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The old guard and the new, team Gilroy gathered around Will’s jersey. Photo source: Gilroy Santa Maria College
By Victoria Velton
On the fields of St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie, hundreds of family members, friends and supporters gathered to honour the memory of Will Murdoch, as his closest mates took to the field for their final Will Murdoch Shield as a school cohort.
Held at St Teresa’s College this year to bring the carnival closer to Will’s own backyard, the annual rugby league nines brought together students from his own Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham State High School and St Teresa’s College for an evening of football and remembrance.
The occasion marked an emotional milestone, with Will’s classmates reaching Year 12 and playing in the Shield together for the final time before graduating. In a moving display of respect, each school retired the number nine jersey, Will’s playing number, while his senior jersey, bearing the name ‘Murdoch’, was proudly displayed at the top of the field.
For many gathered, it was a reminder of his enduring presence, with some reflecting through tears that his spirit was watching over the team that evening.
For his best mates, Connor and TJ, the carnival remains a special way to celebrate a boy whose love of rugby league continues to bring people together.
“Me and Willie were mates all through our primary and junior schooling, he loved his footy. Now we celebrate that,” Connor said.
“I think it’s good just to come together every year, and around his birthday as well, to celebrate it.”
TJ, who played alongside Will from Year 5, said the occasion meant a great deal to him.
“It means a lot playing this game for him,” he said.
“It’s all about spirit and just playing for him every time.”
With Will’s senior cohort preparing to graduate, the carnival is now entering a new chapter. From 2027, the Shield will transition to an annual Under 13s rugby league nines carnival, allowing younger players to carry the tradition forward.
The changing of the guard was marked during the opening ceremony, with Year 7 and 8 teams from all three schools taking part as curtain-raisers to the Opens fixtures. The ceremony also included a reading of a poem written by local poet Johnny Pearce, celebrating Will’s spirit, cheeky personality and love of the game. His best mate Connor read the poem, which remembered a boy whose heart and determination on the field far outweighed his size.
Will’s mother, Kelly, thanked those who continue to honour her son through the annual event.
“Days like today remind me that Will has not been forgotten. His name is being spoken. His memory is being honoured, and the friendships he made are still bringing people together,” she said.
Will was remembered as a gifted young sportsman with a passion for rugby league, bull riding and horsemanship. He was also a beloved member of the Herbert River Crushers.
At just 12 years old, Will tragically passed away when the Polaris ATV he was riding rolled in a cane paddock while he was travelling home from his grandparents’ cane farm at Long Pocket.
Organisers thanked St Teresa’s College for hosting the event, the Townsville Blackhawks for their support and presentation of man-of-the-match awards, and the Murdoch and Sheahan families for allowing the tradition to continue.
On the field, Gilroy Santa Maria College finished runners-up to St Teresa’s, but claimed victory in the final game of the evening, giving its Year 12 players a memorable send-off.
For Connor, T.J. and the boys who have carried the Shield through their school years, the final whistle may have marked the end of their Shield-playing chapter, but not their connection to Will.
As younger players take to the field in the years ahead, carrying on the Shield in Will’s honour, his love of the game and joyful spirit will live on.
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