Bunbury’s Ashley Doodkorte rocks Eurovision as Voyager pulls off Australia’s third ninth-place finish

Bunbury’s Ashley Doodkorte and Perth-based progressive synth-pop metal band Voyager have become the pride of Australia after putting on stunning performances throughout the Eurovision Song Contest.

Performing their song ‘Promise’ complete with pyrotechnics, strobe lightning and a Toyota MR2 on the stage, Voyager claimed ninth place in the international song contest, finishing with 151 points.

The result marks Australia’s third time finishing in ninth place in eight years of competing in Eurovision, following Isaiah Firebrace in 2017 with ‘Don’t Come Easy’ and Kate Miller Heidke in 2019 with ‘Zero Gravity’.

Voyager wowed the crowd when they closed the second semi-final on Friday, qualifying for the grand final from first place with 149 points from the public televote.

In the midst of several heavy-hitters in the grand final, Voyager impressed a number of the international juries during the grand final and racked up 130 points, then a further 21 points from the public vote.

Following the contest, Doodkorte - who by day works as a marketing coordinator at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre - took to social media to thank everyone that supported his voyage to the Eurovision stage.

“The @eurovision ride with @voyagerau is over,” the post read.

“The last few months have been amongst the best of my life.

“In those few minutes I had on that incredible stage, with all the unprecedented support, love, goodwill and camaraderie I had behind me, I truly felt invincible.”

Sweden’s Loreen, who was a red-hot favourite going into the grand final on Sunday, earned her country’s seventh Eurovision win with her song ‘Tattoo’, making her the first artist since Ireland’s Johnny Logan to win the contest twice.