Eagles are back and flying high

Published 9:18am 24 November 2020

Narangba Eagles are preparing for a “big step up” after a stunning return to Brisbane’s senior football following a two-year hiatus.

Eagles have swept through Capital League 3, taking the title and promotion to League 2 by three points after a titanic season-long battle with Springfield United.

It went to the last match of the campaign at Harris Ave – Narangba needing a point to secure top spot, visitors Springfield needing to win.

At the double

Despite going a goal down Eagles hit back, with goals from Will Kirkbride from the penalty spot and two in two minutes from Jamie Hillier to win 3-1.

That gave undefeated Eagles the title after winning 13 and drawing three of their 16 matches.

Victory also capped a superb start for coach Nathan Walker, who joined Eagles this year after taking Caboolture from the Sunshine Coast League to Brisbane’s Premier League.

“It’s a great achievement not only for this side, but everyone involved at the club – coaching staff, committee and supporters,” Walker says.

“We also managed to win the club championship with the reserve side finishing second overall which was another goal of ours before the season.

New challenge

“Capital League 2 next year will be a big step up – but we’ve got some experienced guys in the squad who know what it takes to move through the ranks.

“It does mean we’ll be doing some more recruiting and competition for spots is only going to get more intense – but it makes for a strong squad with a lot of depth.

“There’s a lot of really good signs for this club moving forward.”

The restructured season meant only one promotion spot was up for grabs – and the Eagles made it their mission to grab it.

Strike force

The trophy and medals were presented after the final game which pitted the side with the best attacking record (Eagles) against the team with the best defensive record (Springfield).

“It was definitely one of the trickiest seasons I’ve been involved in, with COVID putting a halt to our flying start to the season,” says Walker.

“The biggest challenge was getting the boys prepared mentally after that – making sure they were in the right headspace every week and could adapt to the unique situations they faced this year.”