The Goulburn City Bulldogs gathered in the Astor attic on Sunday night to commemorate the 2021 season.
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After the club's conspicuous absence from competition in 2020 due to COVID-19, which pushed it to the brink financially, the Bulldogs reformed ahead of 2021 with new sponsors, new coaches, and a new look.
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Though the season itself was truncated due to further coronavirus lockdowns, it was unarguably a success for Goulburn rugby league.
The club's First Grade side sat in the top four right up until the last round of the year, the Reserve Graders struggled but still scored some impressive wins, the Under 19s dominated to finish on top of the ladder, the League Tag women finished in third and would have been strong contenders for the premiership, and the Katrina Fanning Shield side also finished in first position.
"I've played footy in Goulburn for a long time now, and this season was definitely the most rewarding for me as a player and as a coach," Bulldogs First Grade co-coach, Tyson Greenwood said.
"I first coached some of those kids who are playing First Grade with me when they were 14, so seeing them play next to me is very rewarding for me, and humbling as a player."
The presentation night was well attended by players, coaches, club staff, and sponsors as 30 awards were distributed.
Most of the players who won awards received framed pictures taken of them playing throughout the season, with a small gold plaque on the bottom of the frame to denote which award they had won.
The evening also served as the formal farewell for outgoing Bulldogs president, Joe Stephens. A number of club members spoke in honour of Stephens, who emceed the evening, and thanked him for his service to Goulburn rugby league.
Jesse Martin, who co-coached the Bulldogs First Grade side in 2021 alongside Greenwood, said an emotional goodbye ahead of his move to the Woden Rams in 2022, which was warmly received by the audience.
The full list of award winners is as follows:
Point Scorer Awards
- Men's Top Club Try Scorer 2021 - Steve Cummins
- League Tag Top Try Scorer 2021 - Annie Kent
- KFS Try Scorer 2021 - Krystal Blackwell
- Men's Top Club Point Scorer 2021 - Isaac Walker
- League Tag Top Point Scorer 2021 - Annika Picker
- Women's KFS Top Point Scorer 2021 - Lauren Kelly
Memorial Awards
- Brian Matthews Rookie of the Year 2021 - Bailey Lanham
- Tim Hartnett Memorial Rising Star Award 2021 - Jyi Little
- Merv Cain Memorial Most Consistent in Club 2021 - Tyson Greenwood
- Chris Taylor Memorial Most Improved in Club 2021 - Angus Marshall
- Wayne Rudd Memorial Best Rep Player in Club 2021 - Dillon Rota and Maddy Tooth
- Guts and Glory Award 2021 - Steve Arnall
- Clubman of the Year 2021 - Wayne Cooke
- Services to Rugby League 2021 - John Payne
League Tag Awards
- League Tag Coaches Award 2021 - Hannah Read
- League Tag Players / Player 2021 - Grace Marshall
- League Tag Best and Fairest 2021 - Kayla Gann
Katrina Fanning Shield Awards
- KFS Coaches Award 2021 - Olivia Howe
- KFS Players / Player 2021 - Isabella Sheen
- KFS Best and Fairest 2021 - Carly Wilkin
Under 19s Awards
- U19's Coaches Award 2021 - Dylan Croker
- U19's Players / Player 2021 - Aidan Williams
- U19's Best Fairest 2021 - Sam Campbell and Jyi Little
Reserve Grade Awards
- Reserve Grade Coaches Award 2021 - Kody Tozer
- Reserve Grade Players / Player 2021 - Mitchell Grocott
- Reserve Grade Best Fairest 2021 - Josh Eaton
First Grade Awards
- Finlay Family Most Consistent First Grade Player 2021 - Dominic Stephens
- First Grade Coaches Award 2021 - Max Flack
- First Grade Players / Player 2021 - Jesse Martin
- First Grade Best and Fairest 2021 - Jesse Martin
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