Brothers Ipswich retained the Matthew Dennis Memorial Trophy against the Norths Tigers on a day dedicated to helping promote mental health awareness.
The two clubs have contested the memorial trophy every year since 2010, after the passing of former player Matthew Dennis in November 2009.
Dennis played his entire rugby league career with Brothers all the way from juniors to seniors, but was also linked to Norths due to his close friendships with many players from the club.
Brothers won the trophy for the seventh time in a thrilling Round 16 contest, 38-34.
After trailing 18-0 early on, the Tigers came storming back and took the lead late in the piece, before Brothers scored the match winner in the final stages.
Family and close friends of Dennis were guests for the day and requested the annual day be centred around promoting wellness and mental health awareness.
The Dennis family have remained involved in local rugby league over the last decade. First cousins of Dennis, Nat Creedy and Clint Hennelly, are both former Brothers A grade players as is his cousin Isaac, who has played in the last few memorial games.
The annual fixture brings out the best in both clubs and is always played in tremendous spirit allowing the memory of Matt Dennis to live on in the local league community while continuing to help others and promote the importance of mental health and wellness.
Upon accepting the memorial trophy, Brothers captain Wes Conlon spoke about the importance of watching out for each other and encouraged those who are experiencing tough times to reach out to their friends and family.
It was a successful day for Brothers on the field, winning in all four grades and retaining top spot in the RLI A Grade competition.
* Image courtesy of Bruce Clayton Photography
Matthew Dennis Memorial Trophy winners
2010 – Brothers
2011 – Brothers
2012 – Norths
2013 – Brothers
2014 – Brothers
2015 – Norths
2016 – Brothers
2017 – Norths
2018 – Brothers
2019 - Brothers
