The Sherwood Districts Australian Football Club community is mourning one of its favourite sons in Shane Bridley, who passed away 10 days ago after a recurrence of melanoma which was first treated many years ago.

"Shagga" was the architect along with good friends Terry O'Shea, Greg Adams and Rob Lawson to grow the Sherwood Past Players Association, the "Grey Magpies". It was Shane who came up with the name "Grey Magpies" as an option for the group and it has struck a chord and the name has stuck.

Shane began his association with Sherwood in 1962 after starting to play Australian Rules at primary school in the local Corinda/Sherwood community where he grew up. In those days Aussie Rules was quite strong in the primary schools in the Corinda, Sherwood and Graceville areas and Shane was one lad who gravitated toward the game. Kevin Kluver remembers him playing in Under 14s at the club.

He played mainly as a ruckman who could play forward and he was a member of Sherwood's 1973 Senior Premiership team that had a memorable 4 point victory over Mt Gravatt after being beaten by 83 points fortnight earlier in the second semi-final. He booted 8 goals in one match against Army in the early 1970s. 

He missed the 1977 premiership win over Mt Gravatt due to injury but that season he acted as a team manager in an early indication that he was a true clubman, a "giver and doer",  in a team environment. He had already coached junior Sherwood teams as a young man in the late 60’s and early 70’s and was also the inaugural coach of the first Sherwood Senior Women’s team in 1972.

Shane and a few other "Past Players" attended a teammates funeral a few years ago and they discovered there were a few other ex-players and friends who were doing it tough. They decided that life is too short and that the Sherwood Past Players should be far more active to help make connections and support all the ex-players and officials of the club as well as the current players and officials. Shane was one of the drivers of the new look Grey Magpies, writing informative and entertaining newsletters and encouraging Past Players to get to games and re-kindle old friendships. 

Rather than just talk about it, Shane simply just went and got it done. Back in late 2018 he contacted the current committee and an excerpt from that email is below, which sums up his can do attitude.

Good Evening,

Kevin Kluver may have mentioned to you that I would be making contact.

My name is Shane Bridley, a former junior player at the club from 1962, and a senior player of the early/mid 1970’s, having grown up in the Sherwood area, and attended school at Sherwood/Corinda. I moved away from Brisbane in the late 1970’s and currently reside in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast..

Over the years I have maintained regular contact with a number of players of that era, attended home games from time to time as well as a treat of the odd game up here on the Sunshine Coast. I have also attended a number of club functions, and my love of the club has never waned.

I was fortunate enough to have been at the club in its ‘glory days’ when the clubhouse was first erected, and we were winning grand finals almost at will, and the club was the place to go socially for the Western Suburbs.

My most recent visit to the club was the day/night of the ’50 Years of Senior Football’ celebrations, and perhaps the nostalgia of the evening has prompted me to perhaps see if I can do something for the club, through the past player/old boy network.

I am aware that there has been various versions of an old boys network, perhaps groups of mates from various eras and did attend a rather successful day there at the club a few years ago – time flies, but it was a fabulous day! A good role up of past players and supporters on that day, watched a great game of footy against the old enemy Mt Gravatt, and socialised accordingly in to the evening.

I have spoken with a number of former players since the day of the 50 Years of Senior Football, including Kevin Kluver, Warren Selvage, Rob Lawson, and recognised/agreed that the club could benefit from making our extensive past player network a more formal and visible arrangement. A fellow partner in crime from my playing days – Terry O’Shea, has also put his hand up, and he and I would like to take on the initial role/ do the groundwork, to meet with yourself and/or other Board of Directors Members, discuss/agree on formation, goals, etc, and form a committee of sorts from past players of the various eras, that can ensure any initial groundwork is followed up and acted on each season.

Whilst perhaps the principal activity of the ‘Association’ would always be ‘fellowship through football’, support for past and existing players, fundraising activities for the club, etc, are some of the other ideas that have been bandied about during discussions with past players at recent social events, and sadly to say, at funerals of past players and/or their wives. Establishing a more formal past player network to provide support in times of need, would appear to be another area that we as an association within the Football Club, could capitalise on for our extensive collection of past players.

Myself and Terry O’Shea would welcome the opportunity to meet with yourself and any other club personnel you think relevant, to discuss this proposal, and hopefully get it up and running with support from many others, and with clear goals for the season ahead…

No less than 6 months after that e-mail, Shane had established a databased of Past Players in the hundreds, distributed a monthly newsletter and helped organise an official ‘Grey Magpie’ launch function with David Parkin as guest speaker. When a number of ex-players indicated they may not attend due to financial difficulty it was Shane and a number of other Old Players who donated tickets so that all who wanted to attend could do so, the first step in underlining what this network would be all about.

Shane, who lived on the Sunshine Coast, would still travel to most Sherwood home games in the past 2 years and when the Past Players Association was formally constituted earlier this year with an official elected committee, Shane was elected President.

It was soon afterwards that he received the diagnosis that his melanoma had recurred and despite a brave fight he was unable to beat it a second time.  

Good mate Terry O'Shea said ‘Shagga’ was a bit of a character with some larrikin in him and who can forget that naughty boy smile he had. He and a few other Old Boys said they had never heard a bad word about him. An anecdote they related was  whern they picked him up his mum would always ask whether he had his hankie so he got ribbed about that often and they remember him brillantly taking off  1970s comedy character "Aunty Jack" at a club function.  

Shane worked for the Commonwealth Bank and was transferred to Mt Isa where he played for a couple of seasons before being moved to the Gold Coast, where, "horror of horrors" he played for Palm Beach-Currumbin. 

It was on the Gold Coast he met  his wife Julie and they then moved to the Sunshine Coast where they had two children, Luke and Abbie. 

Shane was passionate about his children's sports activities and to underline his selfless commitment to his community he was the past President of Stella Maris Churches Soccer Club, Sunshine Coast University Rugby Club (for 4 years - his son Luke is a long time playing member)  and is a Life Member of the Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club where he chaired the Mal Pratt Youth Development Foundation for 17 years. 

Shane Bridley was a "giver", a "doer" and he always put in far more than he got out of his efforts. He could light up a room with his cheeky smile and easy manner and was the epitome of the larrikin Aussie who just gets on with it, put the hard yards in and  enjoy it as much as you can. While he retained a strong interest and was a frequent visitor, Shane only took on official roles within the club again in the past two years. Despite this, his death has rocked the Sherwood footy community like few others and is testimony to what he has achieved for the club and the Grey Magpies in such a short time.

The Sherwood football community expresses in sincere condolences to his wife Julie, children Abbie and Luke and Shane's three grandchildren on the sad passing of their husband, father and grandfather. 

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the attendees at Shane's funeral on Friday is limited. Sherwood Footy Club will be represented by good mates Terry 'OShea, Greg Adams, Des Lashman, Bruce O'Neill, Rob Lawson, Kevin Kluver and Warren Selvage. 

The club is hoping to livestream the funeral in the function room at the club on Friday from 10.30 am (further details to come) and also invites all of Shane's friends and footballing mates to this Saturday's football match at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer where they will toast their good mate and remember his contribution to this football club, sport in general and to the general community. 

Shane was the ultimate Grey Magpie, seeking no recognition for his efforts and simply seeking ways to help the club and those involved for no other reason but to see people get the same enjoyment from the club he got himself over his 58 year association with the Magpies.

Below is the re-creation of an edited article that appeared in various publications on the Sunshine Coast last week, including the Sunshine Coast Daily.

"He will be missed": Region mourns selfless sports identity by Tom Threadingham 

With a cheerful smile and positive outlook, Shane Bridley spent more than two decades pouring his passion and time into supporting the region's sports community.

It was a dedicated and selfless contribution, and one that is fondly being remembered by friends, family and various clubs after the 70-year-old lost his battle with skin cancer on Saturday.
While a Collingwood tragic, Mr Bridley was a lover of all codes and fast became a prominent and friendly figure on the Sunshine Coast sport scene.

Shane Bridley is fondly being remembered by friends, family and various sports clubs after the 70-year-old lost his battle with cancer on Saturday. He is pictured with daughter Abbie, son Luke and wife Julie.

"He did a lot for kids in sport and wherever his children played he would also be a supporter of the club whether it be as a team manager or even some cases a club president," good friend Len Whitney said.

He's survived by two children, Abbie and Luke, wife Julie and three grandchildren.

Mr Bridley was a life member of Maroochy Surf Club, a past president of USC Rugby Union club, a past president of Stella Maris Churches Soccer Association, and also a proud member of Maroochy River Golf Club and the Buderim Snooker and Billiards Club.

He was even the co-founder of "The Grey Magpies", past players and supporters of Sherwood Districts Australian Football Club.

"He was always trying to help others," Mr Whitney said.

Mr Bridley was particularly prominent at Maroochy Surf Club, holding multiple roles including chairman of the Mal Pratt Youth Development Foundation for 17 years.

He received a Silver Certificate of Recognition in the International Year of the Volunteer for his efforts there along with 26 other surf lifesaving awards before retiring in 2018.

Fellow life member Ralph Devlin said "He was just one of the most courteous people I've ever met and was just a thorough gentleman," Mr Devlin said.

"He was just person who carried himself with the utmost dignity and politeness and you can't say that about too many people that you meet I don't think."

Long term friend Len Whitney said:
"(I'll miss) his cheerful smile and outlook and his wanting for Collingwood to win a football match on Friday night down at Mooloolaba pub

"He was a friendly, outgoing type of person.

"He was also a man who liked a XXXX heavy beer and felt that if you're having a beer it should be that.

"He'll be missed by us all and hopefully he's got a XXXX set up for us when we come and visit him again."

Shane Bridley is fondly being remembered by friends, family and various sports clubs after the 70-year-old lost his battle with cancer on Saturday 29 August

In a special tribute, Maroochy Surf Club will celebrate his life and contribution by having a drink in Mr Bridley's honour at 5pm this Friday 4 September

With COVID-19 restrictions at the funeral, next Friday, September 11, the club will also form a special guard of honour in the carpark with Mr Bridley's hearse to pass through on its way to Nambour.

"That'll be unique and great send off," Mr Devlin said.

Mr Devlin encouraged members to don club gear and help form the guard of honour at 12pm