Backyards of Toowoomba to Falcons' No.1: Miles' journey to Cup
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Zac Miles was never the biggest body on the field, he was never the enforcer.
But that also never stopped him from being one of the toughest on the paddock, week in, week out.
His childhood prepared him for it.
Born and bred in Toowoomba, the Sunshine Coast Falcons fullback is a proud Dunghutti and Anaiwan man and he grew up in a community and in a family where rugby league meant everything.
“I started playing football as young I could remember and with two older brothers, it was tough,” he said.
“Footy was a big thing in the community there. Country footy, it’s driven into you. Dad played footy growing up, my pop drove it into me as well, my mum’s family were footy heads… also, just in an Aboriginal community, all your family and friends play so you follow suit.
“My dad’s probably been my biggest influence. He’s always been in my ear about the little things, saying it’s just as important what you do off the field as it is on the field.
“My pop as well was a big influence when I was a kid. And I have two older brothers – one’s five years older and another one eight years older.
“When I was coming through the ranks and they were older, they didn’t shy away from the physicality.
“I also owe everything to the community for moulding me into the player I am today. Especially playing at a young age in Aboriginal knockouts.
“It’s the most difficult footy I’ve ever played. I was playing in men’s comps at 15 so it breeds you tough.
“I was never the biggest bloke on the field. I didn’t have a growth spurt until I was about 17. I was the littlest so that set me up to be tough.”
That grit and determination has shone through in Miles’ football, at each level he’s played at.
He stayed in Toowoomba until he was 19, playing with Valleys Roosters and winning two A grade finals in this time there.
In 2020, he relocated to Brisbane to play Colts football with the Norths Devils, but COVID-19 quickly brought that season to an abrupt end.
But there was plenty waiting around the corner for Miles, with the now 23-year-old getting a Colts offer from Sunshine Coast for 2021, which also included a pre-season with Hostplus Cup.
Two years ago, Miles made his Cup debut in rather memorable circumstances.
“I remember it was Country Week in Monto and it was flooding,” he said.
“As much as I loved my debut, it wasn’t the fairytale I had in mind. I had an injury during the game and had to drive in an ambulance for an hour to get to a hospital.
“I just had my leg torn open from tags and had dirt and mud through it and had to clean it out at the hospital.”
In the weeks and years that followed, Miles was put through a number of tests.
And this is where that toughness that developed throughout his childhood started to shine through.
As he battled through a few serious injuries, his mentality never swayed.
“After my debut, the first game back in A grade I ruptured my Achilles,” Miles said of his 2022 season.
“I was gone for six months and then the next year in my first game back for A grade, I was injured again and gone for another eight weeks.
“I managed to string a couple games together at one point last year but I was stuck in a hard position with the fullbacks the Melbourne Storm were sending back to Cup.”
Off the back of a few pre-season conversations with Cup head coach Brad Henderson and his assistants, Miles came into season 2024 knowing the No.1 jersey was his for the taking.
He knew the Storm didn’t have many fullbacks to send to the Sunshine Coast this year and he knew this was his chance.
“My goal was to be injury-free and cement my position at fullback,” he said.
“That dream didn’t really go to plan – I dislocated my shoulder at training earlier this year and was out for six weeks but it fell perfectly in the part of the season where we had three byes so I only missed three games.
“Mentally my biggest thing now is, everything comes in threes and I’ve had three (injuries) so surely that’s it for now.
“Facing those injuries, it was the mindset of, ‘I need to get back bigger and better to cement my spot.’
“If I do nothing, it’s not going to help me in anyway.”
Despite the dislocated shoulder, Miles has had a strong breakout season for the Falcons at the back, helping guide them to this year’s semi-finals, with a week two showdown this Sunday against the PNG Hunters on home turf.
Away from the field, the future NRL hopeful is a support worker with the Persistent Pain Management Service at Nambour Hospital and he also is part of the national network for the Indigenous Lived Experience Portal for suicide prevention through the Black Dog Institute.
He applied after dealing with suicide in his community growing up and wants to play a part in helping others.
His family and culture still has plenty of influence on him as he kicks goals both on and off the field, as does his fiancé, Shaunah Downton.
“My fiancé is the biggest influence at the moment,” he said.
“I’ll go to training and come home and she’ll have dinner cooked and she’s making sure I’m eating right and drilling me to watch extra films to be ready for the weekend. She’s almost like my manager.”
As he heads into this Sunday’s clash, Miles is chasing that elusive dream of winning a Cup premiership.
He knows the Falcons have the squad and what they may lack in experience, they make up for in desire.
And he also knows that to reach week three of finals, it’s going to take a mammoth effort this weekend against the Hunters.
But, if anyone can embrace a tough challenge, it’s that boy from Toowoomba.
“I want my teammates to know I’ll always bring effort,” he said.
“I’m not the biggest body on the field by any chance but I make up for it where it counts. They know I won’t put a big hit on but I will be there when it matters and I will try to be the x-factor in the team.”
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