Wellington/Hutt Valley Squad 2008

Back Row : (Left to Right) Mark McDonagh, Eoin Conway, Pat Buckley, Vince Grealish, Justin McDermott, Paul O'Hare, David Rynne, Les Mihalovics, Donal Kavanagh, Danny Kelly

Front Row : Andy Cameron, Paul Cotter, Daithi O'Connor, Mattie Ryan, Fergus O'Reilly, Robbie English, Combie Cryan, Trevor O'Halloran, Stephen Connolly, Martin Smith, Kevin McNamee

Wellington / Hutt Valley Gaelic football team lost our by a single point at this years Australasian Gaelic Football and Hurling competition, which was a great achievement given they were the smallest club represented The team are pictured at the competition in Adelaide
Hutt Valley team missed out on a semi final spot at this year's Australasian Gaelic Football championship by a single point.

The Wellington / Hutt Valley team which has the smallest pool of players in the competition, which took place in Adelaide from the 30 September - 3 October, played 5 games, they beat New South Wales and Queensland, lost to Western Australia by a single questionable point and the remaining 2 games were beaten by the eventual finalists Victoria and South Australia.

"While this has been the most successful Australasian Championships for us since the mid 1990's were are all bitterly disappointed in not getting into the semi finals", said Columba Cryan President of Wellington / Hutt Valley GAA Club, "We were seen as the whipping boys of this competition by the Aussie teams, and the fact that we beat 2 former champions of this competition is some consolation, most importantly we are all so proud of our performance and of representing Wellington / Hutt Valley and New Zealand"

4 of the Wellington / Hutt Valley team made the 'All Stars' selected team from the championships. They included David Rynne as goal keeper, Eoin Conway midfield, Paul Cotter left half forward and Daithi O'Connor centre forward.

"We were a real band of brothers out there and a huge bond has developed with all the lads. We felt that every team we played didn't respect us properly and thought of us as an easy game", said David Rynne Wellington player and selected 'All Star' at the competition, "so it wasn't hard to get motivated to go out and remind the Aussies that they should never underestimate a team from New Zealand, no matter what sport it is"

"The fact that 4 of our lads from the team with the smallest selection made the 'All Stars' team says something of the character of the guys who represented Wellington / Hutt Valley Gaelic Football team" said Columba Cryan.

Wellington / Hutt Valley GAA club are planning huge developments over the coming 12 months. They are building a women's Gaelic football team with the intention of sending them to next 2008's Australasian games in Melbourne. They are running a 7 side tournament starting on Wed Nov 12 to entice Kiwi men and women to take up the sport.

Adelaide Squad 2008

Name Squad #
David Rynne 1
Andrew Cameron 2
Donal Kavanagh 3
Les Mihalovics 4
Paul O' Hare 5
Stephen Connolly 6
Kevin McNamee 7
Eoin Conway 8
Daithi O' Connor 9
Paul Cotter 10
Fergus O' Reilly (Captain)11
Martin Smith 12
Trevor O' Halloran 13
Justin McDermott 14
Combie Cryan 15
Robbie English 16
Danny Kelly 17
Vince Grealish 18
Pat Buckley 19
Mattie Ryan 20
Mark McDonagh Manager

Australasian All-Stars 2008

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The following players were selected on the 2008 Australasian All-Star team of the tournament.

David Rynne - Goalkeeper
Eoin Conway - Centre Forward

Daithi O'Connor - Squad
Paul Cotter        - Squad

2008 AUSTRALASIAN
GAELIC FOOTBALL & HURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

MON 29/9

2 , 16 (22) South Australia def Queensland 1 , 2 (5) (W/F)
2 , 11 (17) Victoria def Western Australia 0 , 3 (3) (S/F)
4 , 7 (19) Queensland def New South Wales 1 , 3 (6) (S/F)
4 , 10 (22) South Australia def Hutt Valley - Wellington 1 , 5 (8) (S/F)
2 , 10 (16) Western Australia def New South Wales 2 , 2 (8) (W/F)

TUE 30/9
 
1 , 10 (13) Queensland def Western Australia 1 , 9 (12) (S/F)
2 , 16 (22) South Australia def New South Wales 0 , 7 (7) (S/F)
5 , 13 (28) South Australia def Victoria 0 , 6 (6) (W/F)
2 , 9 (15) Victoria def Hutt Valley - Wellington 0 , 4 (4) (S/F)
4 , 16 (28) Western Australia def Queensland 0 , 2 (2) (W/F)

WED 1/10
6 , 6 (24) New South Wales def Victoria 3 , 3 (12) (W/F)
2 , 9 (15) Hutt Valley - Wellington def New South Wales 1 , 10 (13) (S/F)
1 , 17 (20) Western Australia def South Australia 0 , 5 (5) (W/F)
1 , 10 (13) Western Australia def Victoria 3, 3 (12) (M/F)
3 , 7 (16) Western Australia draw South Australia 3 , 7 (16) (S/F)
0 , 15 (15) Victoria def Queensland 2 , 4 (10) (S/F)

THU 2/10
1 , 15 (18) Victoria def South Australia 1 , 8 (11) (M/F)
2 , 10 (16) Western Australia def Hutt Valley - Wellington 2 , 9 (15) (S/F)
 2 , 8 (14) Queensland def Victoria 1 , 6 (9) (W/F)
5 , 10 (25) South Australia def Queensland 1 , 5 (8) (S/F)
2 , 14 (20) Victoria def New South Wales 1 , 6 (9) (S/F)
2 , 8 (14) New South Wales def South Australia 1 , 8 (11) (W/F)
7 , 14 (35) Western Australia def South Australia 1 , 4 (7) (M/F)
2 , 10 (16) Western Australia def Victoria 2 , 6 (12) (H)

FRI 3/10
0 , 8 (8) New South Wales def Western Australia 0 , 8 (8) (S/F)
2, 8 (14) Hutt Valley - Wellington def Queensland 2 , 7 (13) (S/F)
3 , 8 (17) New South Wales def Victoria 2 , 9 (15) (H)
5 , 3 (18) New South Wales def Queensland 2 , 10 (16) (W/F)
0 , 11 (11) Victoria def South Australia 0 , 5 (5) (S/F)
4 , 15 (27) Western Australia def Victoria 1 , 0 (3) (W/F) 1 , 18 (21) Western Australia def New South Wales 3 , 8 (17) (H)

Minor Football Semi Final      
1 , 5 (8) Victoria def South Australia 1 , 4 (7) (M/F)


SAT 4/10
5 , 14 (29) Western Australia def Queensland 0 , 4 (4) (W/F)
2 , 12 (18) Victoria def Western Australia 1 , 2 (5) (S/F)
2 , 12 (18) Victoria def New South Wales 1 , 11 (14) (H)
7 , 11 (32) South Australia def New South Wales 4 , 3 (15) (W/F)
0 , 12 (12) South Australia def Queensland 1 , 5 (8) (S/F)  

Minor Football Final
1 , 13 (16) Western Australia V Victoria 0 , 6 (6)  


SUN 5/10

HURLING FINAL
2 , 9 (15) Victoria def Western Australia 1 , 10 (13)  

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FINAL
2 , 8 (14) South Australia def Western Australia 2 , 7 (13)  

SENIOR FOOTBALL FINAL
3 , 15 (24) Victoria def South Australia 2 , 4 (10)  

M/F = MINOR FOOTBALL
W/F = WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
S/F = SENIOR FOOTBALL
H = HURLING