Caboolture FC completed their meteoric rise to the top of Brisbane Football on Saturday, winning their third consecutive title and cementing their place in the 2019 Brisbane Premier League.
Hosting third-placed Annerley in the final regular game of the season, Caboolture only needed a draw to pull ahead of Toowong at the top of the table, still with a game in hand.
A dominant first half for the home side was almost spoiled by a lapse in concentration, and had it not been for multiple stunning saves from goalkeeper Jacob Boyle, the 0-0 score at half-time could’ve been different.
“The boys really lifted after that, and soon after the break our momentum led to the first goal from Jamie Hilliar,” Caboolture coach Nathan Walker said.
Annerley hit straight back to level the scores, but when Cameron Scott regained the lead for Caboolture they took control and found the net again through Jake Dyson and Sam Heaney, running away with a 4-1 victory to seal the premiership.
“There was a lot of expectation going into the game, but I just told the boys to keep it simple and reminded them that we’re only as good as our last game,” Walker said.
“We fell asleep twice, but were good enough to get back on top and finish the game off.
“There was a lot of relief afterwards, and some wild celebrations after a long season.”
The win came after already securing promotion into the Premier League in previous rounds – the last frontier in a stunning progression for the club since moving to the Brisbane competition after 20 years in the Sunshine Coast League.
Starting in Capital League 4 in 2016, the A-grade and reserve grade senior teams were both successful in grand finals in their debut season, before repeating that feat in Capital League 3 in 2017.
Skipping Capital League 2 due to a reshuffle in the structure of Brisbane Football, Caboolture entered Capital League 1 this season with their eyes on the ultimate prize.
“This was our plan from back in 2016, and I was always confident we could do it,” Walker said.
“I knew a lot of players around Brisbane when we first started so there was quite a talent pool to pick from, and I thought if I could get the club’s full backing to pursue the players and system I wanted then we would be where we are today.”
“They’ve supported me the whole way, and we’ve got all the right people around the team to ensure they deliver on the field.”
“Our main focus is to finish this season strongly with the finals coming up, before sitting down and working out our plan for next season and beyond.”
“A big difference will be having more players approach us rather than needing to chase them necessarily, due to our promotion and our new home facilities.”
The multi-million-dollar complex in Burpengary will be open in time for next season, featuring Moreton Bay’s first FIFA-rated synthetic field as well as two grass pitches and a brand-new clubhouse.
“We can now attract those higher-level players to the club, as well as give our crop of talented juniors coming through the ranks every reason to stay at the club,” Walker said.
“It puts us in a really good position going forward.”
“On a personal note, a lot of coaches get discouraged when clubs tell them they need certain licences to do the job, often which they can’t afford, but this shows that experience and knowledge count for more than a licence.”
“You’ve just gotta back yourself, back your system and the team philosophy, and if you’ve got a great club behind you like I do, then anything’s possible.”