Thanks Kathy Glyde for sharing photos.

The following report is thanks to Stephen Glyde. President of the Magpies.

What a day! Many seasoned judges rated the Annual Matthew Locke Charity event the best yet. All the games except one were closely fought affairs and kept the large crowd highly entertained.

With the Magpies Under 18’s debuting up to six players with little or no rugby league experience there was a thought that they would struggle to compete against more experienced teams. This was shown to be false with a two point loss to Macksville to begin the day.

The next game was a Women’s League Tag game between Bellingen and Uralla.  Women’s League Tag will be a regular part of the Group 2 competition this season and this game showed that the Magpies will be very competitive as they also lost a close game to the New Englanders.

Woolgoolga and Uralla then played out a very physical game of First Grade rugby league with the Sea Horses just holding on for a win.

Last year’s Group 2 Premiers the South Grafton Rebels showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with, after a heavy defeat of the Navy Tridents.

The Air Force Jets then proved a little too classy for the Macksville Sea Eagles in a physical encounter that went down to the wire.

After that the Army Band marched on, the Governor was welcomed, Mackay Tucknott said the Welcome to Country and then Erica and Freya Cross led the crowd in the National Anthem and it was time for the main game.

Once again the Magpies really put it to the Thunder but try as they might they could not get their noses in front with the conversion of a try going amiss right on full time the Magpies went down 30-28.

Thanks to all the participants who contributed to such a great day and let’s hope everything comes together once again next year.

Once again we are collecting books to send to Timor Leste. We are looking for early childhood, primary and high school books that can be used for reading practice. There is also a high school looking for commerce, maths and economic style texts. We will also accept early childhood toys for our kindergartens in Bei Cala and Boramba.

While the Bei Cala kindergarten has been up and running for a number of months, the Boramba school will be set up in a room of our existing school block.

If you have any books or early childhood toys, in good condition that you would like to donate please contact me at debbielocke@bigpond.com. They can be delivered to Dorrigo or Bellingen or dropped of at the Sgt. Matthew Locke MG Charity Event on the 25th February 2017 in Bellingen

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Once items are collected they will be delivered to Melbourne by Cramptons truck company and from there the Rotary Club of Melbourne sends a container every six weeks to Timor Leste.

Thank you in advance for your kind donations.

2017 is off and running. We are starting already to bring together all the details for next years match. 2016 was big, 2017 will be bigger. Plans are underway but not yet confirmed for a number of people to be involved. We hope to see Mick Crocker and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs back for the Magpies and of course the Governor of NSW and Mrs Hurley have been invited along with our patron Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG.

Rumour has it a large contingent from WA and Sydney will be in attendance and I have it on good authority that Hogs for Homeless will be calling in for a visit, with perhaps some 9s games. I am even hoping that Navy and Airforce will make it as well. But let’s not jump ahead of ourselves.

uses. We hope to continue the same assistance in 2017.
Soldier On

Bellingen-Dorrigo Juniors

The Grub Club’s preschool project.

Dorrigo Swim Club