Rooty Hill RSL might have been ablaze with all the glitz and glamour of the Australian Idol Grand Final, but Sharks at Kareela was decked out in full black, white, and blue for the top three contestants, Sutherland Shire local and dire-hard Cronulla Sharks supporter Dylan Wright.
The Shire-based golf club, which a few years ago took over as the team’s leading club while the former venue was undergoing renovations, was awash with black, white, and blue balloons, Sharks flags, and flyers encouraging guests to vote for the Shire local. Rounding out the event was a live stream into the Channel Seven studios that showed all the action of the final while also connecting through to the club to highlight fan support in Wright’s hometown.
Family, friends and fans all gathered, cheering Wright on as he was named in the top two for the evening and then was eventually crowned the overall Australian Idol winner for 2024.
In a partnership few could have predicted, the singer’s favourite NRL team has been incredibly vocal, sharing Australian Idol content and voting links all over social media and backing him all the way through to the finals. Wright has moved to the Northern Rivers but grew up in the Shire, attending Port Hacking High School and still calling the area home.
At a home game a few weeks back, Wright was welcomed as a special guest of the team. He joined them in the locker room and was snapped with star lock and team co-captain Dale Finucane.
The event delivered a massive turnout for the club, which offered half-priced pizzas and $15 “Vote One Dylan” cocktails – complete with a shark gummy. There was not a single free seat in the main viewing area.
B&T contacted Sharks At Kareela for comment on the evening’s success and how the partnership came to be, but no response was received prior to publication.
The grand final was also a win for the Seven Network. The program came in second place in its timeslot and received a total national TV reach of 1,837,000, second only to MAFS.
