The Ravens are a Bayside based club formed in June 2000, competing in the Gridiron Queensland
competition for the first time in 2001. Judy Holt Park, Old Cleveland Road East, Birkdale is
the home of Bayside Ravens Gridiron.
In 2008, the Ravens will field teams in Senior (18+) and Junior (14-17) divisions.
The current committee for the Bayside Ravens is:
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President
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Arthur Williams
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Vice President
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Ashley Calvisi
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Secretary
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Liam Flannery
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Coaching Coordinator
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Paul Knight
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Treasurer
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Steve Box
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The Bayside Ravens formed in June 2000, with a vision to competing in the 2001 Gridiron Queensland competition. A
mixture of experienced players and enthusiastic rookies combined to form the club and set about preparing the club
for its entry into Gridiron Queensland.
The Bayside Ravens became incorporated in November 2000. A four man executive committee was established to see the
Ravens to fruition, and in February 2001 Bayside Ravens Football Club inc. was invited to affiliate to Gridiron
Queensland.
The Bayside Ravens were based at Boundary Street Sports Club, Tingalpa in 2001 and took the field for their inaugural
match on Sunday 22 July, 2001. The Ravens took a 20-13 victory over the Northern Rhinos to begin the Bayside Ravens
on-field history. The Ravens fielded a junior team – the Bayside Falcons in 2001, with a host of future Ravens being
bred. The Senior team wore a motley assortment of colours early in the season prior to the black and gold strip arrived.
The completion of the 2001 season saw the club with fewer victories than hoped for, but with a strong team unity and
spirit developed. With the year of experience and learning under the club’s belt, the committee set about preparing
for 2002. A revamped 4-man coaching staff was formed to run the clubs on-field activities in 2002, and a committed
executive committee established to oversee the clubs off-field activities.
As part of a commitment to providing a higher level of coaching and administrative expertise, the Bayside Ravens have
achieved an excellent level of accreditation. Currently the club has four Level 2 Coaches, and a further three Level
one coaches involved as well as a Level 1 Sports Administration accredited official.
The Bayside Ravens moved in 2002 to a new home - Judy Holt Park, Birkdale, with a greatly improved season. The senior
season came ahead in leaps and bounds, whilst the junior team had an amazing season to finish runner-up. The Ravens
abandoned the gold uniform for seniors and incorporated red- the traditional Redlands colour into the uniform, with
the juniors making use of the attractive gold and black combination.
2003 saw the Ravens field two junior teams - Ravens Red and Ravens White, with Ravens White finishing the season
undefeated champions, the Red team, besieged by injury, finished 3rd in the regular season. The senior team showed
flashes of potential but were unable to climb the ladder. Both clubs took the field in black and red for 2003.
The 2004 season saw a change in coaching staff and an injection of youth to the senior team. As the early part of a
building phase the Ravens youth showed plenty of skill and determination but again maintained a finish outside the
top four. It was all good news for the Ravens juniors, who debuted the Green jerseys in 2004 to take an undefeated
Sunbowl title.
The Junior program, the flagship of the club finished another superb season as runners-up in the Junior Sunbowl, with
the seniors, although earning the wooden spoon, saw an influx of new talent and an increase in offensive production
to show signs of a strong future.
The 2006 season was an up and down season for the Ravens. Some positive forward gains were made at times by the
Senior program, but again inexperience and inconsistency limited the progress shown on the ladder. In the juniors,
another playoff appearance was achieved, but a disappointing end to an era for many of the clubs graduating players.
2008 will bring a fresh new look to the club with exciting new uniforms and some big transitions in both programs.
Stay tuned for details!