Tom Raudonikis in action for Brothers
There was a strong Brothers’ flavour to the 1986 Ipswich Jets squad to contest the Brisbane Rugby League Competition for the first time. This did not come as a great surprise given the Jets had appointed former Brothers’ coach, Tom Raudonikis to steer the side into the ‘Big League’.
Glen Haggath and Pat Shepherdson were the most high profile Brothers’ players to link with the Jets, with both men having played at representative level. Other Brothers’ players to be lured to the city on the Bremer River were Chris MacNellie, Shane McCarthy, Kerry McMaster and Lou Ots.
Jets’ president, Les Stokes and his administrators, in conjunction with Raudonikis, had signed 13 players from Brisbane as well as six from Queensland and New South Wales Country centres. The most high profile signing was giant forward, Bob Kellaway who had represented Queensland at State of Origin level. Kellaway, Mark Clarkson, David Bell and Neil Smith had played for premiers Souths Magpies in 1985.
The most exciting bush signing was Indigenous winger, Gordon Langton, who played for the Australian Schoolboys side from Murgon High in 1985. Raudonikis had signed Langton after seeing him in action for Cherbourg in the South Burnett competition. Other players signed from the bush included Franco Scarpelli (Mt Isa), Brett Whiteing, Errol Hunter (Mareeba) and Shane Moon (Forbes NSW).
Two players coming home were Brett Walters (Brisbane Norths) and Ray Kelly (Brisbane Easts) with Kelly having represented Queensland, while Walters played for the Australian under-18 side in 1981.
The Courier-Mail reported that established locals like Queensland Country reps, Don Porter, Rodney Biggs and Steve Rohl were also on the Jets’ books.
Future Test halfback, Allan Langer also was part of a squad of 34 but at the start of the 1986 season was unknown, with his older brother, Kevin the established footballer of the family given he had captained the Australian under-18 side in 1981, and had been starring for Wests Panthers where he was the skipper.
The first mention I can find of Allan in a Courier-Mail report that season (aside from teams or scores in details) was a match in early March when Robert Craddock reported Langer was sent to the sin bin by referee, Kerry Cremmin after Langer and Souths Magpies fullback, David Bourke had a fight. I covered that season for the Brisbane Telegraph, but I don’t have a scrapbook or a diary from that year.
FOOTNOTE: Early in 2026 the rugby league community was saddened by news of the passing of Gordon Langton. The high number of tributes to Langton on the Secondary Schools Facebook page said a lot about the impact the lightning fast winger had on people, on and off the football field.
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