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FOR MORE GREAT PICTURES BY
SUSANNE AFIFY CLICK HERE
Club President Glenn Soper
presents Jason McGrady Jnr with
a framed Certificate of
Achievement for his selection in
the Inaugural Oxley Pioneer Under
18 team and his consequent
selection in the New South Wales
Country under 18 Squad for more
click here
WINNERS OF THE KEN ORR MEMORIAL SHIELD 10 YEARS STRAIGHT
Presidents Report
Week Ending 6-8-08
Once again we hold the Ken Orr shield high. For the tenth straight
year!!! . Each year for more
Axemen are happy with win
July 28, 2008
By GREG WHITE
ORARA Valley had a warm glow at the end of a freezing Coramba
afternoon after registering a handsome 30-12 win over tough rivals
Sawtell yesterday.

After both clubs stalked each other like old lions,more here
A grand day for Seahorses
August 25, 2008
By GREG WHITE
WOOLGOOLGA are first team into this year's VB Group 2 decider after
creating history with their thrilling 34-22 major semi-final defeat of Orara
Valley at Coramba Coliseum yesterday. more here
Northern delight as Axemen make grand final
September 01, 2008

Winners ... the Axemen are through to the grand final
By GREG WHITE
PRAYERS of local footy fans were answered at Coramba Coliseum yesterday
when Orara Valley downed Port Macquarie 42-24 in a rugged preliminary
final to earn their ticket to the grand final confrontation with Woolgoolga.
here for more
















Matt finish just the job for the Axemen
September 08, 2008

Winners . . . the Orara Valley Axemen
By BRAD GREENSHIELDS
HIS legs mightn't carry him across the turf as quickly as they once did but
Matt Donovan still can't help himself when it comes to being the hero during
extra time of a grand final.

When Orara Valley won their premiership in 1997, it was Donovan who
sparked the Axemen with five tries including two in extra time. Yesterday he
was at again.

With scores locked up at 18 apiece it was the man playing his last game of
football that again sent Orara fans into ecstasy.

With less than seven minutes remaining Donovan potted a field goal that
broke the deadlock in one of the greatest games ever seen in Group 2, a
contest fitting of a grand final.

Woolgoolga had a chance right at the very end to snatch victory and the
club's first premiership for 61 years when centre Drew Vines attempted to
kick a penalty goal from 32 metres out virtually straight in front.

His attempt sailed to the left of the uprights to provide the final piece of
drama in a spectacular title decider.

Axemen coach Darryl Fisher was an obviously relieved man during the
post-match celebrations.

Always a practical man who's rarely prone to emotional outbursts or fanciful
thoughts, Fisher's only explanation for the win was that it must've been fate.

"Sometimes you can control whatever you want but sometimes things are
meant to be or they're not," he said.

"Last year it obviously wasn't but this year I think it was.

"There's not much more I can put it down to as it was a pretty even contest
and a hell of a battle."

A battle is exactly what transpired as this encounter was precisely what a
grand final should be - tense and extremely physical, featuring flashes of
brilliance and x non-stop drama from go to whoa.

From the moment Woolgoolga's favourite son Lee Harvey led his men on to
the field in front of a large and predominantly Seahorses crowd, the
deafening roar was a pre-cursor to a classic.

But if Woopi supporters were all behind Harvey, it can almost be
guaranteed that Axemen fans went to bed last night thankful that fullback
Ryan Walker wears a green and gold jersey.

Walker was simply outstanding with his scything runs and his kicking game
often allowed the Axemen to control the territorial battle.

For his efforts, Walker was awarded the John Mackay Medal for best player
on the field but one has to wonder if Ben McCarthy would've received the
honour had the result been reversed.

In the lead-up to the clash there were concerns about the gulf in grand final
experience between the two sides and in the opening 40 minutes,
Woolgoolga's lack of big time play did rear it's ugly head.

"In the first half we had the jitters and we panicked a lot," lamented
Woolgoolga coach Darren Leaney.

"I said to them at half time 'you've got to stop panicking' as we dropped our
bundle a bit in the first half as we didn't stick to our basic game plan.

"When we did stick to it we got a few good results out of it and in the
second half we got into a bit of a groove which was good."

The second half was as good a brand of football as you will ever see.

Bruising defence matched only by two teams who both had completion
rates above 80 per cent in the lead-up to the full-time bell.

With missed opportunities aplenty to take the match and the trophy,
supporters were biting their fingernails but Fisher said that sometimes it's
luck that plays the biggest role in these matches.

"At times there were a couple of things where I thought 'we might regret
that' but Woolgoolga would've been the same," he said.

"Luckily it turned out our way but it was two awesome teams who played an
awesome game."