Hedland Reds put cherry on top of undefeated season with grand final victory

The Hedland Reds under-17 side continued their remarkable undefeated season with a 36-point grand final victory over the Karratha Falcons at Kevin Scott Oval on Sunday. It was a tight tussle for the first half, with the home side only narrowly gaining an advantage early on in windy, trying conditions. The Reds showed why they had not lost a game all season in the third quarter, taking ascendency in the match before storming home to a 13.12 (90) to 8.6 (54) victory. Reds midfielder Jamie Headley was voted best-on-ground for his consistent performance in winning the ball at the contest and helping his team go forward. Falcons’ Josh Mertens was awarded the league’s best and fairest medal but his valiant effort on grand final day was not enough to secure his side the victory. Hedland’s centre-half-forward Sidney Eaton was the league’s leading goal kicker for 2021 with 41 majors. But it was teammate Lachlan Hewitt who stole the show with four grand final goals, with Jordan Colfer snaring three. Coach Craig Turner said the camaraderie among the boys was excellent and they were a selfless team unit. “We are family and always will be,” Turner said. “There are no heroes in our team, we are one unit and as we all know, there is no ‘I’ in team,” he said. “These young men have made this town proud with what they have done and achieved this season, and we are already planning for next season and looking forward to it.” The premiership-winning coach praised Colfer’s efforts after recovering from a serious leg injury last season. “Last year in the second round he broke his leg, missed the rest of the season and came back this year, playing with a metal rod in his leg,” he said. “He’s worked on his fitness, worked on the gym, worked on his upper body and core strength, and he has been a very dominant forward this year and has come back from the injury bigger and stronger.” Turner said midfielders Rohan Whitby, Tyson Roper and medal-winning Headley were the stand out performers in the season decider. “They really took it up to the Falcons and just worked themself in that engine room all day,” he said. In the under 15s grand final, the top-of-the-table Karratha Kats beat the Hedland Reds 11.4 (70) to 6.14 (50).