Andrew Symonds: The Gold Coast record breaking stand that announced a future legend to world

It was an innings alongside a fellow future Baggy Green wearing Gold Coast gun that not only announced Andrew Symonds to the world but established him as a pioneer of the game.

“Not many are built like that”.

Those were perhaps the most fitting words from Damian Wallis when remembering his former Dolphins teammate Andrew Symonds, with the man not only going down as a legend of Australian cricket but a pioneer for the way Gold Coast players took on the game.

In the wake of the 46-year-old’s tragic death in a North Queensland car accident on Saturday night, members of the Dolphins’ cricket fraternity took to the club’s home ground to pay tribute to a man who taught them so much.

For Wallis, who frequently kept wicket to the wobbly medium-pacers Symonds sent down the wicket, the all-rounder’s fingerprints are scattered across cricket on the Glitter Strip.

The Gold Coast Dolphins Cricket Club opened the clubhouse on Sunday for people to go and mourne and remember Andrew Symonds, who started his career there. (L-R) are Damian Wallis Gavin Gibson Chris Adams Francis Nairn Andrew Robinson Brett Crichton Laurie Begni 15 May 2022 Robina Picture by Richard Gosling

May will remember him as Symonds the larrikin, with his wide grin and lips piled with zinc standing out from a mile away.

But Wallis said it was the “underrated cricket brain” and the way he bestowed young Dolphin talents with a wealth of knowledge that needed to be sung greater praise.

He said that the legacy Symonds left on the Gold Coast would ensure the game would be revolutionised forever, for the way in which he took the game on with no fear of failure.

And he drew on one partnership with another Baggy Green holder as one of the finest early examples of this.

“Him and Matthew Mott, those two were the guys you would look up to,” Wallis said.

“You had these two Gold Coast stars on the rise, they broke a record here in an under-19s game (446, both retired out) and they paved the way for other Gold Coast players to go on and represent Australia.

“They sort of started that. There’s definitely one here who’s very much that sort of style, (Brisbane Heat star) Max Bryant — he reminds me a bit of him.

“He’s very similar, it doesn’t matter if it’s the first ball of the game — if he sees it he’ll hit it, you definitely see some influence there.

“He didn’t waste his words, he wasn’t someone who would talk all the time but when he spoke you listened. He was very good at making sure guys would back themselves which he did.

“When he was having success with Australia we didn’t see him as regularly, but when we did he was great at imparting knowledge.”

WA vs Qld cricket final at WACA, Matthew Mott and Andrew Symonds with the Sheffield Shield. trophy headshot

Wallis said not many players of Symonds’ calibre would continue to turn up for their local club in the same manner. Even if he had just finished an overseas tour, he would be quick to put the pads and Dolphins emblem back on to help guide the next generation.

He said it was Symonds the teacher the Gold Coast cricket community would hold dear, encouraging a fearless mindset in those who were graced by his presence.

“There wasn’t as much load management back then, so sometimes he would get off the plane playing for Australia or abroad, and a week later he would be playing for us,” Wallis said.

“That probably wouldn’t happen now, so we count ourselves lucky. The fact he put his hand up because he counted himself as a Gold Coast Dolphin … I think we all appreciated that. “Not everybody does that, not everyone is built that way but that’s the kind of guy he was. “He never forgot where he started, his starting point was the Gold Coast Dolphins.”

‘Speechless and devastated’: How Coast will honour Symonds

Andrew Symonds is set to be posthumously inducted into the Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame as the city mourns one of its greatest athletes.

The 46-year-old retired cricketer died late on Saturday night after his car crashed off a road near Townsville where he lived.

He is survived by his wife Laura, children Chloe and Billy and mother Barbara.

His sudden death, just weeks before his 47th birthday, has sent shockwaves through the Gold Coast, where he grew up and spent his teenage years.

Andrew Symonds jumps into the arms of Matthew Hayden to celebrate his first Test century.

Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame chairwoman Trina Hockley mourned Symonds who she said would be “sorely missed” and vowed the organisation would find an appropriate tribute to him.

A posthumous induction into the hall or a special award are among the proposals which will be put to the hall’s board in coming weeks.

“ He was an iconic Gold Coast sports star who will be sorely missed,” she said.

“We thought of him as a swashbuckler given his style and manner.

“From a hall of fame point of view, we are looking at developing an appropriate tribute to him in the coming months.”

Trina Hockley. Picture: Regi Varghese

Symond was born in Birmingham, England on June 9, 1975, though never met his biological parents.

He was adopted by Ken and Barbara Symonds before the family relocated to Australia.

He spent his childhood in north Queensland before the Symonds family relocated to the Gold Coast in 1988 when his parents became teachers at Merrimac’s All Saints Anglican School.

Mr Symond taught French and rose to become chief of staff and assistant to the headmaster while Mrs Symonds taught early education.

Ken and Barbara Symonds were strong supporters of their son. Picture: Adam Head

Father and son spent hours playing cricket and practised for hours in the harsh Queensland summers, during which he developed one of his career trademarks - wearing colourful zinc cream on his lips.

The young Symonds excelled at sports in the years leading up to his graduation from high school in 1993.

All Saints headmaster Patrick Wallas said he was “speechless and devastated”.

“He was an incredibly highly regarded former student and everyone who knew him loved him,” he told the Bulletin from the UK on Sunday.

Andrew Symonds had already been initiated into the school’s sporting hall of fame.

“Andrew was a Larrikin but that was what we loved about him and personally I thought he was a brilliant commentator and always enjoyed hearing him speak on the games.

“There will be a real shockwave going through our school community and even though he was a very private person, everyone loved him.

“This is a very sad loss for our school, the community, cricket and most of all, for his family.”

Symonds relocated to Townsville following the end of his career, along with the rest of his famil, which remained close.

Ken Symonds died in late 2019 at age 73

Remembering Symmo: Gold Coast teammates honour ‘inspiring’ cricket legend

Mark Doherty knew in an instant he and his Palm Beach Currumbin Cricket teammates would not be able to marvel at Andrew Symonds for too long. All it took was one brilliant piece of fielding as a 14-year-old to demonstrate that.

As the cricket world mourned the passing of the Australian legend on Sunday morning, Doherty — a life member of the club — recalled how a talented teenager stole the show with an outfield catch that was a sign of things to come from Symonds at the highest level.

Not long after that effort Doherty said the future international star made a name for himself with the Gold Coast Dolphins, and later on the world stage.

Andrew Symonds, pictured in 2009, turns out for the Gold Coast Dolphins v the Redlands Tigers at Kerrydale Robina on the Gold Coast. Photo – David Kapernick-

“All I can say is he was a junior with us and moved to the Dolphins pretty quick. He was a talented player so we knew he wouldn’t be with us for long,” Doherty said.

“The first time I laid eyes on him we were playing a first-grade game and we were short (a player). Les Ferguson, our former life member who passed away, was the coach (of the under-14s) and he said we could have Andrew.

“We put him at deep backward square leg. The Runaway Bay batsman hooked it and mistimed it, and Symmo ran a mile to catch this magnificent catch and we knew we wouldn’t see much of him.

“He got across the ground to take this catch, it was just unbelievable effort is all I can say. “The catch was fantastic and we knew we’d never see him play for us again.”

The shock death of Symonds in a car accident in North Queensland has sent shockwaves through a sporting community still reeling from the losses of fellow legends Shane Warne and Rodney Marsh.

For years the all-rounder set about revolutionising the game, becoming one of the original heavy hitters with the willow that paved the way for the success of T20 cricket.

From winning World Cups in the green and gold, to his jubilant embrace of Matthew Hayden as he reached a maiden Test century, Symonds caught the eye and imagination of fans across the globe each time he strode to the wicket.

Andrew Symonds and Shane Warne: Two legends gone, but never forgotten.

His impact on the international game was profound, every bit the same as it was at the local level on the Glitter Strip.

Dolphins president Adam Daniels recalled clearly the moment he went from a Symonds admirer to teammate in the Gold Coast colours.

Despite being seven years his junior, Daniels said the dynamic batsman had an aura about him that simply made a cricketer want to be in his presence for as long as possible.

“I was a young player coming in and it was inspiring to play with him, and sometimes scary batting at the other end with how hard he hit the ball,” Daniels said.

“There was nothing better than sitting in the change rooms with Andrew there, he created an atmosphere where cricket was fun. You wanted to be around him.

“I think every time he played your cricket would lift. He would talk you through and mentor you in the middle as to how to approach your batting.

A tribute set up in honour of Andrew Symonds at the Gold Coast Dolphins clubhouse. Picture: Supplied

“I learnt so much in the times I got the opportunity to bat with him. I remember he and I had a big partnership at Norths, we batted for a session together and might’ve put on over 100.

“It was a day where he was in one of his moods where he hit the ball all over the park. It was obviously great to share a dressing room with him at that age, and I guess you look back on that and go how lucky I was to be around him

“In terms of the cricketing journey he’s what a lot of cricketers on the Gold Coast have aspired to play cricket like. Probably what is often forgotten is how hard he trained and his work ethic. Cricket’s a team sport and he was the ultimate team player and teammate.”

Former England all-rounder Adam Hollioake was a “fierce” rival to Symonds on the cricket pitch but the pair became friends years later.

“If I had to describe him in one word, it would be ‘character’ – he had a big character and a strong character,” he said.

Speaking to the Bulletin, Mr Hollioake said his relationship with Symonds had made a significant impact on his life.

“We were fierce competitors on the field and were both alphas in our own teams but we became best mates,” he said.

“We became very good mates and he was part of the reason why I moved to Queensland after persuading me.

“The thing I loved about it, and part of why we clashed but became good friends, was that he was exactly what you saw and never pretended to be anyone else.

“Good or bad, he wasn’t perfect but what I loved was that he owned that and never tried to change.”