By Marcus Uhe
A barnstorming finish from Snipers to conclude the 2024 South West Gippsland Dart League grand final cemented their status as the team to remember from this year’s marathon campaign.
Sitting neck-and-neck with Predators after the first four rounds at four wins each, Snipers locked in midway through the doubles ties to secure the next four contests, running away with the 8-4 victory.
The contest seesawed in momentum during the first half with three lead changes, sowing the seeds for an epic finale.
Bill struck the first upset of the afternoon by taking down Predators star Steve in the opening singles contest, despite three tons from Steve.
Steve threw the most tons in the regular season and shaped as the man to beat in the decider but Bill proved more than up to the challenge to land the first major blow.
Jordan and Nathan then secured the next two ties for Predators, over Chris and Tim respectively, before Aaron and Dean closed the singles component with strong wins over Chris and Shane.
It meant Snipers took a slender one-point lead heading into the doubles component, and extended their margin in the first leg, having neutralised Steve once more.
Bill and Aaron combined to get the better of Predators’ main man and his teammate, Nathan, combining for two tons compared to the Predators pair’s single.
Steve and Chris hit back in the second tie for Predators with each throwing pegs in excess of 140, before Chris and Jordan levelled proceedings with a win in the third tie to lock the scores at four wins apiece.
With the contest on a knives-edge, in stepped Dean to restore order for the minor premiers.
The bedrock of the Snipers team that cruised to the top of the table in the regular season, he threw tons in the next two contests to help his side edge ahead at the last turn.
He teamed with Tim in one contest and Bill in the other to open a two-point lead before the final singles ties.
Predators deployed two of their key players in Jordan and Nathan across the final two pairings with Shane, but despite the trio throwing five tons across the two contests to four, Snipers’ star-power went unmatched.
Needing a win to arrest momentum, Predators played its trump card by sending Steve to the mound in the first singles tie.
On the other side was Aaron, and the pair traded tons for the opening stoushes.
Aaron then made his move, with a critical 118 to edge ahead in the vital contest, where Steve could only muster another 100.
Aaron’s victory put his side 7-4 ahead, leaving Jordan to get the better of Chris to keep the Predators’ hopes alive in a do-or-die contest.
Despite one ton of 125, Chris’ two 100s carried Snipers to victory, sealing the result 8-4.
It put the finishing touches on a brilliant season for Snipers which lost just once in the home-and-away season and cruised to a direct place in the grand final by downing their runner-up opponents in the semi-final rounds.
Throughout the home-and-away rounds, they were borderline untouchable, losing just 78 rubbers in the 26 weeks with an average winning margin of nine.
In the second division battle for the Don Brown Memorial Shield, the task was far simpler for Just Social, making light work of Gembrook in an 8-2 thrashing.
Ninja, Ricki and Tony opened a quick 3-0 advantage in the singles round before Will and ‘Damo’ hit back to tighten the margin at 3-2 entering the doubles.
Just Social then slammed the door emphatically on its opponents, winning all five doubles ties to romp away with the Don Brown Shield.
Just Social finished seventh in the regular season and were the second seed heading into finals as a consequence, behind their conquered opponents.
‘4×4’ was the Shield winners’ leading tons thrower in the regular season with 81.
The competition will take a break over the summer months before resuming in the new year.
Snipers’ grand final winning squad: Bill, Aaron, Chris, Tim, Dean, Bec.
Just Social’s grand final winning squad: Ninja, Ricki, Tony, Jake, 4×4, Jason.
