Saturday September 16, 2023 will be a day Toni Gale will never forget.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A premiership, individual accolades and a surprise proposal - it had a bit of a everything.
Let's start with the premiership.
Six years after being part of the inaugural Narrabri women's side to take the field, Gale co-captained the Blue Boars to their maiden title with a 26-12 win over Gunnedah.
Her grand final efforts which included a brilliant solo try and three conversions, saw her lauded the player of the grand final.
She accepted that, the women's highest pointscorer, and the minor and major premierships, with something new and sparkly on her ring finger after partner Jack Rae got down on bended knee amid the post-game celebrations.
The proposal caught Gale completely by surprise; it was the last thing she was expecting in that moment.
"I was so just in the moment with the win.
"Like actually winning that grand final and being able to hold that trophy up," she said.
"I was like what are you doing running in front of the tunnel. We're about to do the tunnel and you've cut the girls off."
It was a surprise to her team-mates as well. Only co-coach Mick Coffey knew of Rae's intentions.
So what if they'd lost you ask.
"Apparently he told our coach (Coffey)... we're going to Bali later in the year, and he said that if we had lost he probably would have just held onto it until Bali," she said.
The two have been together for five-and-a-half years.
"Love him to the world," Gale said, adding that he is always in her corner supporting her.
Suffice to say with all that happened it was the best day of her life.
"On top of the world," she said when asked how she was feeling.
"We've worked really hard not just this year but over the last six years since the comps been running to bring this shield home for our club so it's really special."
One of three from that inaugural year that played on Saturday, they've been steadily building every year.
In 2022 they made the grand final for the first time only to just fall short.
This year they won their maiden minor premiership but were then beaten by Gunnedah in the qualifying final forcing them into a grand final rematch with defending champions Pirates.
After that game, Gale touched on their defence as what won it for them.
Again on Saturday it came to the fore, even holding the Red Devils up over the line at one stage.
"One of the senior players in our club DK (Daniel Kahl) gave us a little message [Friday] night to say, 'don't focus on the big moments, like the tries or holding the trophy up, focus on the things you can control like those one percenters', which is getting over that breakdown, holding the ball up," Gale said.
One of the most gifted footballers in the competition, she played both union and league as a junior.
"I grew up with three brothers so dad was like you can come and play footy too," she said.
Forced to give rugby away in her teens - at that stage there was no girls competitions and girls weren't allowed to play with the boys - she came back to it when she turned 17/18 and one of her coaches from her under 10s days suggested she come along when the Blue Boars were looking at starting up a side.
She hasn't looked back.
"I just love how inclusive footy is, it doesn't matter your size, your build, where you come from, what you do for a job," Gale said.
"I've loved being part of this club too."
Adding to the celebrations, it was her 23rd birthday the Wednesday before the preliminary final, and Rae's last Wednesday.
