Winter 2025 Season – Grand Finals Wrap

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Scoresheets-Winter-2025-Grand-Final.pdf

PENNANT ONE:

Weightmans Packaging are the 2025 Sunraysia Table Tennis winter pennant premiers courtesy of their 6-4 victory over Regional Taxation Services who had finished first on the ladder at the end of the home and away competition. In a mixed season the Weightmans trio of Shannon Bowen, Reece Kurrle and Lee Leeson had peaked at the right time of the year.

– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Shannon Bowen 2, Reece Kurrle, Lee Leeson 1) d Regional Taxation Services 4 (Kate Carmichael 3, Jamie Kealley 1)

 After a slow start to the season, Weightmans had lost their first three matches including a 2-9 loss in round three. From there they were able to string together nine wins in the following twelve rounds to secure third place on the ladder. To gain a berth into the grand final they survived match points against them in the preliminary final.

Their opponents in the grand final Regional Taxation Services had enjoyed a successful season only losing three games and finishing twelve points clear at the head of the ladder however Weightmans Packaging had soundly defeated them in round 16, the final home and away match.

 RTS were without skipper Matt Ljubic in the grand final and he was replaced by Kate Carmichael. The very first game of the final possibly shaped the result when Weightmans number three Lee Leeson played opposing number two Thahn Nguyen. What a match this was with Nguyen taking control immediately winning the first two games,

Leeson cannot be discounted and in a short time she had edged back into the match levelling at two games all. Nguyen gained the ascendancy early in the fifth to lead 7-3 and again Leeson clawed her way back with consistent play and in a nail biter Leeson had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat 8-11 4-11 11-9 11-3 11-9.

Buoyed by this win, Leeson’s teammate Shannon Bowen then accounted for young gun Jamie Kealley in four sets, this match containing some excellent rallies. Needing to register a win RTS stand in skipper Kate Carmichael played well against the hard-hitting Reece Kurrle, the first two games were close going point for point and it was Carmichael winning 11-9 in both, a close tussle. In the third Kurrle raced away as he can and took a 9-3 lead however Carmichael was able to hang in and slowly picked up point after point and amazingly recovered to take the third 13-11, an excellent recovery and Regional Taxation Services were on the board trailing 1-2.

 The first doubles was now crucial however the odds were against the RTS pair of Carmichael and Jamie Kealley as their opponents Shannon Bowen and Reece Kurrle had not lost a doubles since way back in round three, including finals that was fourteen rounds ago. The Weightmans pair were away quickly winning the first however Carmichael and Kealley bounced back to narrowly take the second and they took the early ascendancy in the third to lead 6-3 however it was at this point the wheels fell off as Bowen and Kurrle then rattled off eight points in succession to go to a two games to one lead. They then controlled the fourth to go on and win 11-7 9-11 11-6 11-6. Weightmans now in control leading 3-1.

 As expected, Shannon Bowen then accounted for Thahn Nguyen winning in three sets and the grand final was within their grasp as they went to a 4-1 lead. RTS then fought back bravely with Carmichael accounting for Leeson in straight sets but it was the next match that was an impressive contest with Weightmans Kurrle playing the exciting Jamie Kealley, Kealley took the lead early as they traded blows, winning the first two games , Kurrle then took control and smartly levelled at two games all, the fifth was a nail biter and it was Kealley showing great maturity who took the match 11-5 11-8 7-11 3-11 11-8 and now the deficit had been reduced to 3-4.

The second doubles was now huge and the Regional Taxation Services pair of Carmichael and Nguyen gave their team confidence by taking the first game, however reality struck quickly when opponents Shannon Bowen and Lee Leeson steamed through the second game easily and then they were able to hang on in the third and fourth in an excellent tussle winning 5-11 11-2 11-9 11-9.

 With Weightmans one win away from the premiership skipper Bowen took control against Kate Carmichael winning the first two games comfortably, amazingly these two had met a few weeks earlier when Bowen had raced ahead and on this occasion, history was able to repeat and Carmichael amazingly would win the third, fourth and fifth 11-9 11-9 11-9 after many long entertaining rallies. The spectators showed their appreciation to two skillful players.

The scoreline was now 5-4 in favour of Weightmans who earlier had raced to a four one lead. Both number two players then took to the table, Kurrle for Weightmans and Nguyen for Regional Taxation Services, both sets of team mates nervously awaiting the result. Kurrle was out of the blocks quickly and raced through the first two games winning comfortably, Nguyen fought back in the third however Kurrle grabbed the ascendancy late to win in three 11-4 11-4 13-11 and in doing so, Weightmans were premiers, a 6-4 result.

The Weightmans trio of Shannon Bowen, Reece Kurrle and Lee Leeson were deserved premiers and they were presented with the Red Cliffs Club Shield by long time champ Wayne Carmichael. For Shannon Bowen this was his fourth pennant one premiership over a long career, his first win back in 2011. This was the first for teammates Reece Kurrle and Lee Leeson and well deserved as both have played over many seasons. Bowen and Kurrle had excellent seasons not only with their doubles play but also finished fifth and sixth respectively on the singles aggregate. Leeson had played a major role in the finals winning crucial five set matches in both the preliminary and grand finals.

After a slow start in the grand final Regional Taxation Services had been brave in defeat and it was their inability to win a doubles which was costly. Stand in skipper Kate Carmichael played well to win three singles and an excellent win by Jamie Kealley over Reece Kurrle had kept his team in with a chance. To finish with 12 wins at the head of the ladder proved they were worthy of playing in the grand final.

PENNANT TWO:

Cookes Pools & Spas 6 Quentin Clark (2), Duy Truong (2), Michael Tan (0) defeated Mallee Meats 2 Jason Gifkins (1), Peter Midgley (1), James Jarvis (0).

The 2025 Pennant 2 grand final was a fiery affair, featuring five five-set matches out of the eight games played. Cookes Pools & Spas were the underdogs going into this game having clawed their way up from fourth position on the ladder. They encountered some strong opposition in the weeks leading up to the finals, defeating Weightmans Packaging in the semi-finals and then going up against second-placed Choices Flooring, taking them down 6-4.

Gun player Truong marked down the first rubber, taking out Jarvis in straight sets 11-4, 11-9, 11-9. Gifkins then took on Tan and likewise defeated him in straight sets 11-4, 12-10, 11-8. Next, Midgley worked hard to defeat Clark, engaging the No. 1 in a tense five-setter. Clark took the first set 11-9, Midgley then fired up and won the next two 11-7, 11-9, but Clark withstood the pressure and took the win in the next two sets 11-8, 11-6. The first doubles was another close game with Meats and Cookes trading sets back and forth with Cookes just gaining the upper hand in the fifth to win, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6.

No. 2 Truong then dealt a harsh blow to Meats by defeating No. 1 Gifkins. Gifkins took the first set 13-11, Truong dug deep and won the next two 11-6, 11-6, Gifkins then took the fourth 11-5 but went down in the fifth 11-6. Despite this loss, Meats continued to fight hard against the stubborn Cookes, with Jarvis getting into another five-set scrap with Clark. But like Midgley before him he couldn’t quite pull it off and went down in the last set, 6-11,11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 7-11; giving Cookes a long lead at 5-1. Midgley however managed to keep his team in the fight a little while longer with a win over Tan, besting him in four sets 17-15, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8.

The score now 5-2, Meats now had to win the next four games in a row if they wanted to win. The next match was the second doubles; Gifkins and Jarvis versus Clark and Tan. Cookes opened fire early, taking the first and second sets 11-8, 11-7. Meats then regrouped and found a chink in the armour, taking the next two sets 12-10, 11-5. It looked like they might have this game in the bag, but Cookes fought back hard, winning the fifth set 11-9, granting them the premiership title.

A hard-fought night and an unexpected result as Meats were a strong side this season, staying on top of the ladder for most of the season. Congratulations to Cookes for coming from behind to take the grand final win for 2025.

Final score 6 rubbers to 2 and 19 games to 16.

PENNANT THREE: 

This grand final featured the two teams that had occupied first and second on the ladder throughout the season. Exposed Signage/Apparel who were the first into the grand final had been second on the ladder throughout while their opponents Weightmans Packaging had occupied first place.

Leading into the grand final, including the second semifinal these teams had met six times and were at three wins apiece.

– Exposed Signage/Apparel 6 (Deegan Kerslake 3, Karly Leach 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Nhat Dat 2, Steve Parker, Leo Parker 1)

Karly Leach for Exposed Signage/Apparel won the toss to decide the order of play and the Exposed team chose to be the home team lining up on the left-hand side of the scoresheet. Weightmans started well when “consistent” Steve Parker outlasted the hard-hitting Brenden Johnson, this was a long five set match with Steve breaking away to win the first two games before Brenden showed good form to mount a comeback and he was able to level the match at two rubbers all. This was Brenden’s first season of competition table tennis, and he has improved markedly.

In the fifth Steve proved too steady and try as hard as he did Brenden could not bridge the gap. Steve finished strongly taking the first match 11-8 11-6 7-11 10-12 11-3. In the next match Weightmans number three Leo Parker, not for the first time this season, showed excellent form to defeat Exposed number one Karly Leach in three sets 13-11 11-5 11-5. Leo possesses a good variation of serves and if he can get his forehand landing, he can be a real handful. Weightmans now took a 2-0 lead and Exposed Signage/Apparel were already under pressure early in the grand final.

The third match in the first block of singles featured Weightmans number one and singles aggregate winner Nhat Dat up against Exposed number two fifteen-year-old Deegan Kerslake who had tied for second in the singles aggregate. The first game went point for point and it was Deegan who was able to grab the first by the barest margin in what was a close tussle. As the match went on Deegan was able to land his top spin forehands and break away to record an excellent win 13-11 11-5 11-5. Exposed desperately needed this win to reduce the deficit to 1-2.

This win by Deegan kick started his team on a run of three wins in succession. In the next match, the first doubles, Deegan teamed up with skipper Karly against Dat and Steve Parker. Interestingly this group of players had finished in the top four of the singles aggregate and had combined well as doubles partners. In this match Karly and Deegan were away quickly and were able to hold the ascendancy throughout winning the match 11-5 11-9 11-4. Dat and Steve tried hard to grab the second, but it wasn’t to be. The Exposed team now levelled up at two rubbers all.

After her loss in the first match she played against Leo, Karly Leach then proved too strong for Leo’s dad Steve winning 11-7 11-8 11-9 in a match that contained many long rallies. Exposed had fought back well to lead 3-2 after trailing 0-2 earlier.

The following two matches were shared and went as expected with Weightmans Dat defeating Brenden in straight sets while Exposed’s Deegan proved too consistent for his young opponent Leo. The score now 4-3 in favour of the Exposed team.

The second doubles was now huge for both teams as Karly and Brenden lined up for Exposed Signage/Apparel while their opponents were Nhat Dat and Leo Parker. What a match this turned out to be with the Exposed pair breaking away with consistent play to take the first two games however Dat and Leo would not go away and in an excellent comeback won the next two games by the barest of margins. Weightmans were now desperate to level at four rubbers all , team mates on the sidelines were moving around in their chairs , tension was building as the fifth began and went point for point, in the end it was Karly and Brenden who were able to hold their nerve and in a thriller they took the match 11-6 11-8 13-15 9-11 11-8 a classic doubles contest.

Exposed Signage/Apparel now were in sight of victory taking a 5-3 lead as the two captains stepped up to the table, Karly for the Exposed team against Dat who knew victory was the only option to keep his team alive. Both players started nervously however the steady Dat was able to edge ahead and take the first game which was full of long rallies, Dat then was able to take control and keep his team alive winning 11-8 11-5 11-2. The match now stood at 5-4 in favour of Exposed Signage/Apparel.

The grand final again was on the line with Exposed’s Deegan lining up against Steve Parker, these two had finished equal second in the singles aggregate. Steve knowing he needed a win started steadily however Deegan was able to hold a slight lead and take the first game. Steve grabbed the initiative early in the second and in a nailbiter he levelled the match at one game all. At this point after receiving encouragement from his teammates Deegan took hold of the match with some good serving and big looping forehands, Steve tried hard however Deegan steamed ahead to take the match and the premiership in four sets 11-8 9-11 11-4 11-3 much to the delight of his teammates.

Exposed Signage/Apparel were the 2025 pennant three winter premiers with a 6-4 victory. Deegan Kerslake was the star of the final winning three singles and the doubles he participated in.

In the winter pennant teams play for The KJ Dorman perpetual shield and this was the third occasion Karly Leach had won this pennant going back-to-back with a win in 2024 while her first victory was back in 2012. For Deegan Kerslake this was his first win in the winter pennant as it was for Brenden Kerslake in his first season of table tennis. The trophy was presented to the winners by KJ (John) Dorman’s son Mark.

Credit to the runners up Weightmans Packaging whose trio of Nhat Dat, Steve Parker and Leo Parker enjoyed a very good season and were not far away from grabbing this match. The loss of both doubles was crucial.

PENNANT FOUR:

A night full of surprises and as they say, where you sit on the Ladder, really has no significance, when it comes to the Finals.

Weightman’s Packaging had played very consistently throughout the season, sitting in second place for the majority of the 16 rounds. Where as, it was a little difficult to get a grip on where Mallee Meats really stood. Although they mostly held third spot, they required fill in’s a lot during the season and didn’t get a good run, as a set team, until later.

The encounter was excitement plus from start to finish, with the night being completed after nine matches, with 5 of those going to five sets and 3 four setters.

Weightman’s : Glenn Leeson, Gary Leach and Eddy Parker. Mallee : Curtis Crabtree, Nathan Beard and Connor Burnett.

– Mallee Meats 6 (Curtis Crabtree 3, Nathan Beard, Conner Burnett 1) d Weightmans Packaging 3 (Glenn Leeson 2)

Mallee Meats got away to a good start in the first block of Singles, winning two hard fought Rubbers.     

Weightman’s number three, Eddy, came up against Nathan, Mallee’s number two, in the first match and it was very close with the sets swaying back and fourth, in the five setter, finishing with Mallee taking the point (11/7, 9/11, 11/8, 9/11, 11/8).

Glenn was to face Connor in the second and Mallee’s number three was throwing in some fantastic shots, which pushed the match out to four sets, with Glenn taking control in the last to give his team a win (11/7, 11/5, 6/11, 11/6).

The next encounter was a action packed, with the first two sets falling to Gary, after some amazing rallies. Curtis then turned on the switch and fired up his game, buckling Gary’s confidence and handing Mallee another Rubber (9/11, 9/11, 11/3, 11/6, 11/3).

The Doubles is usually a strong point with Glenn and Gary and they did come out of the blocks well, to snatch the first two sets. Curtis and Nathan found the following three sets a little easier and were able to leave with the win, but not before a battle in the last (3/11, 9/11, 11/8, 11/6, 14/12).

Sitting on a 3 to 1 score, Weightman’s had to find a way to stop Mallee’s run. Glenn put up a Captains fight, when he added their second Rubber, finding a way to slow the action down, in a clash with Nathan (11/8, 11/6, 11/5).

Eddy has the ability to keep that ball on the table which often takes some beating and he did his best to continue that theme, but Curtis played a steady and well planned game, to keep Mallee in front by two.

Gary would normally handle Connors game, but as has been mentioned leading up to this Final, Connor has found a bit of sizzle in his shots of late and this, together with the pressure of the night, was proving too much for Gary. The second set was a doozy, with rally after rally, forcing it out to 19. Connor marked up his first win and fifth Rubber for Mallee (5/11, 19/17, 13/11, 11/9).

Weightman’s now couldn’t miss a match, with Mallee needing only one more win to collect the trophy.

The final Doubles saw Glenn and Eddy up against Curtis and Connor, which turned out to be a ripper, with all players giving it their utmost. The skirmish went on for five sets, with the crowd cheering on their respective players. Weightman’s found a way to gather another Rubber after an exciting game.

It was now up to the two Captains to determine the standing of the match. Could Glenn pull out another win for his team and leave them with a chance to maybe turn the tables on Mallee ? Or would Curtis hold his nerve and bring home the win for his team ?

The night had seen total commitment from both teams and this match was set to be a beauty. As the trend of the night had shown, five sets seemed to be the flavour and these two didn’t disappoint. It was a see sawing contest with Glenn and Curtis playing some superb shots. The match was very even, with Curtis having a slight edge over Glenn to take the Victory win, in front of the applause of the spectators.

Congratulations to Mallee Meats, on a well deserved win, after fighting their way up from third on the Ladder, to a stand tall as the 2025 Winter Pennant four Champions. This also gave Curtis a back to back Pennant win, after he had been part of the winning team in the Summer Pennant. Commiserations to Weightman’s Packaging, you gave it your best shot.

WINNER : Mallee Meats 6  to Weightman’s Packaging  3.

GAMES : 21  to  19.

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