The Cowra Blues’ season came to a bittersweet end after falling to the Bathurst Bushrangers in the AFL Central West Grand Final, with a final score of 46–31.
Played in testing windy conditions, the match proved to be a battle of momentum, with Cowra showing glimpses of their best footy but ultimately falling short against a side that had been dominant all year.
Co-coach Chris Day reflected on the challenge the team faced from the very start.
“It was extremely windy, sort of favouring one end,” Day said.
“We went with it in the first quarter but didn’t capitalise as much as we should.”
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“The second quarter into the breeze was probably our best quarter of footy, and we got almost level at halftime,” he said.
Unfortunately, the Bushrangers hit back hard in the third quarter, using the wind advantage more effectively.
“They just played too good in the third quarter, when we had the wind,” Day said.
“They got a lead going into the last and then we just couldn’t really get the ball forward or anything in the final quarter.”
The post-game atmosphere was naturally one of disappointment, but also of pride in what had been achieved across the season.
“Obviously, everyone’s pretty disappointed, you work pretty hard all year to give yourself the opportunity to play in a grand final,” Day said.
“At the end of the day, they’d been better than us all year, and they were better than us again on Sunday.”
When asked if there was one thing the side could have improved on, Day pointed back to the conditions.
“Maybe just adapt to the conditions a bit quicker,” Day said.
“It was extremely difficult, very windy.”
“We just missed the jump a little bit.”
“They adapted quicker than us.”
“We’re proud of our efforts, proud of the way we went all year, unfortunately, we just fell a little short,” he said.
Despite the loss of the final, the Blues’ 2025 season marked a significant step forward.
“We struggled for numbers early in the year but built that up well through the middle part,” Day said.
“We played some pretty good footy, and to make the grand final from finishing third was still a good result.”
The improvement in depth, resilience, and structure allowed the Blues to challenge the competition’s best sides, and their strong second-half of the season is seen as a foundation to build upon.
While the scoreboard reflected the Bushrangers’ superiority, the Blues’ efforts throughout the season did not go unnoticed.
Their ability to fight through adversity and earn their way to the grand final stage remains a point of pride for the players, staff, and supporters alike.
