As the icing on the cake to an extremely successful year for Dunbar O45s and Coogee United MPL and WPL, all three teams won their respective Football NSW Champion of Champions Finals on Sunday 20 October at Valentine Sports Park.
Coogee United became the first ESFA Club to win both the Men’s and Women’s Finals in the same tournament. In fact, the history of this event goes even further in that no other Club or Association has ever won both grades in the same year. Coogee United should be celebrated by this massive achievement and proud of their campaigns and season in a year where Coogee Men went to Round 5 of the Australia Cup and Coogee Women reached the FNSW State Cup Semi Final and the first ESFA team to reach Round 5 of the Sapphire Cup.
The Women’s victory in their Champion of Champions final came in extra time with the Golden Goal rule being on their side this season against Gymea United, after a bitterly disappointing Golden Goal against them in 2022. The taste of this victory made therefore even sweeter! A title they may have aspired to and can now add to their cabinet.
The Men whilst playing a confident and skilled Lindfield opposition, kept their heads, their talent on display for all to see, and held on till the 93rd minute for a victory that meant more than the game to this squad after a difficult few seasons off the field.
Coogee United had previously won the Champion of Champions title in 2018 with the late Deklan Gilmartin involved and the memory lived on in 2024 and the late Daniel Murphy who had been an integral part of Coogee in previous campaigns.
Coogee United have earned their names of the Football NSW Champion of Champions honour board and go down in both FNSW and ESFA history in 2024.
Special credence to the Coogee Women’s coach Michèal Caufield in his first season as coach along with assistant coach Nigel Singh.
Kudos also to the coaching staff of Coogee Men’s coach Bradley Walker and Assistant Coach Barry Walker. An extra special birthday gift for Barry!
Let us never forget the masters of the competitions. Dunbar Rovers O45s undefeated all season who met an equally undefeated all season team, Mosman United in the Grand Final. In the end this title could not be held by both and we were excited to see that it was Dunbar who remained undefeated in 2024!
This victory was also historic in nature with this being Dunbar’s first O45 Champion of Champions win and captain Danny Fee being the first ESFA player to captain and to win in three separate competitions for the same Club at Champion of Champions. Danny played in the successful Men’s team in 2008, the equally successful O35s team in 2018 and now in the O45s in 2024. There would be few players who would achieve this feat, other than David Pope who has also received medals at all three levels! Danny as a captain, is a brilliant ambassador for the sport and ESFA football. Dunbar are now the first Club to achieve the full house of AAM, O35 and O45.
We also would like to shout out to Hollie Sadler who now is the first baby in ESFA to have had both parents be successful in Champion of Champions campaigns, with mum in 2018 and dad in 2024. We suspect we know where Hollie’s future lies.
Congratulations to coach David Mills on a remarkable season with his gentlemen.
The Eastern Suburbs Football Association is incredibly proud of all three teams and both Clubs in their success in 2024. It was a pleasure to have witnessed such incredible feats and be a part of their journeys.
This historic Champion of Champions campaign may prove hard to emulate and equal in the future years to come, though we are sure everyone loves a challenge and to write their own history.
