Train breakdown almost cost him the game. Then Max Burgess stopped to help.
Jets captain Max Burgess rescued a stranded elderly fan and got him to the grand final.
Ross Kilpatrick, 71, was stranded at Morisset train station on Sunday with a banana, crackers and cheese. A freight train breakdown had stopped all services to the city, and he was ready to give up on the Newcastle Knights' grand final decider.
Two young men pulled up in a car and asked if he needed a ride to the stadium. One was Max Burgess, the Newcastle Jets soccer captain.
They made it to Granville and dashed for a connecting train to the stadium. The Knights won brilliantly, sealing their first grand final berth since 2001.
Kilpatrick said he would have gone home and missed the biggest day of his life. Burgess asked nothing in return.
- Ross Kilpatrick, 71
- Stranded supporter
- Max Burgess, Newcastle Jets captain
- Good samaritan
- Morisset train station
- Location
- 2001
- First grand final since
Why it mattersWithout Max Burgess's help, an elderly fan would have missed what he calls the greatest event of his life.
AustraliaThe Newcastle Knights reached the NRL grand final for the first time since 2001, ending a 20-year wait for city fans.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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