Spirited players defeat South West

The Kimberley Spirit team has returned from a successful trip to Perth after competing in the A-grade Colts division of the Landmark Country Football Championships.

The Spirit team made it through the three-day carnival undefeated and beat the South West team by one point in the grand final. The victory ended the Southwest Colts’ eight-year winning streak in the competition.

Arriving in Perth on Monday, July 11, the team played two 25 minute half games on Thursday against Peel and Southwest Colts and two games on Friday against the Great Southern Colts and Regional Districts teams.

After comprehensive victories in all four games the team lined up against the South West team in the grand final to play a full-length game.

The game was one of the most exciting in the competition’s history, with the lead changing several times in the first half.

When a Kimberley Spirit team player went down in the third quarter due to a controversial red card, Southwest kicked to a three-goal lead.

The Kimberley Spirit showed true grit to fight back with some brilliant football. Barry Long and Ainsley Dixon used their exciting speed to rebound the football off half back and kick the ball long to high-flying forwards Waylen Manson five goals), Levi Copley (three goals) and Graham Thomas. Midfielders Thomas Cox, Keiren Ridley and James Woodhouse were tenacious around the ball to set up scoring opportunities.

The Kimberley team continued to push ahead with some quick Kimberley football and created a 14-point lead with 10 minutes remaining in the last quarter.

The game then took another twist with the South West team scoring two goals and a point to be one point behind with 30 seconds remaining.

As the final siren rang, a free kick was paid to the South West team on the boundary line, 50 meters from goal. The shot after the siren was on line until Waylon Manson jumped over the mass of players in the goal square to take the mark of the carnival and secure an exciting, history making victory for the Kimberley Spirit team.

Graham Thomas was rewarded the Ken Baxter Medal for fairest and best player for the carnival and Waylon Manson was best on ground in the grand final with his five-goal haul.