Central Coast have claimed the Club Champions title for the eighth consecutive year after dominating the 2020 NSW Senior State Cup in various divisions.
Particularly successful in the Men’s divisions, the reigning club champions declared victory in the Men’s 40s, Men’s 45s, Men’s 50s, Men’s 55s, Men’s Opens Division 2, and Women’s 30s.
Established in 1994, Central Coast Oztag first entered a team in the NSW Senior State Cup in 1996, played at Solander, Cronulla.
Australian Oztag Hall of Fame Inductee, and Central Coast legend Dave Rose said the association only had the capacity to enter a Men’s opens side, known as ‘The Stingers’.
“Tony Jamieson was the Coach at the time and the likes of Steve Lacoy and Pat Hart played,” Rose said.
Central Coast Oztag now send 16 teams away to the annual tournament across all divisions.
In the eight years as reigning club champions, the only time they shared the title was in 2013 having finished in equal first with Cronulla.
Central Coast Licensee, Charmaine Ceeney could not be prouder of the association, putting the achievement down to a combination of camaraderie, coaching and a shared love for the game.
“We’ve got the best people running the seniors and some great mentors for the juniors coming through,” Ceeney said.
“We get a lot of our senior Australian and representative players putting back into the game by coaching our junior teams,”
“A large portion of our juniors then filter through to seniors; and having received such high-quality coaching for years, they go on to become some of our elite players,” she said.
Charmaine also acknowledged how their collective common-sense approach has contributed to the club’s success.
“We don’t try to make things too complicated. We don’t have any level of hierarchy, we’re all even and part of one team,” she said.
For years, Central Coast representative sides have maintained their competitive edge due to great participation rates and a shared sense of privilege.
“Compared to other areas, we’ve got a lot to choose from and that’s a result of years of hard work from the ground roots,” Ceeney said.
“Seniors especially, consider it an honor to make the team and you can see that in their commitment – they turn up and train hard,”
“They know that there are many other people that would be there in an instant if they don’t stay on top of their game,” she said.
Charmaine gave distinct credit to the many people who have contributed to the success of Central Coast Senior Oztag over the years.
“There are a few key people over the years who have put their hand up to do the hard yards, so they’ve all played a part in the club’s success,” she said.
“The likes of Australian Oztag Hall of Famers, Dave Rose and Pat Hart, as well as Adam Carslise were in charge of Central Coast Seniors years ago and are still heavily involved,”
“Dale Berg now runs our seniors, and does an awesome job,” she said.
Special mention was also given to Rick Steedman, Reg Styles, Amanda Morrison, Lexy Hall, and Brooke Peachy.
“I think our women have been the driving force behind our success because the inclusion of girls competitions from a junior level have made our sides extremely strong,” she said.
Central Coast Oztag have been recognised by many outsiders as having an incredibly strong club culture. Charmaine confirmed how the shared respect for the club has played part in their success over the years.
“The culture in our club is second to none and it is something that I am very proud of,” Ceeney said.
“We have a ‘family feel’ where everyone knows everyone, and we make sure to take a fair and honest approach to all things Oztag,”
“I can’t believe how lucky I am to have all of these great people on my team, to be perfectly honest. I’m very proud of them,” she said.
Sponsored by Masterfoods, Central Coast Oztag make a distinct effort to put everything back into the game of Oztag to ensure their players can continue down the successful path they’re on.
2020 NSW Senior State Cup Club Championship Points:
1. Central Coast – 88 points
2. Penrith – 56 points
3. Souths – 52 points
4. Tamworth – 32 points
5. Parramatta – 25 points
Men’s 40s 
Men’s 45s 
Men’s 50s 
Men’s 55s 
Men’s Opens Div 2 
Women’s 30s
