Orange Emus probably haven’t been mentioned in the same breath as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, one of the most prominent English poets of the Victorian era.
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Until now.
It’s widely thought the phrase ‘third time lucky’ is a derivative of a section of Barrett Browning’s 1839 oeuvre Letters addressed to R H Horne, and in terms of Emus’ aspirations to claim the Blowes Clothing Cup first grade-second grade double, it couldn’t be more appropriate.
Saturday’s grand finals at Endeavour Oval will be the third straight season Emus’ first and second grade sides will contest their respective deciders, but if it happens it’ll be the first time in that period the greens have secured both titles.
In 2014, Emus’ second graders emerged triumphant while the top graders were beaten by the Dubbo Kangaroos.
In 2015, Emus’ first graders claimed the title while the reserve graders were beaten, in heart-breaking fashion, by the Orange City Lions.
“We’re ecstatic to have another chance to win both titles,” Emus club captain Nick Hughes-Clapp enthused.
VIDEO: See what Nick McGrath and Matt Findlay predict for Blowes Clothing Cup grand final day on Saturday:
“We celebrated the second grade title in 2014 and then the first grade title in 2015 as a club anyway, but it would be incredible to win both in the same season.
“It would be a great reward for several years of hard work from a lot of people on and off the field, titles are far bigger than just the players on the field.
“If it were to happen, winning both would be about more than just the 40-odd players, it’s about everyone who contributes from volunteers to the committee to supporters and everyone in between.”
But, Hughes-Clapp said, there’s still a long way to go for that to happen.
“No one’s getting ahead of themselves, that’s for sure,” he said.
“There’s still several training sessions to be done and then the two games to play. We’re playing against very good sides in both grades and anything can happen in these games.
“We certainly won’t be counting our chickens in any way, shape or form.”
Emus will play the Forbes Platypi in the top grade and Dubbo Kangaroos in second grade.
In third grade, Roos play Bathurst Bulldogs while in colts, Bulldogs and CSU Bathurst will clash in a grand final derby.
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
