If you wanted success to come to your club, then signing Brian Battese would be a sure way to have a premiership knocking on your door.
Battese came to Wynnum and was part of their historic first premiership in 1982 and then went off to the Bulldogs and iced two more premierships in 1984 and 1985 being part of the Dogs of War forward pack.
Brian Battese Q&A
How did you get to Wynnum?
I was from Thirroul with Peter Dawes, we came down together. It was between Brothers and Wynnum.
Arthur Lovell got me to Wynnum to have a look... Greg Dowling was out with a broken ankle, so he was assigned the task of showing me Wynnum and selling it to me. He took me around and showed me the area; I was supposed to be at training that night but Dowling kept saying 'let’s have a beer'. Eventually I relented and had a beer and then Des Morris walks in and says 'guess you’re not coming to training tonight'.
They all came to the club after training and had a beer and they were such good blokes that I rang my dad when I got back to the hotel and said Wynnum is the club for me.
I thought to that If I came to Wynnum I might be able to play for Queensland in the first two games of the interstate series. Then Origin became three games so that put an end to that.
I was looking for a teaching job and Wynnum said I should meet Cyril Connell, he will get you a job. I didn’t really know who Cyril was but he wouldn’t get you a teaching job until he’d met you, so I had a meeting with Cyril and then suddenly I have a job at Wynnum High.
1982 and Wynnum beat the defending premiers Souths 17-3. Two tries in the last 10 minutes had it won for the Seagulls and their first premiership. The whole finals campaign was unreal - beating Dolphins 35-0 and Valleys 26-5 in the prelim. That’s 78 points to eight in the finals.
Gene Miles and Warren Green were great against the Dolphins - that’s probably the most complete finals performance I played in.
I remember Miles scoring under the posts from about 60 metres out. Against Valleys it was 19-2 at half-time - same thing we just started so well. Zillman, Morris, Seaton they were great.
Then the grand final. What a great day, what a great week afterwards.
I think the turning point was during the state league in North Queensland, Rod Morris came back and played and he was great for us.
I remember Gary Seaton being so excited about his roommate being Rod Morris - he kept saying he was rooming with Rod Morris.
We got back to the leagues club and there were people everywhere. It was just huge for the community. I remember being told on the Monday business had to shut down because no one was at work.
I was teaching at Wynnum High and it got to the Tuesday and I said enough is enough I have to go to work so I have turned up at school and by lunch time I thought 'what am I doing, I should be with the boys', so I rang my principal and left for the pub.
Des Morris... what do you think of the great man?
I didn’t know Des Morris the footballer, but Des Morris the person is one of my heroes. It didn’t take me long to decide that I wanted to be just like him.
You just have to watch out for his giant backhand across your chest when you’re talking to him. He was tremendous for me, I was a young forward, young teacher and he influenced me greatly.
You won a premiership then leave to go back to Sydney and play for the Magpies, Bulldogs, Roosters and Canberra- why’d you leave Wynnum?
I loved it at Wynnum too much, if I had stayed I would have stayed forever. I loved the place and I just always wanted to play in Sydney. I saw that as the pinnacle and I wanted to play for a Sydney club.
You’re more qualified than anyone to answer the question - Bulldogs v Wynnum, who wins?
I always said the premiers in Brisbane would probably finish second or third in Sydney. Depth would be the issue over a long season. In a one-off game Wynnum could win for sure.
Three premierships from 1982 to 1985 - where are your three grand final jumpers?
I still have the Wynnum one from 1982 and the 1985 Bulldogs one. I swapped the 1984 Bulldogs jumper.
I have a clean out of jumpers and things and take them to school, I will announce to staff and sometimes students, plenty of jumpers and gear in my room. They run to get them.
