This season may have been the first in a number of years that Matt Toole had worn the green and white of CYMS but it took very little time for him to feel right back at home.
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After playing his junior footy with St John’s the versatile Toole hit the road and spent time at Lake Cargelligo, where he won a title alongside fellow current CYMS player Alex Ronayne, before playing at Evans Head in the Group 1 competition on the north coast.
On returning to Dubbo he slipped seamlessly into Tim Ryan’s Fishies side and despite the pressure of wearing the number seven jersey for a two-time defending premier, Toole has taken it in his stride and now stands on the brink of helping the club to another first grade title.
“It’s a big thing and I’ve been lucky enough to win one when I was at Lake Cargelligo but coming back to my home town and winning one with CYMS, where I won one as a junior, would be unbelievable,” he said.
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In terms of profile, Toole makes the headlines less than the likes of Kieran Cubby-Shipp, Alex Bonham or Jyie Chapman and even he admits he’s different from most halfbacks, who can take a match by the scruff of the neck with flashy, attacking play.
But Ryan is a big fan of his number seven and the combination he has formed alongside Bonham at five-eighth.
“I just do my job,” Toole said.
“‘Bonho’ controls it and he’s just a freak, everyone knows that, but I fill in and do what needs to be done and get the side around.
“I played hooker for the last two seasons when I was up the coast and it’s good to come back and play halfback. It’s what I played in my juniors here at CYMS and I’m enjoying it a heap.”
One of the other things making Toole’s job so easy is the fact he’s so comfortable with the rest of his side.
The halfback credits the mateship within the playing unit as one of its biggest strengths, with the proof of that being the fact Toole and four of his teammates lived together at one stage.
And while the team is in a comfortable place, Toole was keen to say nothing can be taken for granted in Sunday’s grand final against the Forbes Magpies.
“We’re confident but Forbes are a good side and have done well so we’ve got to give them respect,” he said.
Gates open at Caltex Park at 9am on Sunday, with the first grade final the Ladies League Tag at 10am.
There will be canteens and bars on both sides of the ground to cater for what is expected to be a bumper crowd while there will also be an alcohol-free zone.
The first grade fixture between CYMS and Forbes is expected to kick off at 2pm.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
