Inaugural Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs women’s tackle team kick off season with extraordinary result
In their historic first run out in the Southern Corridor Open women’s tackle league, the Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs have produced an extraordinary display. So what happened?
The South Coast News
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The inaugural Milton Ulladulla Bulldogs women’s tackle team have flown out of the blocks in their first ever game, defeating the Nowra-Bomaderry Jets a whopping 60-0.
After a washout in round one, this was the first time the south coast side have taken to the field in the Southern Corridor Open women’s tackle league.
Coach Simon Harris was proud his side was able to deliver such an impressive result in their first time playing together.
“I was stoked with the way the girls were able to execute the game plan,” Harris said.
“We’ve had a lot of time in training and pre-season going over what we wanted to achieve, so to see the ladies execute it so well was great.”
A true clubman for the Bulldogs, Harris has been in and around the Milton Ulladulla club for the last four years, often making the two hour venture down the highway from Wollongong multiple times a week.
“It’s a great little club down south … most of the players are all locals from around here which means a lot,” he said
“I met my partner through this club, my brother in law is a lifetime member.
“It really adds to the community down here, lots of people are excited to see the team, a lot of the men are able to get their partners on board to support another team.
“It’s great for the girls as well, historically they haven’t always had the pathways and have had to sit out, so to have a competition where they can put the boots on and play some tackle is great.
“The skill level is definitely there, so it’s here to stay.”
Bulldogs captain Hannah England kitted up for the first time since 2019 after putting her footy journey on hold due to knee injuries.
To make the occasion even more special, England crossed for the first try of this history-making season for the Bulldogs.
“We didn’t know what to expect seeing as most of us have never played together before, so to get the result was awesome,” England said.
“It was like we had been playing together for years, everyone showed up for the team and trusted each other.
“To keep them to nil as well was a great effort.”
England is a Milton Ulladulla junior and a former Illawarra Steelers representative, in the past having to travel hours to either Wollongong or Canberra to play rep footy.
The Bulldogs side features a blend of former teams and codes coming together, with the bulk of girls coming from league tag, while some also cross codes from rugby union and AFL.
Standing out on the weekend were the halves combination of Abbey Montgomery and former Tarsha Gale representative for the Cronulla Sharks Cheyanne Hatch.
England also praised the efforts of front-rowers Jada Olsen and Shayla Moreton-Stewart who crossed for three tries.
While only one round in, but both England and Harris believe the sky's the limit for the side if they carry the form they showed against the Jets going forward.
“We know there are tough teams joining the competition like us this year, like the Stingrays of Shellharbour and Corrimal,” Harris said.
“But we’re looking forward to testing ourselves against those clubs.
“It’s early days, but it’s nice to see the hard work paying off from the pre-season and hopefully we can keep it going.”
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