Sport
27 January, 2026
Dunolly Blue throws weekend curveball
Thanks to rescheduled starting times, the Goldfields Playing Area weekend pennants were able to beat the heat on Saturday, with all scheduled matches across the three divisions completed.
As the race for finals emulated the weather, last weekend’s contests reached a piping hot magnitude.
DIVISION ONE
In a stunning turn of events, the Maryborough Highland Society is undefeated no more, as a jaw-dropping performance from Chris Williams led Dunolly Blue to defeat their old foes 65-55.
The ladder-leaders were in the driver’s seat when Greg McHugh overcame Alan Weir 20-16 and Garry Coburn fended off Tony Galofaro to take his rink 21-19.
However, the reigning Goldfields Champion of Champions led his team to a decisive 30-14 triumph over Grey Shay, giving Dunolly Blue a massive injection of confidence ahead of the finals after a rocky regular season by their standards.
Knocking Highland from the undefeated ranks didn’t translate on the ladder for Dunolly Blue, who still trail Talbot for the last double chance slot after they knocked off Maryborough Golf 64-59.
In a potential finals preview, all three rinks finished with a unique result during a tense contest that could’ve gone either way.
With Gerry Carmody’s rink against Talbot’s Peter McLaughlan ending deadlocked at 23-23 and Golf’s Kevin Prime besting Peter Fletcher 20-13, Chris Crossley scored the decisive rink for Talbot, defeating Anthony Chambers 28-16.
That placed Talbot on the precipice of securing a top two finish, while Golf were in danger of losing their finals spot to Carisbrook after their defeat. However, Avoca left Carisbrook stunned, scoring a landmark 66-46 victory.
In a brilliant team performance, Frank Shannon got Avoca flying by overpowering Ron Baker 24-9, allowing Ian Proctor to all but assure victory when he vanquished Ross Gregory 23-17.
Roy Pickering provided some solace for Carisbrook by holding on in a nail-biter over Daniel Giddings 20-19, but it didn’t lessen their plight, needing to claw back an 11-point deficit to Golf in the final two rounds.
Newstead rounded out an exciting round by overcoming a 2-1 rink deficit to defeat Maldon 60-54.
Despite Maldon’s Peter Sedgwick thwarting David Cobden 18-14 and Wesley Honeyman conquering Bill Burnett 19-15, Brian Daly was the difference-maker, with his 31-17 triumph against Annette Gillham handing Newstead their third win of the season.
DIVISION TWO
Maryborough Golf maintains its double chance position by the slimmest of margins after taking victory over Talbot 41-24.
Robert Van Roosmalen took a potentially pivotal rink for Talbot over Gary Chaplin 18-17, but Francis Smith sailed Golf to victory by besting Ray Prentice 24-6.
Golf’s dropped points opened the door for Highland White to close the gap on their local rivals, now trailing Golf by a measly point following their 55-27 demolition of Bridgewater.
Dennis Prosser starred in a high-scoring affair against Ron Brown that finished 37-17, while Frank Mifsud had a tougher time against Christopher Brooshooft, winning 18-10.
Despite their defeat, Robert Van Roosmalen’s aforementioned rink victory moved Talbot closer to the top four thanks to ladder-leaders Highland Black disposing of Dunolly Gold 59-28.
Albert Spencer took a thriller over Raeleen Mebbrey 20-18 and Robert Bursill dominated Aaron Britten 39-10.
Dunolly Green battled to move up into sixth with a hard-fought victory over Avoca, 55-34.
Sandra Chaplin held on in the rink of the match, defeating Geoff Loosmore 22-20, while Fabio Delconte impressed in a commanding win over Ann Loosmore 33-14.
DIVISION THREE
In a potentially deciding factor in finals seeding, Newstead has usurped Carisbrook into the top two with a decisive 49-18 win.
Newstead’s Steven Gibson and Angela Hill flexed their muscles over Carisbrook, with Gibson thrashing Jeff Smith 26-7 and Hill overpowering Phillip Burt 23-11.
The result has flipped the script on the double chance battle, with Newstead now in second over Carisbrook by four points.
In a peculiar ending to a fine match, the Maryborough Highland Society and Dunolly were forced to share points following a 39-39 draw.
Both rinks were decided by just one shot, with Highland’s Gregory Long overcoming Graeme Cain 17-16 and Dunolly’s Paul Chase besting Allan Pike 23-22.
In another nail-biter, Maldon delivered a death blow to Avoca’s finals chances with a 38-36 triumph.
Despite Avoca’s Anthony Brennan thwarting Pam Lyons 21-16, Leonie Briggs turned the tide for Maldon by overpowering Gordon Marr 22-15.
ROUND 13
The penultimate round of the weekend pennants could decide the fate of the finals participants in the top two divisions.
With a 23-point lead over Dunolly Blue, Talbot can clinch a division one double chance if they defeat Avoca at home.
A defeat would open the door for Dunolly Blue to snatch that spot on the final day of the regular season.
However, they cannot overlook a Carisbrook side who likely need a win to keep their finals chances alive, especially with fourth-placed Maryborough Golf playing Maldon.
The Maryborough Highland Society will attempt to return to its usual winning ways when they host an in-form Newstead.
Division two’s fight for the double chance all comes down to this as Maryborough Golf takes on Highland White, with the winner automatically entering the final round in the coveted second position.
In the race for fourth, Dunolly Gold looks to maintain its finals spot with a strong performance against Dunolly Green, while Talbot will look to maintain pressure as they visit Avoca.
With the minor premiership wrapped up, Highland Black looks to complete the last of their finals preparations versus Bridgewater.
In division three, Maldon plays Carisbrook, Avoca hosts the Maryborough Highland Society and Dunolly travels to Newstead.