What do video-shop memberships, street directories and CD Walkmans all have in common?
Well, they are all about as useful today as a ball boy's sand bucket!
But this certainly wasn't the case during this week in 1983, when Cronulla Sharks club secretary Arthur Winn placed an ad in the Pictorial News seeking a number of young lads to carry the sand bucket for the upcoming season.
The January 18 posting read, "We're on the look-out for three 12 year-old boys to handle this important sideline duty. Applications should be in writing to my office in the next couple of weeks."
Four decades on and we wonder just what that application would have contained.
Ian Bennett (ball boy in 1993) remembers, "I didn't actually have to complete an application; Paul Walker was one of the coaches at the club and also a teacher at my school (De La Salle Caringbah).
"He asked if anyone was interested in helping out during the pre-season, so I put my hand up. Brian Canavan asked if I would like to do it for the whole season and of course I said yes."
For the record, the five lucky lads that won the job for the '83 season were Tony Blythe, Murray Hilder, David Thorburn, Glen Walters and Paul Robson.
While they may not be known to the black, white and blue faithful, the club has had plenty of famous names fill the duties.
During the 1985 season, ball-boy duties were performed by dual international and Shark No.301, Mat Rogers. Beside him was Glen Hogan - son of Shark No.50, Kevin Hogan.
Rogers was famously snapped that season casting a forlorn figure on the sideline as his dad and Sharks Immortal Steve Rogers was led from the field with a broken jaw at Belmore Oval in what was to be his last Australian first-grade game of rugby league.
Glen Hogan was there that day and reflects on his time as the club's ball boy: "Those early years with Jack Gibson (as coach) were amazing. I have so many great memories and made some lifelong friends."
Glen progressed to playing with the Sharks and was a member of the 1994 reserve-grade side that beat the Newcastle Knights in the grand final along with his former ball-boy accomplice Mat Rogers.
In Glen's final year in '88, he passed the bucket over to his younger brother Scott, who took up the role in the '89 season; the same year in which his dad Kevin was the second-grade coach.
During his tenure, Scott skirted the sidelines with Markus Zusak, who went on to be an acclaimed author, best known for writing international bestsellers 'The Book Thief’ and 'The Messenger'. The Book Thief was later adapted to the big screen and featured Australian actor Geoffrey Rush.
Others like Ian Bennett remained with the Sharks after becoming too old to carry the sand. Ian became the club statistician, a role he performed during the 1997 Super League season.
But arguably the most interesting ball boy of all is the current NRL head coach, Craig Fitzgibbon.
Fitzy carried the sand from 1987 until 1991, the period in which his father Alan Fitzgibbon was the first-grade coach.
It really is poetic that a former ball boy and guardian of the now-redundant sand bucket will lead the team in the upcoming 2024 season.
Top image features Scott Hogan, N Souter, Craig Fitzgibbon, Markus Zusak
