30 players who turned the tables on AFL Townsville Grand Final Day
They were the heroes on both sides of the winning and losing equation on grand final day. Meet the gamechangers who lit up grand final day, with our 50-picture gallery of the senior deciders.
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Thuringowa held Curra to zero in the second half to storm back from a 19-point deficit and claim its third consecutive AFL Townsville premiership in Saturday’s grand final.
The Bulldogs kicked 51 unanswered points to run away with the 2024 decider 9.6 (60) to 4. 4 (28), having been placed under the most immense pressure of any game this season.
Thuringowa was shell-shocked by Curra’s intensity through the midfield, bullying the Bulldogs at the contest to leave the back-to-back champions floundering on the ropes.
“I definitely had doubts,” coach Ricky Sullivan said on whether his faith had wavered as his team fell further and further behind in the second quarter.
“They were playing some pretty damaging footy in the front half of the ground and we just couldn’t get it down their end.
30 players who changed the game on AFL Townsville Grand Final Day: Scroll down
“Kicking one goal in one half? That’s definitely not Bulldogs footy.”
Thuringowa’s championship experience shone through in a composed halftime break as the team established a plan to take to the extremes of the field and literally run away with the second half.
The Bulldogs’ athletic capability turned a grand final dogfight into a track meet.
Last season’s co-WJ Williams Medallist Joel Newman played a key role in the fightback, returning to the position he dominated for a decade to combat Curra’s physicality.
Newman has been a revelation in the forward 50 this season but his mid-match switch back to the midfield paid premiership-winning dividends.
“That was definitely our best half of defensive footy for the year, and to do it in a grand final against a team that was coming for us in the first half was pretty impressive,” Sullivan said.
“Putting Joel in the middle and him having a big impact to take on (Coby) Dudman, (Dale) Chivas and Sean (Nicholson) was a big move.
“To be under the pump like we were, and then be able to respond, that’s definitely the proudest part.
“A lot of the boys spoke about proud they were. We fought through it in 2022 (to win on the siren) and last year was more on our terms, but to come from behind in the way we did, they were pretty proud of that out of the last three flags we’ve won.”
No team has won more than three consecutive premierships since Curra’s golden generation five-peated between 1975 and 1979.
Sullivan said he did not know how much change was in store for Thuringowa’s list but expressed his belief that the Bulldogs run wasn’t done yet.
“We’re pretty confident we can continue to move forward and sustain what we’ve done these last three years,” he said.
SENIOR MEN’S GAMECHANGERS
Brock Wilson, Thuringowa:
Arguably the finest ruckman in the league. If Thuringowa didn’t have Wilson in the first half that 19-point deficit would surely have been much greater. While the ruckman didn’t single-handedly win the Bulldogs the game, Wilson made sure his team were never out of the fight.
Joel Newman, Thuringowa: Switching Newman back to an inside midfield role was the Bulldogs trump card. Newman’s ability to win contested footy and stand up under pressure to get a clearance was critical to Thuringowa’s fightback.
Nathan Searle, Thuringowa: So damaging on the wing for the Bulldogs. Searle’s speed and size helped take several momentum-turning marks. His decision-making around using the footy helped translate the Bulldogs’ defensive pressure into points down the other end.
Joel Dwyer, Thuringowa: Dwyer was the player shifted out of the midfield to make way for Newman’s return. Curra’s Mitch Dennis had been doing an exceptional job limiting the impact of Newman in the forward pocket but Dwyer proved up to the task of minimising the star Swans defender’s disruption to their attack.
Stuart Guest, Thuringowa: Guest stood tall against an opponent taller, older and stronger than himself but still emerged from the contest with two goals. For an 18-year-old that impact in a one-on-one battle was something to be applauded.
Sean Nicholson, Curra: Best on ground for the Swans, where Nicholson’s relentlessly physical midfield play successfully thwarted AFL Townsville’s top attacking side for two quarters in a row. Nicholson was a bull in a china shop who forced the Bulldogs to completely switch up their game plan to counter him. Also kicked a goal in the Swans’ electric second quarter.
Dale Chivas and Coby Dudman, Curra: The other key components of the Curra midfield that came so close to spoiling the Bulldogs grand final party
Mitchell Dennis, Curra: A leader with wisdom beyond his years and an exceptional defensive presence in the back pocket. Dennis completely nullified AFL Townsville’s most potent goalscoring force in Joel Newman.
Remy Thom: A teenager with tremendous promise. Thom’s hat-trick of goals in the second quarter poured fuel all over the embers of Curra’s belief that an upset was possible. Thom stood up to be counted in the absence of key forward Jack Gusmeroli.
SENIOR WOMEN’S CUP
Hermit Park has clinched back-to-back premierships in AFL Townsville’s Senior Women’s Cup by beating arch rival Curra by 13 points in the fifth straight meeting between the sides on grand final day.
The Tigers fell behind 15-0 in the opening quarter but turned in a resolute defensive performance to restrict the Swans to two behinds for the remainder of the match.
With its defence turning the screws, Hermit Park kicked 4.6 (30) in the final three quarters, headlined by a 3.2 third quarter, to seize command of the decider.
“In that first quarter the Swans’ pressure was relentless so it rushed every decision we made,” coach Stafford Jones said. “Once we became a little more accountable to each other, you could hear the communication from off the ground and that took the pressure off our ball players and allowed them to run a bit.”
Cowboys NRLW physio Maggie Evans was best-on-ground for the Tigers after a surprise return for the final.
SENIOR WOMEN’S GAMECHANGERS
Kaylah Williams, Hermit Park: Worked hard all day. Moved across multiple positions, locking down Curra’s starpower on the wings, provided a strong kick target when shifted into the forward line. Above all Williams’ fitness and willingness to put in repeat efforts saw her awarded the coach’s best-on-ground medal, while Maggie Evans took the official crown.
Hayley Cornish, Hermit Park: The glue that held Hermit Park’s grand final success together. Cornish made big impacts at both ends of the park, was in-and-under at every contest. Got hit time and time again but never shied away from getting her head over the balll.
Bri Wilson, Hermit Park: A star defender for the Tigers who was thrust forward to replace the injured Steph Baldwin weeks ago and you’d never be able to tell ‘Briza’ wasn’t a born forward. When Hermit Park struggled to advance the ball upfield Wilson took on another new role, shifting into the midfield and getting to work as an open field tackler. Played in all three thirds of the field on grand final day in the ultimate for-the-team performance.
Ellie Farrands, Hermit Park: The X-factor could have contracted leather poisoning for how often she got her hands on the ball in Hermit Park’s 30-point scoring run. The longer the game went on the more comfortable Farrands became. Her kicks found their mark, her wheels went to work and that incisive attacking play was rewarded with a grand final goal.
Amber McGrath, Hermit Park: Similar to Cornish, McGrath was a bull on grand final day. Normally a defender, Hermit Park threw McGrath forward to try suffocate Curra’s attempts to exit the danger zone. McGrath isn’t the biggest player but relished the challenge, threw her body around and came up with some powerful bumps. She was never far from the ball as the tide swung back towards the Tigers.
Eloise Bibby, Curra
Breht Wyke, Curra
Meg Magnuson, Curra
Kenidee McNamara, Curra
Mikayla Abson, Curra
RESERVE GRADE
Curra’s grand final day of promise ended in disappointment when all three of the club’s senior sides fell short.
The Swans were beaten 9.5 (59) to 2.5 (17) by Thuringowa in the reserve grade grand final, having failed to sustain the opening-quarter intensity that had them trailing 18-9 at the first break.
“That was pretty much it,” Curra player-coach Chris Heagney said.
“We just lacked in the second quarter and went away from the game plan for 10 to 15 minutes and that was all it took for the Bulldogs.
“They have been the best side all year so as soon as they got a bit in front they got up and about it and that makes it hard to get back from there.”
Thuringowa coach Josh “Mullet” Hollis said it was a special day for his club when it clinched both the men’s grades by playing the Thuringowa way.
“We controlled the footy from the back then went as deep and long as we could,” he said.
RESERVE GRADE GAMECHANGERS
Emanuel Joma, Thuringowa: The coaching staff call Joma ‘The Unicorn’ and on this performance it wasn’t hard to understand why. Joma can beat a man with speed. He can beat a man by soaring over the top. The wingman has slowly but surely come out of his shell as the season progressed and he was the one who broke open the reserve grade decider either side of halftime.
Brendan McGrath, Thuringowa: On some days McGrath can’t seem to catch a cold. The grand final was not one of those days. McGrath clunked everything in sight with a vice-like grip in one of his finest showings of the entire season. The full-forward was rewarded with two goals for his efforts.
Luke Sypott, Thuringowa: A returning Bulldog who has spent a few years out of the game but dominated the midfield on grand final day. Sypott’s silky skills helped the forwards immensely.
Samuel Chittleborough, Thuringowa: Runs around everywhere and was quick as a flash crumbing around the bigger bodies. Got on the scoreboard with a goal and a few behinds in a cracking performance.
Callum O’Dwyer, Thuringowa: The wing weapon ran all day and used the ball well in his disposals. O’Dwyer was a constant threat to Curra on the outside of the field and refused to get bogged down in traffic in the midfield. His pace was key to Thuringowa’s fluidity moving the ball upfield.
Jaryd Gilroy, Curra: The former first team player was everywhere. A big, tall bloke who started in the ruck and imposed himself around the ground as much as he was able. Gilroy took a few skillful intercept marks and if he failed to mark he at least brought the ball to ground.
David Faulds, Curra: Faulds’ attack on the ball through the middle when the team needed him was good. The winger’s use of the ball and delivery upfield was top class. Faulds was already one the division’s top players and brought the same energy to the decider.
Connor Murray, Curra: Murray kicked the opening goal for his side in what was probably the high point for the Swans in the decider. It was a clean set shot from 30m on a slight angle and Murray made no mistake.
Curtis Walsh, Curra: A running machine with a bottomless tank who kept going and going and going all day. Walsh played wing opposite David Faulds and gave absolutely everything he had. Walsh suffered a dislocated kneecap in the final quarter but seems to have avoided any damage that might impact next season.
Chris Heagney, Curra: The player-coach has taken it upon himself to be the key organising voice on the field for the Swans and tried as hard as anyone on the paddock from centre half-forward.
AFL TOWNSVILLE GRAND FINAL PHOTO GALLERY
Originally published as 30 players who turned the tables on AFL Townsville Grand Final Day
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