Gavin Shuker, one of touch football’s best, names Australian dream team

Recognised as one of the best to play the game, Central Queensland touch legend Gavin Shuker has reflected on his stellar sporting career and named his ultimate Australian dream team.

Rockhampton’s Gavin Shuker is one of the best to have ever played touch football.

Three years after hanging up the boots after his last World Cup, Gavin Shuker has returned to the game which made him an international star.

The Central Queensland touch legend lined up with Buckaneers in the Rockhampton Touch Association’s Masters competition this season.

“I made a return this year; I’m a little bit overweight and I’ve no hair but I came back,” he said.

“I did enjoy it and it’s probably something I’ll keep doing.”

Shuker notched up a host of records in his illustrious playing career, none of which has been surpassed.

He represented Australia 87 times and is the only player to have scored more than 100 touchdowns for his country.

Gavin Shuker set a number of records in his Australian touch career.

He played at five World Cups, winning four of them, and scored the most touchdowns in a World Cup game - 11 against Luxembourg in 2011.

Shuker said captaining the Australian open men’s team to victory in one of those World Cups - in South Africa in 2007 - was his greatest achievement.

Being named in 2019 as one of Touch Australia’s greatest 14 players of the past 50 years is what he considers his greatest honour.

Shuker was part of Queensland open teams from 1993 until 2009 and played in countless State of Origin and Trans-Tasman series.

Gavin Shuker in action for Queensland.

He only started playing touch in Year 10 on the urging of one of his father’s friends.

“I ended up going down for a run and fell in love with it,” he said.

“I made a Capricornia side and I was happy enough with that because I started later in the game.

“Then I got to under-20s and was lucky enough to make a Queensland side at a time when very few players from Central Queensland ever made it.

“I went into opens and found it very hard to crack that open men’s side because they were all from the south-east corner.

“In the end, I flew to Brisbane of my own accord to play down there to get seen.

“That’s when I got the breakthrough and I made Queensland men’s open and my career rolled on from there.”

Gavin Shuker compiled an impressive resume after he started his touch career in when he was in Year 10.

Shuker believes if he hadn’t taken that extra step, he would not have made it to the top echelon.

He is also proud to have helped blaze a trail for fellow players from Rockhampton, which is now recognised as one of the country’s leading touch nurseries, producing countless state and national representatives.

Shuker believes the city’s success is due to those reps willingly “giving back” to the sport, and everyone being on the same page in regards to player and game development.

He has coached for about 20 years and for the past three years has been focused on nurturing female talent.

That is reaping rewards, with a seven-strong Rockhampton contingent in the Queensland under-18 squad and the city recently making its first ever open women’s quarter final.

Shuker said that Rockhampton hosting the Junior State Cup, Queensland‘s premier junior affiliate touch competition, would continue to enhance its sporting reputation.

Rockhampton Touch successfully staged its first Cup event earlier this month, which attracted more than 3000 players and thousands of spectators.

The flagship event will return in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031.

Shuker said touch had been a wonderful teacher and equipped him with some valuable life skills, such as discipline, resilience, tenacity and the ability to perform under pressure.

Gavin Shuker’s sports apparel business, Inferno Sports, is a huge success.

He has applied those same disciplines in building his highly successful business, Inferno Sports.

Started in 2009, the company is now an official partner for sporting bodies such as Queensland Touch, Touch Football Australia, Federation of International Touch and the Classic Wallabies.

Shuker offers some sage advice about following your dreams and realising your goals.

“The biggest thing is you’ll only succeed if you put the effort in,” he said.

“Everyone likes practising their strengths but what’s really important is knowing your weaknesses and practising them to get better.

“Don’t be scared to have a go, and don’t be fearful of what other people think.”

Gavin Shuker’s Australian dream team

Bob Brindell (middle): Player of the Series at two World Cups. One of the players I looked up to when I was coming through.

Drumayne Dayberg-Muir.

Drumayne Dayberg-Muir (link): Elite left-foot stepper and attacker. Had touch smarts of a very high level.

Dylan Hennessy.

Dylan Hennessy (link): Awesome passing game, brilliant vision, good feet. Player of the latest generation. Super impressed in the last Trans-Tasman Test Series by his conversion to leadership and his role.

Shane Frederiksen (middle): Best all-round player on both sides of the ball. Elite defender and attacker, all while being one of loosest individuals I have seen. Had some great battles with him.

Phil Gyemore (link): Best passing game both sides I have played with. Would bruise you from even a distance.

Harry Griffin.

Harry Griffin (link): Off a sweeper, hardest to defend. Can score or pass. A super competitor who has proved over the last few years and at the last Trans-Tasman what he is capable of..

Gavin McDonald (middle): Go- forward machine. The best I have played. Brilliant in defence and attack.

Scott Notley.

Scott Notley (link): The player I tried to be when coming through. People wanted to play for him, and he was always in the right place at the right time.

Matt Prowse (winger): Best finisher I have played with. Great pace and ran great lines.

Garry Sonda (middle): The ultimate competitor. He was the perfect example of someone who wanted it more than the next person.

Neil Ward.

Neil Ward (middle): Partner in crime when coming through to open level. Silky skills.

Daniel Withers.

Daniel Withers (middle): Saw him develop from a youngster to Australian men’s and beyond. Spirited competitor, a true student of the game and inspirational leader.

Anthony Ziade (wing): Rucking demon, great finisher and the ultimate team player.

Notable mentions: Nathan Jones, Bus Boland, Blayne Rodger, Jayden Benbow, Stu Brierty, Shane Rigby and Damon Moore.