Whitsunday Sea Eagles in mourning after Grant Brockley’s passing

A junior football team is in mourning after the death of a club ‘legend’. Read about his impact on the club and competition.

The impact a junior football volunteer leaves on a club often goes understated, but in Grant Brockley’s case it was what built his legacy.

Mr Brockley was a valued member of the Whitsunday Sea Eagles football club, helping establish and grow the side for more than a decade.

A man of many hats, he would often set goalposts, strap players’ ankles, cut the oranges and give the halftime pep talks for multiple junior football teams.

Leigh Sharrock said Brockley was a true “legend” of AFL football in the region.

“He spent 13 years at the Whitsundays, helping out with the footy here and at Proserpine State High school with their juniors,” he said.

“Grant was always someone you could rely on, if he was running waters or doing the strapping, setting up goals or cones for training.

BEST OF THE BEST: Luke Adamson (most courageous), Troy Weller (leading goal kicker), Matthew Laskey (best and fairest), Doug Buleen (coach's award), Cameron Adam (most consistent) and Grant Brockley (representing his son Denholm, best and fairest runner-up and best defender).

“He was a mentor to all of the players, a very upbeat and encouraging one, who was mainly focused on the players becoming better people.

“He was a legend at the footy club.”

Mr Brockley, 63, passed away at the end of October, 2021.

Formerly from Geelong, his impact on Proserpine High was obvious when he convinced the football teams to wear the Cats’ jerseys as a part of their playing kits.

“If it wasn’t for him, I’m not quite certain the junior program up here would have kept going,” Mr Sharrock said.

“There was a steady stream of kids coming through that were from his school teams who he essentially recruited to play at the Sea Eagles.”

TRAINING CENTRE: Tyler Boyd, Lenny Cooper, Mark Haig, Grant Brockley and Ben Payne are excited about the construction of the Whitsunday Regional Trade Training Centre (WRTTC) at Proserpine State High School. Photo Contributed

A passionate musician outside of footballing commitments, Mr Brockley was a keen drummer who performed regularly.

Mr Sharrock said he was a man of many talents, and connected with people from his many walks of life.

“At his wake, the majority of people there were from his band or from footy,” he said.

“It showed he had a real connection to those around him, with so many people showing up, he touched a lot of people in a lot of ways.

“There’s not too many people in this world like Grant.”

Originally published as Whitsunday Sea Eagles in mourning after Grant Brockley’s passing