Sport
3 March, 2026
Highland Black take all Highland finale
In the ultimate battle of Highland, it was the favourites Highland Black who prevailed, winning a tense division two pennant Grand Final 46-38.
After finishing the regular season in pole position with just one loss to their record, Highland Black made no mistake as finals favourites, conquering Maryborough Golf in the semi-final before denying their fellow Highlanders of the premier-ship.
According to premiership player Paul Gothard, camaraderie and calmness got Highland Black over the line against a valiant Highland White.
“It’s something we have fought for all year,” he said.
“We just go out and enjoy ourselves. We don’t get stressed out or anything.
“We are always talking or high-fiving and the other side didn’t have that.”
Both teams qualified for the season finale after defeating the second-placed Maryborough Golf, setting the stage for an intriguing battle between two Highland teams.
Despite losing by an average margin of 25 shots in their regular-season meetings with the minor premiers, Highland White weren’t fearful of the challenge, with neither team able to gain a noticeable edge in the opening ends.
With 26 of the 42 ends in the books, both teams were still in the pennant hunt, with Highland Black holding a slight 30-22 advantage.
With his team searching for a moment of inspiration as he trailed Albert Spencer 16-10 following 13 ends, up stepped Dennis Prosser.
Prosser has been Mr reliable for Highland White this season, and the stoic veteran was proving to be a game-changer once again against someone who went undefeated during the home and away season.
However, even as Prosser cut his deficit to one in the space of four ends, Highland Black’s lead expanded courtesy of Robert Bursill.
In the blink of an eye, Bursill turned a back-and-forth affair against Highland White’s Frank Mifsud that sat at 14-12 after 13 ends into a whitewash, outscoring Mifsud 9-2 in the next four ends.
As Prosser finished a remarkable comeback against Spencer to score a 21-17 rink victory, Bursill was turning Highland White’s premiership aspirations into dust.
Bursill’s superb performance proved to be the deciding factor, as his 29-17 triumph against Mifsud handed Highland Black the premiership.