Rugby league has been played in the Burdekin area for over 100 years and it has been played in various competitions from club matches in both Ayr and Home Hill, Foley Shield as Ayr and Home Hill and later Burdekin, and finally as clubs Ayr and Home Hill in Townsville.
Then, after a stint in the Burdekin Whitsunday competition, a club called Burdekin finally entered in the Townsville Rugby League later to have district added to the name.
That came about in 1994 making this the 30th year Burdekin has played competitive football in Townsville as a club side.
This Saturday, at the spiritual home of the Burdekin – Rugby Park – those first players in the Townsville league will be honoured at Old Boys day.
Of the three teams accepted as Burdekin by Townsville that year, two of them won premierships with the third beaten in the preliminary final.
The under 18 team came up against Brothers in the grand final and were successful, beating the Brethren by 26 – 6 after they beat Souths in the qualifying semi final 32 – 22.
That team was coached by the legendary Barry Henaway, himself a talented five eight as well as being a North Queensland representative soccer player.
Barrys’ team in the grand final was Anthony Lampton, Evenis Doolah, Chris Matthews, Brad Parravicini, Bobby Tavasci, Clinton Dale, Scott Tsaousis, Kenny Ghee, Jerffrey Linton, Damien Lynch, Jason Gudge, Paul Horan, Deon Duell, Moses Kudub, Odis Lammon, John Offerman, Andrew Nagle, Daniel Tonion and Brett Catanzaro .
On Saturday, the Roosters A Grade team will wear replica jerseys of the jerseys worn that day.
At the conclusion of Saturday’s A grade match, those jerseys will be auctioned off.
The reserve grade team who defeated Brothers in the grand final 28 – 26 was coached by talented back Billy Heron who had already won a reserve grade grand final in Townsville leading Home Hill to beat Souths in the 1987 final.
Billy’s teams that day was Paul Saltner, Sean Peddersen, Frank Beer, Michael Sartori, Bula Nick, Clinton Pearson, Lenny Heron, Bart Doohasn, Lance Marchant, Beefy Okeefe, Jason Lammon, Lyle Everett, Matt Hedlan, Wesley Heron, Trevor Major, Trent Vernon, Arnold Buffa, Paul Everett, Shane Fayers and Chris Hanlon.
Current reserves coach Chris Perry had arrived back from playing with Wakefield Trinity in England to coach University with the great Kerry Boustead in the Townsville League in the early nineties.
When Burdekin were admitted into Townsville in 1994 it didn’t take much talking to have Chris return to coach the local A grade side.
He took them to the preliminary final only to be beaten by Charters Towers 42 -18.
In 2000, Chris and his A grade Roosters created history by being the first ever Burdekin team to win an A Grade premiership on Townsville soil.
The team Chris had in 1994 was Brad McCarthy, Jarvie Warcon, Peter Horan, Chris Perry, Robert Russo, Simon Leo, Troy Great, Shane Fayers, Robert Palmer, Cha rile Cole, Chris Hanlon, Peter Holmes, Ben Piggott, Barry Henaway, Jason Horan, Lenny Heron and Phil Johansen.
The Roosters have been a strong force in the Townsville League ever since and have won four A grade premierships in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2015.
They were beaten Grand Finalists in 2011.
During that period, they have won six reserve grade grand finals in 1994, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010 and 2012 and beaten in 2000, 2001 and 2022.
The under 18/19 grade has won two in 1994 and 2001 and played in the 2007 grand final.
There have been a great number of players who have gone on to other places and made names for themselves.
Phil Dennis played in the 2000 under 19 winning grand final and then moved to Brisbane where he became the longest player in the Statewide Host Plus cup.
Brad Parravicini, Scott Tsaoussis, Brad McNamara, Josh Henaway, Jason and Joel Bulgarelli, John Andrews and Jason Barnett all played in the Brisbane Rugby League while Jeffrey Linton, the Olsen boys Ross and Kurt along with Damien Lynch, Thomas Lammon and Frank Beer played many seasons for the Burdekin Roosters.
Shane Muspratt had a distinguished time with the North Queensland Cowboys and the Parramatta Eels with Tarin Bradford also a Cowboy and Danny Horan for a short time.
There have been several players and coaches brought to the area in that time with possibly Noel Goldthorpe the most famous.
Goldie became an enemy of Queensland when he kicked the winning field goal for New South Wales to in the Super League State of Origin.
Steve Shepperd was a Cowboys when he was poached to come to the Burdekin first as a player, then a captain coach and finally a coach.
Cameron McPherson and Cameron Miller are other coaches to have been brought here with local coaches Mal Barnes, John Reid, Barry Henaway and Wayne Cornford holding trophies high.
There have been plenty of players brought to the Burdekin over that time but three who stand out would be Papua New Guinea International Andrew Norman, Fijian International Kali Nauque and two time RLTD player of the year Lee Mclean.
You can meet these players at Rugby Park this Saturday, have a good time reminiscing and cheer on the three local teams trying to bring honour to the jersey and then purchase the replica 1994 premiership jersey as a souvenir.
Contributed by Brian Carnes
