Aubusson brothers to farewell their father Brian at Ballina

A FAMILY full of rugby league talent will farewell their father Brian at Ballina.

Mitchell Aubusson and his family will farewell his father Brian at a funeral service at Ballina. Photo Dan Himbrechts.

BROTHERS James, Mitchell and Nathan have farewelled their father Brian Aubusson in a funeral service at Ballina Rugby League Club.

The sudden death of the 60-year-old came as a shock to friends and family of the fire station commander and senior instructor who dedicated his career to the service.

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Brian did not reach the heights of rugby league like James and Mitchell, both went on to play NRL but he was talented at schoolboy level and played at throughout Sydney.

He was invited to join an Australian schoolboys rugby union tour of Europe in the late 1970s.

Brian eventually found his way to Ballina where the boys excelled as juniors at the Ballina Seagulls.

James was an Australian Schoolboys representative during his time at St John’s College Woodlawn in 2003 while Mitchell went on to do it at Xavier Caholic College, Skennars Head in 2005.

Younger brother Nathan was a talented player in his own right and played first grade at Ballina as a teenager.

James and Mitchell played a handful of NRL games together at the Roosters.

“I’ve barracked for the Bulldogs since North Sydney were thrown out of the comp, so I prefer to be objective rather than subjective,’’ Brian told the Northern Star at the time.

“Both are good footballers, but it’s more important to us that they are good blokes.”

Mitchell is still at the club and is closing in on 300 games while injuries saw James call time early on his career after the 2010 grand final.

Mitchell has won three grand finals at the Roosters with the first in 2013 before they won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019.

The club granted him leave to be with his family in Ballina this week.