A decade of grit leads to 150 game milestone

Almost a decade ago, the Bull Sharks were struggling. They lost almost every game by huge margins, with only a single bright spot against UQ in the Sandstone Cup.

Club stalwarts Wyatt Bacon and James Fitchett recall Saturdays that usually meant a long bus ride up the highway for Division 1 footy, more losses than wins, and the trip home filled with a few beers and plenty of stories that have probably improved with age.

It was 2017. There was no footy clubhouse yet at The Canal, match replays were played via a projector in the old change rooms.

That season would become one of the most challenging in the Bull Sharks’ history - finishing with the wooden spoon - but it holds some of the most special memories for Bacon and Fitchett, two men who would go on to define the next era of the program.

This weekend, all those memories are bound to come flooding back as the pair of Bond alumni run through the 150 games banner - a record for the Bull Sharks AFL club.

Bacon arrived at The Canal in 2017 after spending his late teens and early twenties playing NEAFL football for Southport and QAFL football for Labrador. He captained the men’s program for three years and is a 2019 and 2025 premiership player. He also completed his MBA at Bond.

“I am incredibly proud and grateful to have played 150 games with the Bull Sharks,” Bacon said.

“Bond has been my second home for the past 10 years and has given me a sense of belonging since day one. The club has given me more than I could ask for, and to be a small part of the club’s journey has been extremely rewarding.”

Fitchett arrived at The Canal a few years earlier in 2011, joining the club in its inaugural year. The Bond Film and Television alumnus was set to reach his 150-game milestone last year, but an ACL injury in his 149th game delayed the celebration until this weekend.

“Playing 150 games, to me, means I’m not done yet,” Fitchett said. 

“It’s an awesome milestone, but whether I’m playing, coaching, or just filling drink bottles in the future, I want to be there to watch this club grow and see others experience the same joy it’s given me.”

“My highlights have to be the three premierships I’ve been part of - two as a player and one as a coach,” he said.

“Watching as a supporter last year and seeing the senior men’s team win the premiership in extra time is right up there. It was a defining moment that showed just how far the club has come.”

However, for Fitchett, nothing compares to a pre-game speech from then coach, now club president, Sam Whish-Willson in 2017.

“I’ve seen some pre-game speeches in my time, but nothing compares to when Sam Whish-Willson stood in the change room holding an egg and a potato before we ran out,” Fitchett said. 

“He said, ‘When things get heated, there are two ways you can go about it. You can go soft like a potato, or hard like an egg.’ Then he threw both onto the ground, and they smashed everywhere. That moment will stay with me forever.”

An undefeated Bull Sharks side will take on Coomera in their first home game of the season.