Wheatmen aim to break drought
CRAIG McVeigh has already experienced one of Darling Downs rugby’s most prized moments. Now he’s hoping to realise one of his dreams. McVeigh and co-captain Paul Maguire will lead Dalby into battle against Toowoomba Rangers at Clive Berghofer Stadium tomorrow when the Wheatmen look to end a 10-year Risdon Cup premiership drought. The 23-year-old captained Downlands College against Toowoomba Grammar School in the 2008 O’Callaghan Cup in the last of his three years as a Griffins First XV member. The memories of that honour will always remain with him but they promise to take a back seat tomorrow if Dalby can pull off a long-awaited grand final victory.
“It will be a dream come true if we can do it,” McVeigh said. McVeigh is a Wheatmen to his boot straps. He works with his brothers Matt and Lachlan on his family’s cotton and grain farm and he kicked off his football days with the Dalby Wheatmen under-sixes.
Matt and Lachlan will also be a part of tomorrow’s Dalby grand final squad while their parents Neil and Sonya will be onlookers in a large Wheatmen supporters contingent.
“I went to Downlands and played in the First XV for three years and I was lucky enough to captain the team against Grammar in 2008,” Craig said.
“We were beaten that year, but it’s all about the experience and the great memories.”
McVeigh was part of the Dalby under-20 team beaten by Toowoomba Bears in the 2009 grand final.
His move the following year to the senior ranks coincided with a lean period for the Wheatmen.
But a revival last year under coach Peter Smiles has helped spark a turnaround in the culture and direction for the resurgent Wheatmen.
“I remember 2011 and 12 as struggling years for us but last year was definitely the start of a rebuild at the club,” McVeigh said
“Things have really started coming together for us towards the end of this season and hopefully if we can put our best foot forward on Saturday, we can go close against a very good Rangers side.”