Sport
5 May, 2026
Redbacks bite Giants with a 68-point victory
A second-quarter barrage allowed the Carisbrook Redbacks to maintain their unbeaten start to the 2026 season, overcoming the Maryborough Giants by 68 points.
The Redbacks were forced to work hard against a young and hungry Giants squad keen to prove themselves against the league’s elite, but seven quickfire goals before half time ensured the hosts held a comfortable buffer they secured with their suffocating defence.
Local product Tim Rinaldi continues to be an unstoppable goal-kicking machine for Carisbrook, finishing with seven majors to bring his season tally to 26, a mark only 18 players cleared throughout the entire 2025 campaign.
Saturday marked an exciting moment for two Carisbrook teenagers, as Archie Sanders and Chardy Bond earned their senior debuts.
The Redbacks controlled the early part of the first quarter, playing the dimensions of Carisbrook Recreation Reserve perfectly to restrict their opponents’ quickness and ball movement.
While the Giants’ defence did a solid job limiting the Redbacks’ scoring opportunities, the hosts still generated a 17-point lead at quarter time by putting all three of their shots on goal through the big sticks.
Carisbrook quickly turned their noticeable margin into a cavern in the second quarter, with the likes of Todd Bryant and Thomas Gardam controlling the quarter with their ball use.
That opened the door for Rinaldi, Harry Butler and Ricky Pearson to light up the scoreboard, as the Redbacks stormed to a 57-point half time lead.
Following a devastating second-term lapse, Mitch Stork, Cody Wright, Kaylab Eggers and Riley Govan powered a third-quarter Giants recharge as they regained their footing.
Maryborough managed to outscore Carisbrook in the third term, but the intercept marks of Andrew Toan, Jackson Bowen and Anden Lever stopped several promising advances, allowing the Redbacks to preserve a comfortable 51-point lead.
Despite scoring inaccuracy creeping in during the fourth quarter, Carisbrook sealed the victory with three late goals in the final term.
Bryant produced a standout performance alongside Rinaldi’s dominance inside 50, with the duo named in Carisbrook’s best players alongside Butler, Gardam, Bowen, and Toan.
The Giants named Stork, Wright, Sam Spink, Eggers, Scott Miller and Govan as their best players.
Miller and Eggers were also goal-kickers for the visitors alongside Atticus Cullinan and Rhys Egan.