Indigenous soccer club arrives

The Goannas have come to town

It was just another afternoon while sitting on his back deck just four months ago when the idea struck Wayne Albert to establish the first Sunshine Coast Indigenous soccer club, now known as the Sunshine Coast Goannas.

Having been pivotal in the formation of the Brisbane Warrigals and a successful player himself, Wayne decided that afternoon that the opportunity to create a team for the Sunshine Coast Indigenous community was needed. After putting the word out and having a great response, the players took to the field in early August for their first game against the Beegees. It was a nil all result.

“Seeing them playing together for the first time was great. There was a strong connection between everyone,” Wayne said.

The team members, aged 16 and above, come from all over the coast and aim to land a spot at this year’s Australian Indigenous Football Championship (AIFC), a tournament to be held in Caboolture on November 8-9.

While the tournament is definitely on the cards, Wayne says that a big driver in getting the team up and running was really to create pathways for the younger Indigenous community.

“It gives them a chance to showcase their talents but also to come together and have a bit of a laugh with each other. That’s really important and seeing them gel so well together was great,” Wayne said.

“I’d love to see the team run out together at the tournament in November but at this stage we’re still raising funds.

“We’ve already had a great deal of support from the public, and Ronnie Woulfe in particular has helped us out immensely with getting things off the ground.”

The Sunshine Coast Goannas will host a sausage sizzle at the Landsborough Hotel’s pig races this Sunday, August 18, and at Bunnings Caloundra on Sunday, August 25.

If you would like to help, support or get involved, you can contact Wayne directly on 0417 622 826 or lbertslaw@bigpond.com, or follow them on Facebook - Sunshine Coast Goannas.