Sport
27 August, 2026
Flamin' Galahs into Fifth Grand Final
Five grand finals, four heartbreaks … is this finally the year for the Gular Flamin’ Galahs.
By The Pink Parrot
Stop us if you have heard this before….the Flamin’ Galahs have qualified for another grand final.
The mighty Flamin’ Galahs have booked themselves into an unprecedented fifth-consecutive Ahrens Women’s Tri Tag Rugby grand final with an impressive and dominant 24–12 victory over a gallant Walgett Ewes outfit that never gave up at on Saturday, August 22 at Walgett.
The grand final will be a repeat of last year’s decider, with the Flamin’ Galahs once again taking on their arch-nemeses, the Coonamble Rams, this Saturday (August 29) in Nyngan.
The Galahs have yet to taste grand-final victory in their previous four appearances, but they firmly believe an upset is brewing when they take on their more fancied opponents.
It has been a wretched year for the Galahs in terms of injuries to key players, but they have never given up.
This new-look team, with players filling unfamiliar positions as a result of those injuries, is just starting to believe in itself and is warming to the task.
The last two semi-final hit-outs against Coonamble and now Walgett have put the Flamin’ Galahs in good stead for the pressure that comes with the biggest game of the year.
Saturday’s semi-final was a real spectacle, showcasing the pressure and intensity of sudden-death football from both teams.
Uncharacteristically, it was the Flamin’ Galahs who opened the scoring after just a couple of minutes.
Hard running from forward Chels Broom created an opportunity for fly-half Caitlynn Mills, who showed great vision to send the ball left with a cut-out pass that put winger Piper Hancock into space.
Hancock made no mistake, scoring her first try in the Flamin’ Galahs colours. The conversion was unsuccessful, leaving the Galahs with an early 5–0 lead.
The Galahs, particularly through the backline and the impressive Mills at fly-half, continued to ask plenty of questions of the Walgett defence with clever passing and cut-out balls.
However, against the run of play, the Walgett ladies broke through from halfway, drawing fullback Ash Carlow beautifully before passing to a supporting player who crossed for a good try. The conversion was successful, putting the Ewes in front 7–5.
Around the 20-minute mark, a smart wraparound play from inside centre and captain Heidi Ferguson opened a gap. Ferguson put right winger Ella Wykes through the hole, and Wykes powered over to score a great try.
Again, the conversion was unsuccessful, but the Galahs had regained the lead at 10–7.
In defence, the Flamin’ Galahs were extraordinary, coming up in one line and tagging with great efficiency.
A wonderful kick-off from Mills saw the Galahs regain possession, and sustained pressure eventually paid dividends.
On the final play of a set, Mills produced a smart kick right across the field. Replacement right winger Kelsey Hutchison picked up the ball, outran the Walgett defence and scored in the corner.
It was a great effort from the entire team, with sustained pressure ultimately creating the opportunity.
The try was converted, giving the Galahs a commanding 17–7 lead at half-time.
The second half was a dogged affair between two teams that knew 30 minutes stood between them and either a grand-final berth or the end of their season.
Great passing and running darts from the halves - Sarah Chandler, Caitlynn Mills and Heidi Ferguson - provided plenty of opportunities for forwards Chels Broom, Jess Flemming, Makaila Harland and Alanna Clark.
Special mention must go to forward Abigail Phillips, who doesn’t get many minutes but never complains and always gives her absolute best when she gets onto the field.
Phipp produced some great runs and tags, along with a handy pick-up of the ball, during her time on the field. Well done, Phipp!
It took until around the 20-minute mark of the second half for the Galahs to extend their lead.
Scrum-half Sarah Chandler produced a moment of brilliance, running the blind side from the ruck and catching the Walgett defence off guard to score a great solo try.
The try was duly converted, pushing the Galahs out to a 24–7 lead.
In what had been a non-stop, action-packed game, the Galahs briefly took their eye off the job with around 10 minutes remaining.
Poor ball security gave the Walgett Ewes all the invitation they needed to mount some serious pressure.
The Galahs had been their own worst enemy at times with ball security, and a kick across field from Walgett eventually resulted in another try. The conversion was successful, reducing the margin to 24–12.
Momentum had swung, and with their season drawing to a close, the Walgett Ewes threw everything at the Galahs.
But the Galahs rallied during the final five minutes and held out a spirited wave of Walgett attack to secure a hard-earned victory.
When the full-time siren sounded, it was the Flamin’ Galahs who had secured their place in the grand final with a well-deserved 12-point win.
There were huge efforts again all game from rovers Lucy Irish and Pete Bradley, while Ash Carlow at fullback continues to grow in confidence with every game.
It was fantastic to have Kayla Beaton back from representative hockey duties. Her commitment and willingness to give her all is second to none.
Never-say-die Grace Lummis was in every scrap for the ball and was relentless with her tagging, while the baby of this wonderful team, Lara Duff, continues to excel every week she plays.
Now the Flamin’ Galahs knuckle down for grand-final week.
All roads lead to Nyngan as the fiercest rivalry in Women’s Tri Tag Rugby reaches its conclusion, with the mighty Flamin’ Galahs once again taking on their arch-nemeses, the Coonamble Rams on Saturday, August 29 at 1.30pm
The Galahs would love to see all their family, friends and supporters make the journey to Nyngan to cheer them on as they attempt to take down their more fancied opponents and finally claim that elusive grand-final victory.
The Pink Parrot reckons this one is going to be an absolute cracker and not one to be missed!
