High 5’s has cemented its place as a Mountain Dart League (MDL) Division 1 dynasty after winning a third-consecutive title with an 11-4 victory over Noble Park 1.
The Friday night shootout was expected to be a hard-fought affair, but High 5’s set the tone for the night by sweeping the early doubles battles 3-0.
Tommy Hyland and Brendan Simmonds then added two legs each in the singles, and Dean Gibbs another, before Mick Cloutter delivered a powerhouse performance; taking three legs in the fourth singles tie to seal the premiership win.
Noble Park 1 fought hard, with David Putt and Bill Richardson grabbing one leg each, and Chris Richardson adding two in her singles, but it wasn’t enough to stop the High 5’s juggernaut.
High 5’s are a thoroughly deserving champion; having progressed through the home-and-away season and finals series undefeated.
The Division 2 grand final will be remembered for a very long time to come, with The Bandits earning promotion to Division 1 after an epic 11-10 victory over The Night Trawlers that came down to the very last leg of the season.
The Bandits struck first, taking a 2–1 lead in doubles, before The Night Trawlers roared back in to contention.
Aaron Kirkmoe swept three legs over Sue Frost, Mitchell Kirkmoe added two against Bernie Vaughan, and Paul Quinn claimed two legs against Michael Keating.
By the end of the first three singles ties, the Trawlers had blown out to an 8–4 lead.
In a huge momentum shift; Keith McIlverna stepped up for the Bandits, taking all three legs against David Kirkmoe to close the gap to 8–7.
Darcy Paterson responded with some of his best darts of the season, securing two legs over Gary Cline to push the Trawlers ahead 10–8.
The equation was simple heading into the final singles tie; Adam Canfor of The Bandits needed all three legs to be premiers, while Andrew Sherriff of the Trawlers needed just one for glory.
Every leg went down to the wire, with the Trawlers holding multiple premiership points.
But Canfor held his nerve, pegging out all three legs to seal an unforgettable victory for the Bandits.
It ends a great redemption story for The Bandits, who finished top of the table in both seasons but fell short the first time around.
The Bandits finally converted their dominance into a premiership.
For The Night Trawlers, it was heartbreak; but they proved once again they are finals specialists, pushing the Bandits to the absolute limit.
The Division 3 grand final also came down to the last tie of the evening with Madarras claiming a thrilling 11-9 triumph over The Goodies.
Madarras came out firing, taking a 2–1 lead in doubles, before the singles ties swung back and forth in dramatic fashion.
Michael Bignell opened strongly for the Madarras with a 2–1 win over Rob Lester, before Jarrod Pacey struck back for the Goodies by overcoming Steve Clarke 2–1.
Dave Caddell then restored momentum for the Madarras with a 2–1 victory against Dennis Grose, leaving the score at 7–5.
Brent Wright extended the advantage with two legs over Kevin Johnson, but Michael Stanton kept the Goodies alive with a 2–1 win against Terry Faragher.
In the final match-up of the season, Jordan Russell needed just one leg to clinch the championship for Madarras, while Duke Sharma had to sweep all three for the Goodies.
Sharma struck first, taking the opening leg in a tense battle with both sides missing doubles, but Russell held his nerve in the second leg, pegging out to secure the premiership for the Madarras.
It provided a satisfying conclusion to 2025 for Madarras, who claimed their first Division 3 title after back‑to‑back grand final appearances.
The MDL will now take a well-earned break over the festive season before reconvening early in 2026.
