Yes, it's been said time and time again this year was one unlike any other.
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But you can't deny it's truth.
If someone was to say to you when the year began the local cricket season wouldn't finish, no Group 11 rugby league would be played at all, and the Astley Cup would be cancelled you would rightly think they were crazy.
But despite the huge and ongoing impact COVID had on our lives, there was still some incredible sporting moments in our region this year.
This week we'll bring you our top 20, five moments a day in no particular order that show why this year was another memorable one.
WARNER WOWS IN DEMONS' RETURN
Everyone around the Dubbo Demons admits 2019 didn't quite feel the same for the club.
The lack of a women's side, forced to fold because a lack of numbers, was a blow but in 2020 the team returned in style.
And key to the success again was Emily Warner.
Warner was one of the many players unavailable in 2019 and it was a major part of the side's decline but with players like herself and Elouise Hillier-Stanbrook back and rookie coach Lachy Ewart immediately proving a hit the Demons were a contender straight from the off.
Warner was sensational in the middle of the part again, earning praise from teammates and opponents alike throughout the year.
The Demons just fell short of glory in their return though and were beaten 3.1.19 to 0.2.2 by the Bathurst Giants in the grand final.
I think the competition has come so far since I started playing in it in 2017.
- Emily Warner
But Warner still shone, so much so she was awarded player of the match despite being on the beaten team.
It marked the second time she had been named best on ground in an AFL Central West grand final and the good times didn't stop there as Warner was also named joint-winner of the player of the year prize for the women's competition.
"I think the competition has come so far since I started playing in it in 2017, there's some pretty handy players showing up across the competition, even here in the Demons, so it's a very nice surprise to win," she said.
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SPANG TOPS CHARTS AND SECURES SYDNEY DEAL
The Western Premier League's return was largely designed to help young players in the region play at a high level regularly.
It worked in a big way and one of those young players to benefit the most was Jesse Spang.
The teenage forward starred for a youthful Macquarie United in 2020 and finished the season as the leading scorer in the competition.
The side's attack was scintillating at times and while there was no dream finish to the season - Macquarie United was beaten by local rivals Dubbo FC in the grand final - the hard-working youngster had still done enough during the year to make many aware of his potential.
"I'm just keen for whatever happens next," he said after being named in the WPL team of the season.
What came next was great news for Spang, as he linked a deal with North West Sydney Spirit and will spend next year playing in the National Premier League under 20s competition.
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KEMPSTON AND KEAGAN STAR IN CUP THRILLER
It might seem a little unfair on the Dubbo Kangaroos to have one of the moments of the year being a match they lost, but this was a classic.
The Roos played out a number of thrillers in the Blowes Clothing Cup this season but the last-gasp loss to Orange City stands out.
Roos fans, watching on in a rare match at No. 2 Oval, were treated to a double double from popular teenage winger Charlie Kempston and that seemed to have the result in the bag for the hosts.
But some ill-discipline late on allowed City flyhalf Keagan Harding, who had produced some wayward kicking earlier in the match, to step up after the siren and nail a penalty to secure a massive win for the Lions.
"It was a good first hit out for me with the boys, real good. I enjoyed it heaps," Kempston said despite the painful nature of the defeat.
"I've missed a lot of penalty kicks recently," Harding said of his effort.
"I missed one from right in front just then, but I had to make it, the boys put in all their effort today and I couldn't let them down by missing it."
The win didn't stop the Roos from making finals but it gave City a huge boost and kick-started a run that went all the way to the 2020 grand final.
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EMMA ACHIEVES HER DREAM IN BIG BASH DEBUT
Emma Hughes' talent has long been known in the western area.
She's played in various junior representative teams - all the way up to NSW Country - and became the first female player in more than a decade to play in Dubbo's first grade competition when she made her RSL-Whitney Cup debut for Macquarie in 2018.
But the biggest thrill came this year when the talented seamer was handed her Women's Big Bash League debut by the Sydney Sixers.
The same Sydney Sixers side that lists Elyse Perry, Alyssa Healy, and Ash Gardiner among its players.
Hughes was there alongside them this year and she made her first match at the elite level one to remember by taking a wicket in her second over.
"I was so happy and it was a great feeling," Hughes said of the debut wicket.
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FOOTY FANS SHOCKED AS GROUP 11 IS CANCELLED
Another obvious choice. While it was ultimately the right decision and one many came to expect, there's still no denying the magnitude of the decision to cancel all Group 11 rugby league in 2020.
The most popular sporting competition in the region didn't go ahead and Group 11 president Bob Walsh almost lost for words trying to describe how big a decision it was.
"To call off a whole competition. It's certainly ..." he trailed off at the time in June.
A long-serving administrator who is also a NSW board member, Walsh went on to describe it as easily the biggest decision he'd been a part of.
It was ultimately a unanimous decision made by the seven Group 11 clubs, with plenty of concern around travel as well as the struggle many businesses and sponsors were facing at the time during lockdown.
In recent weeks we've seen hype building as the 2021 season draws closer, with the comment from all corners being the same - let's hope we can play.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
