World Footy News

North Melbourne’s young Sudanese ruckman, Majak Daw, has taken out the 2015 Grand Final Sprint, an event which has traditionally been a part of the half time entertainment since the late 1970’s. Whilst North Melbourne bowed out of the finals race last weekend, losing to West Coast, Daw has given the club something to cheer about.

After loping through the heats held earlier in the day, Majak Daw started the race well behind early leader, Charlie Cameron from the Adelaide Crows. But once the athletic and muscular Daw got his rhythm he raced past the leader and cruised home to an easy win.

Daw becomes the first Australian Rules footballer born overseas to win the event. Born in Sudan, his family fled with Majak in tow to escape the civil war in their country. After living for three years in Egypt, the family moved to Australia where Majak found his way to Australian Rules football and the Kangaroos.

He has often been the subject of conversations around his supreme athletic physique and performance and remains a scary future prospect as his footy awareness grows. The win in today’s sprint highlights how his speed could yet become a game-breaking asset.

Daw has become a crowd favourite, but he is especially popular as a role model amongst other young footballers from Sudan and other African countries as more and more take up the game from grass roots level through to the highest levels of the game.

The event commenced in 1979 as a 100 metre sprint with former Hawk, Geoff Ablett the first winner. Andy Wilson from Essendon won an earlier mile long grand final footrace in 1977. The event was not held between 1987 and 2002. The 2014 winner was Jordan Murdoch from Geelong after Paddy Dangerfield from the Adelaide Crows had his own “three-peat” at the event, winning in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

In the most important result on the day it was a magnificent day for the Hawthorn Football club as they won their own “three-peat” of premierships flags, defeating the West Coast Eagles to make it flags in 2013, 2014 and again for 2015. The Hawks won the day by 46 points in a comprehensive performance downing the Eagles 16 11 107 to 8 13 61. Hawk forward, Cyril Rioli won the Norm Smith Medal for best afield in the Grand Final, joining his uncle Maurice Rioli who won the medal for Richmond in a losing team in 1982.

Majak Daw, born in Khartoum, has played 16 senior matches for North Melbourne since his debut in 2013 and has kicked 17 goals.