SENIOR sport teams from across the Hinterland have excelled in their respective 2024 seasons, and are now gearing up for finals starting from this weekend.
From the Beerwah Bulldogs, the A Grade, Reserve Grade and U19s Men teams have all made the finals. Bulldogs club president, Ref Hammill, said the teams were confident heading into finals. “We’re looking at back to back premierships for the A Grade, and the Reserve Grade, it will be a hard fought battle but the boys are confident to bag that one as well,” he said. “The A Grade finished the season on 3rd and the Reserve Grade finished first on the ladder, winning the minor premiership.”
The U19s team finished fourth on the ladder, and hasn’t made finals in many years. Ref added despite A Grade’s slow start to the season due to player suspensions and injuries, the team has bounced back. “They are coming back really well, as they say you don’t win it in the first round, it’s the run home in the second,” he said.
The BeeGees will have the U23s Women going through to the finals, but the U23s Men and Premier Men will not, finishing 11th and 10th respectively. BeeGees Premier Women coach, Amy Higgins, said both women teams have performed well this season. “The U23’s are excited for finals and are looking ahead at their competition they will be facing in the coming weeks,” she said. “They have had one of their best seasons in a few years and are showing that they could very well be grand finalists.
“The Premier Women didn’t beat Gympie last week so they unfortunately just missed out on making the finals, it was a close call for the girls.” Amy added the Premier Women has been plagued with injuries, but the U23s helped out by providing subs.
The Glasshouse Hinterland Lions AFL Division 4 team has had its best finish to a regular season since rejoining the competition in 2022. The team is sitting 3rd on the ladder, finishing the season on a bye. They finished 5th in 2023 and 9th in their debut season.
Lions club president and coach, Dean Crooks, said he was very proud of how the team has progressed in the last few years. “We have worked really hard to become a cohesive unit, we are working like a family and it’s great to see,” he said. “The team is feeling really good going in to finals. “This is the best position we have ever been in.” Dean added that he hopes the team can make it all the way to the grand final. “We have all worked hard and we deserve to be there and bring it home for the club,” he said
