Matt finish just the job for the Axemen
September 08, 2008
Winners . . . the Orara Valley Axemen
By BRAD GREENSHIELDS
HIS legs mightn't carry him across the turf as quickly as they once did but Matt Donovan still can't help himself when
it comes to being the hero during extra time of a grand final.
When Orara Valley won their premiership in 1997, it was Donovan who sparked the Axemen with five tries including
two in extra time. Yesterday he was at again.
With scores locked up at 18 apiece it was the man playing his last game of football that again sent Orara fans into
ecstasy.
With less than seven minutes remaining Donovan potted a field goal that broke the deadlock in one of the greatest
games ever seen in Group 2, a contest fitting of a grand final.
Woolgoolga had a chance right at the very end to snatch victory and the club's first premiership for 61 years when
centre Drew Vines attempted to kick a penalty goal from 32 metres out virtually straight in front.
His attempt sailed to the left of the uprights to provide the final piece of drama in a spectacular title decider.
Axemen coach Darryl Fisher was an obviously relieved man during the post-match celebrations.
Always a practical man who's rarely prone to emotional outbursts or fanciful thoughts, Fisher's only explanation for
the win was that it must've been fate.
"Sometimes you can control whatever you want but sometimes things are meant to be or they're not," he said.
"Last year it obviously wasn't but this year I think it was.
"There's not much more I can put it down to as it was a pretty even contest and a hell of a battle."
A battle is exactly what transpired as this encounter was precisely what a grand final should be - tense and
extremely physical, featuring flashes of brilliance and x non-stop drama from go to whoa.
From the moment Woolgoolga's favourite son Lee Harvey led his men on to the field in front of a large and
predominantly Seahorses crowd, the deafening roar was a pre-cursor to a classic.
But if Woopi supporters were all behind Harvey, it can almost be guaranteed that Axemen fans went to bed last night
thankful that fullback Ryan Walker wears a green and gold jersey.
Walker was simply outstanding with his scything runs and his kicking game often allowed the Axemen to control the
territorial battle.
For his efforts, Walker was awarded the John Mackay Medal for best player on the field but one has to wonder if
Ben McCarthy would've received the honour had the result been reversed.
In the lead-up to the clash there were concerns about the gulf in grand final experience between the two sides and
in the opening 40 minutes, Woolgoolga's lack of big time play did rear it's ugly head.
"In the first half we had the jitters and we panicked a lot," lamented Woolgoolga coach Darren Leaney.
"I said to them at half time 'you've got to stop panicking' as we dropped our bundle a bit in the first half as we didn't
stick to our basic game plan.
"When we did stick to it we got a few good results out of it and in the second half we got into a bit of a groove which
was good."
The second half was as good a brand of football as you will ever see.
Bruising defence matched only by two teams who both had completion rates above 80 per cent in the lead-up to the
full-time bell.
With missed opportunities aplenty to take the match and the trophy, supporters were biting their fingernails but
Fisher said that sometimes it's luck that plays the biggest role in these matches.
"At times there were a couple of things where I thought 'we might regret that' but Woolgoolga would've been the
same," he said.
"Luckily it turned out our way but it was two awesome teams who played an awesome game."