It felt a bit like Groundhog Day as Gunnedah celebrated their best performers for the season.
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For the fifth year in-a-row the Shell\Walker Trophy for the Red Devils' first grade best and fairest has gone to a backrower, two in this instance, with Will Burke and Ray Spradbrow sharing the top honour.
It was a bit of a backrow clean sweep with Sean Latham winning the players' player.
Red Devils coach Dan Martin said Burke and Spradbrow both had good years, and thought particularly in Spradbrow's case this season was his best since returning from a hiatus from the game in 2019.
"Every year Ray gets that bit better," he said.
The thing that most impressed him about the No.6 his work-rate.
"He does a lot of stuff that you don't see," he said.
"He does a lot of covering, a lot of work off the ball."
It was a bit of a commonality between the two winners with Martin also noting Burke's work-rate.
"His on the ball work-rate is huge and his running the ball is massive," he said of the No.8.
"There was a game there when we went to Walcha, we had something like 10 or 12 lineouts and he took every run off the lineout in the first half."
Speaking after strapping on the boots in Saturday's Calrossy Old Boys match, Burke said he was pretty happy with his season.
"Personally I thought I had a pretty good year, there's certainly places I can improve on but that's footy," he said.
"But we'll get fit and go harder next year."
In his second season at Gunnedah, he said he did feel a lot more comfortable in his role.
"Yeah, definitely, and just starting to know more people and people knowing you as well, it makes it a bit easier," he said.
It's also easy to "play good footy", he said, "when you're around good players".
Two weeks on from their grand final loss to Narrabri, he admits it does still hurt.
"It's getting better," he said.
"It was just sad to let the whole town down because they were right behind us. That was probably the saddest part about it.
"But at the end of the day it's just rugby and they played better than us on the day."
Martin conceded it will probably sting for the rest of his life.
Their best chance in decades to break their 50+ year premiership drought, the Red Devils, after being the best team through the regular season, failed to produce when it counted.
"It was probably one of the worst games we've played all year. And we saved it for the grand final," Martin said.
That is the hardest part of it to swallow.
"I know Narrabri are a very good side but we just did not show up.
"We didn't get off the line, didn't play to our structures. We didn't do a lot of things," he said.
Things that two weeks previous in the major semi-final they had done.
"[But] That's a learning for the guys. A lot of them haven't played grand final football before."
McDermott finished runner-up in the best and fairest while Elijah Sufia was adjudged best back and Lachie McArthur the best forward, picking up the Breeza Trophy, and prop Russell Johnston
Peta Lawrence won the women's best and fairest and Emmy Barr the players player.
AWARD WINNERS
First grade: The Shell/Walker Trophy Best and Fairest - Will Burke and Ray Spradbrow, The Bill McDonagh Memorial Trophy runner-up Best and Fairest -Tim McDermott, The Ron Ross Memorial Trophy Most Improved Player - Russell Johnston, Dick Frend Trophy Highest Point Scorer - James Perrett, Best Back - Elijah Sufia, The Breeza Trophy Best Forward - Lachie McArthur, Players Player - Sean Latham
Second grade: The Sawmiling Trophy Best & Fairest - Josh Dowse, The Chamberlain - John Deere Trophy runner-up Best & Fairest - Tom McGowan, The Ewing Cup Highest Point Scorer - Lincoln Stewart, Tamba Industrial Cup Best Back - Lochie Lancaster, Davidson Cameron Cup Best Forward - Tom McGowan, Players Player - Richard Budd
Womens: Best and Fairest - Peta Lawrence, runner-up Best & Fairest - Abby Northrup, Highest Point Scorer - Kate O'Donnell, Best Attacker - Emmy Barr, Best Defender - Lana Bottrell, Players Player - Emmy Barr
Club Awards: The Tony Coffey Trophy Most Consistent Trainer - Tim Wilson, The Wilf Hockings Memorial Trophy Highest Try Scorer - James Perrett, The Foundation Award (Best Supporter) - Brett and Lorraine Waters, The Sportsmanship Award (Best Sporstman in the club) - James McGowan, The Bob McCrone Memorial Trophy Best Clubman - Kate O'Donnell, Iron Man Award most minutes in 1st Grade - James Perrett, Golden Gloves - Dan Martin, Undesirable Act of the Year - John Mackay
