After a very long wait, junior football was back on Saturday at the Cowaramup Oval for the Bulls first games of the year.
Local derby games between Cowaramup's Red and Gold, in both the 9s and 11s made for a fun and competitive atmosphere.
The 9s kicked things off at a blistering pace and the game remained close till the final siren.
There was lots of ferocious tackling from both sides as schoolyard pride was on the line and given it was the first game of the year, parents on the sidelines all said the standard of skills on display was incredibly high.
Coach's awards for Bulls Gold went to Harri Godfrey, Dane Roy, and Evie and Indi Johnstone.
Coach's awards for Bulls Red went to Ethan Anderson, Reian McSweeney and Jack Gamage.
The 11s Derby was also neck and neck all day and by this time the wind had picked up and began to play a major factor on the scoreboard.
Gold coach, Steve Kirby, said his team tackled hard and used the ball well which led to some free-flowing play and high scoring.
Coach's awards for Bulls Gold went to Oliver Healy, Griffin O'Neill and Carlin Cheffers. For Red, Pete Mammone gave awards to Cavan Payne, Harper Payne, Raph Juniper and Ollie Jakovich.
Bulls 13s first game of the year kicked off against Hawks Red and it took the boys some time to find their feet. Hawks Red hit the ground running with the wind - and a standout player for the game was Hawks Red player, West.
He had a handful of goals on the board before the Bulls could blink!
Eventually, Marvin Ferris opened scoring with a quality set shot to get the first goal for Bulls late in the opening quarter, and then James Meldrum showed a clean pair of heels for Bulls second.
Bulls got better the longer the game went on and finished full of running.
Their team play, confidence, and ability to spread the field and find a free player also improved.
The end result was a 14.8 win to 5.0 to Hawks Red. Coach's awards went to Jack Zan, James Meldrum and Anaru Teddy.
Year 9s face Tigers
The Hawks travelled to Hands Oval to take on the traditionally strong South Bunbury Tigers. Coach Jez was back showing off his sun tan and had the boys all revved up.
It was an even contest in the first quarter with the Hawks backline standing up under pressure.
Tigers kicked a few late in the quarter to give them a good lead. The second quarter was a more even contest with the Hawks midfield getting their hands on the ball first and some great link up play down the wings. Just a few simple skill errors cost the boys at times.
The third quarter was all Tigers, they had some really speedy players who were hard to catch and that seemed to be the difference.
The last quarter was the Hawks best, as coach Jez said after the game our boys never drop their heads and never give up, our four quarter efforts are excellent, and two late goals saw us even the quarter.
The side has played three very strong teams to start the season and with a few boys back from holidays and some hard work at training a win is just around the corner.
Thanks to all the parents who made the trip and volunteered. - Chris Carlsen
