![Rohan Wight is making the most of his opportunity to play in a first-grade final. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Rohan Wight is making the most of his opportunity to play in a first-grade final. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/fb050fe4-7f38-46fb-a562-03e5317264a8.jpg/r0_36_4029_2301_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Rohan Wight thought this opportunity might never come around again.
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A brash young pup in 2004, the North Canberra Gungahlin talent was dropped from the first grade side for the Cricket ACT one-day grand final against Tuggeranong Valley.
The Eagles went on to win the match, Wight's day made somewhat nicer by leading second grade to victory in their grand final.
It's been 18 long years since that victory, with both North Canberra Gungahlin and Wight waiting for another shot at first-grade glory.
That chance has finally arrived with Norths to face, fittingly, Tuggeranong Valley in Sunday's one-day final at Manuka Oval.
![Sam Williams and Blake Ivery with the John Gallop Cup ahead of Sunday's clash. Picture by Elesa Kurtz. Sam Williams and Blake Ivery with the John Gallop Cup ahead of Sunday's clash. Picture by Elesa Kurtz.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/bf254e11-2ba5-46bb-8fa9-7abb42948099.jpg/r0_60_3879_2301_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"There's no question when I was that young I thought I'd be back the next year," Wight said. "Norths were quite successful back then and had played in a lot of finals. You just think they'll continually make hay and those things keep coming to you.
"As I know now, they quite simply don't. That's what I said to the younger guys before the game last week. 'It's difficult to understand, but this could be the first and last semi you play in, play like it is one of those'."
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Wight's journey to this year's one-day final has been a lengthy one.
From his early days at North Canberra Gungahlin, the veteran left the club in 2008 to join Eastlake before moving to Victoria to play first grade in Melbourne.
Success quickly followed and Wight thrived with Hawthorn, Monash and Melbourne Uni before leading Victorian sub-district club Ormond to their first title in 40 years.
A one-season stint with Norths came in 2017, with Wight spending time in the US and England in the period since.
The Eagles, however, always felt like home and a title in his return to Canberra would prove the cherry on top.
"I've thought about what it would mean to win this weekend," Wight said. "It would be a really awesome way to top it off and finish my first grade career.
"I've never been a world beater but I've always felt a real affinity for Norths. To be able to win would bring a lot of people happiness and it would be an awesome way to finish playing grade cricket for me."
Heath Axelby was the man who made the decision to drop Wight from the first grade side for the 2004 grand final.
The delivery of the news was not received well at the time.
"I can't remember exactly but I would've got pretty sulky," Wight said. "I do know I deserved to be dropped, there's no way I should've been in the side.
"Back then I don't think I took being dropped too kindly, I was a young idiot. I've reflected on it with Heath a lot since then."
Now the North Canberra Gungahlin secretary, Axelby has fond memories of the 2004 season. A one-day title was followed by a trip to the two-day grand final, however success has been sparse in the years since.
![North Canberra Gungahlin celebrate their victory over Tuggeranong Valley in the 2004 one-day final. North Canberra Gungahlin celebrate their victory over Tuggeranong Valley in the 2004 one-day final.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/1dd08bb2-d84f-4346-a353-43b2620b9be7.JPG/r0_0_1308_872_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Wight readily concedes he was a brash young 21-year-old back then and Axelby concurs with those views.
He was confident, however, the emerging talent would develop into a fine cricketer.
"He was always a fantastic young player, much like he is now," Wight said. "He enjoys his cricket, he's great for the club and the way he goes about his cricket hasn't changed. He was aggressive as a young player and still is now, both as a batsman and a captain.
"He's become a good captain, which maybe when he was younger I didn't necessarily see. He's developed into that leadership role. The way he thinks about cricket hasn't changed, he's aggressive and wants to win, which for a captain is good to have."
Upon deciding to return to Canberra and play for Norths, Wight recognised he likely only has one shot at success in first grade.
With a host of his old mates jumping on board, the captain set about building a genuine Cricket ACT contender.
So here was Tom Henry and Hayden Page returning to the club, with Nicholas Wood and Michael Spaseski also jumping on board in a bid to snap an 18-year title drought.
The talent turned the team into an instant title threat and it didn't take long for their rivals to sit up and take notice.
North Canberra Gungahlin won three of their four one-day clashes and stunned Queanbeyan in last Sunday's semi-final. The excitement has built with every win and has been at fever pitch all week.
Wight's focus, however, wasn't purely on the roster. The captain set about changing the culture at the club and established a carefree mindset within his team.
Structured training sessions were out and team-building activities were in. Splashy became the catchphrase for the summer.
It's a word many at the club still don't quite understand but the mantra has set the tone for plenty of success.
"The way everything is always done, we threw it out the window," Wight said. "We've been splashy.
"It's been the theme of what we've done this year. I don't know where I got it from but I started using it and all the boys enjoyed it.
"Every game before we go out on the field, I say to the guys 'keep it splashy'. It keeps things light-hearted and fun and everyone's enjoying it."
Now, all Wight has to do is go out and achieve a victory 18 years in the making.
SUNDAY
Cricket ACT one-day final: North Canberra Gungahlin v Tuggeranong Valley at Manuka Oval, 11am
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