Dumbalk Dairy to LA Lights

HE grew up on a dairy farm in Dumbalk North, playing Aussie Rules as most young boys do, but yesterday, Brett Thorson became a College Football National Champion under the bright lights of SoFi Stadium, thousands of kilometres away in Los Angeles.

A crowd of 72,000 were in attendance to watch Thorson and Georgia University complete a rout of the challenging Texas Christian University (TCU) who also had an Aussie punter, Traralgon’s Jordy Sandy.

Thorson was a talented Aussie Rules footballer but decided to change up his game of choice and attended Prokick Australia, a now hugely successful program that helps people transfer their skills from Australian to American football.

Since its inception in 2007, over 200 people have graduated the Prokick program and secured college scholarships in the USA, Thorson was one of those, committing to Georgia prior to the beginning of this past season.

Thorson joined the Bulldogs after they’d won the 2021 National Championship and his right boot helped them go on a miraculous 15-0 run, completing the perfect season with a second straight National Championship.

After narrowly escaping Ohio State University in the Semi Final, thanks to a Buckeyes missed field goal, the Championship game was nowhere near as close.

Despite having a brilliant season when required, punting 33 times for an average of 44.9 yards (41 metres) including a viral 75-yard game-defining punt against rival Tennessee, the first-year punter was only required once in Tuesday’s win.

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett had the team’s offence absolutely humming, leaving Thorson on the sidelines as a spectator until the third quarter when the trailing Horned Frogs defence finally stopped the Bulldogs in their tracks.

The 21-year old’s one and only punt in the decider travelled 48 yards (43.8 metres), forcing TCU to start their next possession on their own 20-yard line (in their defensive half).

The ‘Dogs defence capitalised on the great punt and forced another scoreless possession for TCU, the reigning champs defence a catalyst in their lopsided victory.

Georgia, and Thorson, ran out winners by a whopping 58 points, the 65-7 scoreline the greatest margin in any Bowl Game (Grand Final per say) ever, becoming only the fourth team to win back-to-back National Championships and the first to do it in the new College Football Playoff structure.

And one of Dumbalk North’s own was a part of it, Congratulations Brett!