BAND OF BROTHERS LIFT FOOTY CLUB FIJI CONNECTION

THE BURDEKIN ROOSTERS WERE DOING IT TOUGH UNTIL ALONG CAME NINE FIJIAN PLAYERS WHO TURNED THE TEAM INTO A FORMIDABLE FORCE AND CHANGED THE CULTURE OF THE CLUB, WRITES

When their song was done and the beers were being passed around one Fijian player, Suliasi Cakau, known as Suli, said “no no no, we don’t do anything until we pray”. Huddled in a circle in the dressing room still pumped about the win, the small-town A Grade team prayed.

“It gives me goosebumps now … when we played against Western Lions and we lost (later in the season) … they have got Islander background as well, the whole lot of them, Suli stood in the middle and had a prayer … everyone embraced it, so it has changed our club in a way too,” president Mick Brombal said.

It was the start of a season of highs for the Burdekin Roosters,

but it would have never left the ground if it wasn’t for sports mad farmer Ken Duncan.

“Ken has been into football and been in the sporting scene for the Burdekin for a while now, both codes, union and ours,” Mick said.

“Through the struggles that we were having through 2018, Ken and I had spoken about a few things and then Ken brought up this instance of what Bundy was doing with their boys and just through that we got to know people and that’s how we met up with Suli.”

Ken gained nine new workers to assist on his farm and the club gained nine players to strengthen the team.

“In the small towns you really struggle to get local boys, they have

all got mining jobs and cane jobs,” Ken said.

“They didn’t come over specifically to play football, but they came over to work and play football. It’s a good mix for them and a good mix for the club. They weren’t here to take away from any of the local boys, they improved the local boys.

“I get a lot of joy out of watching them. It’s like watching nine of my own boys.”

The season of highs was not without hurdles for the club, who not only learnt to embrace an entire culture but change some of their morals along the way.

“Some of the issues we did have was socially.

“The club had to have a good hard look at itself and change some

of our morals. “We enjoy a drink after a game, but again, in the back of our minds we did have to think these blokes are here to work and that’s their primary reason for being here.

“It was a learning curve for the club to try and change our post match celebrations, and there was a few.”

At the end of the 2019 season the nine Fijian players returned home as kings, the money they earnt was used to support families, build a house and bring an entire village up, something Ken believes is what makes their work in the Burdekin so important.

As long as Ken is farming, he says the boys will be able to return to play for the Burdekin Roosters.