COURTESY of a state government run initiative, a list of definitive Queensland icons were unveiled last week in celebration of the sunshine state’s 150th birthday – the sesquicentennial for you Scrabble junkies out there.
Despite my multiple votes under a series of admittedly dodgy aliases - Rusty Scalpels being but one - not a single footballer made the list of sporting icons dominated by swimmers, rugby players and cricketers.
After my disappointment faded I realised that courtesy of this blog I have a soapbox from which to proclaim my own list of iconic Queensland moments - albeit dedicated purely to the round ball game that we all love.
Now I grant you that I am not old enough to remember some of the more obscure, yet no less important, moments from what is surely a rich history of football in this state. I have however attempted to provide a list of icons that reflect the games growth within the confines of the state borders.
So with no further adieu, I present my list of unofficial Queensland football icons.
Iconic Stadium
While Lang Park has seen some great moments in Queensland's football history I will relent to the romantic in me and nominate Perry Park as football's most important stadium in Queensland. The Newstead ground is a dedicated football stadium and served as the location of the first National Soccer League match in Brisbane in April 1977.
Almost universally recognised as Brisbane's home of football it is a shame that the stadium has slowly deteriorated over the years. It would be a glowing tribute to the sport in Queensland if the ground could be refurbished and preserved forever as an intimate suburban venue whether through a council initiative or private benefactors.
A small museum dedicated to the history of the sport in Queensland could be incorporated into the design so that future generations can appreciate the local game's triumphs and failures.
Iconic Personality
In what could perhaps be seen as a controversial move I will have to give the nod to Frank Farina. Although the Italian stallion was born in Darwin, he was raised in Cairns and readily identifies himself as a Queenslander.
He excelled in Europe before returning to Australia and taking Brisbane Strikers to the Queensland capital's only league title in 1997. His tenure as national team coach, while heavily criticised in some quarters, was statistically one of the best in the history of the post. It should not be forgotten by the naysayers that he was in charge when the Socceroos defeated England 3-1 at Upton Park in 2004 - a result still bragged about in pubs right around the country.
Iconic Moment
This is a tie. While some may think the Strikers grand final win in 1997 would be a shoe-in, I have decided to focus on the bigger picture and the overall growth of the game. Hence, I have decided to nominate national league participation in two very different eras of Australian football as Queensland's most iconic moments.
With the formation of the National Soccer League in 1977, two Brisbane based clubs became part of Australia's first nation-wide football league of any code. Brisbane City and Brisbane Lions, while never claiming the league title, both managed to win the league's annual knockout tournament in the early days of the NSL, bringing the first football silverware to the river city.
Tied with this founding moment is the more recent A-League expansion in Queensland. The introduction of new teams from Gold Coast and Townsville has shown how far the game has come in Queensland and is a reward for the dedication of the true believers outside of the capital.
Iconic Institution
Football Queensland is the governing body and they do incredibly well to organise the game across region as vast as Queensland by liaising with the ten administrative regions. However, I am going to side with the relative new kid on the block as Queensland football's most iconic institution - Queensland Academy of Sport.
While not solely dedicated to football, the academy's football program has produced national team representatives at all age levels and of both sexes. Notable internationals to pass through the gates since its establishment in 1991 include Jon McKain, Shane Stefanutto, Shane Smeltz, Kasey Wehrman and Jade North. Current Matildas Kate McShea, Karla Reuter and Clare Polkinghorne are also products of the academy.
The next generation, while provided with stronger pathways courtesy of the national youth league, still benefit from the academy's development program. Currently a QAS side also competes in the Queensland State League competition which is incidentally run by Football Queensland.
Iconic Supporters
While this is obvious it still needs to be said that without dedicated migrant communities around the state that the game may never have grown to the point it has. Brisbane City, Hollandia/Lions, Olympic and Rochedale Rovers are the bigger clubs in Brisbane that were formed and supported by everyday people that transported their love of the game across the seas to a new, sometimes unforgiving, frontier.
There are other clubs throughout the state, from mining towns in central Queensland to the tropical paradise that is North Queensland, that have similar histories and have been the launching pad for many fine footballers. With the birth of new football there have been some who have criticised the ethnic affiliations of certain clubs, yet it is these dedicated communities of football fanatics that are the life blood of the game.
There are other burgeoning groups of new Australians from Asia, Africa and the Middle East that are increasingly aligning themselves with local clubs around Brisbane as well. Hopefully these communities will add their own mark to the rich and varied Queensland football legacy.
That's my list, and I'm sure not all will agree with me. Hence, there is one category I am going to leave to you, the readers, to decide for yourself. Who would you nominate as Queensland football's most iconic villain? I look forward to reading your nominations.
