Sport
30 December, 2025
2025 sports year in review
Over the past 12 months, the extraordinary Maryborough and surrounds sporting community has produced countless moments of astonishing achievement, heart-stopping clashes, honourable camaraderie, memorable milestones and drought-breaking triumphs. With 2025 shortly coming to a close, join The Advertiser in looking back on the major headlines that captivated local sports lovers.
January
It didn’t take long for local sport to sprint into action in 2025, with Nyajima Jock and Asthika Koswattage winning the women’s and men’s Maryborough Gift at the 162nd Highland Gathering with blistering times.
Some of the best and brightest female cricket prospects converged on to Maryborough, with Hedges Oval hosting multiple fixtures of the Under 16 Female National Championship.
The Goldfields Playing Area raised nearly $4500 for the Goldfields Palliative Care Unit at the Maryborough District Health Service during their annual Charity Round.
After a staggering 369 race victories in 2024, Lexton local James Herbertson claimed his first-ever Australian Driving Premiership.
Following decades of lobbying and unfulfilled election promises, Dunolly’s Deledio Recreation Reserve Pavilion project received $1.5 million from the Federal Government’s Growing Regions Program. January’s injection of funding brought the budget to replace the existing pavilion to $3 million, with a request for tender advertised during December.
February
In one of the most important games in the club’s history, the Maryborough Soccer Club played its first-ever Dockerty Cup match against Melbourne City FC. The historic clash ended in a 7-1 defeat for the blue and whites.
Highland’s Leanne Wallis and Dunolly’s Chris Williams were named Goldfields Lawn Bowls Champion of Champions after Wallis defeated Talbot’s Barbara Crossley and Williams bested Newstead’s Bill Burnett.
Heading into their final game of the division two Melbourne Country Week, the Maryborough District Cricket Association eyed a top-four finish but fell 34 runs short of Sunraysia in their do-or-die match. Their sixth-place finish was a noticeable jump from their Country Week return the year prior, ending the campaign with a 2-2 record.
March
The Laanecoorie Dunolly Cricket Club celebrated its 50th anniversary on March 1, naming its Team of the Half Century as part of the festivities.
An enthralling Goldfields Playing Area pennant 2024/25 season came to a climactic conclusion, with the titles split across three clubs. In a match that will go down in history, Maryborough Golf won the division one weekend pennant by one shot over Dunolly Blue.
Carisbrook won their first bowls premiership in 26 years by defeating Golf for the division two weekend pennant crown, while Highland Tartan won back-to-back midweek pennants.
Maryborough Cricket Club’s Josh Cooper completed something unimaginable in the Owls A reserve win over Clunes, taking an almost unprecedented triple hat-trick with five wickets in five consecutive balls. The Magpies eventually had the last laugh, defeating the Owls in the semi-final on their way to retaining their A reserve title.
In one of the greatest upsets in MDCA A grade history, Carisbrook snapped Laanecoorie Dunolly’s astonishing 60-game unbeaten streak with a 112-run semi-final victory. Their Cinderella story didn’t have a fairytale ending, as a six-wicket haul from Ben Evans guided Colts Phelans to their first A grade premiership in nearly a decade.
Maryborough product Matthew Dellavedova was named NBL Grand Final MVP in Melbourne United’s losing effort to the Illawarra Hawks. In an outstanding sign of respect, Dellavedova elected to hand his Larry Sengstock Trophy to Hawks star guard Will Hickey.
April
The Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League (MCDFNL) kicked off at the start of April, headlined by senior football reigning premiers Natte Bealiba victorious in a Grand Final replay versus Trentham.
The Talbot Hawks had a Good Friday to remember in 2025, earning dominant senior football and A grade netball victories over Maldon to cement their status as serious contenders in both competitions.
Local North Melbourne supporter Jedd Arrowsmith also had a memorable Good Friday, running out the match day ball at Marvel Stadium in North’s clash with Carlton.
May
Silky Harcourt forward Baxter Gurd kicked a perfect 10 goals against Maldon, continuing the Lions’ fast start as they looked to return to the pinnacle of the MCDFNL.
The long-lasting saga surrounding the uncertain future of the Maryborough Football Netball Club hit a critical juncture in May, with the club officially applying to transfer to the MCDFNL.
May also marked 50 years of Reiny Gunther’s unwavering dedication and valued contribution to the Talbot Football Netball Club.
June
Maryborough Harness Racing Club committee member David Clausen was awarded the prestigious 2024/25 TCV Volunteer of the Year award, the culmination of an outstanding effort.
Newstead Football Netball Club recognised the efforts of longtime members Jim Trudgeon and Dick Burgess by officially naming their timekeepers’ box in their honour.
The MCDFNL world was sent into a frenzy when premiership contenders Trentham announced the signing of AFL legend Brent Harvey for the remainder of the season.
July
The MCDFNL rejected the Maryborough Magpies’ application to join the league in 2026, marking the second time the club had been knocked back after the vote fell shy of the 75 percent approval rate it needed.
The Maryborough and District Horse and Pony Club was galloping for joy in July, winning two titles at the Pony Club Victoria State Games Championships.
Local triathletes Josh Britten and Kate Cain capped off a successful 2024/25 season, repeating as the Maryborough and District Triathlon Club’s Open Male and Female champions.
Avoca Football Netball Club legend Lucy Howell marked her 450th game for the club as her team eyed their third consecutive A grade premiership.
August
Natte Bealiba A grade player-coach Emma Ryan hit a spectacular milestone in an astonishing 2025 campaign, surpassing 1000 goals in the regular season as the Swans prepared for another deep finals run.
In a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Maryborough local Jibb Iglesias travelled to Thailand to represent the Philippines in the AFL Asian Championships.
The MCDFNL finals series opened with some memorable qualifying finals. Carisbrook survived a historic Talbot comeback by one point after leading by 63 points 10 minutes into the third quarter, while Trentham held off Harcourt following a set-shot after the siren.
In netball, Carisbrook stunned Natte Bealiba to advance to the preliminary final, while Avoca’s outstanding unbeaten streak reached 50 games with a qualifying final triumph against the Maryborough Giants.
Lauren Butler deputised the injured Ruby Schleicher as AFLW Collingwood captain for their round three clash with Melbourne, a landmark moment for the former Carisbrook Lady Redbacks star.
September
Carisbrook’s long-serving ruckman Jackson Bowen won his second Berry Powell Medal, while Faith McKenzie capped off an outstanding debut season with Avoca by taking out the Nalder Tracey Medal.
McKenzie’s trophy cabinet expanded when the Bulldogs went back-to-back-to-back in the MCDFNL’s A grade, ending the fairytale run of Talbot with a 17-goal Grand Final victory.
In the senior football, Trentham’s 31-year prayers were finally answered, winning their third MCDFNL senior premiership against Carisbrook, who defeated former premiers Natte Bealiba in an extra-time thriller to make the Grand Final.
Following a two-season hiatus, Avoca Cricket Club announced its return to senior cricket in the 2025/26 MDCA A reserve season.
Maryborough’s Kai Lohmann became a two-time AFL premiership player in September, a key member in the Brisbane Lions’ 2025 AFL Grand Final triumph over the Geelong Cats.
October
Maryborough and District Triathlon Club member Jane Anderson competed at the Women’s IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, the culmination of a 45-year dream.
Following a season sabbatical, the Maryborough Cricket Club started their MDCA A grade revival with an eight-wicket win over Carisbrook.
After announcing a third application to the MCDFNL in September, the Maryborough Football Netball Club elected to stay in recess for 2026, with plans to reapply and potentially join the league in 2027.
Redwood fever swept through Maryborough at the end of October when the Maryborough Harness Racing Club hosted its Redwood Carnival, with Notanotha Naughty winning the Aldebaran Park Redwood Classic.
November
Maryborough VRI Croquet Club captain Colin Clark brought a national title back to the club in November with a tournament victory at the Australian Association Croquet President’s Eights competition.
Fifty teams consisting of top national and international players rolled into Avoca for the 31st iteration of the Pyrenees Petanque Avoca Triples Tournament.
One of the Maryborough Football Netball Club’s greatest legends, Matthew Aston, was officially inducted into the Bendigo Football Netball League Hall of Fame.
After 69 years at the Maryborough Netball Association, Lorraine ‘Blue’ Adams officially retired as a committee member, sparking an outpour of appreciation.
November ended with the Dunolly Bowls Club recognising their 80th anniversary with a special luncheon.
December
The Maryborough Lady Blazers completed a historic undefeated season by clinching their second CBL North West Women’s premiership with a triumphant Grand Final victory over the Bendigo Braves by two points.
Alongside the Lady Blazers’ team success, Maryborough’s Bailey Jacobs and Millie Cracknell were named CBL North West Men’s and Women’s league MVPs.
The MDCA convincingly retained the coveted Sharp Shield, vanquishing the Grenville Cricket Association by eight wickets thanks to a five-wicket haul from Alex Cook and an unbeaten 62 from Nafis Shaikh.
Cook and Shaikh also contributed to Laanecoorie Dunolly winning their fifth straight MDCA A Grade one-day title with a six-wicket victory over rivals Colts Phelans.
