After a highly successful debut year, the Australian Darts Association signed off its inaugural season with a four-event finale in Victoria. And as if to remind everyone that this wasn’t just an Aussie closed shop, a Kiwi gate-crashed the party to steal the first trophy.
The New Zealander in question was Ben Robb who finally bagged his maiden ADA title after a string of near misses earlier in the season. Twice this year, Big Rig had been denied in last-leg shootouts – the darting equivalent of having the jukebox turned off just as your song comes on – but this time he wasn’t to be denied.
He took down Tim Pusey 6-3 in the final, proving that persistence (and maybe a bit of stubborn Kiwi grit) does eventually pay off.But that early shock only served as the warm-up act for what quickly turned into The Tim Pusey Show.
The Magnet has had to put up with being Raymond Smith’s darting punchbag for much of the season, suffering defeat at the Guru’s hands in three of the four matches during Smith’s magical opening weekend sweep. But, at some point, enough is enough. Event ten was that point.
Pusey clawed his way back from 5-1 down against Smith in what must have felt like one of those dreams where you’re running in treacle but somehow still win the race. That comeback finally sent the monkey flying off his back – probably landing somewhere in the cheap seats. Clearly feeling ten feet tall after that Houdini act, Pusey doubled up his weekend tally with a 6-4 win over James Bailey.
The last word of the season, however, went to Brody Klinge, who added his name to the winners’ list with a tight victory over – yes, you guessed it – Raymond Smith. Once again the Guru found himself on the wrong end of a last-leg decider, suggesting that maybe it was penance for dominating the first weekend.
All that drama meant that Tim Pusey topped the ADA rankings, edging ahead of Smith and booking his ticket to Ally Pally this December. He’ll be joined by fellow Western Australian Joe Comito. It’s a huge achievement for the pair.
That said, Pusey, one suspects he may also get an email from the PDC gently suggesting that The Magnet might be a little too contentious. If not, we’re fairly sure Owen Bates has already texted him some friendly advice about that.
And there’s more for Pusey to celebrate. His fine season means he’ll also feature in the brand-new ANZ Premier League, alongside Smith, Bailey, Klinge, and Comito. That line-up has a nice blend of established names and new faces – or, if you prefer, a darting pub quiz answer sheet in waiting.
As for Raymond Smith, he won’t be resting on his laurels. The Guru has already confirmed his return to Lakeside for the WDF showpiece, and the Smith family will also be represented in the Winmau World Youth Championships, with son Ky teaming up with Tristan Bognar to fly the Aussie flag in that tournament.
So, in summary: a Kiwi spoiled the start, Pusey owned the middle, and Klinge stole the ending. Not a bad way to wrap up the ADA’s first chapter – and with the ANZ Premier League on the horizon, the story is only just getting interesting.
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