The Doncaster Dragons celebrated the life of a much-loved club stalwart as they beat Greensborough in an emotional tribute game on Sunday.

With Shannon D’Avoine no doubt looking on with approval from above, the Dragons put together a solid performance in front of a large and often emotional crowd at Surrey Park.

With Shannon’s uniform top draped next to the dugout, the Doncaster players could have been forgiven for not being totally focused on the task of winning the game.

But they managed to overcome spirited opposition and an early deficit to claim the resounding 7-4 victory.

Fittingly, three of those seven runs were driven in by Marcel D’Avoine, who courageously opted to play in this game despite having lost his beloved father only a few days earlier. 

Supported by family and friends, Marcel received a huge cheer when his first hit of the game landed just inside the left field foul line and drove in two runs to tie the score after the Burras had taken an early 2-0 lead.

Brian Chen put the Dragons in front with an RBI groundout, only for Greensborough to tie it up again with a run in the top of the fourth inning.

But the Dragons reclaimed the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to a single by Luke Utting, a double by Brendan McDonald, a wild pitch and, of course, another RBI single by Marcel.

After Daniel McGrath pitched the final inning to ice the win, the Dragons gathered on the field to celebrate not only the victory, but more importantly the life of a heart-and-soul clubman who will never be forgotten by those who knew him.