Josie Rogers

In a sport in which loyal and hard-working volunteers are like gold Josie Rogers has been a positive gold rush for football in Mackay.

She served the code in Mackay for 43 consecutive years from 1973-2015, giving so much to the game that those in the know suggest there may not be a Mackay Football League but for her dedication and service.

The fledgling Mackay League had just begun in 1970 when Josie moved from South Australia with husband Mick and their young family, and when she retired aged 75 in 2015 she had quite simply done it all.

She was one of the first canteen operators at the League’s now outstanding headquarters at Harrup Park, and across the years has served at club level and League level as a timekeeper, gate keeper, secretary, treasurer, registrar, tribunal member, junior president and interim senior league president, invariably stepping into the top job in the time of crisis.

No task was too menial … if it needed doing Josie did it.

She’s seen the code grow enormously, with new clubs and new grounds., and the now excellent partnership with cricket at Harrup Park. And she saw Mackay beat Cairns and Townsville in 1973-78-83 to win the North Queensland Championship.

Amid countless accolades, she was awarded life membership of the East Mackay Demons, now the Eastern Swans, in 1981, and AFL Mackay in 1983. In 1993 she received the QAFL Certificate of Service, and in 1996 the Eastern Swans home ground was named the Josie and Mick Rogers Oval.  In 2003 she received the AFL Certificate of Recognition, in 2007 the AFL Merit Award, and in 2014 the Order of Australia Medal.

There has been no more loyal and dedicated servant of the code in Queensland through 150 years and now she is a fitting inductee to the Queensland Football Hall of Fame … Josie Rogers AO.