The disappointment of the way it ended aside, the 2021 season was for Gunnedah breakaway Ron Hobden the most enjoyable season of footy he's had for a number of years.
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"It was a disappointing way to finish as far as COVID. But overall it was good to get the minor premiership and I had a lot of fun," he said.
The Red Devils' first first grade minor premiership since 2004, Hobden said it wasn't so much the success that made the season so enjoyable but the playing group and the coaching team.
Moving from the front row to the back row also helped, particularly his body.
"Not having to pack (at the front of) scrums took a lot of the load off," he said.
"It was why I was able to play a lot more than what I was able to play two years ago."
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The former NSW Country rep was a real powerhouse for the Red Devils in the No.7 jersey. There would barely have been a game where Hobden wasn't mentioned among their best performers.
He was duly recognised, when the club held their presentation on Friday night, picking up the Shell/Walker Trophy as the first grade best and fairest.
"It was very unexpected and a tremendous honour," Hobden said.
Almost a month now on from the cancellation of the season, he said it does still sting that they didn't get the chance to realise their full potential.
"Looking back on it we probably didn't play for 80 minutes. We played well for 60 and were still able to achieve some pretty good results," he said.
"I have no doubt if we'd finished playing we would have won."
But they'll never know now.
Coach Dan Martin said that is the hardest part.
Acknowledging that finals "is a different beast altogether", he felt like they were building.
"We were getting to a point where we were having longer periods of good football," he said.
"Everything was going in the right direction."
But in an instant, what was looking the club's best chance to break their 50-year premiership drought, disappeared.
Understandably he said at the moment everyone is feeling "a bit deflated".
At the same time it has "left the boys fairly determined to right some wrongs".
Martin spoke himself of having some "unfinished business" and said he would like to coach the side again.
"We'll just have to wait and see, but I'd like to go around again," he said.
Hobden is unsure at this stage whether he will. He said he'll give it a few months and see how he feels, joking that he's "retired twice already".
His win continued the trend of backrowers taking out the best and fairest honours with No.8 Sanimo Navatu winning the award in 2019, breakaway Jeremy Brown in 2018 and Joe Duffy the year before that.
It was though a close tussle with five-eighth Marcus Hayne only a point behind.
Hayne was also judged the best back and Lachie Mack the best forward while captain James Perrett won the players' player. The fullback was also the highest pointscorer, and the top tryscorer across the whole club.
Lachie McArthur was awarded the Iron Man Award for playing the most minutes in first grade, while Tim McDermott was judged the most improved player.
Peta Lawrence took out the women's best and fairest and Haylee Murrell the players' player while Nick Lyons was the second grade best and fairest and Simon Elsley the players' player.
AWARD WINNERS
First grade: Shell/Walker Trophy (Best & Fairest) - Ron Hobden; Bill McDonagh Memorial Trophy (Runner-up Best & Fairest) - Marcus Hayne; Ron Ross Memorial Trophy (Most Improved Player) - Tim McDermott; Dick Frend Trophy (Highest Pointscorer) - James Perrett; Best Back - Marcus Hayne; Breeza Trophy (Best Forward) - Lachie Mack; Players' Player - James Perrett; Iron Man Award (Most Minutes) - Lachie McArthur
Womens: Best & Fairest - Peta Lawrence; Runner-up Best & Fairest - Eliza O'Donnell; Highest Pointscorer - Fiona Laurie; Best Attacker - Peta Lawrence; Best Defender - Emmy Barr; Players' Player - Haylee Murrell,
Second grade: Sawmilling Trophy (Best & Fairest) - Nick Lyons; Chamberlain - John Deere Trophy (Runner-up Best & Fairest) - John McKay; Ewing Cup (Highest Pointscorer) - John McKay; Tamba Industrial Cup (Best Back) - Hamish Hockings; Davidson Cameron Cup (best Forward) - Tim Wilson; Players' Player - Simon Elsley
Club awards: Tony Coffey Trophy (Most Consistent Trainer) - Tom McGowan; Wilf Hockings Memorial Trophy (Highest Tryscorer) - James Perrett; The Foundation Award (Best Supporter) - Lance Spradbrow; The Sportsman Award (Best Sporstman in the Club) - Lachie Adamson; Bob McCrone Memorial Trophy (Best Clubman) - Steph Lennon
