HE'S played in premiership winning teams, he's scored on grand final day and he's captain-coached sides too, but the best moment of Dale Norris' rugby career as a Bathurst Bulldog came in Saturday night's season-opener.
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It was because the hard-working and humble lock set a record for most club games played by someone in a Bulldogs jersey - it was #371 for the man his team-mates call 'Knocker'.
That his milestone came as a run-on player for Bulldogs' first XV and they beat defending premiers Orange Emus 19-10 at Ashwood Park made it even better.
"This has been the best game, this one right now, this is real special," Norris said.
"It was a record, it was unexpected to play in first grade and to win against Emus, it was just a very special moment.
"I'm quite lucky to have a couple of family members from Sydney and Canberra here, which made it even better and to get away with the win was just amazing."
Norris joined Bulldogs as a teenager and has gone on to amass an impressive resume for the club he is so passionate about.
He won back-to-back second grade premierships in 2008-09 and when Bulldogs won at that level against in 2011 with a 20-12 result against Orange City, Norris was amongst the try scorers.
In 2011 Norris also captain-coached the third grade Bulldogs to a grand final, which they lost 24-10 to Emus.
He's played in more deciders since then - he was part of the bench in 2018 when seconds beat Emus 20-17 - and in a host more semi-finals.
Norris has started as lock, loose-head prop and tight-head prop across the grades and won a host of club trophies along the way as well.
"I have been here since 17s, so I have been here a very long time. Tradition is a pretty big thing so I know how special these moments are," he said.
Bulldogs trailed Emus 10-5 at half-time, but Norris always felt he'd be able to mark his special evening with a win.
"I had belief, you don't want to sound too cocky, but the way we were playing and the feeling on the field, we were fired up and fighting," he said.
"It's always a good battle Bulldogs and Emus, so to come away with the points in this first round was quite emotional.
"It's really special. Tradition is a big thing and it's just a really special moment."
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