How does your club stack up against the top 10 clubs in the Darling Downs
Darling Downs fans have been treated to some true sporting spectacles this season. Now, from our cricket ovals right through to the hockey fields, we can reveal best sports club in the region. How does your club stack up to the best?
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While athletes and individual stars often command the spotlight, a lot of the Darling Downs rich sporting history can be attributed to the work done by its clubs.
From developing junior pathways and coaches to creating ‘homes and second families’ for players, our clubs are among the best in Queensland.
Heading into the festive season break, here’s our look at the Top 10 sports clubs of 2024.
10. Toowoomba Twisters (touch football)
With 100s of elite stars to build squads around, touch football giants, the Twisters, are always a threat at the Queensland representative level.
Toowoomba won the Premier Mixed and Women’s 30s divisions and finished runner-up in the Masters Mixed.
9. Western Districts Warriors (cricket)
Wests have been the Toowoomba cricket top dogs for a while now and this year has been no different.
Rounding out the 2023/24 season, the Warriors won the two-day title in beating Met-Easts in emphatic style in March.
This season they featured in the one-day men’s and women’s finals and won the C-grade title proving they are always a chance when trophies are on offer.
8. Coolaroo FC (Aussie rules)
Coolaroo sent veteran player/coach Miels Grice out in perfect fashion.
There were emotional scenes at Rockville Park on AFL Darling Downs grand final day with Grice retiring after helping guide the men’s team to a third straight premiership.
Coolaroo’s 111-24 defeat of Goondiwindi Hawks capped off a memorable day for the club.
Earlier in the day the club’s Under-12.5 side beat University 39-20 adding another trophy to their cabinet after finishing as minor premiers.
7. Gatton Hawks (rugby league)
Hawks proved themselves to be the benchmark club in Toowoomba’s premier league divisions this season.
After finishing the regular season as minor premiers in A-grade and the Women’s competition the club fell just short of premiership double.
Play in fourth straight grand final – and chasing a fourth straight premiership – Gatton’s women’s team were toppled by Highfields Eagles 20-14.
While the loss upset the Gatton faithful – Hawks were the benchmark team all season and will no doubt return full of energy in 2025.
6. University Cougars (Aussie rules)
Grand final day didn’t finish the way they would’ve liked but the Cougars can hold their heads high.
Cougars lost all four finals they played in – Under-12.5, U14.5, U17 Girls and Women’s – but they performed consistently throughout the regular season.
They matched it with the Darling Downs best teams all year and could’ve had a few trophies if some of the ‘big moments’ went their way.
5. Dalby Wheatmen (rugby union)
Dalby were able to separate the wheat from the chaff this season.
The Wheatmen were the form club this finishing in the top two across all three senior men’s competitions.
They claimed the ES Dooney Hayes Cup (C-grade) minor premiership and finished second behind Goondiwindi Emus in A and B-grade.
Featuring in all three grand finals the Wheatmen were dreaming of a premiership hat-trick but fell short in B and C-grade.
Trailing 7-6 at halftime and with the Emus dominating play the Wheatmen fought back to claim a 23-12 win.
4. Rockville Rovers (football)
Toowoomba’s Captain Cook Reserve was rocking and roving this season.
Rovers have always been a club full of promise and talent but this year they were full of production.
Lining up in five of the nine junior and senior grand finals, Rovers secured four trophies.
The club’s U13 Div 1 White team were the star performers beating Football Dalby 4-2 while their FQPL 3 Men were the unlucky losers – falling 4-1 to a well-drilled Gatton Redbacks.
3. Southern Suburbs Tigers Juniors (rugby league)
Tigers clawed out one of their best seasons in recent memory and looked prime to shine in the years ahead.
Under the guidance of coaching director Matt Gainey has worked hard to develop its coaches and players and the moved paid off this season.
Five of those six teams walked away with premierships after a thrilling day of finals at Toowoomba’s Clive Berghofer Stadium.
2. Valleys Roosters (rugby league)
From hosting the increasingly popular Walker Weekend Challenge to starring in the junior and senior Toowoomba rugby league finals, the Roosters further established themselves as one of the region’s benchmark clubs in any code.
The success of the WWC kicked off what would ultimately be a big year for Valleys particularly at the junior level.
Six Roosters teams featured in grand finals and four of those squads claimed premierships.
At the senior level all four Valleys teams qualified for finals.
The U19 men lost at the preliminary final stage while the A and Reserve Grade sides featured in their respective grand finals.
Valleys Reserves beat an impressive Warwick Cowboys outfit 28-20 while the A-grade lost 24-20 in an absolute thriller with Gatton Hawks.
1. Newtown Tigers (hockey)
Newtown performed at every level of the game this year.
The Tigers won six of the 18 premierships on offer during Toowoomba Hockey Association’s grand final weekend with Past High, Red Lion and Rangeville clubs evenly splitting the titles.
Grand final could’ve been a lot grander for the club as well with another four Tigers teams losing on the day.
It was the nature of Newtown’s six wins however that proof why they deserve their spot on this list.
The club won in every age group from juniors through to Opens and Masters.
Newtown knows how to produce players and they’ll a force for years to come.
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