Norths Devils

Norths Devils

Full name	Northern Suburbs Rugby League Football Club
Emblem	Devil
Colours	Sky Blue, Navy Blue, Gold
Founded	1927
Sport	Rugby league
League	Queensland Wizard Cup
Ground	Albert Bishop Park
Capacity
CEO	Mark Murray
Captain	Mark Leafa
Coach	Kevin Carmichael
2010	2nd out of 12
Premierships	1934, 1938, 1940, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1980, 1998
Runners-Up	1931, 1932, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1967, 1970, 1990, 2010
Minor Premierships
Wooden Spoons
Biggest win	92-2 v Logan at Bishop Park, 2002
Worst defeat	60-10 v Burleigh at Bishop Park, 2005

The Northern Suburbs Devils, Norths for short, are a rugby league club representing the northern suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. The team colours are sky blue, navy blue and gold. They play in the Queensland Wizard Cup, and, through their predecessors, are one of the oldest clubs in Australia. Norths have won 13 A Grade, 17 Reserve Grade and 14 Colts/Third Grade Premierships. They hold the record for most consecutive A Grade Brisbane Rugby League premierships, winning six in a row between 1959 and 1964.

History

Before rugby league

The first incarnation of Northern Suburbs was the Past Grammars Rugby Union club, which was formed in 1887 as an Old Boys club for Brisbane Grammar School ^[1]. The club was quite successful in its early years, winning premierships in 1892, 1898 and 1899, as well as 1914 ^[1]. Wallaby captain Bob McCowan was a Past Grammar played when he led the national side in 1899.

Switch to rugby league

Following the disbandment of club rugby union in Brisbane towards the end of the First World War, Past Grammars, along with Christian Brothers and University, joined the Rugby Football League in 1920 ^[2]

From Past Grammars RLFC to Norths

Past Grammars, also known as Grammar Norths, won their first premiership in 1927, before becoming Northern Districts, and later Northern Suburbs, following the introduction of District Football by the Brisbane Rugby League in 1933.

1990s

In the 1990s, along with many other Queensland clubs, Norths suffered heavily financially. Eventually it came to the stage that in 1998 they became a feeder club with National Rugby League newcomers, the Melbourne Storm, which attracted much needed finance, as well as some quality players, as well as securing the Devils' future. Also in 1998, the club won its first First Grade premiership since 1980 ^[3], beating Wests in the Grand Final.

2000s

In the 2006 NRL Grand Final Melbourne's 17 man team had 13 players who had played with Norths in past years, including Matt Geyer, who won a Premiership with the Devils in 1998^{[citation needed]} and Melbourne in 1999. In the 2006 Tri-Nations series, 4 Norths players graduated to the Australian Kangaroos squad and 2 players, via Melbourne Storm, represented New Zealand Kiwis^{[citation needed]}.

2008

2008 marks 75 years since the Northern Suburbs Rugby League Club came into existence. In its semisesquicentennial year, new alliances have begun with the Brisbane Broncos and Aspley Devils. In the centenary year of Rugby League in Australia combined with the 75th Anniversary celebrations of the Norths Devils, the club expect another fantastic year of Rugby League in the Northern Suburbs of Brisbane.^[who?]

Home grounds

For many years Norths played out of Oxenham Park in Nundah, but they moved to their current home ground, Albert Bishop Park, in 1969. Commonly referred to simply as 'Bishop Park', it borders the Schulz Canal in Nundah, and is named after club stalwart Albert Bishop, MBE. Norths has a licenced Leagues Club, Norths Leagues, at Bishop Park, as well as a second licensed Club at Anzac Avenue, Kallangur, further north of Brisbane.

Queensland Cup Results

• 1996 - 9th
• 1997 - 7th
• 1998 - Premiers
• 1999 - Preliminary Finalists
• 2000 - Preliminary Semi-Finalists
• 2001 - Preliminary Semi-Finalists
• 2002 - Preliminary Finalists
• 2003 - 8th
• 2004 - Semi-Finalists
• 2005 - Semi-Finalists
• 2006 - 7th
• 2007 - 8th
• 2008 - 11th (Last)
• 2009 - Semi-Finalists
• 2010 - Runners-Up

Famous players

List of famous players

• Steven Bell
• Adam Blair
• Darryl Brohman
• Johnny Brown
• Steve Calder
• Clive Churchill
• Greg Conescu
• Michael Crocker
• Cooper Cronk
• Greg Dowling
• Nev Draper
• Darryl Duncan
• Israel Folau
• Nick Geiger
• Matt Gillett
• Trevor Gillmeister
• Mark Graham
• Peter Hall
• Darryl Stephens
• Gary Cook
• Glen Harrison
• Ross Henrick
• Greg Inglis
• Dallas Johnson
• Antonio Kaufusi
• Paul Khan
• Joe Kilroy
• Ron McAuliffe
• Paul McCabe
• Josh McGuire
• Fonda Metassa
• Fifita Moala
• Mark Murray
• John Payne
• Bill Pearson
• Kirk Reynoldson
• John Sattler
• Billy Slater
• Cameron Smith
• Glen Turner
• Elwyn Walters
• Steve Walters
• Jake Webster
• Lloyd Weier

Greatest Team

On August 16, 2008 in the year of the Centenary of Rugby League, Norths Devils announced their greatest team ever. The team is made up of players in their entire 75 year tenure.^[4]

1. Harry Bates
2. Fonda Metassa
3. Jack Reardon
4. Henry Hegarty
5. Joe Kilroy
6. Bill Pearson
7. Jack Stapleton
8. Vic Rudd
9. Cameron Smith
10. Lloyd Weier
11. Trevor Gillmeister
12. Mark Graham
13. Edward "Babe" Collins

Reserves:

1. Mark Murray
2. Greg Inglis
3. Greg Conescu
4. Ian Massie

Coach:

1. Bob Bax

Manager:

1. Albert Bishop

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Brief History of GPS
2. ^ Howell, Max and Reet. The Greatest Game Under The Sun: The History of Rugby League in Queensland (p47)
3. ^ Queensland Rugby League
4. ^ Pramberg, Bernie (2008-08-17). "Cameron Smith and Greg Inglis in Norths Devis 'greatest' team". The Courier-Mail. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,24194667-5003409,00.html. Retrieved 2008-08-17. 

External links

• northsdevils.com