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Shamrocks wins add to record

15 September 2003 - Two former players from Brisbane�s western suburbs Shamrocks Gaelic football club claimed an historic treble when their new team O�Reillys won the Queensland Ladies Championship at Willawong over the weekend.

Natalie Hughes and Angie Doyle are now simultaneously the reigning Queensland champions, Australasian champions, and World Cup champions, having won both the latter titles as Shamrocks players in 2002.

They are the first Queenslanders to claim the simultaneous triple-championship crown.

O�Reillys (pictured above) � formed this year on Brisbane�s north side by Angie Doyle with a group of players largely new to Gaelic football, and coached by former Shamrocks championship winning player-coach Jacqueline Peacock � beat defending champions Souths 5-7-22 to 3-3-12 to claim the Queensland championship.

Best players included Tanya Mulder at full forward, wing forward Connie Vardouniotis, and Reanna Browne, who at corner forward scored all five goals for O�Reillys.

This was the first season of Gaelic football for both Tanya Mulder and Reanna Browne, with the dominating score coming despite three disallowed goals.

It was the second Queensland championship in three years for four former Shamrocks players � Angie Doyle, Natalie Hughes, Shelly Matcham and the coach Jacqueline Peacock � all previously winning the championship with Shamrocks in 2001.

Now shared amongst these four former Shamrocks players are four World Cup titles, eight Queensland Championships, and three Australasian Championships.

Meanwhile in the Reserves mens final, one of the luckiest players in Queensland is former Shamrocks player Jason Chadburn (pictured) after his latest team Harps won its third consecutive Championship by beating favourites Easts by a single point.

Chadburn left the western suburbs Shamrocks last season to start the northern suburbs O�Reillys mens team. But when the team folded after this year�s Brisbane Shield competition, he was almost left without a team.

He was amongst the best players for Harps on Sunday as his third team in 12 months won 3-2-11 to 0-10-10 courtesy of three late second half goals.

In the Senior mens final, Souths won its second senior championship in three years by beating League champions Sarsfields 2-5-11 to 0-3-3.

This was Sarsfield�s second consecutive Championship final loss, coming after it claimed its first senior League title in 13 years.

Shamrocks bowed out of the Championship race at the semi final stage a week earlier in both the Senior and Reserve mens competitions.

The Shamrocks ladies team played well this season by combining a group of players from the 2001 Championship season with talented schoolgirls in their first year of football.

The Shamrocks annual award presentation is this Friday night at Irish O�Hanlon�s at Kenmore, from 7:00pm.

Related links:

2003 season scores

Previous title winners

Club Annual Awards details

Championship chase continues

5 September 2003 - Shamrocks Reserves, after being credited three-straight wins, play back-to-back champions Harps this Sunday for the right to contest the 2003 Reserves Championship final - a title Shamrocks last won to complete the famous 1999 Clean Sweep.

Related links:

1999 Championship story

A recurring Senior nightmare

But the resilient Reserves advance

01 September 2003 - For the second consecutive year, Shamrocks are out of the senior Championship at the semi final stage after losing in extra time at Willawong over the weekend.

With the scores between defending champions John Mitchels and 2000 champions Shamrocks locked at 1-11 apiece at the end of normal time, the match went into extra time.

And in a spooky replay of lat year�s semi final loss, Shamrocks eventually went down by two points, 1-11-14 to 1-13-16.

This was the same margin (2 points), the same scores (14-16), and the same circumstances (extra time), that Shamrocks lost to Sarsfields in last year�s semi final.

Brad Kennedy (pictured) built on his impressive scoring tally for Shamrocks by kicking six points, while team captain Paul Rice scored 1 goal 1 point.

Best for Shamrocks were Kennedy, and defenders John Collins and Joe O�Neill in a tight game.

In the reserves Championship game, Shamrocks advanced against Souths, who were subsequently disqualified due to ineligible players.

Michael Joyce led Shamrocks with two points, including a magnificent 30-metre left-foot snap from the end line that stunned even himself.

Shamrocks play defending champions Harps this Sunday for the right to contest in the Championship final against Easts the following week.

Shamrocks reserves last won the Championship in 1999 to complete the historic and now famous "Clean Sweep".

Related links:

Championship scores

2002 extra-time loss

1999 Clean Sweep

League season slides to a stop

25 August 2003 - Shamrocks senior mens are entering the Championship competition totally absent of form, after finishing the League season suffering three consecutive losses.

After the defeat in the GAA Trophy final, then followed a three-point loss to Souths � the emerging form team in Queensland � with the scoring led by Travis Bassett on 1 goal 1 point and Brad Kennedy 0-3.

Then a two-point loss to bottom team Easts sends Shamrocks into the 2003 Championship competition with abysmal form.

Brad Kennedy again provided one of the few highlights with 2 goals 3 points, supported by Paul Rice 0-3. This loss to Easts snapped an eight game winning streak, stretching back several years.

Sarsfields won its first senior League title in 13 years, repeating the feat of last year's winners John Mitchels by going through the compeition undefeated.

In the Reserves, James Marshall � previously an award-winning defender � is proving to be a scoring machine after scoring 1 goal 1 point against League winners Easts Celts.

Two consecutive wins to finish the League sends them into the Championship with hope.

Easts Celts won its first reserves League title since inception of the competition six years ago.

The Ladies team do not enter the Championship due to a fifth place finish in the League, but have unearthed several new young talents.

Australasian all-star Renee Moynihan again led the young team with 1 goal 1 point at half-forward against Easts, supported by fellow all-star Pattie Preece on 0-2 from midfield.

Half-backs Tammy Wawrzyniak and Leissa Bain again proved strong players.

Harps won its fourth-consecutive ladies League title, but it remains to be seen if they can repeat the 2000 Championship win.

Related links:

Full 2003 League scores

Previous title winners

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