Starting the game with only 13 players and no reserves, once again due to sickness, injuries and a couple of no shows, the Devils rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into the big Eden team.

Things got worse 10 minutes into the game when first, centre Elijah Blair (ankle) and then top forward Ali Elmasri (severely split lip) were forced off, leaving only 11 players.

The game was scoreless for the first 18 minutes until Eden scored a couple of quick tries.

The Devils hit back with a neat try of their own to halfback Ryan Norris after a Booga Ayers kick to only trail 12-6. Eden stretched the score to 20-6 at the break but the Devils were giving as good as they got.

From the second half kick-off the Devils lost another player when tough winger Tim Wilson got a knee in the back and couldn't continue, leaving a mighty 10 players left for the Devils. If anything the team played even harder football with Todd Ayers, James Holley and Neil Graham charging into the Eden forwards and big Milo Campbell flattening their big boys in defence.

Jacko Kelly, along with Todd Ayers the only players to play every game this year, was tireless and Swervin Merv Naylor played everywhere from hooker to winger. Fullback Jay Rotavisoro was all over the field and regularly took it up into the middle of the ruck. Five-eighth Troy Beecham as usual was dangerous every time he got the ball, putting his outside players through gaps all day.

A Ryan Norris break led to Todd Ayers scoring under the posts to reduce the score to 26-12 and the Eden crowd went a bit quiet but the Devils found it hard to stop Eden out wide and they scored a couple more tries.

With 12 minutes to go prop Graham injured his knee in a tackle and couldn't continue and, as the Devils now only had nine players, full-time was called with the Eden team running out 42-12 winners. The Devils received a huge round of applause from the Eden crowd for their gallant display.

Well done to the courageous 13 Devils and congratulations to Todd Ayers on being able to get that sort of performance out of the team under dire circumstances.

The She-Devils Ladies League Tag team also played their last game of the season and also were down some players with just the bare 11 needed to field a full team.

Despite this they put in a top performance against the talented Eden Tigerettes to go down 26-4 in an entertaining game.

Best for the the She-Devils were Taliya Smith, Sarah Alderton, Elly Beecham and Jody Eldridge but all the girls; Leena Campbell, Maddy Rose, Chelsea Laurie, Leah Rose, Tamika Cook and Cody Godfrey contributed well. The try scorer was Cody with Taliya kicking the goal.

Congratulations to coach Keira Marchini on doing a great job with the girls this year.

In two weeks time the Under 18 Devils will be playing Bega in the major semi-final so stay tuned for details of where and when this will happen.