Frank McGrath marks successful return with Aub Shepherd Memorial win

With a three-second handicap in the Aub Shepherd Memorial 300mm Underhand, the Harden local beat a host of big names to claim a meaningful win.

As a child, McGrath spent most of his time splitting logs alongside his father, but he took a 27-year hiatus in his mid-20s.

He only returned to the sport in late 2019, after his father, Bernie, passed away.

"Dad cut wood years ago, and we had a memorial chop for him at the Harden-Murrumburrah Show," McGrath said.

"He was a woodchopper, footballer, and boxer, a good all-round sportsman for the town of Harden. [After he passed], it reignited my interest [in woodchopping]."

Before the final took place next to the Grace Millsom Centre, McGrath told his wife that he "just needed to finish". With only six months of training under his belt, the eventual champion knew his fitness was still a work in progress.

What gave McGrath the edge over his competitors was his aggressive start. As soon as the count reached the three second mark, he began chopping in a frenzy and quickly finished the first half of the log.

Though the rest of the field closed the gap, McGrath's early efforts paid off and allowed him to split the log for a narrow win.

Following his victory, McGrath was pleased but said that he primarily chopped for fun, fitness, and the social aspect of the sport.

"I'm actually 27 years out of retirement," he said. "It's a good sport to get back into, it's good for fitness, and I'm pretty fortunate we've got good people in our club.

"It's a good social activity ... I'm only six months back into the sport and I'm looking forward to keeping it going."

McGrath, who is a member of the South Coast and Tablelands Axeman's Association, does not have any concrete plans for the future except to continue following the show circuit and chopping at local competitions.

The show period, while hectic, will allow McGrath a prime opportunity to rebuild the fitness and explosive power required for woodchopping.

"It's a tough road, I've still got the technique but I've got to build on my fitness, and that's the hard part," he said.

"You've got to be physically fit, you've got to have a good technique, and a good axe helps as well."

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