By Tim Slater
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Three-peat:
LSPT Des Duguid (right) with Rockingham Vipers quarterback
Ben Gastarov after the side notched up its third consecutive
premiership in the WA Gridiron competition at Fremantle
on February 14. The Vipers defeated the Westside Steelers
32-7.
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A
physical training instructor from HMAS Westralia helped his Rockingham
gridiron football team win its third premiership in a row at Fremantle
on February 14.
LSPT Des Duguid (28) is a running back with the Rockingham Vipers
and tore through the defence of the Westside Steelers, scoring
a touchdown and setting up several more with the Vipers winning
32-7.
Des has been with the Vipers on and off over the past six years
when he has been posted to the west and has been playing the game
since he was 16. “I thought I would give it a go after playing
rugby at school,” he said.
One of Des’ career highlights so far has been representing Australia
when he travelled to Auckland last year to take on, and thump,
a Kiwi team.
Des’ job as the running or tail back is to either take the ball
and run through the opposing defence, with the help of teammates
who are supposed to block for him. Or he helps to protect the
quarterback by blocking defenders on passing plays.
Des said he enjoys the camaraderie and teamwork essential to any
successful gridiron team. The players have to be fit and endure
35-degree plus temperatures from about October through to February
in the scorching WA sun.
“Most of the guys play rugby during the winter months so we have
to play during summer, with games being played from 2pm onwards,”
he said.
Gridiron has been played in WA since the early 1990s with teams
merging and changing several times since then.
The Rockingham Vipers were part of a seven-team competition during
2003- 04 and were minor premiers after going through the 15-game
regular season undefeated.
For more information about gridiron in Australia and a club near
you, check out http://tornadoesgridiron.asn.au/links.htm.
