The Game: WA’s top tipper Tara Barrett set to buy new house with $50,000 jackpot

First time has proved to be the financially beneficial charm for Tara Barrett, who pocketed a massive $50,000 payday for taking out The Game’s top footy tipping prize.

The first-timer scored 154 correct tips across a turbulent season on The West’s tipping platform, finishing level with the runner-up but edging home by a tiebreaker margin of 68 points.

The 35-year-old had fluctuated between first and second for the final three rounds and had her phone on constant refresh as the competition came down to the wire.

“I was following the app on my phone, waiting for it to come through because I was very close,” she said.

“When I saw I was first, I was so overwhelmed l screamed.

“I was pinching myself because it didn’t seem real.”

The tipping rookie entered the competition for the first time this year to beat her husband but ended up coming out on top of more than 40,000 WA footy fans vying for a total prize pool of more than $150,000.

“To be honest, I have never done it before, so it must have been beginner’s luck,” she said.

“I didn’t know anything, so for me to come out on top is absolutely crazy.”

The winnings, courtesy of TABtouch, will help the Barrett family put a deposit on a new house.

And for anyone looking for a hint at who will win the grand final, Ms Barrett is backing Collingwood to continue their storming run.

The winner of the Mazda BT-50 SP valued at more than $70,000 also has his hands full.

Kent Murphy was drawn as the winner after he was plucked out in round 20 but is now battling twin 17-year-old daughters for the car.

“It’s been a tough few years in business, so to win something like this, it brought me to tears,” he said.

“I had tears of joy, and it was so unexpected.

“(The twins) are already arguing over it, and I run a small real estate business, and my staff want it as a work car, so I’m really torn with what to do at the moment.

“Everyone is putting their hand up to say they deserve it more than me.”

Mr Murphy is a tipping veteran and says he goes about it “religiously”, finishing in the top two per cent overall.

“When I qualified in round 20, 20 is my lucky number, and I’d been telling all my friends I reckon I will win this, but when I got the phone call, I still didn’t believe it,” he said.

“It’s really a humbling experience.”

Another massive prize pool will be up for grabs in The Game’s cricket tipping, with the Big Bash League season kicking off on December 13.