How a childhood training session sent Marquez ‘Sharky’ Walters national
“I’m going to make the 'Sharky' go national,” Marquez Walters said to his teammates ahead of Moreton City Excelsior’s Australia Cup 2024 campaign.
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Like many others in Australia, Walters’ footballing journey started with a choice between football and rugby league.
Mum was keen on him taking up rugby, while Dad felt the way he kicked a ball made him an ideal candidate for football.
Walters played for Mount Gravatt Hawks, coached by his dad, until under-11s.
After one final year at the Hawks, he finished off his juniors at several NPL Queensland clubs before earning a place in the Brisbane Roar youth team.
Following a season back with Brisbane Strikers’ first team, Walters moved to Preston Lions in the Victorian NPL system, and now, the 22-year-old said he’s found his home at Moreton City Excelsior.
Walters said he got his passion for the game from his dad, who is a Jamaican-born Manchester United supporter.
“He sees it as his life, and I see it now as my life,” Walters said.
“When he got the chance to come over to Australia, he always loved football.
“He’s a very hardworking man at anything he does.”
One off-season, while the rest of his teammates were recouping, Walters’ Dad gave his son a week off football and then dragged him back onto the pitch.
This training session was ultimately decisive in Moreton City Excelsior’s 2024 Australia Cup Round of 32 win.
“He strictly told me to only use my left foot,” Walters said.
“Me being a young, over-the-top and unruly kid, I said I wasn’t going to do it.
“And he forced me to only use my left foot, and by the end of the training session, I was crying.
“He said only the top-class strikers finish, dribble and pass with both of their feet, and if you want to make it to that stage, then these are little things you really have to hone in on.
“Next thing you know, I’m using my left foot like it's nothing.”
Fast forward to Moreton City’s Round of 32 tie with Campbelltown City; the side went into the sheds with a narrow advantage over their opponents.
Walters said he had missed an early chance to give his team a bigger buffer at halftime, however, a couple of chats during the break helped him refocus.
“At halftime, Cammy [Millar] said to me and Zacky [Kierpal] and all the other boys that we need to step up,” Walters said.
“The name Moreton City Excelsior; Moreton Bay and Albany Creek Excelsior, coming together, we wanted to put that club name on the national stage.
“I took Zack away from everyone and said to him, ‘We can change this game’.
“We really put our heart on the field and off the field. We have such a strong bond with all the community around there.”
In the 52nd minute, Joseph Scott found Walters in the right channel, where he cut inside and placed a composed, left-footed finish into the bottom left corner.
Less than 10 minutes later, Walters latched onto a Kierpal through ball and slotted another shot with his left foot into the net.
While Dad was pleased to see his training producing results, according to Walters, he wanted that first-half chance tucked away.
For each goal, Walters sported his ‘Sharky’ celebration, where he put his right hand to his forehead in the shape of a shark fin.
Walters said his celebration developed from an inside joke to something people know him by in the Moreton Bay area - and now the nation.
“I scored a hat-trick one game and pulled out the shark celebration, and from that day on, every goal I score, I do the shark celebration,” he said.
“It started to catch traction with the littlies at our club and sponsors.
“If you ask anyone now at the club my name, they’ll say ‘Sharky’."
Full of confidence following a 19-goal season in the Queensland NPL Men's competition, Walters called his shot, promising his teammates he would take the cult celebration to the national stage.
I was telling the boys in the lead up, and even at the start of the year I said ‘I’m going to make the Sharky go national’. ‘The Sharky celebration is going to go national’."
With Moreton City’s youngsters and opposition players alike now following suit, Walters’ celebration has become a phenomenon, growing after its double delight in the Round of 32.
Walters’ quickfire brace blew the score out to a 4-1 lead for Excelsior, and they went on to add a fifth as they strolled to a 5-1 win over Campbelltown City, earning a place in the next round.
Moreton City found out they would be welcoming two-time Australia Cup finalists Perth Glory in the Round of 16.
Walters said the team reacted over their message group chat, and he was personally excited at the prospect of an A-Leagues test.
“I was doing the math in my head while the balls were getting picked out, and it got down to the last four, and there was only one NPL team and two A-League teams,” he said.
“My gut and what I wanted was an A-League team at home, and then Perth Glory was picked out, and I was praying ‘Please us’.
“We got picked out, and my reaction was that it was going to be a good fight and a really good game.
“What I hope to get out of this is to put the club’s name and my name out there to show that we aren’t a small club at all.
“We have so much heart and so much passion that we give on the field that any team that comes against us will have a run for their money.”
Match Details
Moreton City Excelsior FC v Perth Glory
Kick-off: 7:30pm AEST
Perry Park, Queensland
Tickets TBC
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