2022 3RD GRADE GRAND FINAL PREVIEW & TEAM LIST
2022 3RD GRADE GRAND FINAL PREVIEW & TEAM LIST
2022 3RD GRADE GRAND FINAL PREVIEW & TEAM LIST
Announcing our 3rd Grade Grand Finalists who will run out against Eastern Suburbs at 2.50pm at Coogee Oval. In a highly anticipated Battle of the East, both sides are one a piece in games this year adding even more excitement to the grand final.
Randwick 3rd Grade finished the regular season in 3rd place with 13 competition wins. The team started the year on fire going unbeaten in their opening 9 rounds recording impressive victories over Sydney University, Eastern Suburbs and Manly. Their running rugby was on display in the final round of the season beating Southern Districts 82-0 at home.
The side are coached by the inseparable Brett “BG” Gilbert and Mark “Space” Houston along with Rob Hoiles. BG is taking his 3rd Randwick side to the grand final game in as many attempts with the Bronte Bowlo regular no stranger to finals footy across his storied coaching career.
After coming out of retirement, captain Sean Conner has shown he has much more to give to the game leading 3rd Grade to the big dance filling multiple positions across the backline this year. He has been well supported by Ryan Powter who celebrated his 100th Randwick game against Norths earlier this season.
BG and Space have brought through a number of exciting young players from our Colts program with Dean Begetis, Louis Robinson and Ben Zucchiatti all impressing in their first year of grade. Local junior and Randwick Academy graduate Marco Bell has provided great stability to the team after forced time on the sidelines due to injury while Matt Stead, Sam Connor and Jum Woodhill are looking to emulate their success as members of the 2020 4th Grade Premiership winning side.
3rd Grade recorded a commanding 28-10 victory over Northern Suburbs in the opening week of finals thanks to 18 points from the ever calm five eighth Jaime King. This set up a massive preliminary final against Sydney University who had won the past 12 games straight.
Sydney Uni started the game strongly racing out to a 28-8 lead at half time. Uni continued to control possession and territory in the second half and established an imposing 31-11 point lead with 14 minutes to go. Determined not to be outdone by the remarkable feats of 4th Grade only an hour earlier, Randwick began their quest to rein in the Uni lead scoring a long range team try finished by Finn Kearns. After the successful conversion, Randwick made their way down the field again with captain Sean Conner scoring with 2 minutes to go to bring 3rd grade within 2 points of Uni. Randwick again advanced down the field in the dying moments of the game and won a penalty adjacent to the uprights. It was too much for BG to watch but Jaime King stayed composed and kicked Randwick into the grand final.
We wish 3rd Grade all the best in their grand final this Saturday!
