Premier League Finals Night 2019
After another full season of Western Australia’s highest level league, it all came down to finals night for the top 8 placegetters in the Fremantle and Districts Darts Association Premier League.
From left to right, Tim Pusey, Adam Rowe, Dean Couling, Kim Lewis, Damon Heta, Dave Charnock, Lewis Kirk, Mick Zdun
Quarter Final 1
Damon Heta (1) v Dave Charnock (8) Best of 11 Legs
The first game of the night was a replay of last year’s Final. Damon ‘The Heat’ Heta made his intentions clear as he jumped out the blocks with 3 x 4 shot games to go to a 3 – 0 lead. Charnock took the next leg in 4 x shots but ‘The Heat’ rattled off the next 3 x legs to win 6 – 1.
(Heta 109.74 – Charnock 89.91)
Quarter Final 2
Kim Lewis (4) v Lewis Kirk (5) Best of 11 Legs
Lewis Kirk continued on his recent good form with a comfortable 6 – 1 win against the Freo ‘Legend’ who sadly had an ordinary night compared to his normally high standard.
(Kirk 79.34 – Lewis 67.83)
Quarter Final 3
Dean Couling (2) v Mick Zdun (7) Best of 11 Legs
A quality game between 2 x top players with the scoreline at 5 – 4 after 9 x legs before Couling took out 72 for a nice 5 shotter to get over the line 6 – 4.
(Couling 86.18 – Zdun 84.17)
Quarter Final 4
Adam Rowe (3) v Tim Pusey (6) Best of 11 Legs
The closest game of the night so far between 2 x ‘Heavy Hitters’ with Pusey taking out 111 for a 4 shotter before ‘Rowie’ came back with 2 x 5 shotters to take the next two legs. Tim took out the next two in 5 shotters with pegs of 120 and 60 before ‘Rowie’ rattled off the next three to make it 5 – 3 his way. Pusey was having none of it and claimed the next three legs in 5, 6 and 6 shot games to take the game 6 – 5.
(Pusey 87.49 – Rowe 84.40)
Semi-Final 1
Damon Heta (1) v Lewis Kirk (5) Best of 11 Legs
‘Damo’ opened proceedings with a couple of 5 shotters before Lewis came back with a nice 130 peg for a 5 shotter of his own. The 4th leg saw a 128 peg out for a brilliant 3 shotter by Heta with Kirk taking the next leg in 5 shots to make it 3 -2. ‘The Heat’ had come to play and powered away with the next three legs in 4, 4 and 5 shot game, 6 – 2 to Heta.
(Heta 104.29 – Kirk 84.05)
Semi-Final 2
Dean Couling (2) v Tim Pusey (6) Best of 11 Legs
‘The Magnet’ Pusey jumped out the blocks to win the first 4 x legs in 4, 7, 5 and 5 shot games in what looked like being a one sided affair before the ‘Cool Cat’ Couling chimed in with pegs of 32, 77 and 90 to make it 4 – 3. Tim won the next leg in 5 and it looked like he was heading for his first Premier League final before Couling again bounced back with the next three legs in 5, 5 and 6 shotters to take the win 6 – 5.
(Couling 88.81 – Pusey 86.51)
Final
Damon Heta (1) v Dean Couling (2) Best of 13 Legs
The much anticipated ‘Final’ between two brilliant players saw Couling win the first leg in 5 before Heta fired back with 4 and 3 shot games that included 2 x180’s. Couling won the next in 5 but again Heta came back with 2 x 4 shotters to make it 4 – 2 his way. Couling took out 56 to win the 7th leg with Heta taking out 20 for the 8th. It was 5 – 3 in favour of ‘The Heat’.
They don’t call him ‘Cool Cat’ for nothing…….with Heta requiring only 16, Couling banged in a 107 peg to win the 9th leg in 4 shots, followed by a 73 peg to also win the 10th leg in 4.
It was 5 – 5 after ten legs and the crowd were on their feet, this is what they had come to see.
With victory only two legs away, both players were focused and the big scores were prolific, Couling took out the 11th leg with ‘Tops’ in 4 shots then followed up with a 78 peg in the 12th leg in 4 shots to take the win and the title of ‘Premier League Champion 2019’.
(Couling 96.57 – Heta 100.71)
Congratulations to Dean and commiserations Damon, a brilliant display of darts from two true ‘Champions’.
