A Decade in the Den: Troy Leo’s time at Burleigh ✍🏼 Michael Nunn
When the Burleigh Bears shift left in 2027 and someone else is standing on the wing, it just won’t be the same for the Bears coast faithful. For nearly a decade, Troy Leo has been a familiar face in the Bears’ backline, providing the finishing touch to attacking movements and giving supporters plenty of reasons to celebrate. His career has been about much more than finding the try line, however, with a remarkable comeback from injury and a long-awaited premiership helping shape his journey in maroon and white.
Leo arrived at Burleigh in 2017 and wasted little time making his mark, scoring a try on debut against the Redcliffe Dolphins. It was the beginning of a career that would eventually deliver 107 appearances and 82 tries, placing him second on the club’s all-time try-scoring list behind teammate and best mate Sami Sauiluma.
There were plenty of highlights along the way, including a three-try performance against the Western Clydesdales in 2025, when Leo helped the Bears to a 32-all draw. His ability to finish on the wing was a defining feature of his game, but the determination that kept him playing would prove just as important.
Leo’s career was nearly derailed by two devastating ACL injuries. The first arrived in 2019, just before the finals, ruling him out of a potential grand final appearance. After working his way back, he suffered another ACL rupture in Round 1 of 2021, beginning a lengthy battle to return to the field.
Between August 2019 and March 2024, Leo played just one game for Burleigh — the match in which he suffered his second knee injury. That was one appearance across 236 weeks, a stretch that would have tested even the most determined footballer.
Yet Leo found his way back. He returned to the Bears in 2024 and worked his way into a side chasing premiership success, eventually reaching the grand final that had eluded him five years earlier.
This time, there would be no cruel injury setback to keep him from the biggest stage.
In the 2025 Hostplus Cup grand final against the Norths Devils, Leo crossed for a crucial try in the 60th minute, extending Burleigh’s lead to 16–8 as the Bears moved closer to a 22–8 victory. Having missed the 2019 decider through injury, he finally had his grand final moment, sharing the triumph with Sauiluma, his favourite teammate, in what proved to be Sauiluma’s final game for the club.
For Leo, that premiership was more than a medal. It was the reward for years of work, setbacks and uncertainty, and a reminder of what can be achieved when the desire to play remains stronger than the obstacles in the way.
His 100th Bears appearance arrived in 2026 against the Western Clydesdales, a milestone that carried meaning given everything he had endured to get there. He continued to contribute on the field, finishing the season with another 12 tries and demonstrating that his return had been about more than simply making it back.
Now, after nine seasons in the Den, Leo brings his playing career to a close with a premiership, a place among Burleigh’s leading try-scorers and the satisfaction of having overcome challenges that once threatened to end his career.
When the Bears line up in 2027 and the ball goes left, there will be a new player waiting out wide, ready to make his own mark. But for those who watched Leo battle back from injury, celebrate that grand final try and help deliver the ultimate prize, the familiar picture will always feel a little different.
The wing will still be there, and the Bears will keep playing, but after everything Troy Leo gave to earn his place in the Den, it just won’t be the same without him.
