Antony Doolan was only just starting out his hockey journey the last time that Kiwis won the Tamworth men’s first grade premiership.
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On Sunday he was instrumental in them winning their first title since 2006.
They’d had a couple of attempts since, the last in 2012.
Doolan was part of that side. His first season playing first grade they finished minor premiers only to be rolled by Workies in the grand final.
That made Sunday’s triumph that bit sweeter, Doolan said, with Kiwis ending Workies’ eight-year reign 4-3.
Consistently one of Kiwis’ hardest workers, Doolan played himself to a standstill in the extra-time thriller. He was one of three field players that played the entire match and was understandably “sore” after 100 minutes running up and down the field.
Sixty five of those he played with a broken nose.
He played the entire second half and extra-time with tissues stuffed up his nose to stop any bleeding after copping an arm to the nose.
Playing in the midfield Doolan was prominent in defence and attack, and particularly in the second half made some telling and strong runs through the middle.
His efforts earned him the Butch Southwell Medal as the player of the grand final.
Doolan said it was a shock to hear his named called out, but it wouldn’t have been to those that watched the game.
He said it was amazing how it all just clicked for them.
“Everyone just had each others back,” he said.
That was evident in the way they just kept tracking back to diffuse Workies’ raids.
The win was all the extra special for Doolan for the fact that he got to share it with his father Greg and cousin Josh Worpel, who scored what proved to be the decisive goal.
“You couldn’t ask for much more. It was a nice way to finish off,” he said.
He indicated he is packing away the shin pads for next season at least.
“I was going to call it quits this year but they talked me into it,” he said.
He’s glad now they did.