Sunshine Coast 47th Battalion coaches Matt Smith, Zeke Field breakdown 2025 squads

Sunshine Coast 47th Battalion coaches have revealed what excites them the most about their side’s 2025 chances as well as broken down their key players and carnival tactics. See the full preview ahead of this weekend’s action.

Eddie Franklin

@eddiefranklin47

4 min read

June 5, 2025 - 11:58AM

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Sunshine Coast 47th Battalion coaches Matt Smith and Zeke Field.

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The next batch of local Sunshine Coast rugby league stars are eager to create their own slice of history as the official countdown begins to the 2025 47th Battalion carnival.

This year’s tournament will be held in Bundaberg on June 7 and 8.

Prior to it all we caught up with head coaches Matt Smith (men’s) and Zeke Field (women’s) to get the complete rundown on how their squads were shaping up.

MEN’S

Coolum head coach Matt Smith will step in as head coach in 2025, eyeing off an exciting, fast brand of footy with his makeshift side.

The men’s side suffered some unfortunate late changes in the lead up but nevertheless will field a strong and talented side ready to represent the region.

Smith said he hoped his side could put in some good performances.

Smith will be accompanied by a coaching staff of Bart Hold (assistant coach), Mitch Hillcoat (manager), Carlie Reeves (sports trainer) and Daniel Brown (league safe).

Coolum Colts rugby league club have managed to scrape together their first ever senior men's A-grade side for the 2023 season. Head coach, Matt Smith. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“We tried to pick the most in-form players of the A-Grade competition and the best team that we thought could win the competition,” he said.

“I love working with other players from other clubs, getting an insight into how they play and what their thought processes are.

“It is a shame that a few players have had to pull out and leave us in a tough spot.”

Smith served as the men’s assistant coach to Danny Gray in recent years and said he was excited when appointed as head coach.

“I keep a keen eye on every club each week, keep tabs on the players coming in and out, what positions they can play and how they match-up against certain opposition,” he said.

“I know which players I feel I can get the best out of and there are so many good players running around in the competition at the moment.

“Carnival footy is a different game where you’ve got to try and manage your bodies, rotate the players and keep everyone as fresh and healthy as possible,” he said.

“Getting a good start is really important, you can’t afford to be chasing the scoreline so we’ve got to try and come out firing and get on top as early as we can.”

The men’s side went down 12-4 to Toowoomba in last year’s final.

2025 Men’s Team

Nick Jennings (Beerwah)

Jackson Russell (Kawana)

Kayd Donkin (Coolum)

Hayden Bartlett (Coolum)

Rowan Jardine (Beerwah)

Ethan Olsen (Stanley Rivers)

Dakota Tolhurst (Kawana)

Jackson Herbert (Caloundra)

Jack Beetson (Nambour)

Taylor Hyland (Nambour)

Tristan Voll (Coolum)

Tom Dwan (Beerwah)

Marlon Hawkins (Coolum)

John McLaughlin (Maroochydore)

Ashleigh Comer (Caboolture)

Kailum Freeman (Maroochydore)

Jaeden Usher (Coolum)

Cody Button (Maroochydore)

Lachlan Delbridge (Noosa)

WOMEN’S

The Falcons women’s team will roll into this weekend’s tournament with a target on their back after taking home the chocolates in 2023 and 2024.

The women in yellow and black beat Rockhampton and Toowoomba in the two recent grand finals, with a fair portion of players going onto star in the inaugural Falcons BMD Premiership squad in 2024.

Caboolture stalwart Zeke Field will take the reins as head coach after serving as the team’s assistant coach for the past two seasons.

Caboolture Snakes clubman Zeke Field.

He will be joined by a strong coaching staff of Ryan Charles (assistant coach), Tash Field (manager), Neil Dabelstein (sports trainer).

“The girls have had some great buy-in at training, they’ve bonded really well and we look like a very talented group which is nice,” Field said.

“The depth of the female players we have on the Sunshine Coast gives some returning, but plenty of new players the chance to showcase their talent this year.

“For some they might’ve been second or third fiddle behind those now Falcons BMD players so it’s a chance for them to step up and experience the competition.”

The women’s squad started with 24 players selected and will take 19 away to Bundaberg.

The side will feature three rising 17-year-olds and a core selection of players aged 19 to 21.

“The young talent that we’ve got is what stands out for me,” he said.

“It’s cool to give them an opportunity and test themselves against some of the best players in Queensland.

Maroochydore Swans player Laura Barklimore has been one of the players named. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“Some of the girls that were selected in the side last year have gone onto NRLW development squads, BMD sides and representative honours so it’s about helping them progress their football as much as possible.

“To win the three-peat would be great but in saying that the main focus is giving it a good crack and getting as many players as possible into the Queensland Country side.”

Field, who has also been the head coach of the women’s Queensland Universities side for the past two years, said he was excited for the coming days.

“Our focus is doing the simple things right which is what we’ve worked on the last few weeks,” he said.

“Carnival atmosphere is always a bit different, the games are shorter, sometimes you have to play two games in a day and obviously keep winning to move forward so we’re just looking at the things we can control like discipline and holding onto the footy.

2025 Women’s Team

1. Keara Woods (Coolum)

2. ⁠Laura Barklimore (Maroochydore)

3. ⁠Bri Smart (Caloundra)

4. ⁠Kaylee Pollard (Noosa)

5. ⁠Shae Prescott (Caloundra)

6. ⁠Allyce Garrett (Noosa)

7. ⁠Jade Shuttlewood (Caloundra)

8. ⁠Sharon Eti Faresa Kapisi (Caboolture)

9. ⁠Sky Heke (Caboolture)

10. ⁠Kahurangi Hetaraka (Caboolture)

11. ⁠Caite Sing (Gympie)