Wallabies coach put on the path to success
IT took a titan of Townsville rugby union to transform Dan Mckellar.
Once a Burdekin lad who held a passion for league, the now Wallabies forwards coach found his way to the tutelage of Bill Muller.
The former Townsville Grammar School deputy principal, who passed away last year, was a major player in evolving the 15 man code in the region. While it has always been lauded the game played in heaven, it had barely scratched the surface in North Queensland.
But once Mckellar began boarding at the school he said Muller’s dedication to the sport and desire to bring out the best in his students truly resonated with him.
It has now put him on a pathway that has taken him all the way to rugby’s international stage.
“I had an enormous amount of respect of him and really enjoyed my time working with him,” Mckellar said.
“He just instilled the values of what rugby is built on, and he was a schoolteacher and a coach but he really cared and cared about you as a person. He cared about your family and it was really genuine.
“For that, you wanted to do everything you could possibly do on the field to make sure the coach was happy with your performance.
“He was a man held in incredibly high regard throughout the North Queensland rugby community, and when he sadly passed away there was an outpouring of love and emotions.”
Mckellar still holds a lifetime of fond memories for Townsville and the Burdekin.
He vividly recalls lifting the 1994 premiership trophy alongside his captain and brother Steve when the Canetoads triumphed. He still visits family in Ayr whenever possible.
The Brumbies head coach has now reached the pinnacles of the game, leading the Canberra-based outfit to back-to-back Super Rugby Australia grand finals – including a 2020 title.
Haling from a rugby league heartland, Mckellar could have been forgiven for remaining with the Steeden ball as opposed to the Gilbert, especially given his family’s history. His grandfather was a Burdekin rugby league administrator, his father was part of the region’s Foley Shield side, and Mckellar himself donned the Centrals Tigers colours as a junior.
But Mckellar said after garnering some success with Townsville Grammar rugby he got a taste of what the game could provide.
“I thought I’d always play rugby league up until I was 16, then I went on tours and got picked for a couple of rep teams and developed a love for the game,” he said.
“It’s the path that I’m on now and have been for a number of years. I played for Souths in Brisbane then got the opportunity to coach them after I retired.
“I started coaching just to stay involved and give back to the game. I love being in a position you get to celebrate really special moments and achieve a common goal together.”
Through Queensland Rugby’s Reds to Regions program the 15-man code is gathering momentum in rural and regional areas.
Progress has been made in including the sport into