Sunshine Coast AFL best players

We’ve compiled a list to see which Sunshine Coast Aussie rules players have taken home best and fairest and leading goalkicker honours since 1970. SEE WHO MADE THE LIST

The Sunshine Coast has seen plenty of sporting talent across its time and the sport of Aussie rules Football is no different.

In 1970 the three founding teams of Noosa Tigers, Maroochydore Roos and Nambour Blues played each other five times with Maroochydore winning the grand final despite also winning the regular season wooden spoon.

Soon after teams such as the Gympie Cats, Pomona Demons, Caboolture Magpies and the Caloundra Tigers became affiliated with the competition.

By 1982 Maroochydore and Noosa were the top clubs, evident of the fact they had won all twelve (six each) of the SCCGAFL premiership flags.

The 1980s also bought a decade of goalkicking centurions with Noosa recruiting former 200 game Port Adelaide champion Trevor Sorrell.

Sorrell joined Noosa’s Peter Robeson, Doug Roulston and Dennis Farrow who had all kicked a century of goals in their respected seasons.

In 1987 it was the first time in the 16-year history of the league that Maroochydore didn't feature in a grand final, with Caloundra beating Noosa 20.8.128-11.7.83.

The 1990s saw the introduction of the send off rule after players, umpires and police were at the forefront of AFL related ‘dust-ups’.

After folding in 1995 the Nambour Hinterland Blues re-emerged in 2008 and won premierships in the fourth tier of Brisbane-based competitions in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Gympie and Pomona also had successful stints with the Cats winning lower division flags in 2000, 2007 and 2015.

Forty years after they were founded, the Pomona Demons won their first premiership in 2013.

In recent years, local clubs have been spread across a number of different South East Queensland competitions with Maroochydore and Noosa competing in the QAFL, Hinterland and Caloundra in QFA Division 1, Gympie in QFA Division 2, North Shore in QFA Division 3 and Glasshouse in QFA Division 4.

Now, 54 years since the competition started we’ve taken a look back at the best players the Sunshine Coast has seen.

Sunshine Coast Best and Fairest award winners

1970 – Geoff Brander (Maroochydore)

1971 – Doug Hills (Nambour)

1972 – Doug Hills (Nambour)

1973 – Doug Hills (Nambour)

1974 – Kevin Andrews (Gympie)

1975 – Peter Lavery (Maroochydore)

1976- Noel McMahon (Maroochydore) and Doug Hills (Nambour)

1979 – Ken Randall (Pomona/Cooroy)

1980 – Andrew Mills (Hervey Bay)

1981 – John Murnane (Maroochydore)

1982 – Bill Magan (Noosa)

1983 – Don Birkett (Caloundra)

Maroochydore players Grant Keating and Peter Kerr celebrate winning the 1986 grand final. Copy by Warren Lynam

1985 – Peter Kerr (Maroochydore)

1986 – Grant Keating (Maroochydore)

1987 – Bill Magan (Pomona/Cooroy)

1988 – Andrew Moir (Caloundra)

1989 – Ron Aquilina (Maroochydore)

1992 – Paul Nowland (Nambour)

Tigers centre man Kerry Brain pumps the ball downfield at Football Park during a match in November, 1993.

1996 – Kerry Brain (Maroochydore)

1998 – Maurice Natoli (Caloundra)

2004 – Rob Lucas (Northshore)

Maroochy Northshore's Ryan White and Noosa's Luke Matthews, prior to AFL coast showdown in 2007. Photo: Cade Mooney

2006 – Ryan White (Maroochydore)

2008 – Ryan White (Maroochydore)

2009 – Luke Tyrell (Noosa)

Noosa Tigers player Luke Tyrell (left) and Maroochydore Roos player Jarrod Gale. Pictures: Geoff Potter, Iain Curry

2011 – Lucas Matthews (Noosa)

2015 – Jarrod Gale (Maroochydore)

2016 – Tom Rudolph (Caloundra)

Sunshine Coast Leading Goalkickers

1970 – Ralph Kilby, 28 (Nambour)

1971 – Geoff Brander, 76 (Maroochydore)

1972 – Max Tomlinson, 36 (Noosa)

1973 – G. Budge, 93 (Maroochydore)

1974 – Russell Carter, 68 (Caloundra)

1975 – Russell Carter, 78 (Caloundra)

Sunshine Coast Aussie rules team members training at Noosa in the early 1980.

1976 – R. Gleesson, 48 (Caloundra)

1977 – B. Small, 42 (Gympie)

1979 – Greg Tong, 51 (Maroochydore)

1980 – Rob Paech, 90 (Maroochydore)

1981 – John Murnane, 106 (Maroochydore)

Noosa Tigers 1985 premiership winning team – S.Skurnik, M.Turner, T.Sorrell, N.White (C), G.Smith, B.Wilkinson, D.Rowsell, G.Wilson, I.Dzufer, C.Forbes, A.Blackburn, B.Fox, P.Andrews, D.Farrow, Carey, M.Kluske, L.Argus, W.Bunney, G.Breeton, R.Chapple. J.Townsend (Coach).

1982 – Peter Roberson, 128 (Noosa)

1983 – Doug Roulston, 128 (Noosa)

1984 – Trevor Sorrell, 151 (Noosa)

1985 – Trevor Sorrell, 141 (Noosa)

Former 200 game Port Adelaide champion and 1984 Noosa Tigers recruit, Trevor Sorrell.

1986 – Dennis Farrow, 126 (Noosa)

1987 – Andrew Ellul, 114 (Caloundra)

1988 – John Bishop, 118 (Nambour)

1990 – John Bishop, 96 (Nambour)

1995 – Dion Pannenburg, 115 (Noosa)

Noosa‘s Matthew Hicks and Danny Brewster in action. Photo: Geoff Potter

2008 – Matthew Hicks, 108 (Noosa)

2009 – Matthew Hicks, 72 (Noosa)

2011 – Danny Brewster, 88 (Noosa)

2012 – Danny Brewster, 79 (Noosa)

2018 – Quinten Ross, 50 (Caloundra)

2019 – Mitch Scholard, 75 (Maroochydore)

A big thank you to Queensland AFL Coaching Development worker Jack Barry and Author’s of ‘More than a Kangaroo’ Greg Parker and Murray Bird for their contribution to this list.