When Claude Gordon re-joined Dubbo CYMS at the start of the season he was dreaming of winning a premiership.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
And on Sunday as he sat on the sideline at full time with a busted hamstring and tears in his eyes, the veteran playmaker's dream came true.
Gordon may not have finished on the field as the full time siren blew for the Fishies but he was a massive part in their 25-12 win over Mudgee.
The five-eighth left the field midway through the second half, however, nothing could take the smile away from his face after the game.
"This was the goal when I came here and now we've done it," he said.
"We've done it, the reason I've come here was to win and here we are."
He wasn't the only player who started the game for CYMS and couldn't finish it.
Star hooker Alex Bonham and gun centre Tom Hughes both failed to finish the match, the latter nursing what appeared to be an arm injury.
![Dubbo CYMS playmaker Claude Gordon won a premiership in his first season back at the club. Picture by Amy McIntyre Dubbo CYMS playmaker Claude Gordon won a premiership in his first season back at the club. Picture by Amy McIntyre](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/118079462/99759042-3dbe-4033-b18d-17e428b1b376.JPG/r624_1248_6733_5156_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Bonham was carried off the field towards the end of the first half after injuring his ankle during a contest with Mudgee's Jack Littlejohn.
With two of their spine members sitting off the field, Gordon was impressed with how the side managed to overcome the adversity.
"'Bono' was gone, Tommy (Hughes) went down, we were down on troops and my hammy went on me," he said.
"The boys dug deep and we could have thrown in the towel.
"It was the exact same when we played them over there, we just dug in for each other and just tackled for the entire second half.
"I couldn't be prouder of this bunch of blokes."
READ ALSO:
Gordon came into Sunday's match somewhat under an injury cloud, exiting CYMS' preliminary final victory over Parkes almost 30 minutes before full time.
When leaving the field during the grand final, spectators could hear how frustrated the playmaker was to not be able to keep playing.
But nevertheless, Gordon and his teammates will continue to celebrate long into the week after Dubbo CYMS' first title since 2017.
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.