Small but mighty: A Dalby school’s epic battle to the top spot at Qld Confraternity Carnival 2022

After being rejected and dismissed as not being up to the job, one small but mighty team has defied the odds and fought its way to glory following a last-minute inclusion.

A Dalby school that was rejected and dismissed has clinched a stunning victory at the Confraternity Carnival after a fateful move that gave the underdogs the chance to prove what they can do.

Our Lady of Southern Cross College coach Steve Gillespie said he originally asked organisers of the Queensland event to put his team in division two, but he was denied and kept in division three.

“We’d been in division three for a number of years and our best result was fourth,” Gillespie said.

Two weeks before game one, the under 18s team were asked by another school if they’d consider switching places and move up to division two.

“We got a call from a team that had been impacted by injuries and Covid and didn’t feel they were going to play as well, they knew we were keen to try division two and asked if we’d swap,” Gillespie said.

The Dalby team, which only had 54 eligible boys that could play in the comp, weighed up the pros and cons and decided they were up for the challenge.

Gillespie said right away the boys had to switch up their training and change their headspace.

“The words that I used to the boys were, ‘step up from schoolboy football to being semi-professional, where (you’re not) just playing because you’re playing with your mates’,” he said

“You’re actually thinking about the game, processing what goes on, and making sure you give 100% in everything you do.”

Gillespie said that what created the winning OLSCC team was the players’ ability to do the basics and come together as a team

“The boys committed to what they were doing, they played good footy, they made good tackles, ran hard and worked with each other,” he said.

“We were able to stay fit throughout the carnival, won six games and beat some good schools. It was something unexpected.”

Finals time came and OLSCC battled St Edmonds at BB Print Stadium in Mackay, where the Dalby school won 28 – 10.

“The really important thing here is they came together as a team and they were supportive of one another,” Gillespie said.