The new dugouts – designed to provide players with a space to rest, recover and strategise during games – will greatly improve the young footballers’ overall experience, particularly as they play over the warmer months.

The new dugouts came to fruition through the support of BMD’s Foundations Graduate Program, where as part of a learning module, the cohort of 47 graduates were split into four teams and tasked to build a dugout each.

With a tight timeframe of just 36 hours, the four teams successfully delivered the four dugouts, utilising over 800 metres of timber, 2800 screws and bolts, and 60 bags of rapid-set concrete.

The graduates were given mock roles within their teams that corresponded to real jobs in the civil construction sector and had to follow BMD’s HSEQ Excellence safety processes as part of the exercise.

To ensure the Juniors received top-quality structures and everyone stayed safe, the business supported the initiative by operating under BMD Group business JMac Constructions’ builders’ licence and utilising its skilled tradespeople and support from all functions of the business.

BMD’s Executive General Manager of Constructions Jeff Gallus said through this year’s program, BMD is preparing for the future growth of its site teams as well as the growth of the Wynnum Juniors club.

“BMD believes collaboration and the sharing of knowledge is vital to the construction industry and we instil this in the next generation of our workforce from early on in their careers,” Mr Gallus said.

“Exposing our graduates to an immersive experience where they are on the tools and overcoming real-life challenges is vital to them adopting a collaborative mindset and being able to problem-solve and yield great outcomes for our future projects.

“It’s an especially rewarding experience this year that we can facilitate the growth of our own teams as well as provide something to our Wynnum community to facilitate the development of their young people and the club through new this infrastructure.”

Wynnum Manly Juniors Coaching Director Mick Haggarty said, “We are incredibly grateful to our long-serving major sponsors, BMD, for their unwavering support and generosity.

“The delivery of these four new dugouts is a testament to their commitment to the Seagulls family and Wynnum Manly community for over 20 years,” he said.

“These new facilities will greatly enhance the footballing experience for our younger players and their coaching staff, providing them with necessary shelter to rest and recover during those hot summer fixtures.”

“Our club is only getting bigger and with the Juniors receiving record registration numbers each year, especially though our under 6’s to under 10’s teams, we couldn’t be more excited to watch our younger players kick off their 2025 seasons with this incredible new infrastructure."

BMD Communications Graduate and Wynnum Manly Seagulls Host Plus Cup Forward Ethan Malt said it was a special initiative for him to take part in given his connection to BMD and the Seagulls.

“Having played for the Seagulls since I was seven, it was extremely rewarding to give back to a community that has provided me with so much throughout my footballing journey,” Mr Malt said.

“It was definitely a tough challenge because it rained for a good part of the 36 hours we were working on the dugouts for, which presented issues for things like the concrete, but in the end, we had four new structures for the Juniors.

“Getting on the tools through this experience to overcome real life challenges that our workforce face in the field, and adopting a collaborative mindset was a great learning opportunity to problem solve, project plan and execute - which is essential no matter what role you play in the construction industry.”

BMD’s Foundations Graduate program provides structured workplace learning and development to help graduates bridge the gap between formal education and the workforce. Held over 18 months, it provides graduates with accelerated success and a clear pathway for their future.

Despite being Australia’s largest privately owned civil contractor, BMD was founded by long-term resident of Wynnum Manly Mick Power AM and the business remains deeply entrenched in the region. From BMD Founder Mick Power playing for the premiership-winning 1969 Colts team, to being the Principal Partner for 20+ years of the Wynnum Manly Seagulls - BMD is synonymous with the Seagulls and the Wynnum Manly area.

Its head office is across Port of Brisbane and Manly, with planning underway for a new head office build on Bay Terrace in Wynnum to house approximately 450 employees. In addition, BMD’s focus is on community give back initiatives including investment across the community through the Bartons BMD Pro-Am, naming rights partner of Wynnum Manly Seagulls and restoration and donation of heritage-listed church to Iona College.

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