Sunshine Coast Falcons

History

The Falcons were originally the Winfield State League representative team for the Sunshine Coast. First competing in the 1993 season, they won their pool before losing in the semi-finals. For the 1994 season, they competed as Sunshine Coast/Gympie, against winning the pool matches, but losing both semi-final matches. In the last year of the State League, the combined Sunshine Coast/Gympie team failed to progress from the pool stage. They competed in the first season of the Queensland Cup in 1996 but dropped out the following season.

In 2006, the club joined the FOGS Cup competing in the second-level competition. The club finished their first season in sixth position, just outside the finals positions.

Partnership with Manly (2009–2010)

In 2009, they were readmitted to the Queensland Cup after securing an agreement with the NRL's Manly Sea Eagles to become a feeder club. Between 2009 and 2013 the club was renamed the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles due to the partnership with the Manly Sea Eagles.

The partnership instantly proved successful with the team winning the 2009 Queensland Cup Grand Final 32–18 to secure their first premiership, with a number of Manly players in the squad. Following the end of the 2010 season, Manly were forced to cut ties with the club after a change in policy disallowed NRL teams from having feeder clubs in both the Queensland Cup and New South Wales Cup.

Partnership with Melbourne Storm (2014–)

In 2014 the club reverted to the Falcons name and struck a three-year partnership with the Melbourne Storm from the 2015 season. The Falcons endured a 36-game losing streak during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, on their way to consecutive wooden spoons.

In May 2021, Melbourne extended their affiliation partnership with the Falcons to the end of the 2024 season.

Life Members

In September 2021, the club awarded the first life memberships of the club:

• Don Oxenham – Inaugural CEO and former board member
• Dave Cordwell – Coach (Colts: 2009–10; FOGs Cup: 2011; Queensland Cup: 2012–13) and former board member
• Alan Marr – Board member 2009–19
• Gordon Oakes – Chairman 2006–13

Season Summaries

Honours

Queensland Cup

• Premierships: 1 (2009)
• Runners Up: 1 (2017)
• Minor Premiership: 1 (2019)
• Duncan Hall Medal: 1 (Tony Williams – 2009)
• Petero Civoniceva Medal: 1 (Daly Cherry-Evans – 2010)
• Rookie of the Year: 2 (Daly Cherry-Evans – 2010); (Brandon Smith – 2017)
• Coach of the Year: 1 (Eric Smith – 2019)

Junior

• Hastings Deering Colts: 1 (2019)

Players

Representatives

The following players have played representative football for the Queensland Residents in the annual match against NSW Residents while playing for the Falcons.

• Trent Hodkinson (2009)
• Daly Cherry-Evans (2010 - captain)
• Jamie Buhrer (2010)
• Ben Hampton (2015)
• Kenny Bromwich (2015)
• Jahrome Hughes (2017)
• Lachlan Timm (2018)
• Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (2019)
• Darryn Schonig (2019)

Awards

The James Ackerman Medal is awarded to the Sunshine Coast Falcons Player of the Year. The award is named in honour of the late James Ackerman, who died from injuries sustained in a tackle while playing for the Falcons against Norths Devils in 2015.

Personnel

Coaches

• 2009 – 2010 — Brandon Costin
• 2011 — Adam Mogg
• 2012 – 2013 — Dave Cordwell
• 2014 — Ivan Henjak (quit midseason, replaced by Glen Dreger)
• 2015 — Glen Dreger
• 2016 – 2018 — Craig Ingebrigtsen
• 2019 — Eric Smith
• 2020 – 2021 — Sam Mawhinney
• 2022 – present – Brad Henderson

Name, logo and colours

The Falcons historic colours have been black and gold however when the Manly Sea Eagles announced their partnership with the Falcons the club rebranded to become the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles and the colours changed to Manly's colours of maroon and white. When the feeder arrangement ended the club continued with the name but changed the colours to blue and white. However fans and players on the Sunshine Coast called for a return to the clubs traditional name and colours and in the 2014 season the club complied, rebranding back to the Falcons with gold and black colours.

Image:Sunshine Coast Falcons logo.jpg|Before 2008 Image:Sunshine coast sea eagles.png|2008-10 During link with Manly Image:Sunshine coast sea eagles 2011.png|2011-13 Image:Sunshine_Coast_Falcons_logo_2014.png|2014–present

Stadium

The Falcons home ground is Sunshine Coast Stadium, located in Kawana Waters.

In both 2020 and 2021, Falcons' affiliated NRL club Melbourne Storm were forced to relocate to the Sunshine Coast Stadium due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

Major Sponsors

• Vantage Homes Queensland
• Sunshine Toyota
• South East Civil
• Bebrok Excavations
• Sunshine Coast Council
• FC Lawyers
• Green RV
• North Coast Foods
• Go Turf
• Southern Cross Sheds
• Maroochy RSL
• Pacific Office Solutions
• Channel 9
• Sea FM
• Sunshine Coast Daily
• Asset Electrical Contractors
• Headland Plumbing & Drainage
• L & H Electrical
• Subway

References

References

1. "1993 Queensland State League results".
2. "1994 Queensland State League results".
3. "Falcons face quicker game in FOGs Cup".
4. "Wizard Cup, Fogs Cup, Fogs Colts".
5. [http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2007/nov/09/coast-lands-footy-coup/ Manly to invest $1m in Coast league. thedaily.com.au]
6. "Brilliant Sea Eagles clinch cup".
7. "Eagles soar to a grand win".
8. (29 November 2010). "Sea Eagles lose Manly link". The Courier Mail.
9. (29 January 2014). "Switch to Falcons means much more than a new name". The Courier Mail.
10. (14 July 2014). "Falcons set to sign three-year deal with Storm". The Courier Mail.
11. (24 May 2021). "Storm enhances commitment to Sunshine Coast".
12. (14 September 2021). "Sunshine Coast Falcons Inaugural Life Members Inducted".
13. (24 September 2015). "Murphy takes James Ackerman medal at Falcon awards night". The Courier Mail.
14. (13 October 2016). "Jacks stars at Falcons awards".
15. (31 October 2017). "Sunshine Coast 2017 awards winners".
16. (18 November 2018). "Experience counts for Sunshine Coast Falcons".
17. (24 September 2021). "Vantage Homes Falcons 2021 Awards Night".
18. (3 October 2023). "2023 Awards Night Winners". Sunshine Coast Falcons.
19. "Sunshine Coast Falcons - Coaching staff".
20. (12 May 2014). "Former Brisbane Broncos coach Ivan Henjak has quit the Sunshine Coast Falcons".
21. (4 October 2019). "Falcons appoint new Intrust Super Cup head coach".
22. "Brad Henderson appointed Falcons ISC Coach for 2022".
23. "The Sunshine Coast Falcons".
24. "Sunshine Coast Stadium".