon kicked a goal for Queensland - the side's first for the championships - to edge ahead 1-1 1-2.
From there two teams were neck-and-neck as the point-scoring alternated and the lead changed several times in a hard-fought half.
Every mistake was costly and in the end it was Queensland who felt it most, as Victoria held the one-point lead as the full-time whistle blew, to take the 1-7 1-6 win.
Hurling: QLD v WA
Western Australia got ahead in the opening stages of the game as they used the wind to their advantage to score a goal and several points for a 1-3 0-1 lead at half time.
Emotions spilled over at various stages of the second half and threatened to overshadow the game, but play continued and Queensland did their best to come back.
Barry Dolan took his personal score for the match to 0-3 with the Queenslanders matching WA for points in the second half, but the West Australians were too strong and held on for the win, 1-6 0-4.
Minor semi-final 2: SA v Vic
In one of the best games of the tournament, South Australia and Victoria went neck-and-neck for the entire match to take the game into extra time to break the 1-4 all full time deadlock.
Victoria's Kris Neil scored the first goal of the match shortly after half time when they held the slight 0-3 0-2 lead, but not long afterwards, South Australia's John Dickson netted his side's goal to bring the scores even on 1-3 all.
SA's Paul Van Mierle kicked a free over the bar but Victoria's Nathan Hrovat kicked an over for his side to bring the scores even again on the full time whistle.
South Australia scored the first point in the extra time, but Victoria's Chris Doherty scored a goal to put the home side ahead by two.
But their elation was short-lived as SA came back with a goal of their own, but Victoria's Michael Shanahan brought the scores back even again with a point after a good run down the midfield, to make it 2-5 all at the break.
Paul Van Mierle capped off a great individual performance with a penalty goal early in the second extra-time half to put SA ahead, but Victoria came back with a point and then a goal to Oliver Duffily put them ahead by one point.
In the heated final stages of the game it was Victoria who held out for the win, with Nathan Hrovat kicking the last point to bring the final score to 3-7 3-5 to the home side.
Day 6 Match Reports
Women’s semi-final 1: QLD v WA
Western Australia went on the attack early to put the first three points on the board as Queensland struggled to get the ball out of WA territory.
But Queensland came back to equalise the score with a goal to Grainne Heduan, and Karen Bowe followed up not long after with a goal of her own to show that the Queenslanders were in with a chance.
WA continued to pressure the Queensland back line but the maroon girls stood up to the attack and forced WA to shoot wide of the posts.
Sarah Duncan finished the half with an over to leave Queensland ahead 2-1 0-5 at half time.
The West Australians came out firing in the second half to keep the ball in their territory and chip away at the points, scoring five overs to get ahead before Queensland got on the board.
WA kept winning the ball but Queensland kept fighting back and kept the WA attack from running away with the game.
But two points for the half for the Queenslanders wasn’t enough to keep them in the game, giving WA the win 0-11 2-3.
Hurling semi-final 1: QLD v WA
In a tense re-match of yesterday’s game, Queensland and WA went head-to-head in a thrilling encounter which saw the lead change several times throughout the match.
Queensland put the first points on the board but a Kevin Kelly goal put WA ahead 1-3 0-4 at half time.
A Queensland goal midway through the second half gave the maroon boys a boost but a few points later the score came back to 1-8 all.
In the later stages of the game Queensland again scored a goal to get two points ahead, but again Victoria equalised with two points.
But it was Queensland who scored the final point of the game, to take the win 2-10 1-12 and go through to the final.
Seniors semi-final 1: QLD v Vic
Play began fairly evenly and the score was 0-4 all before Queensland kicked an over just before half time to take a one-point lead.
But Victoria took the edge in the second half, chipping away at points before a James Lerry goal consolidated the home side’s lead.
Queensland kept fighting but couldn’t take the game back, and the Victorians saw out the 1-12 0-8 win.
Women’s semi-final 2: SA v Vic
Victoria were on the attack for much of the first half, but couldn’t turn their hard work into points as the South Australian backs consistently turned the ball over.
When SA got the ball into their forward line they also had trouble converting, but had more success than the Victorians to manage four points in the first half.
The home side managed to get on the board in the second half and keep SA to just one point for the half, but it wasn’t enough to get ahead.
Defending champions SA held on for the win in one of the lowest-scoring games of the tournament, 0-5 0-3, but will need to pick up their game against a strong WA in tomorrow’s final to hold onto the trophy.
Seniors semi-final 2: Wellington v WA
Western Australia began the match holding most of the territory but found it difficult to score against the wind.
Wellington made the most of their opportunities to keep up with WA, scoring two points at the end of the first half to take a slight 0-5 0-4 lead at the break.
The second half saw both sides take their fair share of possession and territory, but in the end it was WA who converted more of their opportunities into points, to take the 0-12 0-7 win.
Minors grand final: WA v Vic
Home side Victoria put on an impressive display to overcome Western Australia in the minor grand final to take the trophy from the fancied defending champions.
The Victorians put the first points on the board with Nathan Hrovat kicking a goal in the early stages of the game, while WA couldn’t find the posts, kicking high balls into the wind.
Bill Clemett put WA’s first point on the board but Victoria kept chipping away and a goal late in the half to Kris Neil put the home side well ahead at half time, 2-5 0-3.
Victoria looked like a side in control as they kept the upper hand through the second half, but a goal for WA punched in by Hayden Burgoyne gave the visitors heart.
The Victorians hit back soon after with another goal to Nathan Hrovat, but WA didn’t give up, turning over the ball to maintain territory in the last stages of the game.
But the West Australians couldn’t capitalise with the points they needed, and Victoria stayed ahead for the 3-10 1-7 win.
Day 7 Match Reports
Hurling Final: QLD v NSW
New South Wales came back from their shock omission from the 2008 hurling final after 14 years of dominance to take back the silverware in this year’s championships.
Queensland were looking for their first ever Australasian hurling title but couldn’t find the same consistency shown by New South Wales.
The New South Wales team picked up more turnovers and took their shots to more success than did Queensland, with Alan O’Connor scoring a goal from a free just before half time to give New South Wales the 1-5 0-2 lead at the break.
New South Wales benefited from getting the ball deep into their forward line, while Queensland were forced to take shots from further out.
Barry Dolan improved from an inconsistent first half to score most of Queensland’s points in the second half, and Paul Mullally contributed with a goal late in the game.
But it was too little too late for the Queenslanders and New South Wales came away with the win, 1-16 1-7.
Women’s Final: WA v SA
The West Australian women went into this year’s final looking to make amends for last year’s shock one-point loss to South Australia, with the two sides again facing off for the trophy.
WA started on the front foot, going on the attack and putting the first points on the board.
But the South Australian backs were tight in defence, turning the ball over regularly and keeping the WA scoring to a minimum.
While the SA backs were effective in moving the ball out of WA territory, play often broke down in the midfield and WA would return to the attack.
The WA girls kept looking for goals and Lydia Padgett eventually found the net, to bring the score to 1-4 0-5 at half time.
South Australia got on the ball early in the second half to score first, although missed an open shot at goal which would have given them the lead.
In a period of high turnover, it was WA who converted their opportunities into points.
Linda Holland got a hand on a Josephine O’Callaghan kick to score WA’s second goal, then O’Callaghan followed up soon after for a third, to give her side a strong lead.
Lauren Daniel scored a penalty goal for South Australia in the dying minutes of the game, but with still six points to make up, it was WA who claimed the win and the trophy at the full time whistle, with a 3-8 1-8 final score.
Men’s Final: WA v Vic
In a tense men’s final, the score remained close throughout with the lead changing several times in the final stages of the game before defending champions Victoria closed out the win against Western Australia to hold onto the trophy.
Niall Doran scored the first goal of the game for Victoria, punching into the net a high ball from David Stynes.
Victoria appeared to have the edge in the early stages of the game, but then the tide 
turned and WA went on the attack, winning the Victorian kickouts and picking up loose balls in the midfield to score a spate of points.
Brian Dempsey capped off a good run of play with a goal for the West Australians, putting his side in the lead, but the Victorians took momentum back in the later stages of the first half for Mick Conroy to score the home side’s second goal and bring the scores level 2-4 1-7 at half time.
Victoria put the first points on the board in the second half, but a goal to Jeremy Thompson saw the WA side take the lead again, before two overs by Mick Conroy brought the scores level again.
From there the sides went point for point, as both struggled to get ahead in the final stages of the game.
Every attempt counted and so did every mistake, with WA missing some chances while Victoria held it together.
Mick Conroy and Ciarin Hogan kicked the final points for Victoria, to give them the 2-12 2-10 win and cap off a superb tournament for the home side.
For more photos please click here.
All match reports and photos are courtesy of Jenny Munro and may not be reproduced without permission. (Enquiries to jenny.munro@gmail.com)
2009 AUSTRALASIAN GAELIC FOOTBALL & HURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR THE AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2009 Australasian Gaelic Football and Hurling Championships will be held in Melbourne at Gaelic Park, Keysborough from Monday 28 September through to the finals on Sunday 4 October.
This year there are 18 teams competing with six men’s and four teams in each of women’s, minor and hurling codes. If you add in the demonstration Camogie game on Sunday 4 October then close to 500 players will participate. There will be plenty of action with 45 games to be played by teams from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Auckland and Hutt Valley-Wellington.
HURLING
For the first time when the Championships have been held outside Brisbane we will see four different hurling States participating. This has been made possible with the entry of a team from Queensland which will compete with Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. It is a big step up from Club games to Interstate level and it will be interesting to see how Queensland makes the transition. Another question on many people lips is, will this year see W.A. lose the tag as the unluckiest hurling team after their near misses in 2007 & 2008?
After an absence of four years Victoria marked their return to the Hurling Championships in 2008 by winning the title and will be keen to go back-to-back on home soil. New South Wales will be smarting at not even making last years final after holding the trophy continuously until then since 1992.
It all augers well for a very interesting hurling competition with no clear favourite.
MINOR FOOTBALL
Western Australia were outstanding in 2008 in winning the Minor competition for the second time in three years and under a similar management team will be looking to retain their title.
Last year, Victoria was expected to be the team to beat after being crowned champions in 2007 but this never eventuated and they lost to the West in the final by 10 points. Being the home State they can be expected to be challenging strongly for the title.
Following from the 2008 Championships in Adelaide at Westminster College the school Chaplin Patrick Gillespie (Donegal) was very enthusiastic about promoting underage football. He joined forces with the SA committee and this has resulted in them getting together a highly motivated team for the 2009 games. Queensland also has been renowned over time for their promotion of Minor football and again this year will be expected to be highly competitive.
It will be interesting to watch the standard in Melbourne as the age limit for participation has been reduced by 12 months so that players have to be 17 years of age or under at the commencement of the Championships on 28 September.
SENIOR FOOTBALL
The absence of New South Wales will no doubt lead to Victoria being favourites. They were outstanding in 2008 winning for the first time since 2002. Whilst they are expected by many to make the final the other five participants will be planning ways to stop this.
Western Australia has a very strong State competition but over recent years has struggled to translate this when playing away from Perth. South Australia usually is the team that is almost comprised of locals. A major obstacle they have is that they play a summer competition but that has not stopped them making two of the last four Australasian finals.
Queensland’s men’s competition from all reports has been very strong in 2009 and with an infusion of Irish players will be looking to build on their success in reaching the 2008 semi finals when with an injury hit team they lost to South Australia by 4 points.
It has been a long time since we had two teams from New Zealand competing at the same time in the men’s competition. This year we have Auckland & Hutt Valley-Wellington partaking. Like South Australia a negative is that they also play a summer competition. They have however been training for many months and if last years performances by the Wellington team are an indication of how they can play then they will both be aiming at least for semi final qualification.
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Last year it was stated that no women’s team had ever won 4 Championships in a row but there was an expectation by most people that if any team could do it then it would be Western Australia. They qualified for the final and were red hot favourites however to the amazement of most they lost to South Australia by 1 point. No doubt they will be very very well prepared this year to regain the title.
The win in 2008 by S. Australia really propelled the sport in Adelaide with even more numbers taking up the game. With many of their winning team from last year again competing who can say they cannot repeat their triumph?
If home State advantage played a part in last years win for SA then Victoria can be expected to be to the fore in 2009. The whisper from around the States is that Victoria will be at the strongest they have been in the last 5 years.
Queensland has been one of the power teams in women’s football for the last decade being crowned champions twice as well as making the final on other occasions. Their last few years have not been as successful but they can never be discounted.
To view the program and results click here
Gerard Roe
SECRETARY