Some years ago Col Shepperd began recording the history of the Brisbane Veterans/Masters Competitions that existed as far back as the late 1970's. Despite many interruptions along the way, Col has completed his research and below is the result of his diligent work.
The origins of Masters hockey in Brisbane date to 1977 when John Fahey from Easts placed a newspaper ad appealing for hockey players of veterans age to play socially on Sunday mornings at O’Grady Park in Fairfield.
Some of the originals who answered the call included Cliff Beavers, Bill Grant, Peter Donsky and Brian Lobb.
Many of the social players who turned up at O’Grady Park were already playing in the Division 7 competition on a Saturday. But over the years, their numbers grew and by 1982 – the Golden Jubilee year for the Brisbane Hockey Association (BHA) – the first standalone Veterans Division started.
Four teams – Commercial, Norths, Bulimba and Easts – contested the inaugural competition which consisted of a Memorial Cup, President’s Trophy and a regular season culminating in the first Grand Final.
The Memorial Cup – played between the teams positioned first and second after the first round – saw Commercial claim the first silverware in Masters hockey when they accounted for Norths.
Commercial and Norths would meet again after the second round to contest the President’s Trophy with Commercial again winning.
At the end of the inaugural 1982 season, Commercial led the competition with 28 points, followed by Norths (22), Bulimba (13) and Easts (9).
Commercial would feature in the Grand Final, this time against Bulimba and completed a clean sweep with a narrow 1-0 win. The first Player of the Match Award in Brisbane Masters was awarded to C Rowell from Commercial.
The 1980s
Two more teams – University and a second team from Norths – rounded out the 1983 competition to six teams.
A team from South West United entered the competition in 1986, making an immediate impact by featuring in grand finals for the next two years. The competition welcomed a team from Redcliffe in 1989.
Throughout the decade, Commercial were the dominant team winning three titles, followed by Bulimba with two. Valley, Norths and South West United also won their first premierships.
Important changes were happening in the 1980s with players trading natural grass for artificial surfaces at Redcliffe and the State Hockey Centre at QEII Sports Complex, site of the 1982 Commonwealth Games.
On the representative front, a veteran’s competition was introduced at Coulter Shield level, with Brisbane not even conceding a goal in its undefeated run against Ipswich, Toowoomba, Warwick, Gold Coast and Border.
Brisbane’s John Nicholls, from Easts, also featured in the Australian Veterans team.
The 1990s
By 1990, the competition had expanded to 10 teams and new teams were welcomed throughout the decade including Kedron Wavell, Southbank Strikers (now called the Storm), Tigers and Brisbane United.
By the end of the decade, rapid growth in registrations saw the competition split into two divisions.
Commercial and Valley dominated the 1990s with four premierships each with St Andrews recording a breakthrough premiership win in 1994 and finishing the decade with two titles.
In 1997, a Consolation Cup was introduced for the top two teams that missed out on the finals, with the Southbank Strikers winning the inaugural title.
From 1997, players have competed for the prestigious Golden Oldie Award, presented on Grand Final night to the individual judged by his peers to embody the spirit of the game in Veterans hockey.
A new artificial surface was completed in 1996 with Colmslie becoming the headquarters of the State Hockey Centre, complementing Redcliffe.
By 1998, players were given a stronger voice with Brisbane Veterans Hockey invited by the BHA to have representation on the Board of Management, with Laurie Robinson serving as inaugural Director of Veterans Hockey.
The 2000s
The new millennium saw a number of changes and milestones for veteran’s hockey in Brisbane.
In 2002, the competition was renamed the Veterans Hockey League (VHL) and the Southbank Strikers won their first premiership since joining the competition in 1995.
In a throwback to the origins of veteran’s hockey, social hockey was introduced in 2006 (the 25th year of veterans hockey as a separate competition from the main BHA draw) on Thursday afternoons at the State Hockey Centre.
Tragically, Marino Berta passed away in 2008 while competing in the opening game of the Over 55 Darwin Championships. Bert was a popular member of the Brisbane hockey family and his loss left players devastated. “Bert” was posthumously awarded the Golden Oldie Award for the year which was presented by his close friend Allen Schasser.
The 2010s
Changes to eligibility for veterans divisions and a new tournament catered for the growing demand for veterans hockey.
By the end of the decade, the BHA Masters Competition brought together 28 teams, playing across five divisions.
In 2010, a new artificial surface was up and running at Carina. A year later, eligibility was extended to include 35 to 39-year-old players.
Masters players looking for a hit in the off-season were able to play Social Hockey on Monday nights from 2011, which proved a popular initiative in its first year and continues to be a popular with masters players.
The Memorial Cup – a mainstay of the early days of the competition – was reinstated as a stand-alone game from 2016, thanks to the efforts of BMMH Committee member Alex Granlund. The Memorial Cup now honours the memory of hockey players who lost their lives during World War II.
The Super Nines Tournament was a welcome addition to the Masters format in 2018 with modified rules and a mix of players from age divisions. Teams could register only two players aged between 35 and 39 years and needed at least two aged 50 years or more.
The new competition was open to clubs and Barbarian-style teams from Brisbane, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Pine Rivers St Andrews won the inaugural title followed by Bundy’s Rumbo’s in 2019 and Vikrams Vikings in 2020.
The BHA Masters continues to invest in the future of the game and in 2016 introduced an Umpires Scholarship to encourage young people to progress through the accreditation process. The scholarship also includes mentoring, coaching and support to ensure young people remain engaged in the game.