The 2021 season was equal parts brilliance and frustration for the Goulburn Dirty Reds, but they have capped it off with four accolades at the MacDougall Awards night late last month.
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The Dirty Reds were named Monaro Club Champions and First Division First Grade Minor Premiers, while club stalwart Mik Webber picked up the Best and Fairest trophy and Adam Lachlan claimed the Bill Priest Trophy Monaro Rep Player of the Year prize.
It was a fitting reward for the club, which, though it only played nine First Grade matches this season, scored nine wins with the scarcely-believable points differential of 427 - nearly 300 ahead of Royals in second.
Webber, who was a massive contributor to the Dirty Reds' success with his unerringly accurate boot and wealth of experience, was taken aback to see his name among the list of award winners.
"I was really surprised, actually," Webber said.
"I know everyone says that every time they win it, but I was genuinely surprised this year because of the shortness of the season. I also missed the first two rounds with concussion protocol and we had a team not come down.
"It just goes to show that, in such a short year, you only have to get the refs' vote once or twice to win the award. But I was genuinely shocked."
Webber's personal success, he said, was only possible because of the strength of the team as a whole.
"I'm just lucky that I play in a position where I get a lot of ball at the back of a good scrum and I get to kick goals," Webber said.
"I'm quite lucky that in a good team, I'm in the right area to draw a bit of attention from the referee and work off my teammate's work.
"To me it's a testament to what a good team we have."
Club president and co-captain of the Dirty Reds First Grade team, Jackson Reardon said the current side is one of the strongest he has been a part of during his time with Goulburn Rugby.
"We didn't get to play the final, that was a bit of a shame, but I certainly think it's one of the strongest club sides we've had in the time I've been playing there," Reardon said.
"To win the club championship, which is for the two grades, is really good, it shows that we've got a bit of depth there."
Reardon was unsurprised to see that Lachlan had claimed the Rep Player of the Year Award, considering the feedback he had heard following the in-form fullback's display for Monaro.
"I didn't play Monaro this year, but from what I heard he was a standout for them," he said.
"Hopefully he'll be able to play some rep footy next year and get there again. He's been playing well all year and is a really important player for us at fullback."
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