Glebe Gorillas Claim Historic Bill Cullinan Cup Triumph

The Glebe Gorillas have etched their name into club history, securing their first-ever All Age Men’s Bill Cullinan Cup title after a convincing 3-1 victory over Sydney CBD at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday afternoon.

A dominant opening spell saw Glebe race into a two-goal lead through strikes in the 12th and 16th minutes, before Sydney CBD mounted a late challenge with Adam Fowles’ 81st-minute goal setting up a tense finish.

Despite Sydney causing some early nervous moments, it was Glebe who looked the more composed side throughout the opening 45 minutes. Their first major attacking sequence came in the fifth minute, with Ryan Weir producing some excellent build-up play before his pass across the box went untouched. Nemanja Dekic then created another promising opportunity shortly after.

After settling into the contest, Glebe continued to threaten, with Kyle Levell seeing an effort blocked in the seventh minute before the Gorillas found their breakthrough shortly afterwards.

In the 12th minute, Kurt Seymour opened the scoring after winning possession before calmly finishing past the goalkeeper. Just four minutes later, Glebe doubled their advantage through Yanik Scheffers, who produced a stunning strike from just inside the box with incredible precision.

Sydney responded by enjoying more possession and creating opportunities of their own, with a 19th-minute effort flashing across the face of goal as they searched for a way back into the contest.

However, Glebe remained dangerous on the counter, with Dekic seeing a promising run down the wing come to nothing in the 28th minute. Moments later, he produced another dangerous move before his effort was deflected off a teammate. Josh Stachini also went close before half-time, with a long-range strike taking an unfortunate deflection.

Sydney continued to search for a breakthrough after the break, with Ziggy Cresswell attempting to spark his side forward with a long-distance pass in the 64th minute. Stachini also looked to create an opening inside the penalty area, but Glebe’s defence remained resolute.

The Gorillas then put the result beyond doubt in the 67th minute with a superb team move. After a flowing attacking sequence, Harry Smith reacted quickest to finish with a simple tap-in and make it 3-0.

Sydney pushed for a response, with Louis Pow coming close in the 73rd minute when his shot was saved by the Glebe goalkeeper. Matthew Gear then tested the keeper again five minutes later with a powerful free-kick, but the shot-stopper continued to stand tall.

The final still had one more twist, with Adam Fowles pulling one back for Sydney in the 81st minute after some excellent combination play, giving his side hope heading into the closing stages.

Despite the late pressure, Glebe held firm to secure a deserved victory and lift the Bill Cullinan Cup for the first time in club history.

Three different goalscorers highlighted a complete team performance from the Gorillas, who overcame some early nerves to deliver a memorable piece of silverware.

Match Stats

Glebe Gorillas 3 (Kurt Seymour 12’, Yanik Scheffers 16’, Harry Smith 67’)

Sydney CBD 1 (Adam Fowles 81’)

Sunday 12 July, 2026

Valentine Sports Park

Referee: Anthony Pirrello 

Assistant Referees: Kalun Thompson and Lachlan Baker

Fourth Official: Jack Leitner

Glebe Gorillas: 1.Kota Arakawa, 2.Jackson Whittaker, 3.Ziggy Cresswell, 4.Adam Rowe, 5.Bradley Harding, 6.Harry Cooper, 7.Yanik Scheffers, 8.Kurt Seymour, 9.Luca Paige, 11.Ryan Weir, 12.Harry Smith, 15.Aaron Finney, 16.Kyle Levell, 17.Robert Benson, 18.Nemanja Dekic, 19.Rupert Murray, 20.Declan Mack, 21.Ashta-Hall Hart, 22.Edoardo Panizzari, 23.Daniel Durkin, 24.James Murray 25.Dominic McCan, 31.Francesco Tribulato

Coach: Kaio Mendes De Souzay Assistant Coach: Jackson Whittaker Manager: Aaron O’Raw

Sydney CBD: 1.Josh Davis, 2.Martin Lancaster, 3.Lewis Donald, 4.Jack Brennand, 5.Felix Wlodu, 7.Max Sherry, 8.Louis Pow, 9.Matthew Gear, 10.Josh Stachini, 11.Gian Bortolani, 14.Adam Fowles, 20.Scott Cornell, 21.Ryan Chittock, 22.Devon Andrews, 24.Mark Smith, 26.Dan Bourne

Coach: Mark Smith Manager: Max Sherry

-By Tobias Canning