By David Nagel
Tooradin-Dalmore Football Club has begun 2023 in exactly the same fashion that it finished 2022…as big winners.
The reigning premiers of the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) are $5,000 richer after Mobile Legend produced a stunning burst of speed to win the Group-2 Warragul Cup on Friday night.
Prior to the cup heats a week earlier, 64 community clubs or groups were allocated a greyhound to represent them in the big race in the Warragul Community Club’s competition.
The eight heat winners progressed to Friday night’s final with Tooradin-Dalmore (Mobile Legend) up against Cora Lynn Football Club (Landyn Bale), Yea Football Netball Club (Titan Blazer), Fountain Gate Junior Football Club (Dynamic Prince), Phillip Island Football Club (Panadero Warrior), North Gippsland Football Netball League (Money Owes), Korumburra Gun Club (High Tribe Rico) and Bunyip Football Club (Matt’s Hope).
A total prize pool of $11,000 was up for grabs, with $5,000 going to the winner, $3,000 to the runner up, $2,000 to third and $1,000 going to the community club connected to the fourth-placed greyhound in the race.
Tooradin-Dalmore, Yea, North Gippsland and Cora Lynn took home the respective prizes.
Tooradin-Dalmore president Lee Jones was on track and was thrilled to take out the top prize.
“The Warragul Cup community clubs competition has been a great initiative and we feel very lucky that Mobile Legend won the race tonight,” Jones said.
“The money will go into the coffers and help pay the bills for the upcoming season.”
The Seagulls were one of the great stories of 2022, breaking a 25-year premiership drought with a comfortable victory in the WGFNC grand final at Garfield.
The Gulls also won the reserves premiership and have recruited well as they look to go back to back this season.
