Kimberley Spirit Program’s female rising stars shine with Fremantle Dockers and Claremont Tigers in Perth

Five teenage girls from Garnduwa’s Kimberley Spirit Program were given the unique opportunity of a lifetime, travelling to Perth to rub shoulders with the Fremantle Dockers and play with the Claremont Tigers. The trip is part of the Kimberley Spirit Program’s female pathway which aims to give talented young footballers in the Kimberley the same opportunities for development as their city counterparts. Five under 16s girls from the program, Shonterah Buck, Jasmine Roberts, Annabella Thompson, Lescheyah James and Sarakia Francis, were selected for the trip from October 2 to 7. They participated in the Fremantle Dockers PEAK Performance Program — a two-day intense development program for girls. The program, delivered by AFLW players, coaches and high-performance staff, offered educational sessions covering essential aspects of both on and off-field development including football skills, athletic development, health and lifestyle, and performance psychology. The Kimberley Spirit players also played in two games with the Claremont Football Club including a Female Development Squad Intra Club match which gave the Kimberley girls the chance to showcase their skills in various positions while demonstrating their “can do” attitude. Despite a challenging match where the Tigers narrowly went down to Subiaco by a couple of goals, the Kimberley Spirit players gave a formidable performance, mounting a strong comeback in the last quarter. Kimberley Spirit Program coordinator Ben De Meo said the trip was the first opportunity of its kind for young Kimberley female footballers. “The players have learned so much, which is going to hold them in good stead as they continue to develop along their football journey,” he said. “(They) made the most of the opportunity to showcase their talents, and put on a show, doing themselves, their families and communities proud. “A massive thank you to Claremont Football Club and Fremantle Football Club and their coaches, senior players and support staff for embracing the players this week and bringing them in to their program.”