In the first incarnation of the Australian Baseball League, which ran from 1989 to 1999 and which could really be a crap fantale in itself if it hadn’t reinvented itself with some of the dame teams from before, we remember a team long defunct, and deemed not worthy of being reincarnated. They were probably right as this team changed its name before going completely bust.
Of course we speak of the Daikyo Dolphins, backed by then Japanese Property gurus on the Gold Coast – Daikyo.
In addition to sponsoring the now defunct Palm Meadows Golf Tournament, they lent their name to one of the Gold Coast’s finest, and became a Gold Coast sporting rarity. They actually won something before disappearing.
Like other Gold Coast teams it had a few incarnations too, Gold Coast Dolphins, East Coast Cougars, and the Gold Coast Cougars before skulking off to even larger obscurity.
Unlike most of the others that played or currently play on the self titled glitter strip, the Daikyo Dolphins were actually good. Winning a title in 1991/92 before the league and themselves were given the sporting eviction notice. They even won the last ABL title, but at that stage were under the Cougers name. Proving worthy of a place in the Crap Fantale Hall of Fame for sporting achievement.
As ever – Wikipedia have plenty more to give on the subject.
So we doff our forward facing Baseball cap, and spit out our chewing tobacco in the general direction of the Daikyo Dolphins. They were big for the shortest possible time, they disappeared, they will never be forgotten.
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