A legend of Sunshine Coast rugby league, who refused to cut his hair at the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, is being remembered for his love of the game and his larrikin ways.
Mick Plant recently passed away, aged 75, following a long illness.
Mick was an Eastern Suburbs junior, who went on to play three games in the New South Wales Rugby League competition in 1970.
But he was essentially forced to leave the Tricolours after he shunned club rules, and found a home on the Sunshine Coast, where he starred for Nambour Souths and the Noosa Pirates.
Former Souths team-mate Paul Rutledge said Mick moved to the region after having a fall-out with the Roosters.
“He couldn’t play with Easts anymore – because he had long hair,” he said.
“He wouldn’t get it cut, which meant he couldn’t go to the Easts Leagues Club to celebrate after games.
“But he snuck up to the top floor and was walking around saying ‘who said you couldn’t get into Easts with long hair?”
“So, he was banned and came up to the Sunny Coast.”
One newspaper report referred to Mick as a ‘hairy hippy’ during his time at the Roosters.
He came to the Sunshine Coast with his wife Sue and daughter Renae and they settled in Eumundi, where they had a son, Aden.
He got a labouring job with a local construction company run by Paul’s father George, who often helped footballers, on the proviso that he would play for Souths in Nambour.
Mick made an immediate impact at the club during the early 1970s.
“We never saw the likes of him as far as training goes,” Paul said. “We couldn’t get over how hard he trained.”
Paul said Mick had a fun-loving nature away from the field, especially when he was young.
“He was a wild lad in his time and a good mate of mine.”
“When Mick came up here, he brought the Sydney lifestyle with him and that didn’t always go down well with the older people.
“But once they got to know him, he always won them over with his loveable, larrikin ways. “Mick was always respectful.”
It was at Noosa where Mick left a remarkable legacy.
He was the star player, the captain and inaugural coach of the Pirates in 1975 and he propelled them to their first premiership in 1977.
Former team-mate Gary Christensen said Mick brought a professional approach to the club.
“He was very fit and he trained hard,” he said.
“He expected us country fellas to train hard too. A few of us jumped the fence a few times because it was too hard.
“But he was dedicated to the game, and he was one of the best players to have played on the Sunshine Coast.”
A rugged and talented lock, Mick was selected in the Sunshine Coast Team of the Century in 2007 and the Wide Bay Team of the Century in 2008. He was also inducted into the Sunshine Coast Rugby League Hall of Fame.
It’s widely believed he would have been selected to play for Queensland if it wasn’t for the presence of long-time representative and tackling machine Col Weiss.
Gary said Mick “could read the play and was tough.”
“He was just a really good footballer. He was genuine player and a genuine guy, who loved his footy, an all-round good guy.”
And his coaching was second to none.
“We had good team morale and spirit,” Gary said. “All of the boys got along with him, when he was the coach.”
Pirates vice-president Greg Christensen, who is Gary’s nephew, recalled watching Mick play and coach during the late 1970s.
“I was a ball boy when he came to the club and my father (Col) was playing with him,” he said.
“It was massive for the club to win that first premiership.
“His nickname is Captain Pirate, because he was basically the original pirate.
“He was inducted as a club life member for all of the stuff he did for the club.
“He put our club on the map in local league.”
When Mick finished playing and coaching, he returned to Sydney for several years, to work at the wharves, before returning to Noosa and continuing his long association with the club.
Greg said Mick attended generations of club games.
“My old man and Mick would sit there and watch us when I was a junior, and he’d always say g’day to me.”
Mick’s son also played, and his grandson Luca is now a team-mate of Greg’s son.
“He would always come and watch games,” Greg said.
“You could tell he loved it (rugby league) even though he was slowing down with dementia, right up until the very end.”
Mick also kept pigeons and enjoyed training and racing greyhounds in Brisbane.
“He loved his greyhounds,” Greg said.
“He had a generation of people at the footy club and a group of people within dog racing.”
The Roosters extended their condolences.
“The Sydney Roosters are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former player Mick Plant,” the club said.
“The Sydney Roosters extend their heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of Mick Plant at this time.”
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