PROSERPINE newspaper owner Peter Lewis had good reason to pinch himself last Wednesday night at the third and deciding State of Origin game.
For the first time in his life, the proprietor of the “Whitsunday Coast Guardian” found himself at an Origin game and his first interstate rugby league game since 1959. Back then, the Brisbane Exhibition Ground was where such matches were played…a far cry from today’s Suncorp Stadium.
Peter wasn’t the only Whitsundays identity in the crowd either, with one of his old sparring partners from squash, an electrician from the mill and your own rugby league columnist among many who made the trip south.
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WHEN I was a boy, I remember how thrilled I was to get a copy of this rugby league book written by noted rugby league historian Gary Lester.
It was a book that detailed the history of the game in Australia, outlining the clubs that made up the old Sydney and Brisbane competitions, with some colour photos of legends like Wally Lewis playing for Valleys!
It’s a book that I still cherish, even more so after I was lucky enough to get one-half of the ‘Gladiators’ from 1963, the great Arthur Summons, to sign it after I interviewed him at a hotel in Wagga Wagga many years later.
I’ve collected many rugby league books since then, many of them also signed, but one that is right up at the top of the pile is “Up North”, a book on the history of the Foley Shield and authored by Graham Stockwell.
For those unaware, ‘Stocky’ played for Proserpine way back in ‘75 – a year that Proserpine won the Whitsunday premiership before winning the Noel Ford Memorial Trophy in Townsville in a Foley Shield final curtain-raiser.
Until last weekend, I had never met this bloke whom I had heard so much about, a man who clearly has a great love for league in the North, following on from his days playing for not only the Brahmans but also Carltons (now Northern Suburbs), Magpies and Southern Suburbs in Mackay.
Stocky also played with East Coast in ’76 alongside blokes such as Frank Daisy and Neil Appo. Actually, that’d be a very good trivia question. What North Queensland club was once called East Coast? The answer: Sarina.
But back to last weekend, when I finally met Stocky, wearing his old jersey from ‘75, after I climbed down from the broadcast box at Les Stagg Oval, which seemed under siege from the elements…not that a bit of rain would dampen everyone’s spirits, especially those people visiting from out of town.
I’ve got to say our meeting was brief but little did I know that we would be sitting together on the plane to Brisbane the following day when Stocky recalled past battles, including that one in Townsville in ’75 when Barry Preston kicked a championship-winning goal for Proserpine.
Not surprisingly, ‘Presto’ was on the same flight but he left these footy nuts to their own devices, as Stocky told story after story…so many that Cathu State Forest would have to be chopped down to print the lot of them!
I never came close to playing for the Brahmans but I count myself lucky to have met good, decent fellas who did – people like Stocky, who loved every minute of his weekend back in the Whitsundays, enjoying the company of great old mates such as Presto, Laurie Goldman and Luchie Gardel.
Top marks to everyone who helped make this reunion such a resounding success – a weekend that many old fellas will not forget.
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FINALLY, well done to the Brahmans on a gutsy 24-all draw last Saturday night against Southern Suburbs, who were grand finalists last season.
Aside from denying the Sharks a victory, the highlight was that massive tackle from Jamie Dodt in the opening exchanges. I missed it but from all reports, you wouldn’t get bigger hits on “Countdown” although Anselam Tabua may argue the toss with me there. After all, he is ‘The Jukebox’.
Until next week, enjoy the greatest game of all.
# Jason Costigan is the Member for Whitsunday and a former commentator on Fox Sports and Sea FM.
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