On Wednesday 7th June an enthusiastic 21 AFL players from the Darling Downs Region and 3 officials set off for the State Championships in Mackay. With an exciting bus trip from Toowoomba to Brisbane Airport followed by a lively and exciting flight up to Mackay, the team was greeted at the airport gates with a huge custom made sign and lots of friends and family. The players headed off to their accommodation with their families excited for the championships ahead.
The first day kicked off with an opening ceremony welcoming all the regions to the championships. Our leadership team; Henry Sheath, Zimra Hussain and Keegan Luck led the team out proudly onto the spectacular Harrup Park. The weather was rather cool in Mackay but the Darling Downs players were well suited to the conditions. Our first game was against Capricornia, we knew it would be a tough first game and the Darling Downs were the first to get points on the board but Capricornia were a well developed and experienced team winning the game 6.6.42 to 1.0.6. The Players’ Player was Zimra Hussain with Patrick Dolbel winning the Coach’s Award. These two players showed great skill and talent throughout the game.
Later that day Darling Downs came up against the Sunshine Coast whom were a very tough and dominating team. They ended up winning our pool and playing South Coast in the grand final. The team played well keeping them under 80 points, however, going down with no points on our score board. Andrew Uprichard Green was awarded the Players’ Player after taking some big hits and bouncing back from a minor injury. Blake Jacobson received the Coach’s Award for a consistent and competitive game.
Early on the second morning the DD team were pumped and excited for a massive day of 3 games. The team lifted and played with more structure in the first game against Wide Bay. They were more motivated and determined and this showed on the scoreboard (2.1.13 to 2.7.19). It was a very close game with Wide Bay being an overall stronger team and winning the Keenan Barr Trophy. Lachlan Greenbury was awarded the Players’ Player and Jimmy Potter received the Coach’s Award for his great attacking and defending efforts.
DD was then faced with the challenging two Met teams. First up was Met West who defeated us 7.13.37 with DD unable to score. Alexander Phyland showed off his skills and was nominated as the Players’ Player. Lara Paget showed her strength and domination in defence and was a very deserving recipient of the Coach’s Award. Met East were another well structured and highly skilled team with DD still unable to get points on the board. The team worked hard to keep the Met East under 50 points (6.11.47). Jarni Parker impressed everyone with her amazing tackling skills and was the worthy recipient of the Players’ Player. Whilst Henry Sheath put up a hard fight and showed great leadership on the field and was presented with the Coach’s Award. It was a tough day and to their credit all the players never gave up and pressured their opponents in all games.
Our day three game against Northern was a must win encounter. The players were fired up and dominated defence around the field. However, Northern proved to be a stronger team defeating us by nearly 80 points. The sportsmanship of the players was admirable and they fought a tough game right until the end. The scoreboard was not a true indication of the contest between the two teams. Andrew Uprichard Green displayed phenomenal defensive skills as full back and was the proud recipient of the Players’ Player. Jimmy Potter deserved his Coach’s Award after being too ill to take the field as a starting player. He sat on the bench for the first half and then pushed through his sickness to show us an impressive second half. His courage, determination and strength made a major impact on the field.
It was the final day, final game, and after 3 hard days with no wins up our sleaves, the players were desperate to finish with a win. The Crusaders were in the same position as us on the ladder so the game was well matched. DD dominated the Crusaders with both their attacking and defensive skills. It was a great game to watch with DD getting a sniff of victory after a tough State Championships (6.9.45 to 1.2.8). The Crusaders battled right into the 4th quarter but DD were unstoppable and very deserving winners. Jarni Parker kicked her first ever goal and was very proud of her achievements. Theo Hess was nominated as the Player’s Player after taking some impressive marks and showing off his powerful kicks. Flynn Proctor dominated in the midfield and received the Coach’s Award. It was a great way to end the championships and the excitement filled the arena as DD sung their team song for the first time.
It was a quick turn around for Lara Paget and Zimra Hussain who were selected to play in the Qld Country Team, which lost to the Championships winners South Coast. The two girls contributed to the close battle and deserved their spots.
The DD players improved with every game and gained the respect of the other regions and crowd. They showed great sportsmanship and never gave up. Lara Paget was awarded the Most Valuable Player trophy for the Darling Downs team, who showed great determination and consistency with her contesting and ball skills. She dominated many opposition players and was inspiring and motivational to all.
The players then headed to the airport for a very lively plane trip to Brisbane with several other regions on the same flight. Players were able to share their experiences from the championships with others and many built new friendships with players across the state. Their passion and enthusiasm for AFL was evident and it was a great way to end the trip.
A very well organised carnival from the Capricornia region and a great job done by Coach Andrew Wickes and trainer Michael O’Donoghue. A big thanks to all the parents for their help and support throughout the carnival.
Lara Melrose
DD Manager
Last Modified on 18/08/2017 15:35
