Northern squad impress on the national stage

A North West WA regional team comprising the top under-17 football players from the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne excelled at the youth national championships in Sydney in early July.

The squad, loaded with players from Broome and the West Kimberley, won two of its three division 3 games in an impressive display of expansive and attacking football.

The side lost their opening game to eventual division winners World XVIII, which is an AFL program for youngsters born in Australia but with parents from overseas.

The North West team had only arrived in New South Wales the day prior and, as such, started the game slowly. Despite a plucky comeback, World XVIII prevailed by eight points.

The second game was played against Boomerangs, an elite national AFL-run indigenous program. The North West team put their supposedly superior opponents to the sword, winning by 120 points.

In their final game against a South Pacific team, a 90-point victory was also recorded in a one-sided affair.

North West’s star player was Sam Seton from Halls Creek, who picked up the fairest and best player in division 3.

Broome representatives in the contingent included Chris Oakley, Brayden Hackett, Brent Gore, Lucas Ahchee, Shae Butler, Bart Djiagween and Elijah Howard. Aaron Birch from Beagle Bay and Derby half-back Robbie Simons also featured.

After the 2012 tournament, where the North West team won all of their games,

14 of the squad were picked up by the West Australian Football League colts competition with three invited to AFL draft camp testing.

Garnduwa’s football operations manager Brett Claudius, who travelled to Sydney with the team, hopes for a similar fate for this year’s contingent.

“We are hopeful that all of the boys will be picked up by the WAFL colts competition after an excellent tournament,” he said.

“The boys’ behaviour and attitude was outstanding, and they showed they can compete with anyone.

“We feel the team is good enough to play in a higher division next year.”