Coogee Dolphins

For a rugby league club only established as recently as the mid-1990s, the Coogee Dolphins sure can boast an interesting and dramatic club history. In their first-ever season in ’94 they fielded an A-grade men’s team and an under-6s team. Disaster and devastation struck about a decade later when six of their clubmen – Clint Thompson, Adam Howard, David Mavroudis, Shane Foley, Gerard Yeo and Joshua Iliffe – were killed in the Bali Bombings tragedy of 2002.

What came next was nothing short of amazing. Drenched in grief, the club raced to the side of relatives and friends connected to the six lost players and showcased everything that is great about local club sport: loyalty, support and a good ol' dose of classic club spirit. Even blokes like Mark Geyer, Matty Johns and Brett Mullins threw the Dolphins jersey on, all in the name of helping the club find its feet again and bringing a bit of joy back to those left reeling from the experience.

For two decades the Dolphins have been holding an annual charity sportsman’s lunch, which over the years has raised over a quarter of a million dollars. And it’s on again this year. We wanted to know more, so we caught up with club stalwarts and disciples Alby Talarico and Brock Thompson, who took us through what it means to be a Dolphin ... and where you can get tickets to their upcoming