'Incredibly proud' Hagons unite on field as Roos score historic win

The former rugby union player took to the field for just the second time today in a Tamworth Kangaroos jersey, where he was joined by two of his three sons, Dusty (16) and Harry (15) against the New England Nomads.

It was an "incredibly proud" moment for Hagon to share the field with his two older sons, while the youngest, Ned, was also a part of the action as a boundary umpire.

"It's special to be able to play footy with the boys," Kym said.

"They're a fraction faster than I am, so it's more about keeping up with them. They're playing really good footy.

"It was kind of use it or lose it, I suppose. As you get older, you feel the creaks setting in and I thought I'd come and get fit and have some fun. It's a bonus that we all get to play together."

While Dusty has played for the Kangaroos since 2021, today's game was Harry's debut. The youngster impressed with his skills and composure, and even managed to slot a couple of goals in the course of the Kangaroos' 15.11.101 to 12.9.81 win, which earned him the Players' Player accolade.

"It wasn't too bad, I just wanted to rip in," Harry said.

Kym followed the lead of his middle son, and dived in to the fray despite his lack of experience. Having done the pre-season with the Kangaroos in both 2021 and 2022, he was already familiar with the technical differences between rugby and Aussie Rules, but said adjusting to the gameplay was a challenge.

"I played rugby for years, so I've been in the contact sport sphere but it's a totally different game," he said.

"In rugby, you're trying to be on the ball as quick as you can, whereas in this, it's a matter of finding your space and trying to be effective where you are."

At an age where most sons want space from their parents to forge their own identities, Dusty said it was a "pretty cool" experience.

"I thought Dad was a bit old to set foot on the footy field, but it was pretty cool when he debuted last week," he said.

All three of the Hagons acquitted themselves well as the Kangaroos completed a historic win against the Nomads, their first for several years.

It was, coach Richard Nicholl said, a morale-boosting performance from a relatively inexperienced side.

"I think that's a good win for us," Nicholl said.

"We can play better, but to come away with the win, I'm happy with that.

"They've always been a hard team for us, they match up on us quite well."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: