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It was a journey worth the effort over the weekend for leading bush football side, Dunedoo, coming up trumps twice in the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League.
The Swans made the short trip to Coolah to take on the 'Roos in Round Five of the competition, and returned home with both the Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup and the Boronia Cup in what was a great day for the green-and-whites!
The Swannettes led the way in the Ladies League Tag clash, laying the platform for their win in the first stanza, before going into the half-time break leading 16-4. The second half saw both sides add more scoring to their first-half tallies, but the home side was unable to reel-in the deficit with thew final 26-14 scoreline seeing the Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup heading south.
In an outstanding individual performance, the Swannettes’ Chelsea Gallagher scored 22 of her side’s points with four tries and three goals.
The win also set the tone for the first grade Boronia Cup Challenge game! The clash saw both sides scoring four tries and, it came down to goal kicking with the Swans sharpshooter Ty Sutherland landing four from four, edging out Coolah’s Brad Pickering who notched three from four.
The 24-22 loss by the Roos ended a rather remarkable home ground record for the Coolah club, this being their first loss at Bowen Oval since the club reformed three years ago.
The Swans first Boronia Cup Challenge defence, however, will be a tough one as they will be hosting the thus far undefeated Cobar Roosters next Saturday in a clash that should pack out Roberston Oval.
The Roosters had little trouble against the Gulgong Bull Terriers last Saturday, cruising to a 62-0 win on their home turf.
At Warren, the Bulldogs played host to the Gilgandra Panthers and they looked as if they might be in for their first win of the season when they deservedly went to the break holding a substantial 20-6 lead. They were also buoyed by the knowledge that they would be playing a 12-man Panther’s outfit for the first 10 minutes of the second stanza after a Gilgandra player was dispatched to the sin bin with just eight seconds remaining in the first half.
Whilst the Bulldogs rightly dominated the first half in terms of both possession and field position, they were very much aided and abetted by an abysmal handling display by the visitors.
In what turned out to be a game of two halves, however, it was to be the Panthers who had an overwhelming share of possession in the second stanza. With their handling greatly improved, they clawed their way back into the game and, with 10 minutes to go, they hit the lead for the first time with the scoreboard reading 30-26 in their favour.
In a helter-skelter finish, the Bulldogs looked as if they might have at least salvaged a draw when their winger looked set to score out wide with just two minutes remaining. However, to the dismay of their supporters, the ball came loose and the Panthers managed to hold on for the win.
In the game played on Sunday between the Narromine Jets and the Coonamble Bears at Narromine, it was again goal kicking that decided the result after both sides had scored six tries in an entertaining game, with the Jets getting the win 32-28.
On an unfortunate note, the Baradine Magpies have withdrawn their first-grade team from the rest of the 2026 competition following a horror run of injuries that has stretched their player numbers to breaking point. Teams drawn to play the Magpies in first grade will now receive a bye.
The Baradine League Tag side will continue to play.