Sport
31 March, 2026
Colts Phelans earn A reserve redemption
What a difference two months can make. Colts Phelans have gone from the precipice of season elimination to premiership ecstasy, defeating Avoca by four wickets in a memorable A reserve Grand Final.
Saturday’s triumph was the apex of an astonishing eight-game winning streak that will go down in Colts history.
Starting with a historic comeback against MKM in round 14, the Colts went on to redeem their runner-up finishes in 2021, 2023 and 2025 to win their first A reserve title since 2015.
After being a part of last season’s Grand Final heartbreak, Colts captain Johno Melton said it meant the world to see his side turn that incredible season turnaround into a title.
“We were sitting seventh not long ago and we won the last eight games of the season. In one way or another, everyone performed and it was just really good to top it off with the flag,” he said.
“It was a bit dicey (against MKM) and Aaron Balzan said give me the ball, we’re winning this game.
“I said I don’t know if you’ve seen the score, we are in a bit of a pickle, but he was like, we will win this game and from there something clicked.”
Fresh off limiting a high-powered MKM squad to 119 in their victorious semi-final, the Colts elected to bowl first after winning the toss, giving the new ball to the destructive opening pair of Luke Patterson and Ethan Chaplin.
It only took them eight balls to conjure the first wicket, with Avoca opener Nathan Coghlan chopping a Chaplin delivery onto his own stumps as the Colts drew first blood.
Bulldogs captain Cameron Holland responded with a plethora of early boundaries, but Chaplin added a second wicket in the eighth over, bowling the in-form Glen Cosgriff for six.
With Avoca 2/35 after 10 overs, the Colts turned to Grant Rogers and Daniel McGregor to build on the opening spells of Patterson and Chaplin.
Three balls into his first over, Rogers reacted quickly to a James Collicoat leading edge, converting the caught and bowled chance to send Collicoat packing for two.
After Rogers and McGregor conceded nine runs in their first six overs, the scoreboard pressure became too much for Holland, with Rogers castling the big wicket for 30.
A 12-run over from Eyan Habib off McGregor gave Avoca a pulse as he and Brad Palmer entered the 20-over drinks break with their team in a perilous position at 4/60.
McGregor had the last laugh on Habib in the 26th over, getting a deserved wicket for his consistent spell by bowling the powerful bat for 21.
Now sitting at 5/67 with 14 overs remaining, the Bulldogs knew they needed to take risks to set a defendable total and end their senior cricket return with a premiership.
However, with Patterson providing pressure at the other end, Riley Govan proceeded to shell the Bulldogs with two wickets in two overs to reduce Avoca to 7/78.
Outside of an exciting cameo from William Levick, Chaplin and Govan made mincemeat of Avoca’s lower order, as Chaplin’s LBW dismissal of Tyson Gray for eight bowled the Bulldogs all out for 102.
Gray was Chaplin’s fourth victim, ending with exceptional figures of 4/18 with three maidens from 7.3 overs.
His fellow lower-order destructor Govan ended with 3/18, heavily assisted by a ruthless performance from Rogers, who prevented Avoca’s innings from gaining any traction with his 2/9 and four maidens. Holland top-scored for the Bulldogs with his 30.
Colts openers Nick Peart and Bayden Macintyre wasted no time attacking Avoca’s limited total, belting 23 runs in the first four overs.
With their backs against the wall, the Bulldogs made the bold decision to take off Holland and Cosgriff, quickly bringing on Collicoat and Palmer.
The decision proved to be a masterstroke, as Collicoat and Palmer removed both openers in the space of seven balls to put the season finale back in the balance.
Following a major speedbump, the new partnership of Govan and Rhys Egan began to reassert the Colts’ dominant position, with Govan slowly increasing in confidence while Egan looked to score immediately with smart yet aggressive strokes.
Just as the Colts placed one hand on the premiership shield, Egan’s promising innings came to an abrupt end, gifting an easy catch which Palmer gobbled up, giving Holland his first wicket and Avoca an avenue to a memorable Grand Final comeback.
Despite a quickfire cameo from Patterson ending for 15 thanks to a fine catch from Habib off a Cosgriff delivery, the Colts were in great shape at the drinks break, requiring 18 runs with six wickets in hand and 20 overs remaining.
Avoca was determined not to give up without a fight however, as Nathan Coghlan bowled Aaron Balzan with a delivery that skirted along the floor.
One ball after being dropped by Holland in the deep, McGregor skied a Coghlan ball right to Liam McLinden for seven, with the Colts still needing five runs when Hunter Kurzke walked to the middle.
After entering the run chase in the sixth over, Govan capped off a Best on Ground performance by hitting the winning runs off Coghlan to end with a leading score of 24 not out.
While Coghlan ended with top figures of 2/12, Palmer was arguably Avoca’s most potent bowler, with the left-arm spinner taking 1/7 from five overs.
Melton was all praise for his bowling attack, saying they were the catalyst for the Colts’ Grand Final triumph.
“Our bowlers turned into the greatest bowlers I’ve seen in this league,” he said.
“We were definitely the underdogs coming into it. We’ve had two really good games against Avoca this year and they got over the line both times, so we knew we had to be on from the first ball.
“We knew if we bowled well early, anything could happen and that’s what happened.”