Some people’s names echo through the halls at clubs - Webb and the Dolphins seemed linked forever.
Terry Webb played his first game for the Dolphins as a six-year-old and is still there today as a director and keeper of the red and white flame.
Terry Webb Q&A
You’ve spent your whole life at the Dolphins, your dad Des Webb and brother Mick played for the Dolphins - were you always going to play A grade?
I started in under six and have filled lots of roles from sand boy to score board and played all the way through to A grade in 1979. I came very close to going to Norths in 1980. I didn’t tell dad until 20 years later, but I was going across to Norths and then Redcliffe named Frank Stanton as the coach, so I stayed.
What’s one thing your dad Des Webb taught you about the Dolphins that still is true?
Stability is important. We have had three chairmen in 50 years - 'Tosser', dad and Bob Jones. We are all football men but also have had success away from football too with business. It’s important to have both on a board. One of the things that Wayne Bennett said when he came to the Dolphins was how good it was to deal with football people.
Can you remember your debut for the Dolphins?
I remember a Woolies Pre-season game against Valleys and then the round game was against Souths. I remember playing with Peter Leis and Bunny Pearce my first game.
Who was to be avoided on the field?
Charlie Frith for Valleys - he was involved in a fight with someone and then from the tap I said 'right, I will take this' and I have woken up about 20 minutes later in the dressing room.
1981 grand final - what were you doing when Mick Reardon scored?
I was on the bench; I had played reserve grade that day. We beat Souths 26-15 and won third grade too 33-12 over Norths. Clontarf State High won the Commonwealth Bank Cup but we lost the A grade in the last couple of seconds. We came very close to winning the lot.
1983 grand final, what went wrong?
We just weren’t good enough on the day. Easts beat us twice in the finals and we had to come back and beat Valleys to make the grand final. It was only 14-6 but too good.
Favourite ever Dolphin?
Tony Obst, he is 10 years and one day older than me, so when he coached me in under 10 he was just 20, but he was a star. To be coached by an A grader was just unbelievable and then he coached me again when I was 17. Then I got to play with him at Redcliffe. Then Bob Jones, we have been together since 1975 when he came to Dolphins, we played together, we fish together we play golf together. Bob and I got sent off against Wynnum in 1981 and the next day we went fishing, the fisheries guy has come over to check Bob has a boat licence, which he didn’t have, and Bob has said I will just grab it out of the car. He’s recognised Bob and said 'you’re Bob Jones, don’t worry about it'. Then he’s gone on to say: 'you were hard done by yesterday - should never have been sent off - but I tell you what that other lunatic deserved it'. Bob said 'that’s him just there'. I am standing there smiling.
You’ve filled a variety of roles, what’s your favourite?
Playing, easily. It’s fun being on the board, but nothing else fills that void like playing.
What made 'Tosser' Turner special?
Well, he was a lunatic - never drank in his life - but he was crazy. Once, the boys moved his Rolls Royce and parked it up on the hill at Dolphin Oval. Tosser was so sure it was Obsty that he decided to get back at him by ordering a massive load of soil to his house and getting it dumped on the driveway.
Your brother Mick played for the Dolphins too?
Mick was very tough, he was fiery too. He moved away up north and then came back and we played one game together at Redcliffe. Once I have gone to the toilet after a game and a few boys have said 'I think someone just bashed Terry in the toilet', Mick has stormed in and as I am pulling up my jeans, he’s bashed the door down and hit me in the head and opened me up. Blood everywhere and he’s yelling 'right, where is this bloke' and I’ve said: "What are you talking about? The only person that’s hurt me is you".
