Spirited Bulldog Josh Kirk wins WA young volunteer of the year award for service to Wagin Football Club

A loyal and passionate Wagin Football Club member has been rewarded for his tireless dedication to the sport, winning WA Football’s young volunteer of the year award. From about 200 Statewide nominations, Josh Kirk received the top gong after years of leading senior training and events, marking oval lines, game day set-up, organising the kitchen roster and field umpires, being runner and water-boy and having a heavy involvement in the juniors at the Bulldogs. The 23-year-old has also been on the club’s committee since 2020 with the goal of growing the game. Kirk said he could not imagine not having football and was shocked to have been awarded for helping out the game he loves, where he volunteered for more than a decade. “Very shocked and honoured, I never expected anything in return for the stuff I’ve done, I just do it because I love the footy club, I’d be lost without it” he said. “I’ve always helped out wherever I could, even when I was in the junior side. “Without footy what else would anyone do in a small country town, so the longer we have a good healthy club running hopefully the longer people stick around and help out to keep the club going forward for the next generation.” Kirk’s name was put forward by Wagin Football Club volunteer Sandra Moffat who frequently helps junior players alongside Kirk. Encouraged by his dad, the Wagin Football Club president Gavin Kirk, the dedicate Bulldog said he enjoys urging players and new people to take on roles among the club. “Organising players to go through the kitchen has been good, it gives other people ideas of how much work actually goes into everything and how much help is required,” Kirk said. “It also gets players out of their comfort zone and organising the field umpires to also help, it only takes a few hours out of people’s day. “And getting people around the footy club who aren’t usually involved, so bringing new people in and it takes the pressure of people who do it every week.” Kirk has been on the field since his Auskick days and shows no signs of hanging up his boots while he continues his mission to inspire younger players. “I want to play for as long as I possibly can, I’d have to be dragged off the field,” he said.