“What a great day we had, it was unreal,” organiser Roy Jewitt said.

“Everyone was in the right spirit - games weren’t competitive, there was a lot of skill on show.”

Needless to say there were a lot of sore limbs the following day.

According to Jewitt the first few games were quick, but as the day went on contestants began to slow down.

“There was lots of walking and some very tired legs,” Jewitt laughed.

“But there were some great goals scored, and not many of them because all four teams had fantastic goal keepers.”

The first match of the day was between visiting teams Cowra and Temora.

Because numbers were down, Young’s players stepped in the fill the gaps.

With little time to recover from the first game, Young was back on the paddock to give Goulburn a run for their money.

Young were run-out winners in a 3-1 match.

It was Cowra who outskilled Young in the second match of the day by taking a 3-1 win.

But Young didn’t stop there, leaving Temora goalless in their final match of the day, 2-0.

According to Jewitt, goals of the day for Young went to Richard Page, Paul Everdell and Ben McInerney. But it was Everdell who stole the spotlight as the standout of the day.

“The standout was probably Paul Everdell’s sliding tackle on Martin Langfield - it was a pretty good tackle. You’re not allowed to do sliding tackles, but he still does it, he can’t help himself,” Jewitt laughed.

After receiving such positive feedback from participants, organisers plan to approach surrounding towns to participate in next year’s carnival, including that of Cootamundra and Wagga.

“We’ll be bigger and better next year,” Jewitt said.

“We will have sponsors and hold it in November so it won’t be so busy and we’ll have a few more teams... hopefully we’ll get a few more players from around Young.

Jewitt extended a big thank you to council for having the field in tip-top condition on Saturday, as well as the four referees on the day. He also thanked Young Rotary for manning the barbecue and the PCYC for running the canteen.

“A big thanks to all the players who participated and played for the other teams when they were short,” Jewitt said.

“Also to those who helped set up and pack up and do the run around jobs - it’s amazing what can be achieved when no-one cares who gets the credit.”

Furthermore to the success of the weekend, a team decision to donate funds raised from the event to a local charity saw $720 presented to the Michaela Perrin Family Trust at a presentation on Tuesday morning. An incentive that could be an annual thing. 

“We charged each player $20 to play, and with no outgoing costs, referees were paid and the rest was donated to the Michaela Perrin Family Trust,” Jewitt said.

“It would be good to get sponsors on board next year and raise more money.”

Tickets are still available for the 500 club at the Young District Hospital that will go toward the trust. If you’re interested in purchasing a ticket, contact the Young hospital, pool or hospital staff.