The Sunshine Coast Falcons are a rugby league football team based on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. They compete in the Queensland Cup and their home ground is Sunshine Coast Stadium. The Falcons are currently affiliated with the NRL team Melbourne Storm.
History The Falcons were originally the Winfield State League representative team for the Sunshine Coast. First competing in the 1993 season, they won their pool before losing in the semi-finals. For the 1994 season, they competed as Sunshine Coast/Gympie, against winning the pool matches, but losing both semi-final matches. In the last year of the State League, the combined Sunshine Coast/Gympie team failed to progress from the pool stage. They competed in the first season of the Queensland Cup in 1996 but dropped out the following season.
In 2006, the club joined the FOGS Cup competing in the second-level competition. The club finished their first season in sixth position, just outside the finals positions.
Partnership with Manly (2009–2010) In 2009, they were readmitted to the Queensland Cup after securing an agreement with the NRL's Manly Sea Eagles to become a feeder club. Between 2009 and 2013 the club was renamed the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles due to the partnership with the Manly Sea Eagles.Manly to invest $1m in Coast league | thedaily.com.au
The partnership instantly proved successful with the team winning the 2009 Queensland Cup Grand Final 32–18 to secure their first premiership, with a number of Manly players in the squad. Following the end of the 2010 season, Manly were forced to cut ties with the club after a change in policy disallowed NRL teams from having feeder clubs in both the Queensland Cup and New South Wales Cup.
Partnership with Melbourne Storm (2014–)
In 2014 the club reverted to the Falcons name and struck a three-year partnership with the Melbourne Storm from the 2015 season. The Falcons endured a 36-game losing streak during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, on their way to consecutive wooden spoons.
In May 2021, Melbourne extended their affiliation partnership with the Falcons to the end of the 2024 season.
Life Members
In September 2021, the club awarded the first life memberships of the club: Don Oxenham – Inaugural CEO and former board member Dave Cordwell – Coach (Colts: 2009–10; FOGs Cup: 2011; Queensland Cup: 2012–13) and former board member Alan Marr – Board member 2009–19 Gordon Oakes – Chairman 2006–13
Season Summaries + P=Premier, R=Runner-Up, M=Minor Premier, F=Finals appearance, W=Wooden Spoon, (Brackets represent Finals games)Competition Gamesplayed Gameswon Gamesdrawn Gameslost LadderPosition P R M F W Coach Captain Notes 1996 Queensland Cup Withdrew from Queensland Cup 2006 FOGS Cup 2007 FOGS Cup 2008 FOGS Cup Admitted back to Queensland Cup as Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles 2009 Queensland Cup Cameron Joyce 2009 FOGS Cup - (P20 3–0–17) Finished 9/10 2010 Queensland Cup 2010 FOGS Cup - (P20 8–1–11) Finished 7/10 2011 Queensland Cup 2011 FOGS Cup - (P21 1–0–20) Finished 8/8 2012 Queensland Cup 2012 FOGS Cup - (P20 2–0–18) Finished 8/8 2013 Queensland Cup Club reverts to Sunshine Coast Falcons 2014 Queensland Cup 2015 Queensland Cup 2016 Queensland Cup 2017 Queensland Cup 2018 Queensland Cup 2019 Queensland Cup 2020 Queensland Cup Season cancelled after one game (Sunshine Coast lost) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. 2021 Queensland Cup 2022 Queensland Cup 2023 Queensland Cup
Honours
Queensland Cup Premierships: 1 (2009) Runners Up: 1 (2017) Minor Premiership: 1 (2019) Duncan Hall Medal: 1 (Tony Williams – 2009) Petero Civoniceva Medal: 1 (Daly Cherry-Evans – 2010) Rookie of the Year: 2 (Daly Cherry-Evans – 2010); (Brandon Smith – 2017) Coach of the Year: 1 (Eric Smith – 2019)
Junior Hastings Deering Colts: 1 (2019)
Players
Representatives The following players have played representative football for the Queensland Residents in the annual match against NSW Residents while playing for the Falcons.
Trent Hodkinson (2009) Daly Cherry-Evans (2010 - captain) Jamie Buhrer (2010) Ben Hampton (2015) Kenny Bromwich (2015) Jahrome Hughes (2017) Lachlan Timm (2018) Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (2019) Darryn Schonig (2019)
Awards
The James Ackerman Medal is awarded to the Sunshine Coast Falcons Player of the Year. The award is named in honour of the late James Ackerman, who died from injuries sustained in a tackle while playing for the Falcons against Norths Devils in 2015.
+ Annual Player of the Year Awards Queensland Cup Year James Ackerman Medal Best Back Best Forward Player's Player Rookie of the Year Man of Steel Player of the Year Best Back Best Forward Man of Steel 2015 Tom Murphy Kurt Mann Johnny Vuetibau — — Travis Robinson Sam Burns — — Sam Burns 2016 Ryley Jacks Alex Bishop Troy Giess — — — Devlin Long Alex Copelin Beau Fermor — 2017 Jon Grieve Guy Hamilton Dane Hogan — Matt Soper-Lawler Guy HamiltonJye Ballinger Stephen Buckley Baylee Byrne Perrett Damian Forde-Hurrell Damian Forde-Hurrell 2018 Dane Hogan Justin Olam Chris Lewis — Caleb Daunt — Stephen Buckley Riley Moore Damian Forde-Hurrell — 2019 Harry Grant Todd Murphy Chris Lewis — Nat McGavin — Tyson Smoothy Jack Wright Wyatt Reynolds Kane Jackson 2020 Season cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia 2021Patrice SioloLuke PolselliTom Rafter Todd Murphy Jack Wright—Kaleb SuttonKane JacksonSam Reid— 2022Luke PolselliTyran WishartTyson SmoothyTyson SmoothyKane Jackson—Danny HeenanLucas BellKaleb Sutton— 2023Max BaileyScott GaleanoChris LewisMax BaileyDanny Heenan—Blake WoodfordMason PeutBlake WoodfordBlake Woodford 2024Sam BurnsLuke PolselliCaius FaatiliZac MilesThallon Peters —
Personnel +NamePositionsChris FlanneryCEOBrad HendersonHead coachDan MurpheyAssistant coachBen McBrydeAssistant coach
Coaches
2009 – 2010 — Brandon Costin 2011 — Adam Mogg 2012 – 2013 — Dave Cordwell 2014 — Ivan Henjak (quit midseason, replaced by Glen Dreger) 2015 — Glen Dreger 2016 – 2018 — Craig Ingebrigtsen 2019 — Eric Smith 2020 – 2021 — Sam Mawhinney 2022 – present – Brad Henderson
Name, logo and colours The Falcons historic colours have been black and gold however when the Manly Sea Eagles announced their partnership with the Falcons the club rebranded to become the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles and the colours changed to Manly's colours of maroon and white. When the feeder arrangement ended the club continued with the name but changed the colours to blue and white. However fans and players on the Sunshine Coast called for a return to the clubs traditional name and colours and in the 2014 season the club complied, rebranding back to the Falcons with gold and black colours.
Stadium The Falcons home ground is Sunshine Coast Stadium, located in Kawana Waters.
In both 2020 and 2021, Falcons' affiliated NRL club Melbourne Storm were forced to relocate to the Sunshine Coast Stadium due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.
Major Sponsors
Vantage Homes Queensland Sunshine Toyota South East Civil Bebrok Excavations Sunshine Coast Council FC Lawyers Green RV North Coast Foods Go Turf Southern Cross Sheds Maroochy RSL Pacific Office Solutions Channel 9 Sea FM Sunshine Coast Daily Asset Electrical Contractors Headland Plumbing & Drainage L & H Electrical Subway
See also
National Rugby League reserves affiliations
References
External links Website Facebook