Under-14 premier: Dookie United.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
A last-gasp kick from the boundary handed Dookie United the Kyabram District League under-14 premiership in a pulsating finish unlikely to be bettered in years to come.
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With the scores locked at 28-all with seconds left, Harvey O’Rourke’s dribbling effort from inside the fenceline rolled through the sticks to hand the Thunder an epic 4.5 (29) to 4.4 (28) triumph over Murchison-Toolamba Green.
Coach Peter O’Donnell, whose three sons Noah, Mason and Cody shared in the spoils, could only stand back and admire his young side’s pluck at the siren.
Chasing hard: Dookie United’s Archie Ludeman.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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Wrangling Tex: Dookie United’s Harvey O'Rourke gets a hold of Murchison-Toolamba’s Tex Leone.
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Megan Fisher
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Hoppers get the jump: Dookie United’s Cody O'Donnell is swarmed by Murchison-Toolamba’s Christopher Brown and Oscar Harrison.
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Megan Fisher
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Lining up: Murchison-Toolamba’s Conor Finnigan.
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Megan Fisher
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Let’s get it: Dookie United’s Xavier Waters.
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Megan Fisher
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Wounded warrior: Dookie United’s Daniel Plant.
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Megan Fisher
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Carry the pill: Murchison-Toolamba’s Walter Ewart.
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Megan Fisher
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Not so fast: Murchison-Toolamba’s Tex Leone is tackled by Dookie United’s Nate Marshall.
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Megan Fisher
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Mad Max: Dookie United’s Max Senior.
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Megan Fisher
“It was tight all day, a tough, tough contest and they’ve (Murchison-Toolamba) been the benchmark all year,” he said.
“Our kids, I couldn’t have been prouder of them. They fight hard, they tackle hard regardless of the size of them.
“For me it didn’t matter whether we won or lost today, they’ve come together and played brilliant football all year and the club, families and supporters are truly proud of them.”
It was end to end stuff from the jump as Dookie sprayed a few kicks wide, but a clearance from Hopper Luke Webb went straight down the throat of Dookie’s Xavier Waters.
His shot was liquid and the game had its first goal.
Dookie swarmed the footy and had plenty of numbers around the contest, but Kye Goodwin still found ways to penetrate through the centre of the ground for Murchison-Toolamba.
Mason O’Donnell cracked open the game as he produced a run and gun effort early in the second quarter.
Later, a flashy kick from the right pocket from Murchison-Toolamba’s Angus Ewart sailed through.
One goal stood between the teams at the half.
Goodwin conjured up a fizzing major which skipped off the grass and through from miles out before Dookie capitalised on a free which Angus Kee converted.
Then came the biggest roar of the day.
Best on ground: Dookie United's Cody O'Donnell..
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Under-age permit player Noah O’Donnell, barely scraping four feet in height, plucked a stunning mark among a crowd and kicked true to push the Thunder further ahead.
In the final term it was all Murchison-Toolamba as Tex Keone slotted from the top of the square and following up was Mitch Goodwin to bury the leveller off a 50m penalty.
THE GAME
Dookie United 1.3, 2.3, 3.3, 4.5 (29)
Murchison-Toolamba Green 0.1, 1.1, 2.1, 4.4 (28)
GOALS
Dookie United: M. Waters, M. O’Donnell, A. Kee, N. O’Donnell
Murchison-Toolamba Green: A. Ewart, K. Goodwin, T. Keone, M. Goodwin
BEST
Dookie United: C. O'Donnell, B. Kitto, A. Kee, D. Plant, H. O’ Rourke, X. Waters
Murchison-Toolamba Green: C. Brown, K. Goodwin, W. Ewart, T. Keone, L. Webb, B. Davies
With the siren beckoning it was O’Rourke to be Dookie’s saviour, the no-nonsense mid all class alongside Thunder defender Cody O’Donnell who was named best-on-ground.
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