Once a year, the Newcastle Knights celebrate the hard-working mining community of the Hunter at the Voice for Mining Family Day at McDonald Jones Stadium, but there’s nothing quite like seeing firsthand what life is really like for coal miners, both underground and above.
Plenty of players before this playing group have either worked in coal mining before rugby league became their day job or returned to the mines once their football career came to an end. The likes of Tony Butterfield, Kurt Gidley and Billy Peden to name a few.
Coach Justin Holbrook wanted this season’s playing group to get a real feel for the coal miners in the town they represent, the fans who finish a 12-hour shift and go home to watch them play, the men and women who continue to keep the state’s economy going.
“Obviously mining is a big part of our region, we speak about it a lot. It’s that hard working part of the city that none of us have experienced, including myself, so it was great to be able to organise a trip to a couple of local mines,” explained Justin.
“A big part of our fanbase is those who work in the mines or someone in their family does, so it was great for us to get an appreciation for it and see how hard of a job it is.”
Centennial jumped on board welcoming the players to their Myuna Colliery and taking them underground while MACH Energy’s Thiess Mount Pleasant operation welcomed players to their open cut site.
Forward Pheonix Crossland was one of the players who jumped on the dolly at Myuna and headed down.
“It was really cool, I hadn’t done that before, none of the boys have. We were only down there for an hour, I don’t know how they do it for 12.
“Pre-season is a tough time of year for us, but it doesn’t compare to what these guys do down there. I think it’s so important we came here and experienced that. Our town is based a lot on the mining industry so to go down and experience it we now have a better understanding.
“We wear those high-vis jerseys for Voice for Mining round, which is always special, but I think it will have a little more meaning for us now,” Pheonix said.
