TIGERS CLUB NEWS ARCHIVE

April 2004

Blast from the Past

Some 40 years ago two Clubs in the local “Aussie Rules” competition struggled to maintain their existence.

They are now rated as two of the leading Clubs in the AFL Canberra competition. Obviously much has occurred during this time with sweeping changes, new faces, further hardship(s), battles for existence in their own rights, initiatives and foundations laid to improve their image(s), finances, player depth and eventual success.

No-one can begrudge the success these two Clubs now enjoy.

The Queanbeyan Tigers and the Belconnen Magpies are the success stories of the AFL Canberra competition.

Lets recount part of their history.

In the mid sixties - Turner Cats and the Queanbeyan Tigers were the cellar dwellars of the Canberra National Australian Football League. Neither Club had any resources or finances nor the players to compete successfully against the might and power of the Ainslie, Eastlake and Manuka Football Clubs who had dominated local football for decades.

Over the summer months of 1965 \ 1966 and nearing the brink of extinction, the two clubs decided to combine and form the Turner \ Queanbeyan Combine.

Season of 1966

They wore a blue and white hooped guernsey not dissimilar to the current Geelong Football Club jumper with a gold Q on the left breast. Much discussion centered on the possible emblem of the team. Although “cuties” (Q – T’s) was originally mentioned, an alternative name “the turkeys” was suggested. Eventually the Cats became the war cry of the combine.

Max Gibbs was the initial Coach of the Senior grade team who was to become a great stalwart of both Club’s as the years evolved. The teams that took the field for the 1st ever games for the Combine against ANU included:

First Grade: J Donnolly, M Gibbs, J Wastelel, G Sidwell, J Clift, T Pollini, W Weinert, J Buckley, T Hyde, T Munro, P Trebilcock, N Buckley, B Prykiel, R Inglis, C Holt, M Chinnick, G Kelly, M Borowski, 19th P Sawyer, 20th W Taylor.

Reserve Grade: P Jones, G Cook, R Hungerford, G Taylor, P Schow, B Gosgrove, L Robinson, V Routlege, E McEwan, P Washington, G Tyrell, G Grant, K Muir, P Baskett, C Tanner, A Charlton, J Nunn, P Harry, 19th D Gallagher, 20th D Kelly

Although the Combine had reasonable players, they still could not match the stronger ACT Clubs and were defeated quite comfortably during their first year. They won only two matches for the entire season, both against Acton in the 9th and 14th rounds of the competition.

However the Combines Third Division side and their Colts team(s) both played in their respective Grand Finals unfortunately losing both games quite comfortably.

Members of the Third Division side included:
G Thompson, B Clift, C Wheeler, W Taylor, I McEwan, A Charlton, C Robinson, B Denham, D Kelly, T Pollini, D Gallagher, D McGrath, B O’Connell, B Paralin, G Kelly, C Holt, B Hungerford, T Johnson, 19th J Hourigan, 20th A Thompson.

Members of the Colts team included:
Calvert, Res, Hopkins, Skurowski, Buckley, Spaven, Hyde, Rakowski, Simper, Meeke, Mills, Naduriak, Inglis, Brown, Chinnick, Lilley, Rodda, T McInnes, Sek, H McInnes, Condon, Morgan, Mann and Bagulay.

Season of 1967

The 1967 Season was to be one of vast improvement. Max Gibbs held the reign as Senior Grade Coach whilst Stan Anderson would be his assistant. Six new players joined the club including Murray Cox, Don Fraser (Corowa), Denny McQualter (Eastlake), Bob Hebditch (Acton), Brian Baker and Brian Cororcan.

In their initial match for Season 1967, few of the new players stood out and they lost comfortably to ANU. For the next match however they welcomed back into the team players of the calibre of John Wheeler, Brian Lilley and Kerry Netting.

They eventually won five games for the season defeating one of the eventual grand finalists Eastlake along the way whilst also securing a draw against the same team during the year. Their improved showing in 1967 was evident in all games with the scoreline difference very minimal in comparison to the previous year.

For much of the season, the following names appeared on a regular basis: Res, Gibbs, Hebditch, N Buckley, Chinnick, Mitchell, Rakowski, J Buckley, Simper, T Pollini, Trebilcock, Fraser, McQualter, baker, Prykiel, Corcoran, Cox, Borowski, Hopkins, Skurowski, Netting, J Wheeler, B Lilley.

Season of 1968

With the retention of all players from the 1967 Season, the Combine anticipated a good year for season 68 with the inclusion of a new assistant coach (Gavin Kelly) to Max Gibbs who held the reigns for his third successive year. Kelly was a 6’4” ruckman who would prove to be an able support player for John Wheeler and Mick Chinnick.

However, a disappointing season evolved with only three wins to their credit, two of those in the last rounds of the season.

At the conclusion of the Season, the Combine dissolved and both Clubs went about their business as per prior to Season 1966.

What has happened since shows the future as each Clubs history:

Turner Cats lasted another two seasons in their own right before being renamed the Belconnen Football Club, adopting the Blues as their emblem and shifting their focus to the Northern Suburbs of Canberra. They were reasonably successful although held the wooden spoon in 1973. They also had to contend with a new force in the Belconnen area, that being West Canberra Magpies. A grand final appearance in 1979 was the nearest thing to a premiership and they eventually amalgamated with West Canberra in 1986, moving from their licensed club in Jamieson to the Magpies Club at Kippax.

Their future is their history, for whilst struggling to come to terms with yet another amalgamation, persistence has prevailed with five Grand Final appearances in the last six years. Finally - a Premiership victory in 2002 – and who against but a former partner of theirs the Queanbeyan Tigers.

The Tigers initially struggled once they departed from the Turner Queanbeyan combine, finishing wooden spooners in their first year of separation and then again two years later. A gradual improvement during the next decade, then disaster as the League wanted them out of the competition in 1981 due to lack of facilities and players. Within two years of 1981, the Club had turned themselves around – with a new ground, a licensed club and an abundance of quality players.

Their future is their history with no less than 16 Grand Final appearances in the last 20 years with 7 premiership victories, two of those over – yep you guessed it – their old partner Belconnen (formerly the Turner Cats).

Queanbeyan plays Belconnen on Sunday, 24th April at Margaret Donoghoe Oval, Queanbeyan.