With the minor premiership safely tucked away the Burleigh Bears FOGS Colts team is still looking to improve and build towards a maiden premiership.
The Bears are seven points clear at the top of the ladder with one game remaining. Coach Robert Campbell said a tight knit playing group with a mature attitude towards football and a relentless workrate has helped build the team into premiership favourites.
No Gold Coast based team has won the FOGS Colts Premiership and Campbell knows there is plenty of work to be done.
“At the end of the year you either get too old or you move up through the grades,” he said. “This team will never be the same again so winning this comp is our focus.”
The Colts team is made up largely of Gold Coast juniors with many contracted to the iSelect Gold Coast Titans.
Campbell said that of approximately 30 players that have been used in Colts this season, only two or three have come from outside the Gold Coast system.
A big part of the team’s success has been taking players from different clubs, schools and backgrounds and unifying them with a single goal.
Two of the local products who have stood out for the Colts this year are Daniel Schwass (Titans NYC/Mudgeeraba junior) and Jake Hughes (Burleigh junior). Their excellent form has been rewarded with call ups to the Intrust Super Cup team.
Sam Swift is another to do well and he was called up to make his Holden Cup for the Titans against t George Illawarra on Sunday.
“I’m super proud of them. They’ve earned it,” Campbell said.
“Daniel played a couple of games at the end of last year and he is better now than he was last year. He is more mature now, his kicking game is better, he’s ready too.
“He is a really, really patient player. I don’t think we’ll get him back until the finals to be honest; he’ll play all remaining Cup games.”
Burleigh Colts: Hayden Butler, Jarrod Ross, Michael Wheeler, Rhys Duke, Scott Purvis, Sam Grant, Talor Walters, Shem Vaoa, Marino Allen, Tyler Sparks, Brett Stratton, Hayden Schwass, Sam Swift, Ryley Glover, Dylan Pelo, Daymeric Pelo, Tim Wolens. Coach: Robert Campbell.