Milestones and memories of a fallen clubmate were at the heart of a remarkable triumph for the Maroochydore rugby league team on Saturday.
In their 50th year of existence, the Swans won the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League A-grade premiership by beating Beerwah in the grand-final at Kawana.
And they did so with Dale Best in their thoughts, the friendly front-rower who died after collapsing in a reserve grade game early last year.
Coach Dennis Moore said club members rallied around each other after the incident, as they united in grief and leant on each other for support.
“It was something that could have ripped the club apart, but it actually bonded everyone together,” he said.
“We made last year our Dale Best year, and this year he was still in the background.
“He rode the wave with us, without being in the front.
“We have a photo of him in the dressing sheds at our games.
“He was part and parcel of the whole thing.”
It’s that sense of camaraderie and support that has been a trademark of the Swans for decades, according to Dennis.
“It comes down to the people who have been there before us and the ones that are there now and they’re just quality people,” he said.
“They’re genuine and they love the club.
“It’s a people club. We have good people there and good people have good habits and good habits get good results.”
The Swans were formed in 1972. They played in the Sunshine Coast competition before joining the SCGRL when it started in 1994. They’ve won nine titles in the current league and their previous title was won in 2018.
But COVID hit and cancelled the 2020 season and the team, like others in the region, was forced to essentially rebuild.
They did so in relatively quick fashion and came close to winning the title last year when they were beaten by Kawana 22-10 in the decider.
This time, they went all the way, losing just one game in the eight-team competition, defeating Beerwah 26-16 at Sunshine Coast Stadium when it counted most.
“It’s a great reward for a lot of people who have put a lot time in,” Dennis said.
“It’s been a full-on journey and it’s the people you do it with that make it special.
“We’ve got a tremendously talented group and a fine group of human beings, so it was a pleasure to be involved with it.
“The quality of your roster is super important, and I tried to create an environment so the players could come to training and learn and have fun and they seemed to buy into that.
“Plus, the footy IQ in the group was tremendous, and they just had this attitude of getting the job done.”
The likes of burly prop Will Solway, grand final man-of-the-match Rohan Messer, fullback Riley Moore, No.9 Nick Ellems and halves Jackson Moule and John McLaughlin left their imprints all over the season.
“But everyone in the squad contributed,” Dennis said.
“When players were injured or sick, the next man stood up.”
Remarkably, Dennis coached the Swans to a premiership in their 25th anniversary, 25 years ago in 1997.
“That one is still fresh in my memory. It was extraordinary because it was a replayed grand final,” he said.
“We did extra time, extra time and extra time against Caloundra and it was still a draw so we had to come back the following week and do it again.
“So, we did it the hard way.”
Dennis coached the Swans in 1997 and 1998 before furthering his career, including five years as an assistant coach at NRL club Manly Sea Eagles and coaching stints in England and regional Queensland.
But family ties on the Sunshine Coast lured him back and he returned as Swans coach in 2020. That season was cancelled before he resumed for 2021 and 2022.
“There are similarities between the two premierships (in 1997 and 2022),” he said.
“Both teams had good players, good humans and slightly strange humans, which I like.
“They all got together and got the job done.”
Dennis has experienced success and great moments at various levels but he said the feeling of victory was the same and the result was just as important, whether it was at grass roots level or on the professional stage.
“The one I won at Manly (2008) was special but no more special than this one,” he said.
“Because it’s (relative to) the group and what you achieve together.
“It doesn’t matter what level it is, it’s the same importance and you get the same buzz from achieving something.”
But he said the Swans’ win on Saturday was nerve-wracking.
“I reckon I had five heart attacks,” he said.
“In the first 20 minutes of the second half we couldn’t get out of our own 20m zone,” he said.
“They (Beerwah) just applied pressure and we came up with errors, but that’s where we won the game. We just refused to let them score and when we got up the other end we put together some sets and got some points.”
Sharks prove they’re ‘no fluke’
The Caloundra Sharks are savouring a stunning start to their days in the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League Open Women’s competition.
The team was only formed last year but they have claimed back-to-back premierships.
Coach Josh Shuttlewood said the players were eager to prove a point this year.
“They wanted to prove they could win again after the first one,” he said.
“Some people might have thought the first one was a bit of a fluke, so they wanted to come out and prove it wasn’t.”
About half of last year’s winning squad played again this year.
“We’ve got a lot of experienced heads in the team and also an influx of young talents,” Josh said.
The Sharks were minor premiers in the seven-team competition, before going on with the job.
They defeated Kawana 20-16, but had to do it the hard way, overcoming a 16-0 deficit with just 20 minutes left in the game,
“The fightback was amazing,” Josh said.
“The players showed a lot of heart to do that.
“I thought we were in a bit of trouble, because we looked very flustered and we were trying to score off every play.
“But I knew if they girls could get their heads back into the game they could score points easily.
“They just had to calm down and let their talent shine through.”
Help keep independent and fair Sunshine Coast news coming by subscribing to our free daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email. See SUBSCRIBE at the top of this article.
