The last two rounds of the state Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge (GOC) finals have been held, with fierce competition shown by all competitors.
The Victorian final was held by William Adams at Clayton, and the South Australia heats were run over two days by Cavpower.
From lightning-fast loads to razor-sharp excavation, the challengers gave it everything they had.
The winners of each final will now proceed with other state winners to the Asia Pacific Semi-Final in Japan in October. The top three operators from that event will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas in 2026 to compete in the GOC final at CONEXPO.
The events tested operators in various skills:
- The Big Dig: Excavating a trench to grade using 2D technology.
- The Dig N’ Swing: Transferring material to a target weight or count with precision.
- Load & Go: Loading and dumping materials to achieve specific payloads.
The winner of the Victorian challenge was Paul Doheny, representing the CRE Group. Interestingly, Paul’s brother Patrick won the global title at the 2022–2023 Challenge, where he highlighted his exceptional skills and consistency in operating heavy machinery. Paul will be keen on emulating his brother on the world stage.
The South Australian final was hosted by Cavpower at its On-Highway Truck Centre in Wingfield, Adelaide.
The winner was Scott Habermann from Buttrose Earthmovers. Second and third placings went to Michael Whitehead and Jake Hamilton-Moderate respectively.