THE CANUNGRA Owls Men’s team have wrapped up a remarkable 2025 campaign, rising to the challenge of a tougher competition and finishing among the top contenders.
Club Vice President James Tomlinson said the squad began the year in Division 3 but were soon re-assessed.
“The team was quickly identified early in the season as playing in a division below their potential and subsequently re-allocated by Football QLD into Div 1-2,” he said.
“This came with a little apprehension amongst the team, not being sure how competitive they would be, but their concerns weren’t warranted as they put it all together on the field, and finished above their own expectations, at position 3 on the ladder.”
That result earned them a semi-final clash against Kingscliff, where they produced one of their strongest performances of the year to win 2-0.
“Spectators travelled mid-week to Kingscliff to support the team, with players heard commenting they had more supporters there than they normally get to a home game,” Mr Tomlinson said.
“Their appreciation of the community support was evident, and the crowd was not disappointed.”
The Owls went on to face Palm Beach in the Grand Final.
“The community support [for the grand final] was even bigger – they were loud and proud,” Mr Tomlinson said.
Although they fell short of the trophy, the team finished proud of what they had achieved.
The season concluded with the Owls’ traditional end-of-year celebration, complete with costumes and awards.
Harvey Mahony received Coaches Choice, Mitch Tomlinson earned Players Player, and Jimmy Tomlinson collected the Golden Boot after an impressive 31-goal season.
With their eyes on 2026, the Owls are ready to build on a year that showed just how far they can go.
