Kirwan’s vital role in shaping Smith career
THE father of Melbourne Storm star and NRL premiership winner Brandon Smith has credited a Townsville school for turning his son’s life around.
Smith is doing the rounds on social media following Sunday’s grand final win thanks to his post-game antics, including a hilarious imitation of NBA star Dion Waters that even caught the American celebrity’s attention.
Known as “Cheese” among his friends and teammates, Smith and his affable personality arrived in Townsville from New Zealand in 2011 after his older brother Dylan gained a contract with
the Cowboys. Smith attended Kirwan from 2011 to 2013 and played on the school’s open rugby league team, and it was there that Smith’s father Shane believes that the path to NRL glory started.
“No Kirwan, no NRL. That’s my honest opinion,” he said.
“Brandon has always been a scallywag but he really turned the corner at Kirwan.
“It was the best decision we made and we still follow Kirwan in all the league and comment on their stories and pages.”
State and national schoolboys titles eluded him and his Kirwan teammates, but Smith remembers his Kirwan days fondly.
“I know
I wouldn’t be
where I am without them; I owe a lot to Kirwan,” Smith told the Townsville Bulletin earlier this year.
“They did a lot for me behind the scenes not a lot of people know about, and it wasn’t just a school for me.
“If they didn’t show that care for me as a person I know I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
Smith has been a guest of honour at Kirwan since his 2013 graduation, and in 2017 he was the guest speaker at the school’s 2017 sports awards night.
“I went along to that night as a student, and four years later I was the guest speaker,” Smith said.
“That was very surreal, and it’s very special to be now be
one of those students who have gone on to play NRL.”
Smith also played local rugby league for Centrals and Townsville Brothers, and still has a strong network of friends in Townsville.
“He looks at Kirwan with great pride and I’m sure if they ever needed anything he would be keen as,” Shane said. “He had great pride in Kirwan.”
Kirwan High head of sport Dave Ackers coached Smith for three years and was also a mentor to the fledgling young talent.
“The way he aggressively plays the game now, he turned up to school with that attribute,” Ackers said.
“It was just about harnessing that I guess, and support
ing him off the field because he lived away from home.
“His family also sacrificed so much for him and they’re very proud of him.”
Shane paid tribute to the influence of Ackers on Smith’s career, along with the late John Livingstone, who was the former principal of Kirwan High.
“Dave Ackers inspired him and ‘Livo’ did more than you can ever imagine … he was a great man — an amazing principal.”
Smith was joined by another Kirwan alumni, Darryn Schonig, in the Storm’s premiership winning squad.
Schonig wasn’t part of the Storm’s grand final team but played six NRL games for the premiers in 2020.