GWABA Carnival: ‘Biggest ever’ crowd packs Bunbury ground as Lewis Jetta, Jason Carter & more thrill fans

Some of WA’s best Aboriginal footballers flocked to a chock-a-block Hands Oval for the 20th edition of Bunbury’s GWABA carnival for Noongar footballers. Bunbury’s own Lewis Jetta, as well as Jason Carter, Francis Watson and Harley Bennell were among the stars of the show on the field, but other big footballing names thrilled fans in the outer. The carnival’s premiership, named after South Bunbury, East Perth and Carlton legend Syd Jackson, was won by the Koolbardis, a side featuring Peel Thunder’s Traye Bennell among others. They upset the Maali Saints, who as well as Bennell, also featured Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault Hayward Medal winner Brendan Tingey, his teammate Jarrod Humphries and Tom Woods, who won best on ground in the grand final in the losing effort. Another Hayward medallist, new South Bunbury signing Jace Cormack, also played in a Thunder side alongside new Eaton Boomers recruit and former Fremantle Docker Joel Houghton. Event organiser Dawn Alone said the crowd across Carey Park’s Kelly Park and Hands Oval was the carnival’s “biggest ever” as fans flocked to get a glimpse of some of the game’s stars. “It was the biggest crowd we have seen in the carnival’s 20 years, you could not fit another car in and the best thing was there was no trouble at all,” she said. “It was like coming home and connecting with old relations and old friends. “They had a great time meeting their idols.” Fremantle Dockers fan favourite Liam Henry posed for photos with hundreds of adoring fans, while another Fremantle star Winston Abraham handed out premiership medals alongside Byron Pickett. The winning side also featured Henry’s brother Lewis, as well as former Harvey Bulls forward Kaine Ah-Chee. The carnival took on extra significance with the South West Aboriginal Medical Service administering COVID-19 vaccinations from a pop-up clinic at Hands Oval. “They had quite a few people come through and get their needles,” Mrs Alone said. “That was good, they enjoyed it. “The people that got their needles were given a voucher, so they went straight off to get their food.”