QRL North Support Squad Awards winners celebrated
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Lisa Milne's commitment to going above and beyond as a Support Squad volunteer to rugby league participants in a rural area has earned her the ultimate recognition.
Milne, from Proserpine Whitsunday Rugby League Football Club, has been awarded the 2024 Support Squad Person of the Year for the QRL North region, just for fulfilling what she felt was a "vital" role.
"I was a bit surprised, only because you don't do these things to receive awards, you just do it because you want to be able to support the players and the club," she said.
"I think it's just by being available, being at training sessions and making sure the players and club members are around if they need anything.
"We have a lot of players who don't live in the area who come to us, so they often don't have the family support, so it's about making sure they're aware they have people they can go to if they need anything
I'm a nurse and I'm also a mother, so I suppose I know how challenging living in this day and age can be young people, particular when they don't have people around
"I've been involved in the club for many years and I think it's just a vital thing to let people know there's places they can go and people they can talk to if they need it.
"Because you're in a rural area, often people don't know what's around and don't have that same level of support you have in other areas, and that was one thing that made me want to be involved in Support Squad."
The best part is knowing when someone has taken up the offer of the resources available - including the White Cloud Foundation tele-mental health service - and improved their wellbeing.
Milne heaped praise on her club for their efforts to make the wider community feel welcome to the participants from near and far.
"This year we had an inaugural 'family field day', which is something our club and a couple of younger volunteers decided they wanted to have this event where we invited the community down to interact with the players, we had stalls and 'old-fashioned' games and activities and players who hadn't really been part of the community got to meet the community, and the community got to meet them, so it was creating the link further with the football club and the community," she said.
Milne said the plan was make it a regular event "to let the players know, particularly if they don't come from the region, that it's important to give back to their community, but it's also important to make sure they feel connected to the community".
She was hopeful of getting a few more club members through the Support Squad education program for 2025 and encouraged clubs without those volunteers to get involved.
Milne is one of three people in the QRL North region who have been recognised for their contribution to support squad, also including:
Rebekah Griinke-Nott - Rookie of the Year
The Brothers Bulldogs Junior Rugby League Mackay committee member and coach of multiple teams took on the role of Support Squad volunteer just this year and has made a huge impact, particularly for the under 12 to under 16 age groups. Some players struggled with the times they couldn't take the field due to suspension or injury, and she encouraged them to support the club in other ways through volunteering.
Kirsty Skaines - Game Changer of the Year
The Western Districts Junior Rugby League Mackay volunteer was highlighted for her "unwavering dedication and commitment to providing exceptional support" with attributed of "kindness, empathy, and willingness to go the extra mile" proving invaluable to the club. Skaines organised a mental health round for the club in 2024, where each player wore purple socks in honour.
QRL will soon be providing opportunities for more people to participate in Support Squad training and education leading into the 2025 season.
