Club president Leonard Hickling said the abrupt 2005 folding of the second division regional competition in which the club was involved sparked off a spate of young men ‘going down bad avenues’, getting involved in drugs and crime.

Since its re-instigation in 2014 with the help of council’s community grant of $3400, he said the club has built up the community and developed a strong culture of membership. 

“With the prizemoney from winning the first Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout Carnival we organised three bonding sessions, bringing together people who hadn’t talked in three or four years.” Mr Hickling said.

He said fractures in the community were healed, a better atmosphere was created and parents started focussing on getting their young players to training and matches, with some juniors going on to play representative football and take part in development programs.

“The crime rate is down and the work rate is up, with the Green Army and more people doing distance education,” he said

Council’s donations helped with travel and uniforms, with community members also contributing.

Mr Hickling said what council had done for the club and for the community was greatly appreciated, considering how far the community had progressed in a short time. It has gone from  12-year-olds stoned and drunk in the street to a football team about to defend back-to-back victories in the Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout Carnival in Lismore in September.

“And it’s been done with the great support from Tenterfield Shire Council,” Mr Hickling said.

Mayor Peter Petty accepted a team jersey and certificate of appreciation on behalf of his fellow councillors in Council Chambers ahead of last week’s monthly meeting. He noted that, as a Bonalbo footy player of 10 or 11 years standing he was well aware of the daunting prospect of coming up against the Turtle Divers in competition.