History of our Club

The Aspley RLFC first became an official member of the Brisbane Rugby League Junior Division in 1968, as the North Aspley Rugby League Club.  The club received assistance from Norths Rugby League Club, or rather individuals from Norths, who assisted the club’s early development in the first couple of years.

A gathering was held in 1967 involving a number of people interested in establishing a rugby league club in Aspley.  This meeting was held at the rear of what is now the Bi Lo shopping centre and was attended by Mr Tom Gledhill, an adviser from Norths.

The first meeting to actually form the club was held in 1968 at the old Geebung RSL Hall, which was fondly known as the hole in the wall.  At this meeting the following people were elected to the club’s management committee:

President – Rex Dannenberg
Secretary – Des Rose
Treasurer – Novah Newton

According to the then President, Rex Dannenberg, seven people attended this meeting. 

In the club’s first year of operation, it fielded four teams and the Under 13s won the premiership.  The teams trained at Bowden Park at Geebung under lights, which, by today’s standards, were quite dim.  The Minor League fixtures were played at Kalinga Park and the juniors were played at Deagon.

These early teams were levied to raise funds for the operation of the club.  In the early days, the major source of fundraising for the club were raffles and a Chocolate Wheel at the local shopping centre (now Bi Lo).  The club made a profit of $77 in its first year of operation. 

Once the club’s clubhouse was completed, the club ran Bingo.  In the early games, tickets were sold for a particular game and then the takings were counted and a percentage of this amount was announced as the prize for that game.  The first Bingo organiser was Jack Gledhill who after a few years was followed by Pat Buckley, who also ran bingo for a number of years.

Later, the club was able to secure certain days to do meat tray raffles at the Aspley Hotel.  These raffles were organised by the late Harry Kirby.  Harry was one of the early advisers from Norths who decided he liked Aspley better than Norths and stayed with the club.  Harry eventually became the club’s second life member.

In the early years, apart from the AGM, which was held at Geebung RSL, the club’s committee meetings were held under or in various members’ houses.  One of these was Pat Buckley’s home, where sometimes there was difficulty finding space because, for a number of years, Pat was the property officer and consequently all the jerseys and other club gear, including the club’s lawn mower, were stored under Pat’s house.

The club had a Ladies Committee, who contributed greatly to Club fundraising in the club’s early years.  The Ladies Committee operated the caravan canteen and subsequently the canteen in the clubhouse.  They also sold raffle tickets around the ground during games and helped with the club’s Bingo.  This was done under the very capable leadership of Mrs. Joan Buckley.

The first lease over the Kirby Road Field was signed in around 1970 and games started from there at approximately the same time.  The club’s first canteen was a caravan from Golden Circle and the toilets comprised simple canvas walls.

The building of the first clubhouse was completed in the early 1970s, thanks to a number of club members who personally guaranteed a bank loan.  Among these guarantors was the Wentworthville Leagues Club, demonstrating the strong ties between the two clubs.

The first visit between Wentworthville and Aspley was during the club’s first year in 1968, when two teams from Wentworthville traveled by train to Brisbane.  All reports of this first visit indicate that a very good time was had by all involved.  The original trip came about because Des Rose, the Aspley’s Secretary, was from Sydney. 

The teams involved in the annual games between Aspley and Wentworthville are always Under 13 and Under 14 teams, with games held at Aspley one year and Wentworthville the next.  This ensures that all club players have an opportunity to play at home and away.