Well first game of the season for the Under 6 Black against the North Canberra Bears and the first game for many started with a bang! The few nerves present at the beginning were long forgotten once the whistle blew.

With a ripping kick to start the game, Cruz Dunley was on fire. Four tries under his belt with one starting from a tap and a full length run of the field. Today was no match for the birthday boy, with his solid effort earning him man of the match - six looks good on you Cruz man.

The win couldn't have come without the Blacks lighting Lachy Kesby and his epic tackling effort. This speed demon ducked and weaved his way to the try line, bagging himself a double by crossing the line twice. He certainly showed the opposition who was boss.

A little reluctant to begin but it didn't take him long to get his head in the game. Jackson Crisp, the dynamite of the team , put in a massive effort tackle after tackle, not to mention getting himself over the line three times. This boy was a force to be reckoned with.

With his first game ever, it didn't take this all-rounder long to work out the way of the footy world.

Jayce Robinson was on fire with crushing tackles around the legs, one try already on the board and a sideline run that almost scored him a second. This is one boy to be watched.

The team was in luck with big bustling Beau Jones breaking down the defence with his mighty tackles and speedster runs. With a smile on his dial, and head gear thrown to the side, Beau was ready and roaring to put his skills to the test.

Being the only girl on the team didn't stop Sophie Donoghue the little tough nut, who was out to crack through the other teams defence with a brilliant first run. After many rough tackles and a coat hanger, her smile was still shining through, supporting the win till the end.

Not to be underestimated, Jetstar Jett Waters was flying through the field, making some great metres in his offence. This first timer was in his element, tackling the opposition with his monster tackling abilities. His eye set on the prize from the beginning.

From the littlest member on the team, Turbo Toby Waters had a fire in his belly and a determination to win. Consistently tackling boys much bigger than him, as well as making great metres, he showed his courageous side to his new team.

What a great first game for the season, with teamwork tackles and supporting high fives! Well done boys and girl on the first game for the season.

Under 6 White

The Under 6 Whites all played on debut against the Belconnen Sharks in Melba last weekend.

Matthew, Logan, Billy and Darcy were all tackling machines, returning for tackle after tackle.

Lachlan, Lakyn, Eddy and Jaxon all put their bodies on the line and had amazing runs to help get their team to seven tries for the match.

Matthew took out our McDonalds player of the week with his strong defence and attack for the entire game.

Well done boys on an amazing first game.

Under 6 Grey

It was a foggy start for the Under 6 grey team in Queanbeyan but that didn't faze the boys.

Slight concern for the parents as the Queanbeyan team chanted in defence but our worries were short lived and the boys weren't distracted by this display.

It was a game with plenty of line breaks, very little bunching surprisingly for a beginner team.  Fletch and Max were the highest point scorers with three tries each, followed by Jacob with two and Nathanial with one. A very exciting season for them all, a fantastic group effort.

Jacob made 10 hit ups and was very strong in defence making the most tackles.

Our little pocket rockets, Harry and Sam both worked hard, Sam strong in his tackle numbers and Harry is close to finding those gaps with his hit ups. William made some great breaks and easily steps out of tackles which is a handy skill, a terrific start from him.

Lachie was moral support from the side line and we look forward to his debut in Term Two - post injury.

Two thumbs up for Team grey, what a positive start their football journey. A big thanks to James and Adrian for your patience and guidance.

Under 7 Black

The newly formed U7 boys, fronted up in Kaleen on Sunday for their first game of the season against the North Canberra Bears Black. And if their performance in game one was anything to go by, their entourage need to strap themselves in for an action packed season.

Trae Douven started the match with a magnificent kick deep into the oppositions half and was one to watch every time the ball was in his possession or when his eye was locked in on taking down a Bear. His super swift charges toward the try line were hard to stop, lunging the ball across the line in style three times.

Billy Buser proved he has been practising his tackles in the off season, chasing down the opposition like a rogue missile on a secret mission. Billy couldn't be out paced and when he latched on to a Bear's ankles, he stuck to them until they dropped. And his attack game was no less fearsome, zooming up the wing to score a textbook try in the corner.

Harry Hodge brought speed to Kaleen, when he dropped the accelerator, no one could catch him. Harry was persistent in defence, chasing down ball runners and stopping them in their tracks. And with the ball under his arm, spotted a gap and gassed it across the chalk, adding another try to the board for his team.

Logan Gray demonstrated that size is not a measure of courage. His hit-ups were solid, driving the ball forward with more grit than a dust storm and on one occasion, weaving through the pack to score a massive try. When defending, Logan wasn't letting anyone past without a fight, giving his all to bring the Bears down and not afraid to take on anyone, regardless of their size.

Tai Olah was a powerhouse, powdering through the pack with the determination of jack russel in pursuit of a rabbit. He was relentless, driving the ball forward and on three tremendous occasions, getting past the opposition and dropping the hammer until the ball was safely across the try line.

Ashton Curtis was fast off the line to tackle the Bears and worked hard with his team mates to bring them down repeatedly. In attack, he mowed through the pack with everything he had, demanding several players to bring him down. He got lucky once, taking advantage of a crack in play to drive the ball forward for the first try of the game.

Zane Goode brought bravery and spunk to the footy field, showcasing his trademark agility and big heart in his tackles. Zane had a hunger for the ball that never eased off, peddling his little legs to put a stop to the Bears ball runners, once catching the fastest player who thought he'd got away - he didn't even see Zano coming.

Todd Sunnucks notched up some impressively tough hit ups right from the get-go, making considerable metres each time. His tackles were rock solid, latching on around the ankles and hanging on with the conviction of a seagull on a snag. Todd showed lots of promise and his contribution in his first ever game was remarkable.

Heath Wood wore his weaving ability on his sleeve like his personal brand. When it was his turn to run the ball he tried to outsmart the opposition with his sidestepping manoeuvres and trickster play.

Heath meant business with his tackles, latching onto the Bears shirts with his trademark strength and grin.

What a great start to the season boys, we are definitely in for a ride! Stay focused and determined and you will achieve amazing things as a team this year. Well done Maggies.

Tries: Trae 3, Tai 3, Billy 1, Ashton 1, Logan 1, Harry 1

Player of the Week: Harry Hodge

Under 7 White

Last Sunday saw the mighty Under 7 Magpies White take on the Woden-Weston Rams Blue in Curtin. Being the first game of the season the Magpies took a little while to warm up and dust the cobwebs off but should be proud of their never give up attitude and immense improvement from the start to the finish of the game.

Leading from the front was Henry Gooley who showed his attacking flair and defensive brilliance in a great game to start the season. Reese Flynn along with debutant Elias Stephenson were strong in defence and also proved a handful in attack, with some strong carries.

Mark and Troy Davis did their best to help the Magpies go forward, with both making plenty of metres with every run they had. This resulted in a great first half try to Mark.

Our other debutants Dean Bunt and Jordan Mackay showed great improvement throughout the game with both making some great tackles and having some great runs.

Overall the Under 7 Whites should be proud of their performance and we can't wait to see you take on the Sharks this week at home.

Player of the Match - Elias Stephenson

Tries: Henry Gooley - 6, Mark Davis - 1

Under 8 Black

The Under 8 Black got their season of to a perfect start coming out on top of the Belconnen Sharks! The hard work that the boys have put in at training certainly show on the field with strong defence and organised attacking plays.

Any one of the boys could have been the Man of the Match, but Sid Luckie claimed the honours this week.

Under 8 White

The Under 8 White team took on Belconnen Sharks White at Melba on Sunday. It was a great day to start off the season.

With a few new recruits who hadn't played before the team put in a solid start to the season but.

Noah scored a hat-trick to take all three of our tries. He converted his first and Charlie came away with a conversion also.

Koby had some awesome runs along with Flynn who was unlucky to not come away with a couple of tries.

Lucas and Koby were outstanding in defence with solid performances in defence also from Beau, Noah, Flynn and Josh. We are looking forward to a home game this week.

Under 9 Black

Well what a great start to the season. Our U9s Black side came away on top against the Belconnen Sharks.

All players defended amazingly and backed each other up in attack.

Oliver Hodge had his first touch of the ball in a league game, and went over to score one of our nine tries.

Other tries went to Tahlen Bell, Finn Wiid, Ryan Witham, Dylan Puckett, Chase Collins.

Ferdie Bell was our player of the game, taking to the maker position with ease. He was everywhere on the field in defence and offloaded a superb pass to set up a try.

Tahlen Bell topped the tackle count with Kobe Walsh-Devoe close behind him.

Everyone on the field played an outstanding game, applying everything they had been working on at training and executing it perfectly.

Well done boys, looking forward to a great first home game.

Under 9 White

The Yass Magpies Under 9 White had a spectacular start to the season against the Belconnen Sharks White at Melba.

It was clear from the start that both teams came ready to play with a tug of war battle taking place over the first half before the Magpies dominated the second.

Flynn and Jake Wullaert lead the way up front with some strong runs that allowed the Magpies to roll forward in attack. This resulted in an early try to Flynn Wullaert but the Sharks were quick to reply.

A great defensive effort as a team saw the Magpies apply plenty of pressure to the Sharks, which resulted in errors. A quick thinking dummy half run from Bryson Flynn saw him rewarded with a four-pointer after showing a cool head in attack and providing plenty of spark in defence.

Darcy Gooley was next to score, catching the Sharks short on the blindside but again the Sharks were quick to reply. Some individual brilliance from Seth Olah saw him score an outstanding long range try that put the Magpies ahead at the half way mark.

The second half saw the Magpies dominate with Darcy Gooley, Mia Buser, Flynn Wullaert and Bryson Flynn leading the way in defence. Mia provided some bone rattling tackles that put the Sharks on the back foot allowing Georgia Inkster, Khison Waters and Cealan Cassidy to take advantage and have some strong carries. This resulted in another couple of Magpies tries, cementing a Yass win.

Overall the Magpies showed great team work in defence and attack and came away best on the day.

Player of the Day - Darcy Gooley; Defensive Player - Flynn Wullaert; Attacking Player - Seth Olah

Under 10s

The Under 10s travelled to Goulburn last Sunday to take on the Stockmen.

This is the first year the Stockmen have been in the comp, and the first game for both teams in a competitive environment. Our team all played well, and once we are adjusted to the bigger field, with more players on the ground, and a couple of new players to the team, I think we will become a force to be reckoned with.

Sutherland Holliday opened the scoring for the season with a strong run through the defence and a run down the field with that fierce look of determination on his face to cross the line. He was also second best in the tackle count. Captain Liam Beeten was unlucky to get his kick across the bar.

George Foran was next across the line in his casual speedy running style. Once he breaks that defence he is always pretty hard to stop. Sutherland converted the try straight over the middle of the cross bar.

William Hall was our three's a charm try scorer. From the dummy half he made a great run down the field stepping out tackles along the way. He got tackled short of the line but that didn't stop him, he was determined to get across and that he did going from the dummy again short across the line. He was unlucky in converting his try.

Half time seen the score fairly even with try for try. Alex Bell made some great solid runs dragging the defence down the field and making great ground. He was also equal third in the tackle count along with our little pocket rocket Jimmy Regan. Jimmy also had some great zippy runs.

The second half began a little flatter with Goulburn getting the jump. However Jack Jamieson who was a machine in both attack and top of the defence for the day had his determination pay off with a duck and a weave and a step through the defence to get a needed four points. He also nailed his conversion.

Liam Beeten, Lewis Jones and Declan Cooke were great team players on the day getting in and helping out where it was needed in both attack and defence. Brock Lenon also had a couple of great runs and tackles and I can't wait for him to get into the play a little bit more this week.

We would like to welcome three of our new team members. Jamie Walker was impressive in defence on debut coming fourth in the tackle count. It's refreshing to see that smile in a tackle making sure all of his supporters were looking on the sideline.

Declan Gourlay also got in there when he could and made a couple of great tackles and strong runs, as did Angus Rosewarne. I look forward to watching these boys develop in skills and confidence as the season goes on. 

With about a minute to go we were thinking the game was over for us but Sutherland decided to give it one last shot. 10 metres out from the line he called for the ball and with that determination again busted through the defence for one last try to bring us back to two points down.

In what was the most important kick of the game, Lewis Jones nailed the conversion to bring us back to 26 points apiece.

Congratulations on your first competitive point of the season boys. We look forward to watching you at home next week where our girls Neve Luckie and debutant Kaylee Douven will take the field for their first game of the season.

Under 11 Black

Round 1, 2019 saw the Under 11 Black team travel to Nicholls to face the Gungahlin Bulls Red team who are experienced Division Two campaigners.

Led from the front by Captain Will Mihaljevic, the Magpies were strong in both defence and attack and with the Bulls having the majority of the ball in the first half, the Magpies needed to be on their game.

On debut for the Magpies, Drayden Sattler was very impressive with strong defence and attack and through his skills got the Magpies over for their first try. Cody Diamond was everywhere throughout the game and was an asset to the team. Cody went on to convert Drayden's try to give the Magpies a 6-0 lead early in the first half.

The Magpies were strong in defence but with little ball, it wasn't long before the Bulls fought back to go over and with a conversion, took the score to 6-6.

Jett McGrath was an asset to the team with his elusive runs and made plenty of ground for the Magpies all game with his dodging and weaving through players.

Having a strong all round game was Max Buser who had a strong first half at Dummy Half. Max pulled together some clever plays and strong defence throughout the game and it wasn't long after the Bulls' first try that Max threw an outstanding pass to Cody Diamond to the put the Magpies over in the corner in a state-of-origin style try.

Also on debut for the Magpies, Cooper Hodges had a great game, getting involved with some good runs and converted Cody's try to put the Magpies back in front 12-6 going into half time.

The second half saw Jett McGrath as Dummy Half and the best little communicator in the team, Mitchell Blundell, at first receiver. As always, Mitchell was keeping the boys informed with play and with his vision for what was happening in the game.

Lachlan Houssenloge was straight back into it with the form he carried over from his 2018 season with some cracking, almost length-of-the-field runs to get the Magpies up close to the line.

One run by Lachie enabled Max Buser to push his way through a line of defence to score an early second half try.

After an outstanding debut season in 2018, Hugh Merriman was back with strong runs and was able to have a strong defensive game with a few try saving tackles.

Doing lots of work up the middle and doing some hard yards, James Martens had a great start to the season with some really strong runs that took a lot of Bulls defenders to take him down.

Ryan Ings was all class in both attack and defence and notably took one of the Bulls out over the side-line to force a handover, putting the Magpies back in possession and with good ground position.

The second half also saw Lachie and Jett cross over the line with a conversion from Will to take the final score to 34 - 18. A great start to the season and win by the James Buser coached Magpies team.

The Player of the Match went to Drayden Sattler. Tackle of the day went to Ryan Ings. The Magpies were well supported by plenty of family and friends travelling from as far away as Brisbane to watch them get a great start to the season.

Under 11 White

What a start to the season for the newly formed Vandal Custom Leatherworks U11s White.

Lots of nerves and excitement from new and old players.

We travelled to Kaleen to take on the North Canberra Bears.

Logan Waters, Bodhi Richardson and Ollie Hughes started their season off with some solid runs and were consistent throughout the game.

Jack Ryan dominated in defence and topped the tackle count.

Speedy Jed Glover was hard to catch once he had the ball in his hands zipping all over the field.

Deklin Prsa, Sam Hewett, Abbie Walls, Anton Reid and Jesse Richards all applied great pressure in attack and defence by reading the play well.

Lucy Palmer and Rachel Widdows also showed us that they mean business this year showing no fear off the tap and running straight into the Bears defence.

A great first game together. Well done Magpies!

Final Score 26-26

Tries: Jack Ryan, Jed Glover (2), Abbie Walls

Conversions: Deklin Prsa, Jed Glover, Abbie Walls and Jack Ryan.

Under 12s

After a few months off, the Under 12s side dusted their boots off and took on Goulburn Stockman, at North Park for the first game of the season.

With a promising team this year of 17 players they all played excellent. Players were consistent in both attack and defence for their first game, with the coach stating that he was extremely proud of his team.

Though Goulburn won 32-8, the Yass U12s didn't let the loss hinder them. With the loss they know where they went wrong and are more determined to go into round two determined to win.

Below are some of the highlights to the team, but also remembering that every player had an excellent game. 

Lachlan Denaro, in his first game with the team showed outstanding tackling against his opponents. Top defence Lachlan. Well done on your first game.

With the return from having a year off Baxton Lane, was consistent in both attack and defensive effort this week.

Oscar Sargent and Hunter Stansfield were road trains coming through the defence line. They weren't letting anything stop their determination to break the Goulburn line.

Though, Oscar received a knock early in the game he got back out onto the field before half time to show that nothing was going to stop him going through. With Sean Bell picking up in Oscars absence he was also not letting anything stop him going through the line.

Jayda Danilczak, Kylan Ebert and Baxter Sicily were also consistent. Sean Bell and Baxter Sicily were our only try scorers.

Overall, well done to the team and great effort that was put in by everyone on the field on Sunday.

The team will be at home this weekend up against Crookwell, they will take to the field with fire in their bellies for a win.

Under 13s

It was a very positive start to the season for the U13s Magpies taking on the Queanbeyan Kangaroos in Queanbeyan. Short of any reserves for the first game the boys fought hard in the warmer than usual conditions.

This year has seen the return of Kyle Lennon and Charles O'Brien to the Magpies and fresh start for Charlie Hodges. The Magpies dominated the first half putting on the majority of their points during that period.

The boys moved the ball well and defence led by Tony Davis was solid. It was a strong performance by Dane Howard getting across the line on four separate occasions with tries also to Noah Collins and Charles O'Brian.

Charles also handled goal kicking duties potting four of his six attempts which is a good sign for the team.

Injury concerns were confirmed for the magpie fullback Noah Collins on Monday identifying two breaks in his left foot following the match on Sunday. It was a disappointing start for a member of the Queanbeyan Roos who in the final 30 seconds of the match sustained a break to his right arm. He was sent to hospital by ambulance to treat the injury following the final whistle.

Final score 32-6 to the Yass Magpies with Dane Howard receiving the Man of the Match.

Under 14s

The Under 14s travelled to Gowrie last Sunday to play against the Valley Dragons.

Our team was lead out by our Captain Lane Davis.

It was a tough competitive start to the game with each team giving as good as they got, with some great defensive work from both teams, notably Lane, Joe P, Timmy and Josh.

Some great strong runs from our forward pack, taking our team up field from Lane, Josh, Jasper and Joe P, with a few good runs out of dummy half by Coby.

In the backs we saw some awesome runs by Lucas and Timmy, resulting in a couple of impressive tries, one out wide through an awesome cut out pass from Lucas to Timmy, then a play close to the line where Coby short passed to Josh who used good footwork to get across the line for his first try for the Magpies.

The one goal for the first half went to Lucas. Both coaching staff were quite happy at the break with the boys effort, telling the boys we were the better team for the last 15 minutes of the first half.

In the second half we saw two great runs from Luke Davis who went over for his first try of the season. Luke showed us all again he can run just as hard as his brother.

Timmy scored another try off a strong run from Lane, with the conversion from Lucas.

Logan slotted into hooker after Coby left the field injured, with Logan completing 12 or so tackles for the game, well done Logan, good job and a great debut game.

The boys were all talking throughout the game, never losing focus with the likes of Charlie B and Josh keeping the boys pumped up for the whole game.

Aleks and Spencer made there Rugby League debuts this week for the Magpies, with both boys having good games, with boys happy with their efforts, good work boys.

Our flying wingers Joe H and Charlie H unfortunately didn't see much ball today, but no doubt this will change next week as the team scored many tries out wide last season.

At the final bell, Yass come away with the win 22-20, with the Magpies' winning song ringing out of the dressing sheds nice and loud, led by Charlie B.

Timmy come away with a Man of the Match performance.

We are expecting another great year this year, with the addition of four local boys, plus three boys from Boorowa.

Thanks to all the 14 players, coaches Jai and Billy, Tash the manager, first aiders Mel and Haylee. Great job for round one.

Under 15 Girls

The Under 15 girls travelled to Kaleen to face the North Canberra Bears for their first game of the season.

The girls had a great preseason for training, however it was majority of the girls first ever game of tackle football which made for some very excited, yet nervous girls.

The size and the experience of the opposition team was evident, with the girls getting off to a slow start conceding three unconverted tries within the first five minutes.

However, the girls bounced back through a full length effort by the skipper, Tikirah Douglas.

This first try set the standard for the rest of the second half with tireless runs from our forward pack including Taysha, Charlotte, Nakita and Lani.

Our second try came from Abbey Brill, who barged through multiple defenders and finished off with a dive over the try line.

Awesome efforts from Charli Harrison who had a tough job kicking from out wide, missing the conversion by only centimetres.

The last try of the half went to the extremely speedy Sienna Gerstenburg on the back of a great passage of passing by the team. This last try finished the half locked up at 12 all.

The second half started with the girls conceding two great tries from the opposition, despite some brave tackling efforts from all the girls.

A notable mention to the pocket rocket- Selene Hubber, who despite her size held her own defending in the forward pack against girls twice her size.

Our attack then picked up through massive runs from our fullback Chloe Doon who displayed some perfect line running off good passes from half back Erika Davis. Sienna went in for her second try of the day, with an awesome diving effort in the corner.

The bears scored themselves one last try with five minutes on the clock, however the Yass girls did not drop their heads. Abbey Brill also ran over for her second through a half length effort beating multiple defenders including the fullback with some good footwork.

Tikirah Douglas converted the try to make the girls two points down with only minutes to go. Our final try came off the back of an awesome set of attack from the Yass girls, with Tikirah going over for her second with 30 seconds left on the clock to make for a spectacular finish.

The final score finished up with a 26-24 win for the girls, despite losing a star tackler in Bridie Walsh due to a broken finger.

The coaching staff and parents could not be prouder of the girls, who in their first ever game of rugby league showed skills and patience beyond their years.