The Bouncers Story

by Charlie Doyle OAM

First of all, let me tell you how the present Townsville Basketball Association started.  A lot of the information in the Townsville 50 year book is not correct or had little bearing on the formation of the TMABA (Townsville Men's Amateur Basketball Association).

I was posted to Townsville in 1949 after serving 2 ½ years in Japan.  I started to learn basketball in Japan in 1947 (age 23) and joined a team called "The Aussies" and over a period of 2 ½ years we won 7 premierships.

After arriving in Townsville in 1949 I joined the Cathedral YCW.  Shortly after the Catholic YCW basketball competition commenced and I captained/coached Cathedral to victory.

Not long after members of the YCW's and a few others called a general meeting to form a Townsville association.  Mr Ivan Clarke was President, Ray Barry (Secretary), Denis Ma Kong (Treasurer) and I was assistant Treasurer/Secretary.  A constitution was adopted.  Evidence came to light that a previous attempt had been made to form an association.  The only paper work we had was a bill for 26 pounds from a sports store.  We decided to go ahead with the formation of the association but pay the account before we proceeded.  Ray and I, with the help of several very helpful office girls, ran a raffle and within two weeks we paid the 26 pounds (a lot of money in 1949), and also had a handy kitty.

Unfortunately no sooner had the 1949 TMABA competition got under way at McInnes Courts, Charters Towers Road, there was a big coal strike for about six months and we were not allowed to use the lights.  We finally got under way in early 1950.  I did the publicity and most of the work in running the competition.  I captained coached the first four A grade premierships at McInnes and the first at Corcoran Park.  I also coached all the B1 and B2 premiership sides at McInnes (all aged 15 to 18), also all Townsville sides at McInnes.

During 1951 Con Brown and I approached the City Mayor, Angus Smith, and after several meetings obtained a lease on an area in Corcoran Park.  We organised raffles to pay for the move to Corcoran Park which was Townsville Basketball headquarters from 1952 to 1975 when we moved to Murray.  The move to Corcoran Park was made fairly easy thanks to the great band of volunteer workers.  I switched the lights on Good Friday night 1952.  I then drove up Castle Hill to see how they looked.  The first competition at Corcoran commenced soon after.

Although so far I have not mentioned Bouncers I feel all I have so far written has been important to the formation of Bouncers Basketball Club.  I could have written a few more pages but kept everything down to a minimum as much as I could.

Start of the Bouncers Story (mainly 1952, 1954, 1955, 1965 to 1980).  Again I will try to keep everything down to a minimum, which will be very hard to do.

Parks Hockey had a hall next to the basketball courts and used to train in the park.  One afternoon a number of young hockey players approached me to find out how they could join basketball.  I said to give me your names, and then they asked about a coach and I said, no problem I would coach.  I asked about a team name and they said "Bouncers".  I was playing and coaching for Dodgers in the A grade, as well as all the Dodgers teams including their junior side (who were hot favourites to win the title).  One of the Dodgers players coached this side and I coached Bouncers, who won the premiership (Winter 1952).  The Bouncers side was W. Seib, F. Edwards, R. Neilson, B. Malcolm, D. Allen, N. Groves, N. Rainey, Coach - C. Doyle.  As was my policy of promoting juniors I took the whole team up to A grade and played as Captain/Coach.

I was running a primary school boys competition on a Sunday morning.  I coached most teams and refereed all games.

Bouncers first A grade men's side was:  C. Doyle (Captain/Coach), F. Edwards, B. Malcolm, M. Crossman, M. Barnes, N. Groves, N. Rainey, W. Seib and D. Allen.  The team was performing really well and in fourth place.  The games lost were by only a few points.  Unfortunately I was posted to Manus Island half way through the season.  At that stage the team needed the services of a senior player for guidance.

In Manus Island I organised a ten team competition (hot shots) among the RAAF and Navy members.  In the last comp before I came home I organised a team from the married members' children (aged 14, 15, 16) and I played with them as Captain/coach and we won the premiership.

I arrived back to Townsville early 1954 and rejoined Bouncers.  However I did not rejoin Bouncers A grade men.  Instead the Townsville executive asked me to play with and coach two promising young sides who wanted to play A grade (bringing the total to a record 10 teams).  If I played with Bouncers they would be too strong they said.  Unfortunately I said yes.

I continued coaching all the Bouncers sides in 1954 and 1955.  We won the A grade men in 1954 and 1955, juniors in 1954 and 1955 and several school boys and juvenile titles.

The two A grade sides I was playing with and coaching were not the promising types as promised and I only stayed the one season with them.  In 1955 I played with Bouncers in the A Grade.

Bouncers formed a committee in 1954.  Mr Heaton was President, I was Secretary/Treasurer.  Unfortunately I spent a fair bit of time away in Victoria doing courses.  Whilst at Ballarat I captain/coached the basketball side to win the Victorian RAAF championship.  I also captained the athletic team to win the Victorian Services championship.

1954/55 was a very busy period for me and I never had as much time to spend with Bouncers as I would have liked.  I helped organise the Easter Carnivals, did a lot of refereeing, coached all the rep sides and refereed at the 1955 Australian Men's championships.  I also was TMABA President in the later part of 1955.

I was posted to the East Sale RAAF base at the end of 1955.  Just in time to attend the 1956 Olympic Games.  I attended all the athletics and all the basketball.

At  Sale I captain/coached the RAAF All Stars to win six Sale and district premierships.  This was a very good side and we defeated the visiting Melbourne Tigers one year when they were on a visit.  They had four Victorian representatives in their side.

In 1962 I was posted to Darwin for 2 ½ years.  1965 I was posted to Townsville for discharge.  I was discharged on 18 October 1965 after 21 years service.

Bouncers folded in 1957 and reformed in 1964.  Reuben Redhead Junior (President), Fred Edwards (Secretary/Treasurer).  They won several A Grade men's premierships with some Bouncers players under the club of Celtics.  I never did find out why they left Bouncers as they had heaps of very good juniors coming along.

In 1965 Bouncers had offered me little and my good friend Kevin Sugars talked me into signing on with Nationals, a new club as club coach.  We won the junior competition and were runners up in the A grade men.

The junior side of basketball was a bit of a shambles.  All ages were controlled by the TMABA.  The under 14 age down had two teams.  The above age groups were not good.

I was very interested in doing something to improve the juniors, of course improving basketball.  Reuben Redhead was the most interested to help.  Hermit Park State School was still a very large school.  Con Brown, a senior teacher at Hermit Park School and good friend, offered to help.  Con was an ex-President of TMABA and I had coached his two sons in the early days.  Arthur Macklin (teacher at the Technical College) and President of TMABA promised to build four top class back boards at the school as part of training and no expense.  With the help of Bill Humphries (Principal) and Bert Bragg (Deputy Principal) I organised for anyone interested in learning to play basketball to stay after school one day and meet myself and Reuben at 3pm.  As they say in the classics, the rest is History.

About 200 very polite girls and boys turned up and Reuben and I almost had heart attacks.  We only had a few basketballs with us but had a great half hour or so.  Within a few days we had names, ages etc sorted out and started training.  Arthur Macklin had the boards, frames and rings made very quickly and they were up in no time.  I think Bill Humphries might have made some of the backboards.  The lines were marked and all systems were go.

To give everyone a real idea how basketball should be played early 1966 I organised an exhibition game between the two top teams in Townsville - Bouncers and Nationals with two top referees.  The whole school was given an extra lunch break and it turned out to be a great game.  The teachers had trouble getting the kids back into school.

Shortly after, with the help of Reuben and the teachers, I organised a Friday afternoon competition for grades 5, 6 and 7, who didn't attend the Friday inter-school sports.  This proved very popular and really got basketball going in the school.

In 1966 Reuben Redhead (Jnr) was President and Fred Edwards was Secretary/Treasurer of Bouncers Basketball Club.  Later in 1966 Bouncers Junior Club was formed with Bert Bragg (President), Charlie Doyle (Secretary/Treasurer) and Charlie Doyle (Club Coach).  Later the two clubs amalgamated with Reuben as President and Charlie as Secretary/Treasurer.

The next period for me to cover is 1966 to 1980.  What a period for Bouncers and basketball!  I will cover what I can remember at the moment and from photographs, news cuttings and records I've managed to keep.  I was Club Coach, Team Coach, Secretary/Treasurer, President of Bouncers, President of Townsville Minor Junior Association, President of Townsville Minor Junior referees, President of North Queensland Basketball Association, Townsville coach and North Queensland coach and many other positions during this period.

Much of my time was tied up with basketball, especially the 1966 to 1974 period.  When I retired in 1965 I bought a house at 17 Poinciana Street, Cranbrook which I sold in 1967 and moved to 14 Fraire Street, Hermit Park - a good long pass from the Corcoran Park courts and this became the Bouncers Club house for a number of years.

Before I start with the Club's performances may I mention the great help I had from the principals and teachers from Hermit Park School.  I must mention the great help I got from Deputy Principal, Bert Bragg.

May I congratulate all students from Hermit Park School and all players I was associated with over this long period.  They were fantastic in behaviour, sportsmanship and as you will see great sporting potential.  They were the greatest in all departments.  No wonder they were so wonderful as they also had the greatest parents.

I must give special mention to the Braggs, the Pages, the Tudehopes, the Craddocks (nothing was too much trouble for them no matter how busy they were).  Also the great co-operation I got from all parents.  I could go on and on.  Also much mention the great help I got from Reuben Junior & Senior, my good friend Kevin Sugars and Spid and the Arab (they were a great help).

Also, mostly from the U16 group the great coaches who helped me.  They were top players and top coaches who continually out-coached (many senior coaches) from their opposition coaches.

Juniors to win premierships 1966 to 1980 were nearly all from Hermit Park School (The school became know as the Basketball School).  Nearly all teams from 1966 to 1973 were undefeated.

Women commenced playing in TMABA in 1958.

I believe our A Grade Women won the premiership in 1974.  Ron Shillam was Coach and Clive McCall was President.

After 1980 I retired from working as I was beginning to get many sun cancers.  I helped Mark Bragg at Ayr for some time.  Early 1983 the TMABA asked me to help.  Their juniors were practically zero.  They had 39 teams, 19 were rejects from soccer.  A full-time director of junior coaching was appointed in 1984.  I was asked to apply but was not interested.  A decision I don't regret.  I volunteered as a director of coaching.  I was to assist the Director of coaching, but I am sure it turned out the other way around.  The Director was full-time and paid.  I have never received any money from the senior or junior associations.  I was offered some at different times but refused.

Most times I supplied by own transport, petrol etc.  From 1986 I also supplied all the basketballs.  Always had 50 to 60 first class basketballs at each class.  From 1986 I did most of the classes by myself.

Start of the School Program:

1984 began slowly.  I organised the school program each year, numbers in the clubs started to increase.

1985 - coaching director resigned and I filled in for 6 months.  The school program took off.  Clubs couldn't take all the juniors wanting to join basketball.

1986 - I had 24 primary schools in the school program.  Don't forget this was all in normal school time and every student in the class attended.  I organised the programme for 12 months in advance and the program was fully booked out.

Total of students each year grew to over 4,500 and when I retired in 1990 it was over 5000.

I started the school primary competition in 1986 and the teachers committee took over in 1987.

In the school program every grade from 3 to 7 did a six weeks course.  In 1986/87 the school program was classed as the world's largest primary school sporting program.

1987/88/89&90 continued as large and popular as ever.  I was fast losing my voice.  I was coaching 8 classes a day mainly by myself.

The numbers in the junior associations were fast improving.  Clubs were knocking back players.  Teams grew to over 90 by 1990 and a few years later grew to over 150.  Junior basketball was fast becoming Townsville's top junior sport.

I have had a long and exciting time in basketball with probably more success than I could have ever dreamed for.

My time with Bouncers has always been pleasant and enjoyable.   Probably the period 1966 to 1973 being the highlight.  I don't think it can get much better than that.

My period of 1983 to 1990 running the school program was also an unbelievable and successful experience.

Charles Doyle OAM