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| Jules is Crowned King Jack with a Fall of the Hammer | Tue, April 7 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
After eight weeks of gruelling competition and plenty of blood, sweat and tears, the final test to determine the 2009 Jack of All Trades winner literally came down to the “hammer” … in fact, three hours of sledgehammer work in sweltering Brisbane heat to be precise.
Victorian builder/landscaper Julian McDonald, 28, smashed his competitors and a concrete slab in 30 degrees plus hot and humid conditions at Mt Cotton to clinch the King Jack crown in the final episode (to be aired on Channel 9 this Sunday, March 8).
McDonald’s three-hour slog to complete the arduous concrete demolition task was 20 minutes quicker than his nearest rival Andre Dietiker, of NSW, with South Australian Matthew Heath a further 30 minutes behind, while Mike Stone, also from SA, did not finish.
McDonald then nailed the victory in the final challenge which involved building an outdoor setting in an eight-hour time limit. Only McDonald and Stone completed the task.
McDonald, who flew under the radar for most of the competition, grabbed the competition lead for the first time in round seven (aired last weekend), and won the eight-round series and 2009 Jack of All Trades title with 1575 points, followed by Stone (1545), Heath (1510) and Dietiker (1415).
The winner was announced at the auction of the rebuilt “Jack” house at Silkwood Mt Cotton Estate last weekend, but will only be revealed to the wider television viewing audience at the end of this Sunday’s final episode. The house sold for $570,000, with $200,000 of proceeds going to the Mater Hospital Brisbane and the Cancer Council.
Series host Amy Kensett said the challenge to demolish a concrete slab with a sledgehammer was almost cancelled because of the extremely humid conditions and the length of time it took the participants. Judges initially thought it would take about an hour.
“The concrete sledgehammer challenge really clinched it for Jules,” she said. “While he is physically fit and strong he also has a strong mind and that paid dividends.
“He was the quiet achiever in the competition. He never bragged or mouthed-off; he just went about doing a good job all the way through. I’m not surprised he won. He was the most consistent.”
McDonald said busting the concrete was the toughest challenge they faced in the series.
“My fitness paid off in the end,” he said. “I knew I was still in with a chance going into the last two rounds. I was just cruising along under the radar. I am so excited about winning. That’s the best thing I have ever done … and I’m looking forward to getting rid of my rusty old truck.”
Apart from serious bragging rights as Australia’s top tradie, McDonald from Rosebud, south of Melbourne in the Mornington Peninsula, has won a new Holden SS V-Series Ute.
Final Point Score (after eight rounds)
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