Sport
3 August, 2026
Old legs, young hearts in classic veterans clash
IF football is a game of skill, passion and determination, then the Over 45s Moriconi/Bomben Cup had all three in abundance on Saturday night, although speed may have been left somewhere back in the 1990s.
Former legends from Leichhardt Lions and Mareeba United dusted off the boots, stretched muscles that hadn’t been asked to sprint in years and took to the field in front of an enthusiastic crowd as part of the Cairns Italian Festival celebrations.
Played over two 25-minute halves, about as much as anyone could reasonably expect from a group whose warm-up seemed almost as long as the match itself, the annual contest once again proved to be one of the highlights of the festival.
From the opening whistle, old rivalries were immediately reignited. Every player still believed they had one more blistering run left in them, even if their hamstrings strongly disagreed. Crunching tackles of years gone by were replaced by more considerate challenges, with opponents often checking that everyone was still standing before continuing the play.
There were moments of genuine brilliance that reminded spectators why these players were once among the best in Far North Queensland. There were also a few heavy first touches, ambitious passes that found no one in particular and enough requests for substitutions to keep the benches busy – the crowd loved every minute of it.
Leichhardt eventually claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory to retain the Moriconi/Bomben Cup for the second straight year, thanks to the only goal of the match from Chris Messina.
Messina’s finish sparked celebrations that probably lasted longer than the sprint that created the goal, with the veteran striker making the most of the moment after the full-time hooter confirmed another Lions victory.
Following the match, players from both clubs swapped stories, relived famous matches from decades past and reminded each other, sometimes accurately, sometimes not, just how good they once were.
Leichhardt coach Martin Docherty, who made the trip from Brisbane for the occasion, summed up the evening perfectly.
“It’s great to see these men back on the park,” he said.
“It’s important that we keep going, even at our age. I congratulate all the players for their courage and determination. Their minds wanted to do one thing, but their bodies couldn’t always respond.”
The annual Over 45s clash is about far more than lifting a trophy. It is about celebrating friendships, honouring the proud Italian heritage of both clubs and proving that while pace may disappear with age, competitive spirit certainly does not.
As the players limped off the field to well-earned applause, there was already plenty of talk about next year’s rematch. By then, everyone agreed, they’ll be another year older, but in their minds, they’ll still be 25.
