The Goulburn Dirty Reds finished their undefeated home and away season with a record-breaking 104-7 against East Canberra at Griffith Oval on Saturday.
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With Easts forfeiting the lower grade match, Goulburn did their best to squeeze two matches into one and the scoreboard reflected that as the Reds scored their best result of the season, broke the club's highest score for a men's team, and set a new club record in XV a side matches.
Scoring at 1.5 points a minute, the writing was on the wall from the outset as Goulburn ran in their first three tries inside the first 10 minutes.
Goulburn's initial tries followed a successful formula with a couple of busts up the middle to draw in the defence before spreading wide through the hands.
After Goulburn's first three tries there was a brief hiatus as Easts slowed the scoring slightly but the floodgates couldn't hold.
By halftime Goulburn was up 47-0.
Denied their usual reserve grade match due to the Easts forfeit, coach Ben Pearson brought the entire bench on 10 minutes into the second half but the pace continued.
Easts managed their only try midway through the second half but weren't able to repeat the deed.
With ten minutes on the clock, Jack Burke had to leave the field with an injury but even though Goulburn had no more reserves available, the tries kept coming with Goulburn playing one man down.
In total, the Reds ran in 16 tries, including four to Eric Brown, three to Abe Kara and two each to Ben Todkill, Alex Palmer and Adam Lachlan. In so doing, Lachlan scored his 50th club try, Abe Kara scored his 100th first-grade point and Alec Palmer scored his 50th club point.
Mik Webber, who kicked 10 conversions, also notched up a significant record, surpassing Tuggeranong's Andrew Dickson's 2,549 career points. Dickson's tally, the highest in ACT & Southern NSW was also believed to be the highest in Australia, so Webber's 2,567 is believed to be the new record.
I think it was club stalwart Rob Sheekey who declared that anyone who gets four tries must surely get best and fairest points, and that proved to be the case for Eric Brown who picked up three points and the Players Player vote. Ben Cheetham picked up two best and fairest points, and Mik Webber picked up one.
Next weekend the ACT First Division competition moves into the finals series. Goulburn's first and second grade sides are likely to play their games in Goulburn as part of the club's delayed Sponsors Day.
Goulburn 104 (Eric Brown 4, Abe Kara 3, Ben Todkill 2, Alec Palmer 2, Adam Lachlan 2, Harry Newby, Ben Cheetham and Jacob Kara tries; Mikael Webber 10 conversions, Eric Brown 1 conversion, Connor Minehan 1 conversion) def Easts 7.
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