The Game: Tom Papa $50,000 richer thanks to TABtouch after dominant tipping win

This year’s winner of The Game has put in one of the most dominant tipping performances we’ve seen, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t still plenty of nerves.

Ardent Western Bulldogs fan Tom Papa won $50,000 thanks to TABtouch for finishing as the season’s top tipper with a final score of 163.

That’s despite the fact he hadn’t even been keeping track of his tips until the middle of the season.

“Probably about round 13. I got a random message from one of my mates that I hadn’t spoken to for ages, and he asked me, “What’s the inside goss? Because I was in the top two or something at that stage,” he said.

“I was just like, I had not even checked at that stage so I was shocked.”

Now aware of what was at stake, Papa did not change his approach, sticking largely with the favourites, with as few 50/50 calls went his way to put him in the lead.

After a perfect penultimate round, he had one hand on the prize, but that did not mean he would be cruising through the final round.

“So the second last round, I think I got a perfect round. So I was pretty happy going into the last round with three, but out of the first four games in the final round, I was one from four,” he said

“I was really, really starting to sweat because I knew that those below would have definitely tried to pick some roughies. So it was a bit nerve-wracking that last round week.”

He needn’t have worried, however, as he would have been one of the few leaving Optus Stadium with a smile after Hawthorn’s final round demolition of West Coast.

“So my wife’s parents are Eagles members; they gave us the tickets to the last game, which was the Eagles-Hawks game, yeah. And at halftime, I knew that the Hawks were, yeah, miles ahead, and at that stage my margin was quite good, so I finally relaxed,” he said.

As for the winnings, a family holiday looks on the cards while the cheque will make a fine conversation piece.

“That’s gonna have pride of place in the theatre probably,” he said.

While the home and away season may be over, there is still plenty of money up for grabs with $10k on the line thanks to TabTouch for our top Footy Finals tipper.