The Maroochydore Roos have made giant strides in recent years via their impressive introduction to the Queensland competition and their development of youngsters.
They’ve produced a host of players who have been drafted by AFL teams, including Carter Michael and Noah Cumberland among the men, along with Isabel Dawes, Bella Smith, Maggie Harmer, Mikayla Pauga and Lily Postlethwaite among the women. They’ve followed in the footsteps of Shannon Campbell, Sharni Webb and Tahlia Randall.
New Roos men’s coach Ben Jones expected the club to keep producing stars of the future.
“I think we’ve got a really talented group coming through,” he said.
“We’ve already had a couple of guys go through the draft and the women have done really well in the AFLW, but I think we’ve got more on the way.
“I’d like to think we’re creating a footy factory and if we can churn out some more players for AFL lists, I think that’s a real feather in our cap.”
The Roos have a strong structure, from the grassroots up, which has allowed players to get the opportunities to progress to the next level.
“It is a real combination of things,” Jones said.
“I think our junior teams are performing really well, and we’re getting the players into the senior program at a young age and trying to teach them what senior football is all about as quickly as we can.
“The club is also really taking advantage of a real growth spurt of AFL in Queensland.”
The code has benefited from plenty of exposure on the Sunshine Coast.
Elite teams have used the region for pre-season camps for the past decade, while many of them were based here during the pandemic. The Brisbane Lions women will play their home games at Maroochydore in 2022.
“There has been a lot of teams training at our venue (Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex) so our kids have been able to watch them first-hand,” Jones said.
The Maroochydore Roos also boast knowledgeable coaches, first-class facilities and a genuine pathway to the top level.
“I think we’ve got a great program at Maroochydore to get the players ready, if they’re good enough, to step up into the AFL scene straight away,” Jones said.
The Roos women’s team has featured in finals for the past three years, having been in the Queensland competition for just five years.
Meanwhile, the Roos men’s team has made an immediate impact in the state league, after joining in 2020. They reached the finals in their inaugural campaign and then the grand final last season.
“There are some teams that have been in the competition for nearly 20 years that still haven’t played in a grand final, so for us to do it in year two shows we’re on the right track,” Jones said.
The new coach is eager to keep the team near the top.
After five years as the assistant coach, he replaced Andrew Cadzow, who wanted a break after five successful seasons at the helm.
“We figured as a club we didn’t need dramatic change from the path we were heading in and on that basis, I stuck my hand up and was successful in getting the role,” Jones said.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in this group.
“I think we’ve come a long way in the last couple of years, while playing in the top league and we’re very close to becoming a powerhouse.
“So, I want to really take the lead with that and develop our list as far as we could possibly go.
“I want to build on the game style we’ve tried to implement over the last couple of seasons. I think we know what works and what type of football can win finals games, and I’m all about developing that and playing a fast, exciting, attacking brand of footy.
“We’ve got a young exciting list and we’re targeting a few recruits who I think will improve our list.”
Jones said the region in general was developing a reputation for being a footy hub.
“It’s really exciting for the Sunny Coast to have Maroochydore playing at this level, and Noosa are in the top league as well.”
Noosa has also developed some top-line players like Jack Payne, who is contracted to the Brisbane Lions, while Harmer and Smith also played their junior footy at the Tigers.
Meanwhile, Caloundra has also made an impact.
Star AFL forward Eric Hipwood hails from the Panthers, while another current Lions player, Tom Fullarton, also came out of Caloundra.
But the Roos are leading the way in the region.
Jones comes to the head coaching role with plenty of experience.
The Birtinya 49-year-old, who hails from Frankston near the Morning Peninsula, played with the St Kilda under-19s, before playing in the Ovens and Murray League and then enjoying a premiership win in the Sydney competition, with Balmain.
He has coached junior teams and coached at the Sydney Swans Academy.
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He and his wife and three children moved to the Sunshine Coast five years ago.
He’s coached the Roos Colts team (under-19s) to a premiership, been the assistant coach with the men’s team and held a coaching role with the Brisbane Lions Academy.
Jones also runs a cleaning business, Beez Nees, based at Wurtulla.
The Roos started pre-season training in early November and the new season is set to start in early April.
