AG “Taffy”WELCH  

Arthur George Welch was nicknamed Taffy in reference to his surname and though he never played for the Club having lost a leg in France during the First World War, he was a major figure in the Club’s early years.

He was a constant presence in the Tigers administration from the first day of the Coorparoo Club where he served as President before becoming the inaugural President of Eastern Suburbs, a position he was to hold for over twenty years. Taffy was also a leading light in the Brisbane Rugby League with a meticulous memory for rules and protocols. He held Life Membership of our Club as well as the Queensland Rugby League.

He was involved in many different sporting organisations including Sailing but Rugby League was his first love.  He and Hec McInes held the Club together through the grim days of the Second World War. Even after being replaced as President by Arthur Sparks he simply transferred his passion and expertise to the Easts – Coorparoo Old Boys Association and acted as their President through the golden days of the 1960s when they built their Club House, the Henry Chadwick Hall at Carina.

Hec McINNES

Many new people to the Club may be unaware of the McInnes family and the incredible contribution they made to the Club through the long difficult years before and during World War II.

The whole family were responsible for the making by hand of the hundreds of sets of doubles sold each month to raise funds for the Club with his son Don, continuing the practice well into his seventies.

Wife Mary was the Clubs washerwoman for many years – washing every teams jerseys each week by hand and without complaint.

During the barren years of World War II when the Club was forced to recruit servicemen off the street to make up numbers, Hec would walk to the playing field with suitcases of shorts socks and boots to equip the new recruits.

Both Hec and his son, Don, are Life Members and the efforts of the McInnes family should always be remembered with gratitude by our Club.

Jack RYRIE

In Brisbane football in the 1940s the name of Jack Ryrie was legend. Nicknamed “Gunboat” for the way he powered through the opposition rucks, Jack was freely tipped to gain international honours but for the outbreak of the War. He played for the Club in 1933 and was still playing in 1950 with a short stint away during the war years.

An indefatigable forward he would chase after a ball kicked into touch to get back into he action sooner. Jack played close to 100 games for the Club and, even fifty years later is still held in awe by people for his skill, toughness and love for the game. Jack and his brother Nev were a formidable force in Brisbane Rugby League in the post war years and remembered with affection by all who knew them.

Len CONROY

Len is the middle generation of the remarkable Conroy family with his father and his son both also Life Members of our Club.

Len started coaching in 1955 while still playing.  He coached for 34 years, winning 16 Premierships from 26 Grand Finals at Junior and Senior levels. He served on both Junior  and Senior Management Committees.  He received his Life Membership in 1961 with his father following a few years later.  Greg  received his in recent years. Len won the Australian Sports Medal in 2001 and the Arthur Sparks Memorial Trophy in 2002.  His association with Easts has spannned over a period of 62 years.

Jack ATKIN

Jack started as a player with the Club in the late 1940s, and coached the Club to Premiership success in 1950. He had the remarkable record of playing with three Brisbane Clubs and winning premierships at all three.  He later movedg with great success into administration. Jack took over from Arthur Sparks as President of the Club through the golden era of the 1970s and was, with Tom Drysdale, responsible for the formation of the Easts Leagues Club of which he was the foundation Chair.

Long time members remember with gratitude the incredible amount of work put into fundraising by Jack and his wife Lillian who attended the ceremony. He is a Life Member of this Club and the auditorium at the Leagues Club is named in his honour.

Tom DRYSDALE

A contemporary of Jack Atkin, Tom was to become a giant of not only Eastern Suburbs but Australian Rugby League. Born and bred in the heart of the Eastern Suburbs and an old boy of Buranda School Tom was the Courier Mail Man on the Match in the 1950 Grand Final.  Tom spent some time in Maryborough before returning to a wonderful administrative career with the Tigers.

In 1964 Tom joined the Management Committee and, with Jack Atkin masterminded the resurgence of the Club through the seventies. He was the foundation Secretary of the Easts Leagues Club, and Chair of that group from 1980 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1993.  Tom was Chair of the Brisbane Rugby League (1985 – 1989) and then Chair of the QRL in 1990 and 1991. Tom is a life member of Easts, the BRL and the QRL.

Alan CURRIE

Alan Currie came to the Tigers as a young winger from the Northern Rivers who first played for the club in 1969 and drifted in and out of football before finding a permanent home at the Tigers through the Seventies.

Alan played on the wing in the 1972 Grand Final win and was absolutely outstanding for the Tigers in their back to back wins in 1977 and 1978.

Greg HOLBEN

An East’s junior who dabbled in Rugby Union during his time at High School, Greg was one of the characters of the star studded Tiger’s sides of the 1970s. A utility backline player capable at centre or five-eighth and was the original Angry Ant with his “take no prisoners” attitude occasionally misinterpreted by match officials. Greg was also a capable goal kicker and scored THAT dramatic last minute try to clinch the 78 Grand Final. He represented Qld at State of Origin level.

Greg took up coaching after he retired and later became the Chairman of Selectors at the Tigers, a position he held for many years.

John LANG

John was a true Eastern Suburbs boy who, until the final year of his career, had played at no other Club. An outstanding hooker forward, John achieved state and Australian representation. In 1980 he played a season with Sydney Easts and achieved the distinction of playing for NSW, Qld and Australia in the one season. John was a member of the very first State of Origin team.

After retiring, John became a successful Coach claiming the very first State League title in 1982 and the BRL Premiership the following season. He returned to claim another title in 1991 followed by two consecutive losses in the Grand Finals of 92 and 93. John then moved to Sydney to start an NRL coaching career at Cronulla before taking Penrith to a memorable NRL premiership. He is currently working with the South Sydney Club and remains a special character in the game.

Wayne LINDENBERG

One of the superstars of the seventies and freely acknowledged as one of the greatest attacking players in the game. A tremendous natural sportsman, Wayne was lured down from Toowoomba and quickly made an impact. In four seasons from 76 to 79 he played in three Grand Finals and a Preliminary final loss before retiring.

He was to return in 1983 under John Lang and mastermind the young Tigers stunning Grand Final win before again moving back to the Downs. He returned again later in the eighties to coach the Cub, but the Club was struggling at the time financially and, for once, his Midas touch deserted him. As a player however he is destined to be remembered as one of the very best.

Des MORRIS

Des joined the Club in 1968 from Booval Swifts in Ipswich and has been a wonderful contributor as a player, coach and administrator ever since. He holds the Club record of 226 A Grade Games and played in 6 Grand Finals winning three of them, two as Captain Coach. He then returned to the Club as coach in 1988 and led the side away from the wooden spoon they had inherited the season before and back into Semi-Final football. He then took over as Club President in 1994 and oversaw the Club for a decade of  steady success though the elusive Grand Final win was to elude us.

Des was a constant member of Queensland sides in the seventies and is still involved as a State of Origin and Australian selector. Now in the role as the Club CEO, Des is truly worthy of the title as a Top Tiger.

Rod MORRIS

The second of the Morris family to be named tonight, Rod joined his brother at the Tigers in 1970 and gradually developed into the leading prop forward in the game. By 1977 he had played 100 games for the Club. He was selected to tour New Zealand with the Australian team and the next year, 1978, saw him make his test debut against Great Britain. Rod was to go on to play 14 tests for his country and though by now playing for Balmain in the ARL, he returned to the Queensland sides for the first three years of State of Origin.

As the Club’s leading Test Player and with a wonderful playing record for the Club Rod Morris is a worthy recipient of this award.

Gavin PAYNE

An Australian Schoolboy rep player Gavin moved down from Townsville to join the Club of his brother Mark. It did not take long for Gavin to make an impression of his own as a quality fullback. He was to play 176 games for the Tigers and play in the 1983 Grand Final success where his last line of defence was a vital factor in the win. Gavin moved into coaching after his retirement and two agonizing Grand Final defeats in 1995 and 1997 did not do justice to the quality of his coaching.

Gavin is still heavily involved in the Club at the Junior level and also coaches Junior representative teams as well as occasional stints as a commentator on ABC television.  

Ian STAINS

When Ted Verrenkamp and Graham Andersen traveled to Toowoomba in 1985 to recruit several locals to the Tigers under Wayne Lindenberg’s coaching little did they know that the quiet blond giant centre they talked into signing was to become one of the leading lights of the Club. Ian Stains spent that first season traveling down from Toowoomba in a car pool but eventually made the move to Brisbane and into the forward pack. With the mobility of an ex-back and the endurance and toughness equal to any, Ian was to become the foundation of wonderful Easts sides of the early nineties.

Ian took up coaching at the Club with great success, securing a Reserve Grade premiership and continues to be involved as an enthusiastic member of the Past Players & Officials Association. With 182 games to his credit Ian is worthy of his place in the Tigers top 25.

Jack LOTH

As Licencee of the Stones Corner, the North Queensland born Jack was to follow a long line of hotelier into the position as Patron of the Club in 1964. For the next forty years he was to be a prominent figure and his influence and guidance as the Club moved to its present position cannot be discounted. For many years the raffles at the Stones Corner Hotel that he helped put in place were the lifeblood of the Club. He was also a man with incredible contacts in the worlds of sport, business and politics who was able to arrange many meetings that would prove of great benefit to the Club.

Jack has not been in the best of health in recent years and is no longer seen on his regular visits to the Leagues Club or on his frequent strolls through the Stones Corner shopping precinct where was he was freely acknowledged as the unofficial “Mayor of the Corner”. His donation of the Loth medal awarded annually as the Club’s prestige award is continued by his family and acts as a tribute to a real Tiger Mr Jack Loth.

John SHEPPARD

Another of the many families who have served his Club so well over its history has been he Sheppard family who are represented in these Awards by John Sheppard. John started with the Club as a junior player in 1948 and his father Harry immediately became part of the administration at the Junior Club. John played one year of senior football before retiring to concentrate on his then business of a bread run and his young family.

He was not lost to the Club however as he and his father become integral parts of he Club’s administration. Harry eventually moved to the Senior body after a stint as Chairman of he Juniors and right up to his death in 1992 was a fervent and dedicated Easts Committeeman. John also acted as a Selector and Chair of the Selection Panel as well rising to his present position of Senior Vice President. John was also, for many years, a prominent member of the Leagues Club Board and served as Chair of that body from 1990 to 1991 and again from till 2003.

Fred McCARTNEY

In the history of the Tigers through the 1950’s the name of the McCartney family is often mentioned through our award winner Fred McCartney and his sons Col and Ron prominent players with the Club. Fred has been honoured for his significant contribution as an Administrator at both the Junior and Senior level.

Fred was, at various times, the President of both organizations and was a leading light in the formation of the Easts Juniors club which is now at Scott Park. The award was accepted by his Son and another great Tiger, Col McCartney

Graham ANDERSEN 

Graham joined his father, Henry, on the Management Committee in 1979. Since then, he has filled many roles including those of Doubles Seller, Property Officer, Asst Secretary, and for over a dozen years was on the work party at the Stones Corner Hotel's Friday and Saturday raffles.

He was the Club's Alternate Director to the Brisbane Rugby League and the South East Division for many years and, for nearly twenty years, Graham has been heavily involved in the recruitment and retention of players.

Graham has been the Club President for the past six years and is also Deputy Chair of the Easts Leagues Club.

Ted VERRENKAMP

Ted Verrenkamp attended school in the heart of the Eastern Suburbs, at Buranda Boys but played his senior football with the Souths Club before spending his best years playing in England.

His first formal association with the Tigers was as Coach in 1970 and he was to be at the helm as the Tigers made their remarkable surge into the record books through that decade.

He coached the side to the famous 1972 Grand Final win and was later to become the Club President through the late seventies and early eighties.

A dapper gentleman and a wonderful character Ted is thoroughly deserving of this accolade.

Arthur SPARKS

Arthur Sparks first joined the Football Committee in the early fifties in an association that was to last an unbroken forty-four years until he stepped aside a short while before he passed away in 1997.

As well as his considerable skills as an administrator Arthur is remembered by all who knew him as one of nature’s gentlemen with a kind word for all and a great ability to make all feel important.  At our Club, he served as President from 1956 to 1961 but as a Delegate to the QRL and BRL they too benefited from his wisdom.

Arthur was the driving force behind the formation of the Past Players and Officials Association and was their first President. He was Chair of the Brisbane Rugby League Co-Manager of a Kangaroo Tour of England and a Life Member of our Club, the BRL, the QRL and the Golden Fifties Association.

Brian SMART

For longevity and devotion to the Tigers there can be few who can match the contribution of Brian Smart. Born in the heart of Tiger Country, Brian played junior football with the Club before moving into the senior ranks. He is remembered as a whole hearted player with a great record as a kicker. Brian was soon to move to off field duties being involved as a successful coach at Junior and Senior Levels and then moving into administration as Secretary and later CEO of the Club.

Brian’s methodical attention to detail gave our Club a great advantage in becoming a professional organisation. He represented the Club at Brisbane Division, South East Division and QRL level. He is a Life Member of our Club and also of the South East Division with over twenty-five years continuous service to the Club as an Administrator.

Elaine SMART

To speak of the wonderful contribution of Brian Smart to the Tigers is to only look at one side of the coin. His wife Elaine has been involved in the Club almost as long as Brian, and for many of those years was the rock on which the famous Ladies Committee was built. Whatever the task, Elaine and her loyal band of helpers would be ready and willing to assist. Catering at Club functions, manning the Canteen on game days or  raising funds for everything from the Medical Room to tractors or scoreboards, nothing was beyond the call of duty.

The Club is proud of the inclusive nature of our Club and of the many females involved over the years.  Elaine has been the trail blazer. But her nomination is not a token gesture to the weaker sex. Elaine is a Life Member of our Club and an undoubted Top Tiger whatever the criteria.

Scott NEILSON

To become a Top Tiger after playing your entire career from Junior days with the Easts Club and to finish with 193 A Grade games and an amazing 70 plus Reserve Grade games in a career that spanned a total of 24 football seasons is a remarkable achievement. Scott was a tireless back rower who played alongside some wonderful footballers in the second row many of whom he would remind you went on to play in the Sydney competition – perhaps as a result of his influence.

A true Club man and a wonderful personality around the Club, “Champ” has worked on the sideline as a coaching assistant and on field runner, though recent years have seen him spending more time with his young family.

Scott SIPPLE

As the competition becomes more and more professional it becomes rarer to find players who play their careers at the one Club. Thankfully, Easts have had several of these even in recent times. One such player included in our top 22 is Scott Sipple. Scott played Colts football with the Club appearing in the 1995 Grand Final as a centre. He played in a winning Reserve Grade premiership the next year and was five-eighth and goal kicker in the 1997 Grand Final lost in heartbreaking circumstances to Redcliffe.

He was to move to the forwards and by 2004 was a light weight front rower in yet another Grand Final thriller. Scott is still playing at the highest level and fingers crossed will become the third player in our club’s history to reach the elusive 200 game club. One of the few players to have played in every year of the State League competition, Scott Sipple is a player of whom the Club is proud.

Joe  BAKER
Joe was a champion back rower for the Club in the 1950s who inspired all around him with his skill and courage. Joe captained the Club for several seasons and was Player of the Year in 1955, 1956 and 1957 and is credited with around 175 A Grade games. What made his outstanding career even more remarkable was that he achieved all this while attaining Academic honours in the field of science.

He was to become a leading figure in the Australian scientific world. When the Roma St Parklands were opened in 2001, plaques were laid to celebrate Queensland Greats Awards recipients. Dr Joe Baker was one of the five people selected. An outstanding Queenslander and for over fifty years a great supporter of the Club we were honoured to have Joe present to accept this award.