HAMILTON product, Nathan Stewart, has made every post a winner since moving to Toowoomba five years ago, named in the South Toowoomba AFC Hall of Fame to celebrate the club’s first 50 years.

To celebrate the club’s 50-year anniversary, the club started a Hall of Fame with 30 people inducted as the initial inductees and Stewart was among those recognised.

“I was shocked to receive the Hall of Fame recognition as it something that was introduced by the club for the 50-year celebration, and I wasn’t expecting any such thing,” he said.

Formed back in 1972, the Bombers had immediate success and claimed the AFL Darling Downs premiership in their maiden season and from there, they grabbed another four flags in the intervening years to the 1990s when the club dropped out of the top grade.

Stewart was born in Portland with the family moving to Hamilton when he was five years old, and he was soon up and about as any young boy was back in those days wanting to play football as much as possible.

As he progressed through the age groups, he made his way into senior footy and had time at Cavendish (six years), Branxholme-Wallacedale (four years), Glenthompson-Dunkeld (five years) and at Hamilton Imperials (two years).

He moved to Toowoomba five years ago for work and from there he became involved with the club through his love of the game.

In 2018 season he joined as a player only and then took 2019 season off, but when 2020 rolled around he was appointed as senior coach and took the team through to the big dance and claimed the flag.

COVID-19 didn’t affect Queensland as badly as it did here in Victoria and the Bombers were able to play through the pandemic to a degree and the 2021 season was run and won also.

Unlike here in Victoria where the players are predominantly paid to play, the Bombers don’t pay players, and this worked perfectly for Stewart, as he instilled a love of club into his squad.

“I have been able to show the lads that we can achieve so much as a group both on and off the field,” he said.

“We have done so much together off field that has bonded the group so well and at the same time has raised plenty of money for the club which is something I wanted to set up for the future.”

Stewart helped the club raise over $16,000 in his first season and being head gardener at a local property has seen the Bombers do plenty of work helping their coach with work.

“I wanted to give the squad a sense of club and what the club means to them and our supporters, so by us all pitching in to undertake working bees etc. it has brought us all closer together and raised much needed funds for the club,” Stewart said.

Winning the drought-breaking flag in 2020 was the sweetest feeling for Stewart and from there the club built towards the 50-year anniversary.

Jason Akermanis was the headline speaker booked for the celebration, but Stewart saw an opportunity to have the Brownlow Medallist run around on the ground and he approached him to play on the same day.

With a club sponsor covering the cost of his playing fee, Stewart gave up his own spot in the team for the triple AFL premiership player.

“It was something that I had no trouble with as it gave the club another shot in the arm as we had a huge crowd in attendance to watch Aker and the vibe created was carried forward into the Anniversary Dinner,” Stewart said.

With a three-peat his goal for this season, he imagines that this season will be the end of his coaching career.

“The time has come to hang up the boots and the coaches whistle so this will be my last season,” he said.