Is it the great Arthur Beetson? Petero? Vote for the best Redcliffe Dolphins player of all time

From Australian captains to NRL stars and local juniors, more than 800 players have donned the famous Redcliffe Dolphins jersey since 1960. Who is your favourite Dolphins player of all time?

More than 800 players have pulled on a Redcliffe Dolphins jersey across the club’s lifespan dating back to 1947, with many making it to the elite level with numerous NRL clubs.

The Peninsula-based team were founded in 1947 but it was not until 1960 that the club was granted entry into the Brisbane Rugby League.

Player No.1 was captain-coach Ken McCrohon, an international fullback, and player No.822 this year was Adam Pompey.

Some of the Australian representatives who have won the Dolphins jersey in Brent Tate, Arthur Beetson, Petero Civoniceva and Wally Fullerton-Smith.

Player No.71 was the legendary Arthur Beetson, the first aboriginal to captain an Australian sporting team who first played in 1964, and then again in the 1965 premiership side.

Beetson then went to Sydney for a long, decorated career, before returning to Redcliffe for a farewell season in 1981 when he captain-coached Redcliffe to the 1981 grand final which was lost in the final five seconds.

Redcliffe have won 10 premierships, the last of which was in 2018, while they were runners-up last month.

The Dolphins have had many league legends in their ranks, starting from match one when McCrohon led the side into action.

During the glorious 1970s champions like Peter Leis, Toby Obst, Ian Thinee, Forrester Grayson and John Barber held court, while across the 1980s players like Wally Fullerton-Smith, Steve Bleakley, Mark Murray, Dave Trewhella, Bryan Niebling, Greg Conescu and Steve Cherry were the glue of the side.

Redcliffe Dolphins legends Liam Georgetown, Cameron Cullen, Aaron Barba and Sam Anderson.

Into the famous Queensland Cup era and prop Troy Lindsay, Danny Burke, Mick Roberts and the like finished club legends, while Liam Georgetown’s point scoring was unmatched.

Redcliffe champion Mark Murray, a former Australian and Queensland halfback as well as Dolphins’ CEO, said the Peninsula had a wonderful rugby league history.

He said as a boy growing up on the Darling Downs in the 1970s, he would look forward to watching the ABC television Match of the Day, which invariably featured Redcliffe.

“Redcliffe were one of the best teams of that era with players like Bunny Pearce, Tony Obst, Peter Leis and Ian Thinee,’’ Murray said.

“And then I got to play at the place. When I joined the club I met a lot of those blokes. The 1970s really reinstated with me.’’

Murray, along with other officials, also helped instigate the first ever Dolphins junior development programs in the 1990s which were strong today in capturing local talent.

“From a humble beginning, moving into the BRL and progressing to the NRL is wonderful progress for the club,’’ he said