Instagram:\u00a0www.instagram.com\/avalonbulldogs<\/a><\/p>\n 2025 Season teams and stats:\u00a0www.playrugbyleague.com\/Club\/avalon-bulldogs<\/a><\/p>\n
An historic rugby league Winter Season has just been completed for local rugby league clubs. Not only has the return of an A Grade team to Mona Vale Raiders been a cause for celebration, and the growth of girls blue tag risen, with the Raiders and Narrabeen seeing many of their junior boys and girls teams play Grand Finals, the enjoyment of rugby league in the community has brought thousands of residents together across the peninsula to enjoy being together on weekends, and rally around and support each other during times of tragedy.<\/p>\n
The efforts of every individual working as a team has continued to foster connection between the youngest residents through to the oldest. The Village Green, or common ground, has been the footy ground \u2013 the home-grounds of each club as well as the away games grounds. Here the cheers from crowds numbering thousands, the squeals and laughter of small children playing on the sidelines, the quieter murmur of mums and dads overseeing the barbecues and kiosks, the busy presidents running everywhere looking after everyone on game days, the quiet talks of coaches and support staff, are still lingering in the air.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Memories have been made \u2013 community solidified \u2013 proving the Manly to Barrenjoey peninsula is\u00a0still\u00a0a group of villages connected to each other not by roads but through a love of footy and sports, a love of this beautiful area, and a love of family \u2013 the family some are blessed to have in their home and the family that is embedded in each and every club of every sport. In these villages we are raising our children and grandchildren and looking after each other, even as our hair turns grey and the knees get a bit knobbly with age.<\/p>\n
The BIG WIN for the Season has been the return of an A Grade Team to the Avalon JRLFC and their HUGE WIN last Sunday, August 31, of the Grand Final to become 2025 Premiers.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs played the Asquith Magpies in the Grand Final. The final bell saw the Doggies win 28 to 16 with two tries scored for Avalon by Taine Allen, and one each by Corey Kirkham and Maxwell Barry. The Bulldogs were 4 out of 4 for Conversions, with Captain and Player of the Match William Kelly, Will, scoring three out of three, and Chandler Walton succeeding in the first of that four.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs added further points through two penalty goals, with Will scoring the first and Corey Kirkham the second.<\/p>\n
The A Grade competition in suburban rugby league is the top-tier local men’s rugby league competition – this is the premier or highest-ranked division \u2013 and the one many set their eyes on being a part of from an early age.<\/p>\n
Three Pittwater Teams were in the final Top 8 of the ladder after all the points had been tallied; the Avalon Bulldogs at No. 1, obviously, the Narrabeen Sharks at No.2 and Mona Vale Raiders at No.6.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019re the boys all the younger boys look up to and set their examples by.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This week, a celebration, through a few insights from those who led the charge, and who shared a few words at the end-of-the-week after the win, when everyone had gone back to work.<\/p>\n
Player of the Match and Bulldogs A Grade Captain William Kelly, Will, had more to overcome then the challenges that come with every Season this year. He lost his darling mum and adored sister.<\/p>\n
William Kelly (Will) \u2013 A Grade Captain and Player of the Match in the Grand Final<\/p>\n
Congratulations Will; everyone is so stoked for you all. There have been a few challenges with washouts this Winter, and season-ending injuries, but you boys have gone virtually unbeaten all Season – what has got you through the Season?\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019re all best mates, basically. I actually touched on this before the game. There were lots of things that happened away from footy this year for us boys \u2013 with mental health and relationships. For me I had a really tough year with my family, I lost mum and my sister.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So it was good to be with your best mates when I\u2019d go down to training on Tuesday and Thursday. We\u2019d just work hard and work to stay happy \u2013 we just love being around each other. I feel like that ended up coming out in all the results and is probably why we had so much consistency, because we stayed so tight during the week and were ready on Sundays. I\u2019d put it down to that.<\/p>\n
We were playing for each other \u2013 and that is what we\u2019re all most proud of and ultimately that\u2019s what we all got out of this. We all came into this team at the start of this year and worked on becoming better people.<\/p>\n
You were winning for your mum and your sister on Sunday?<\/p>\n
Yes; very much so \u2013 there was a lot of feeling about that, it did feel that way. The energy was unbelievable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The community has been right behind you, turning up all season at each away game en masse to cheer you on. What impact does that have on your game days?<\/p>\n
This year has been unbelievable, I\u2019ve played in the comp. for a while but there this been nothing like this year \u2013 the community has just been so big in Avalon. A Grade footy hasn\u2019t been in Avalon for a few years and when it was the team wasn\u2019t so successful. To come back and win games, and have all the kids in Avalon who love their footy cheering us on has been phenomenal. The community spirit in Avalon has been so strong \u2013 I\u2019ve never seen anything like what happened this year. We couldn\u2019t have achieved anything we\u2019ve have this year without everyone who has turned up to the games to support us \u2013 it\u2019s been super cool the way everyone has come together.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve been photographing you since you were a youngster and now you\u2019re a dad yourself \u2013 when did you start with the Bulldogs?<\/p>\n
I was 5 years old and had moved here from Mudgee with my family. I think there\u2019s around 6 or 7 boys that played in my team then who played on the weekend and won the game, and we were coached by Matto, Matt Eding, who is the president of the club now, which is super special too. I still have my first ever jersey, which my son was wearing on the weekend, so that felt real cool.<\/p>\n
What will you do over the break? Will you go and play cricket, do handstands on the beach, or\u2026?<\/p>\n
Definitely going to get away from footy for a bit \u2013 I owe my girlfriend a few date nights too, she has been a real good sport, so we\u2019re going to head over to Bal and then I\u2019ll enjoy time with them and have some downtime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Congratulations Will \u2013 everyone is so proud of you boys and all you do and the way you conduct yourselves on and off the field, the great example you all are to the younger players coming up and how you are all outstanding people as individuals and as a team.\u00a0We hope to see you next year.<\/p>\n
Thank you. You will \u2013 we\u2019re aiming to go back-to-back.<\/p>\n
Haig Sare (Head Coach of A Grade 2025 Season)<\/p>\n
An outstanding result at Sunday\u2019s Grand Final \u2013 are you happy with the win?<\/p>\n
It certainly was \u2013 I watched the game this morning \u2013 it was a great result. We\u2019re all unbelievably happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the second half of the game our defence held strong and when we had the ball the boys did well \u2013 I was just so happy for everyone involved, and the community was amazing, it was so good seeing so many people turn up to cheer them on.<\/p>\n
Our photographer said it was absolute \u2018mayhem\u2019 down there.<\/p>\n
Yes, it was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Your first Season with Avalon Bulldogs \u2013 have you enjoyed yourself sir?<\/p>\n
I have. The boys were just so good to be around, they just embraced me, the club was fantastic, and obviously it was so good to get the result we did and they\u2019re a talented bunch, they could all play, they\u2019re all experienced, so I was very lucky and had a blast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Will (Captain) credits a lot of the work they did during the training sessions, and talking things out then, as a big part of their success this year \u2013 so much so that when they\u2019d walk onto the ground of a Sunday they were just ready to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were. Their work ethic was second to none \u2013 whatever any of the coaching staff asked of them, no one ever whinged no matter how hard it was, everyone had the right attitude. They were prepared to put the effort in, always. I couldn\u2019t fault their work ethic \u2013 which makes game days easier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their presentation day takes place September 12 but then it\u2019s time off \u2013 are you looking forward to a break?<\/p>\n
Absolutely \u2013 I\u2019ll be spending more time with my lovely family and enjoying getting outdoors doing other sports \u2013 which is what we all live I this beautiful place for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matt Eding (Assistant Coach for A Grade and President 2025 Season of Avalon Bulldogs)<\/p>\n
Will Kelly spoke about how you used to coach a cohort of the 2025 Premier Avalon Bulldogs team when they were under 6\u2019s, and his son was wearing his jersey from when he was 5 \u2013 so a bit of a journey for yourself as well to see them make and then win the Grand Final this year Matt?<\/p>\n
It sure has been – it was under 6\u2019s but some of them were 4, others 5. I\u2019ve been fortunate to have such a good bunch of football players.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So you\u2019re happy with their win?<\/p>\n
I was over the moon. I\u2019ve been involved with 4 Grand Finals in A Grade plus multiple Minors with those boys. They were the team I took through from Under 6\u2019s to Under 19\u2019s and then we won that Grand Final undefeated and then this A Grade team has grown to a new level through their work.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs have had a great community-focussed Season overall \u2013 one of your girls\u2019 teams won their Grand Final, and this is just a few years after local clubs have embraced tag games for girls. How has it been from your point of view?<\/p>\n
Yes \u2013 we\u2019ve had a great year. We had 4 teams in Grand Finals. The club has gone from strength to strength this year with 22 teams playing, and then Summer Touch looks as though it will go berserk too, so that\u2019s great for the community, to be a place where everyone can come together and provide these opportunities for the younger members and residents and connect everyone else, all at Hitchcock park. Our Wednesday night Touch is also running again for older members of our community \u2013 another great way for people to connect. We\u2019re very happy with what has been a great year for the community and for the Bulldogs family.<\/p>\n
Are you looking forward to a break?<\/p>\n
I certainly am. I\u2019ll be retiring from the Presidents role as there are other things I have to get done next year \u2013 and I have done 25+ years of coaching and taking on other roles. So it\u2019s been a fairy-tale ending for me \u2013 but I\u2019ll still see you all next Season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jazmin Ball (Manager) – also the Avalon Bulldogs\u00a0Touch Administration \/ Competition Director,\u00a0Registrar and Secretary<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a few days after Grand Final day now, how does it feel?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s awesome. All of the work that has been put in for this to happen, and for that all to pay off, I\u2019m so proud of these boys. They\u2019ve all shown up, week in week out, and Sunday really showed that that has all paid off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Will you return as Manager for them next year?<\/p>\n
Yes, I would be honoured to do that again. There is already talk of next year, 2026, and working towards going back-to-back if possible.<\/p>\n
These boys are very close, it\u2019s become like a little family, not just teammates. So it\u2019s sad in one way that it\u2019s all coming to an end at the moment.<\/p>\n
Two days from now you will see them out getting together for a game of cricket, or on the estuary fishing, for sure.\u00a0And you\u2019re heading into the Summer Touch Season \u2013 when does that commence?<\/p>\n
That starts on the 26th of September and runs for 12 weeks until the 12th of December. We have the A Grade Presentation on September 12 this coming week, the Junior Presentation the week after that on Saturday the 20th and then we commence the Summer Touch for the Juniors. There\u2019s no break (laughs) \u2013 we just keep going for a few months yet.<\/p>\n
The Juniors Touch is already full. Last year we started running an Adults Touch footy as well. So we will start registering for that in 2 weeks. The players for this are usually all over 18and run up40 years old, which is amazing. We\u2019ll start running that, which will run for the same duration, 12 weeks, but on a Wednesday night instead of the Friday afternoons for the juniors.<\/p>\n
The Manly Warringah District Junior Rugby League said last Sunday;\u00a0\u2018 A huge congratulations to the Avalon Bulldogs taking out the Northern Open Age GOLD Grand Final 2025 and being crowned Premiers!\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
What a Great Year for the Bulldogs – and a wonderful way to celebrate Father’s Day 2025.<\/p>\n
Congratulations boys – everyone here at the news service is so proud of you and stoked for you too! And of course….<\/p>\n
Go Doggies!<\/p>\n
About the Avalon Bulldogs JRLFC<\/p>\n
The Avalon Bulldogs Junior Rugby League Club commenced in the Manly Warringah District Junior Rugby League in 1962.<\/p>\n
For over half a century, the Avalon Bulldogs have brought Rugby League to the northern end of the peninsula. Run by a passionate crew of volunteers, the club brings so much more to our local community than just the game. From events, to mateship, to excitement and social purpose, there\u2019s so many reasons to get involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We wholeheartedly embrace the NRL values of Excellence, Inclusiveness, Courage, and Teamwork. We welcome you to come and be part of the sport that we love so much and everything that goes with it.<\/p>\n
Our first premiership win was in 1965 by our youngest team, the under 9’s. Our Club was awarded the Pop Hall Trophy for the “Best Club” in Manly Warringah JRL in 1982, 1983, 1988, 1994 and 1999.<\/p>\n
Website:\u00a0www.avalonbulldogs.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Instagram:\u00a0www.instagram.com\/avalonbulldogs<\/a><\/p>\n 2025 Season teams and stats:\u00a0www.playrugbyleague.com\/Club\/avalon-bulldogs<\/a><\/p>\n