The Cootamundra Bulldogs Under 18’s team is poised for a deep finals run, building on a brilliant 2025 campaign in the Weissel Cup. Sitting third on the ladder with a seven-win, four-loss record, the “Bullpups” have proven themselves to be a force in the Group 9 competition. Their success has been driven by a talented squad and a new synergy with the senior teams, allowing promising juniors to gain valuable experience.
Standout players like Ollie Hall and Jai Willoughby have not only starred for the Under 18s but have also made their mark in the senior ranks, making their first-grade debuts this season.
Hall, in particular, has become a regular starter at fullback for the First Grade side. This integration has been a major boost, a luxury the club couldn’t afford when its senior and junior teams played in separate competitions. The move back to Group 9 has allowed coach David Buttriss to regularly call on these hungry young players to fill in for the injury-plagued senior team.
Players like Toby Tanks, Graham Neale and Harry Boxsell are also on the cusp of making their senior debuts.
The team has had plenty of highlights throughout the season, including a dominant 30-10 win over fourth-placed South City, a victory that cemented their status as a legitimate contender.
In that match, Gus Smart was named best on ground, and Arc hie Piffero scored two tries. Despite their strong position, Coach Tom Miller believes his team hasn’t reached its full potential yet.
“We had a few injuries over the last couple of months, but we’re just starting to look to get everyone back, hopefully for the end of the year,” Miller said.
“We haven’t been playing well over the last month, and we’re going to look to get back on track this week.”
Miller sees the upcoming bye weeks as an opportunity to recharge and prepare for the postseason.
“We don’t have a great deal of footy over the next month leading into finals. I think we have two byes… but it’s probably a good thing to rest a few troops,” he explained.
“We’ve had a few guys throughout the year who have played a fair bit of first grade and a fair bit of reserve grade off the benches, too. They’ve probably played more footy this year than they normally do, so it’s going to be good to rest their bodies.”
This senior experience, Miller believes, is a major asset for his young squad. “They have never been shy to put their hands up, and some of them in their games that they have played up, have been some of the best players on the field,” he said.
“It’s helped them, coming into this final series having that senior experience under their belt as well.”
Miller singled out Ollie Hall for special praise, noting his impressive performance despite missing Under-18 games due to his first-grade commitments. “I think he’s probably missed out on three or four 18’s games due to playing First Grade… so it’s a pretty good achievement to be that high up on the leader-board, considering he hasn’t had the opportunity to play in every game,” Miller said, adding, “I think if he’s a guy that the Club can keep around over the next few years, he would develop into being one of the top first-grade players around the area.”
The coach also highlighted the consistent efforts of Reid Mctavish and Riley Mill, calling them “breakout players in the back row” who “just do their job.”
With a “small side,” Miller’s strategy is to use the ball and play a fast-paced game. “The more we use the ball and get the ball out to our edges, the more success we seem to have, so it’s something we’ll look to keep on doing,” he said.
The Bullpups’ return to Group 9 has also provided crucial development opportunities for players like Jai Willoughby.
“Throughout the whole Group 9 comp, it’s a game based around the middle, as there’s some big bodies, so it’s good for guys like Jai who get the chance when they’ve got the chance to play first grade as a middle at dummy half, copping a lot of traffic,” Miller explained. “It’s only going to develop his game going forward as well.”
– Tully Potts
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