Rupert McCall's Tribute to the 2006 Dolphins

Renowned poet Rupert McCall grew up on the Redcliffe Peninsula with stories passed down from father Kerry, of the feats on the football field of the Dolphins of the 1960's like Kevin Yow Yeh, Des Webb, Henry Holloway and a young Arthur Beetson.

With Red and White blood running through his veins Rupert would trek off down to Dolphin Oval as a youngster to cheer on his heroes growing up the likes of Bunny Pearce, Tony Obst, Peter Leis, Bobby Jones and Ian Thinee.

Today Rupert is still as passionate as ever about his Redcliffe Dolphins and still makes the trek down to Dolphin Oval to watch his beloved Dolphins run around. But now it's just not Rupert and his dad that make that trip Rupert is introducing his children to the joys of a day on the hills at Dolphin Oval.

At the Clubs presentation night this year Rupert recited this tribute to the 2006 Queensland Cup Premiers.

They stood and delivered together ? they took to the paddock as one
The Cow out in front like an axe man with a sense of what had to be done
The species that followed behind him had that brave undeniable look
Equipped with the words of the guru ? the man that would answer to ?Hook?
The months and the hours of training ? one last eighty minutes of work
There was Fluggie and Greenie and Shippie and ?The Mitchell Assassin? D Burke
With a mighty investment of shoulder in and a personal passionate stake
The Clydies ? they thought that they had it when they scored from the earliest break
For to think - just a fortnight before this, the dithering Dolphin was smashed
And they might have been planning the party?but the party was soon to be crashed!
When a magical face ball found Turner and he dotted it down near the sticks
He thanked God and also the physio, for giving his hammie the fix
The game was about to ask questions?and only the brave can define
Set after set they attacked us, but we wouldn?t surrender our line
And then in the shadow of oranges, a taste of the pots we?d be skullin?
The playmaking genius of Roberts found the blistering figure of Cullen
A sprinkle of side-stepping Pepper ? a pat on the nude shiny head
And Snuffy, you?ll go down in folklore as a champion player in red

The chapters of courage continued ? a second half cyclone blew gnarly
The boys made a wish on the tackle of Fish and the impact of Tex and of Parlie
The lovers of league at the Stadium and those who sat glued to their telly
Saw the Fox and the Weasel combining to give space to the flying Guimelli
But the game it remained in the balance, though the field goal provided some space
It wasn?t til Emmett Cazaly put the nail of the coffin in place
Like a cattle dog catching a Frisbee then to Bromley ? you beauty! Amen!
And to prove that it wasn?t an instance of arse, they freakishly did it again
When Shippie completed the carve up ? the Dolphin brigade went berserk
With the hair of a Trojan Adonis, then the extras were added by Bourke
The same way he?d done it all season ? the sum of all sailors on deck
Through the efforts of big Paddy Gardner ? of Kane and of Simmo and Shrek
With Slugger & all the support staff ? through the good and the bad times, they hung
?Cheers boys here we are from Redcliffe? ? the song, once again, will be sung!
And you think that?s the end of the story? But it isn?t the end ? not by far
As the Fins left the paddock together ? there was one unforgettable Starr
His family proud in the grandstand ? they would have been win, lose or draw
But Starry you earnt what was coming ? and I know you?ll remember the roar
When Cowboy took hold of that trophy ? the strength of the memory sticks
And he raised it in glory and honour for THE FINS OF TWO THOUSAND AND SIX!


For more information on Rupert including some of his past works like the patriotic Green and Gold Malaria and his moving tribute to Steve Irwin you can log onto his website www.rupertmccall.com.au or you can hear him on radio nightly from 6.00 to 8.00pm on the Sports Today program he co-hosts with Rod Tiley on 4BC 1116am in Brisbane.