Thanks for the wise words, it's greatly appreciated. I am starting to feel a bit better about the whole ordeal.
Qantas isn't the only option out there. I take comfort in the fact that by reading this thread, there appears to be some extremely talented pilots out there that have unfortunately missed out.
Unbroken (Louis Zamperini - great book!)
When I was interviewed they mentioned slots for A330 Sydney and 787 Perth, maybe Brisbane later in 2018. Unsure how quickly things change though.