Everything you need to know: 2024 Queensland Murri Carnival

The Arthur Beetson Foundation Queensland Murri Carnival is back bigger and better for 2024, this time at the home of the Albany Creek Crushers, South Pine Sports Complex.

More than 100 teams have nominated for the mammoth nine-day carnival from Open Men and Women through to Under 14 boys and girls age groups, with many more in the under 6 to under 12 bracket in the Junior Murri Carnival in between.

It will see more than 3000 players engaging in on and off field activities with the support of Deadly Choices and founding organisation, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health.

The Opens competitions are set to be fiercely contested, with defending men’s champions Purga Wagtails – who played as the Michael Purcell Memorial Team in 2023 – and defending women’s champions Mungindi Panthers looking to hold off the opposition yet again.

QMC 2024 is a history-making smoke/vape, drug, alcohol and sugar free event, being the largest of its kind in Australia.

Here’s all you need to know about the carnival.

Everything you need to know

What: Arthur Beetson Foundation Queensland Murri Carnival 2024

When: Friday, September 20 to Saturday, September 28

-Open Men & Women – September 20-22

-Under 6 to Under 12 (Deadly Choices Junior Murri Carnival) – September 22-24

-Under 14 to Under 18 boys and girls – September 25-28

Where: Albany Creek Crushers Junior Rugby League Club, South Pine Sports Complex, 6 Cribb Rd, Brendale

Live stream: QMC app

Entry

Under 18s free throughout QMC (must show ID)

September 20-22

Adult - daily pass: $10

Aged pensioners: $5 (must show ID)

September 25-28

Under 18s & aged pensioners free (must show ID)

Adult - daily pass: $5

Four-day pass (September 25-28 only)

Adults: $15

Week-long pass (September 20-28 inclusive)

Adults: $45

News updates and schedule information: QMC app & ABF Queensland Murri Carnival page on Facebook

Teams

Open Men

BMD United, Bruce Fisher Memorial Team, Coastal Blacks, Country Brothers, Eagles United, John Kemp Memorial, Palm Island Barracudas, One Mob Speedy Connections, Brisbane Blacks JB Snr Memorial Team, Undumbi Connections, Oakey Redbelly Blacks, JJL Memorial, Wynnum Manly Murris, Jaydon ‘The Dos’ Adams Memorial, Purga Wagtails, Urapan Thayak, East Coast Sharks, Murgon Murri’s, Sunshine Coast Bunyas (x2), Dirringhi Thaddeus Johnson Memorial, Brisbane Natives, Badu Warriors

Open Women

Johnathan & Frederick Memorial Team, SEQ Magic, Murri Gummaz, Mungindi Panthers, Brisbane Blacks JB Snr Memorial Team, Undumbi Connections, Brisbane Natives, Bayside Sister’s

Under 18 Boys

Goori Storm OG’s, Kangaroos, Rachel Saltner Memorial, Country Brothers (x2), ATSICHS Brother Boys, South East Queensland Allstars, United as One Danny Tanner Memorial, YBB Darkies, Meanjin River Murris, Murri United Grey, Murri United White, Sunshine Coast Bunyas, Townsville Walkabouts

Under 18 Girls

Country Tiddas, Goori Storm, Murri Gummaz, Murri United, Sunshine Coast Bunyas, FNQ Pearls

Under 16 Boys

Country Brothers, Coastal Blacks, Team Indigenous, ATSICHS Brother Boys, ATSICHS Young Guns, Gordonvale Wanggulay’s, Zei Balas, Toowoomba Warriors, Stradbroke Island Dunwich Darkies, South East Queensland Allstars, United as One Danny Tanner Memorial, Ngalan Balas, Ngalan Balas Red, Murri United, Brown Snakes, Eagle Hawks (x2), Sunshine Coast Bunyas, Burnett Bunyas Michael Bond Memorial, Tweed Coast Banaams

Under 16 Girls

Murri Gummaz Pink, Murri Gummaz Purple, Country Tiddas, John Kemp Memorial, Minjungal Suns, Murri United, Sunshine Coast Bunyas, YBB Tiddas, Toowoomba Tiddas

Under 14 Boys

NQ Balas, Country Brothers, South East Queensland Allstars, ATSICHS Brother Boys, Purga Wagtails, United as One Danny Tanner Memorial, YBB Darkies, One Mob, North Queensland Crusaders, Murri United, Firehawks, Eagle Hawks, Sunshine Coast Bunyas, ATSICHS-QUT Brothers, Southern Border Warriors, Brisbane Blacks JB Snr Memorial, Junior Dingoes

Under 14 Girls

Country Brothers, Ilene Nova, Toowoomba Warriors, Murri United, YBB Tiddas, Brisbane Blacks JB Snr Memorial, Sunshine Coast Bunyas, Toowoomba Tiddas

Open Men & Women – Team spotlight

Get to know some of the teams taking part in the Opens competitions.

Men's

One Mob Speedy Connection

The team consists of family and others connected to Uncle Samuel Speedy, who was well known in the Cherbourg and Quilpie areas. Players participating come from locations the likes of Cherbourg, Gladstone and Ballina.

Dirringhi Thaddeus Johnson Memorial Team

Former North Queensland Cowboys-contracted fullback Hezron Murgha, who won the 2014 Intrust Super Cup-NRL State Championship double with Northern Pride, will play in this memorial team alongside 2024 Ipswich Jets Mal Meninga Cup centre Amaziah Murgha and the man they dub 'Superman' Roderick Duncan.

Jaydon 'The Don' Adams Memorial

This memorial team has been participating in the Queensland Murri Carnival since 2014, and will this feature include players such as Aiden Suhan, Joey Alberts, Drew Robinson, Harold Mosby and Todd Gorringe.

Palm Island Barracudas

The team hails from Palm Island, 70km north of Townsville. It is Bwgcolman to the Traditional Owners, the Manburra people. Notable players to watch include Azariah Lenoy, Rayzarlin Pearson and Brent Barnes.

Coastal Blacks

Typically one of the contenders at the pointy end of the competition in recent years, this team has players from everywhere between Cairns to Kempsey.

Undumbi Connections

The team mostly hails from the Sunshine Coast in Kabi Kabi country, home of the Bunyi Bunyi. Undumbi is the name of the clan within the Kabi Kabi nation, meaning salt and freshwater people.

Sunshine Coast Bunyas

Uncle Gammin has moved from a role on the field into being coach of the Bunyas Black side, one of 10 Bunyas teams in action across all the age groups. Bunyas White will also have some handy players in their side, including Travis Field, Zek Thompson, Jake Beetson, Jack Beetson, Tyrell Hopkins, Malakye Hopkins and Andrew Walker.

JJL Memorial Team

This memorial team includes a number of handy players from the Cherbourg area including Vincent Law, Anthony Gadd, Brenton Wallace, Errol Simpson and Jordan Malone.

Eagles United

The team has lofty hopes of quarter finals in 2024 after learning from their 2023 experience. They are coached by former Newcastle Knights fullback Milton Thaiday.

Women's

SEQ Magic

The team started as an under 17 team in 2022 and has since stepped up to the Open competition, and boast some deadly sister and cousin duos to watch out for on the field.

Murri Gummaz

The Murri Gummaz have stepped up after winning the under 17 competition at the 2023 Queensland Murri Carnival and the Mackay Indigenous Carnival last year. Players are coming from mostly northern Queensland, including various outer islands in the Torres Strait, across Cape York Peninsula, Cairns, Yarrabah, Palm Island, Townsville but some are coming from as far south as Sydney to participate.

Johnathan & Frederick Memorial Team

The team looks set to be very competitive with players the likes of Nancy Sullivan, who dominated the Harvey Norman Under 19s for Sunshine Coast in 2023 and was with South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Harvey Norman NSW Women's Premiership earlier this year. Joining her will be other players to watch including Ellen Mosby, Bianca Holt, Sylvia Compton-Watson and Tamika Olive

Get to know the rest by seeing them in action over the weekend.