Robina is the club built on the Bricks
CLUB pioneer Matthew Brick has been rewarded for his years of loyal service to the Robina Roos with a special one-off selection in first grade.
Brick, now 42, is set for his 400th game in the blue and white stripes of the Roos when they play arch rivals Beenleigh Buffaloes at Scottsdale Drive in Robina today in a QFA Division 2 fixture today.
And the veteran marvels how and why he stuck with the Roos who, in their early years, were once described as the worst team in Australia.
He has been given his moment despite playing only one game in the reserves this year.
Turn the clock back to 1996 when the Brick family, headed by parents Les and Glenda, were disgruntled with life at the Burleigh Bombers that they decided to start their own club.
Matthew had played five seasons with the Bombers, starting as a 15-year-old, and basically had to go along with the parents or else he would not get fed at home.
Matthew was the stand-in captain for Robina’s first game, against Palm Beach-Currumbin, on April 7, 1996.
It resulted in a 92-point loss but it turned out to be the only time in the season that the Roos did not concede 100 or more points. The final round was a 302-point massacre from Surfers Paradise.
What followed were 35 successive losses, a run that ended in the final round of 1997 when the Roos broke their maiden with a win against, ironically, Burleigh.
What followed next were 18 successive losses in 1998.
“I guess it’s fair to say our first few seasons were not our best years,” Brick said.
“It was tough going early but I never had any thoughts of giving it away.
“The mateship we formed was nothing I’ve experienced at any other club, even though the results were ordinary.”
In 1999 Robina snared Brett Thompson, father of current Suns defender Rory, as coach.
Remarkably the Roos made it to the GCAFL preliminary final, which they lost in extra time.
Sticking to his task, Brick was captain-coach when Robina lost the 2003 AFLSQ Division 2 grand final.
Then came back-to-back flags for the Roos. The once easybeats became champions with flags in 2004 (Brick captain-coach) and again in 2005 when Tim King was coach and Brick was a player.
Robina settled at Scottsdale Drive in 2004 but before that they were truly nomads with a variety of home grounds – Pizzey Park, Merrimac Oval, Sir Bruce Small Park and Christine Avenue.
“Has it all been worth it? For sure,” Brick said.
“The mates I made there are still good mates to this day,” Brick said of the journey.