DUNGOWAN Cowboys celebrated their best-ever season at Dungowan Hall on Saturday night.
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The Cowboys and Cowgirls both won their Group 4 Second Division grand finals at Kootingal Oval to make it a grand double and a magnificent end to 2014.
Club president Bruce Henry said the secret to the Dungowan club’s success might have been in the beer kegs and tractor tyres.
It wasn’t the fact that the Cowboys drank the kegs in a giant bonding effort but more to the fact the players were made to roll them and the tractor tyres in gruelling training sessions to toughen them up and get them extra-fit.
That fitness told in the grand final when they came from a 10-6 halftime deficit to win running away against the Kooty Roosters.
“They also had the big ropes,” Bruce Henry said of the training regime run by captain-coach Luke Taylor.
“They had to raise those big ropes above their heads,” Henry recalled.
“They trained hard though and we did have a great finish to the season.
“We’re proud of both sides. The whole community is.”
88 people turned up for a big night at Dungowan Hall last Saturday night.
Henry said Luke Taylor would definitely be coaching the Cowboys again.
“Bongo (Cowgirls coach Brendan Steel) reckoned he was retiring but I told him he can’t stop now. He’s got to defend that title.
“We should be fairly similar next year although a few are retiring – Damien Pittman, Chris Train and Andrew Thomas.”
It was also a good night for the Collins family.
Anita Collins won the Cowgirls’ Best and Fairest award while her brother-in-law, Lachlan Collins, won the Cowboy’s Players’ Player award.
Morgan Bates was the Cowgirl Players’ Player and Sarah Ridley the Most Valuable Cowgirl.
Kellie Martin was best forward and Brianna Trickett best back with Sarah Stackman most consistent, Katie Green most improved and Lisa Jenner the recipient of Steele’s coach’s award.
Justin Fox and Todd Wilson won Taylor’s coach’s award for the Cowboys while Clint Ridley was named best and fairest.
Matt Wilson won the Most Valuable Cowboy award with Scott Henry the best forward and Mitch Brown the best back.
Pittman went out with the most consistent and Dylan O’Brien the most improved.