Greatest ever Sunshine Coast football goals
Star players and personalities of Sunshine Coast Football have trawled through their memory banks to recount and retell the best goals they’ve ever scored or seen.
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The Sunshine Coast has been blessed with a number of outrageously talented local football stars over the years with highlight plays unearthing themselves every weekend.
After compiling a gallery of the best male and female Sunshine Coast football players since 1991 and a look at the region’s most illustrious ever goalscorers, here’s a look at what those legends had to say on some of the greatest ever goals.
Greatest ever Sunshine Coast football goals
Les Fleming
“I don’t like to blow me own trumpet but the 1997 grand final when I scored the equalising goal against Noosa is probably my most memorable goal,” Fleming said.
“We were losing 2-1 and getting pumped but I scored that one and then Scotty Dickson scored the winner in golden goal to give Kawana their first ever grand final win.”
Fleming said there was no celebration until the winning goal.
“I was also coach so after my goal I stayed as calm as I could because there was still a long way to go but we battled away, got the winner and then partied for about a week afterwards,” he said.
Matt Thompson
“I don’t quite remember the year but it was over 10 years ago when I was playing for Noosa against Maroochydore,” he said.
“Stuart Ferris crossed the ball into me and I was on the edge of the 18 yard box and just bicycle kicked it on the full.
“It went into the top corner and unfortunately there weren't any cameras but the Sunshine Coast Daily was there and I remember them asking me a few questions about it after the game.”
Scott Rocker
“I’ve got two that were free kicks and one was in the 2007 grand final against Maroochydore were it was probably a 30 or 40 yard free kick,” he said.
“It was a dead ball free kick with Dale Hill in goal and it started in the middle but moved hard to his right and went in top corner.
“We were down 3-1 in that final and I came on and scored a hat trick so the celebrations were pretty bloody wild as you can imagine.”
Rocker said he asked his father to see which goal stood out for him.
“My old man jogged my memory and the other was against Nambour when I spun this bloke from about 30 yards on my left foot and just rifled it top bins like a bullet.”
Melissa Weckert
“One was in the 2019 grand final I think when I was playing for Beegees and it was into extra time,” she said.
“I just received the ball from a throw in, took on a couple of players and it was just over half way but I hit it from there on the left side and it went in top right corner.
“She’s my goalkeeper now so wouldn’t like me telling this one but the other was in the 2015 grand final I think when we (Maroochydore) were up 5-1 but the opposition had just scored.
“It was off the kick off and I just hit it from there to chip the keeper from half way which was pretty special.”
Oliver Duncan
Midfielder Oliver Duncan shocked all, including himself, in 2021 with a stunning bicycle kick for the Sunshine Coast Wanderers.
Duncan, a Noosa Lions junior, went aerial in the Wanderers 5-2 away win over Mackay Crusaders United with his back flipped strike coming in the 79th minute.
Following the match, coach Paul Arnison said the goal could be a contender for the Puskas awards – FIFA’s official goal of the year.
Arnison revealed he missed seeing Duncan’s goal live thanks to an untimely toilet break.
“I was dying to go to the toilet, and just heard this almighty, ‘Oh my god’,” Arnison said.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the replay. He tries these daft goals in training and doesn’t get them.
“But it can only be described as the goal of the season and people should be talking it up.”
Shaun De Courcy
“I’ve seen some crackers over the years that’s for sure but one in particular for myself was a game against Buderim and I remember it so well because it was headlined in the Sunshine Coast Daily as ‘De Courcy 35 yard thunderbolt’ or something like that,” he said.
“I distinctly remember hitting it clean on the volley and it going straight into the top left hand corner.”
De Courcy said his classic celebration added to the moment.
“I always had my own celebration of my index finger raised towards the crowd but that didn’t matter if it was a screamer or a tap in,” he said.
Michael Williams
“I probably scored most of my goals off my head so not sure how that ranks but one was in the 1998 grand final against Maroochydore from a fair way out,” he said.
“We went on to win but my goal came off an assist from Carl Harrison who was the most instinctive guy I’ve ever played with and just knew what you were going to do before you did.
“It was off a quick free kick and he saw me and just chipped it over the top for me to head into the top corner.”
Harry Arnison
It depends on who tells the story but Sunshine Coast Wanderers coach Paul Arnison said the classy finish from Harry Arnison wasn’t planned.
“That was a fluke, I think it was a bobbly pitch at Buderim and the ball just sat up after he took a touch,” Arnison said.
“It was a great finish, not sure about the celebration or where he got that one from though.”
Tony McCrae
“There’s so many that I saw but I think the best one I ever saw live was from Melissa Weckert who hit it in the top left hand corner and left the keeper stunned,” he said.
“It was at least a 30 yard screamer and definitely got the crowd up and about.”
Trevor Morrison
“The best memory I had scoring a goal was the 2004 grand final playing for Coolum against Caloundra,” he said.
“I went around the goalkeeper and scored from the edge of the box about 18 yards out so 17 yards further than where I usually scored them from.
“I will go on record by saying that goal was not a cracker as I never scored great goals unfortunately but more so just a personal memory.
“We won three nil but it was just so good given the crowd, the pressure and the team celebration so that one sticks out.”
Chris Dunk
“I remember more scores or players but one that does come to mind is Scott Rocker when playing for Buderim when he scored a free kick from outside the box that no one could see,” he said.
“Dale Hill was the keeper at the time for Maroochydore and he was pretty handy so it was a fairly good goal given he didn’t even see it.”
Dunk said the goal came in the 2007 grand final when Alex Murphy was coach.
“Buderim went on to win 4-3 I believe and Rocker scored a hat trick,” Dunk said.
“That one sticks out obviously from a dead ball, at an angle and from 30 metres out.”
Samara Christmas
“One of my best was recently in a midweek catch up game against Maroochydore and I think we were drawing at the time,” she said.
“I made it 2-1 to win the game and I was probably 35 yards out, took a couple of touches, put it on my right foot and smacked it into the top of the goal.
“My coach was looking at me like ‘what the hell, I owe you a beer’ because I had no clue how I did it but I was stoked.”
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