Retiring skipper Jack Madden third most-capped player for CQ Capras

With the Capras back into the pre-season grind, we’ve scrolled through the record books to find the Q-Cup team’s most capped players.

Jack Madden (left) is the Capras' third-most capped player, while Guy Williams played the most games for the Q-Cup club.

Playing for the CQ Capras “meant everything” to Jack Madden.

And the gifted halfback got to do it for eight seasons before an ongoing hip issue forced his premature retirement which he announced last week was effective immediately.

His 137 appearances, 115 of them as captain, make him the third most-capped player in the club’s history.

His total is surpassed by just two others - Guy Williams with 216 games and Heath Egglestone with 150 (see the list of most-capped players below).

Guy Williams has played the most games for the Capras.

A footy made kid growing up on his family’s cattle property at Duaringa, Madden said he always aspired to wear the maroon and blue.

“I always looked up to the Comets and Capras as a kid,” he said.

“This is my region - I’m a CQ boy, born and bred.

“It meant everything to me pulling that jersey on, and I’m so glad I got to play at the highest level with the Capras.”

Jack Madden always wanted to wear the Capras jersey.

Madden said the Comets of 2009, which included players such as Williams, Mick Esdale, Nat Bowman and Tyron Haynes, also had a big influence on him.

They fell just one win short of a grand final appearance, beaten 22-10 by the Northern Pride in the preliminary final.

Madden, too, got to experience finals footy, with the Capras making it to the business end of the season for the past three years.

“A lot of the wins we had were great, especially the ones we had in the finals,” he said.

“We had a lot of great times over the years and I’ve got some great memories that I’ll never forget.”