Fremantle Dockers build community bonds in annual Kimberley 9s carnival

Cable Beach is a hell of a long way from Optus Stadium, but as schoolkids played footy on the pristine sand alongside Fremantle players and staff at the annual Kimberley 9s carnival during the week, they could imagine the roar of the crowd. An AFL career is close to impossible for most people. Only the best of the best even get a chance to be drafted. And when you are from a remote region of the Kimberley, even kids with elite talent would find it hard to genuinely think about it as a reality. Some of the kids who attended the Kimberley 9s had never seen the ocean before. They were shocked by the behaviour of hungry seagulls. People who grow up in suburban Perth take that for granted. But after a long drive home of up to 12 hours, those kids had unbelievable stories to tell. Stories like playing against Fremantle trio Isaiah Dudley, Leon Kickett and Aine Tighe. One kid took a hanger that had the entire beach talking. He flew for marks all day. Then produced one that took people’s breath away. Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick played in the games. So did president Chris Sutherland. Footy manager Joe Brierty umpired. Ex-Docker and Next Generation Academy Roger Hayden was up there too. The Kimberley 9s weren’t designed to recruit talent. It was established as a reward for kids who improved their school attendance and behaviour. That reward is working because 32 schools attended. That prize is like a premiership. Not a footy premiership – a life premiership. For some kids, meeting the criteria was tough to achieve. But once they got the tick of approval to join the trip, the effort felt life-changing. The Kimberley are Fremantle’s developmental zone but the Dockers didn’t take 50 staff, their entire board and three players to Broome just because they want to find talent. That’s not realistic. Garlick said the club, and its charitable arm Purple Hands Foundation, understand that if they’re going to be responsible for a large region in WA, they have to look after everybody. “There’s a talent element to it, but it goes far beyond that,” Garlick told The Sunday Times. “The Kimberley has long been a region of ours, and we’re very mindful of the challenges that region has from a social, cultural, and community perspective. One of things footy clubs can do is make a positive difference in lives, and particularly young people’s lives. “So our Purple Hands Foundation, whilst young, is starting to have a massive impact in the areas that it’s working in. It’s something that, as a club, we’re going to continue to drive and support strong.” Injured AFLW star Aine Tighe is also the club’s Female Next Generation Academy coach and spent the entire trip getting to know the kids. She played on the beach for hours across Wednesday and Thursday, clocking up more than 30,000 steps in one day. Playing built up a bond. She taught them skills. She celebrated their success. But most importantly, she was just a presence who cared. Kids she’d never met wanted to talk. She earned their trust. And once they started talking, she told them stories that made them dream. They learnt that she isn’t even from Australia and grew up in small Irish town. Tighe moved across the world to play footy. It was a very different move. But it was relatable. And she had a relatable story to tell about Broome teenager Jasmine Roberts too. Dockers star Pat Voss raved about Roberts after meeting her at the Kimberley 9s last year, saying her talent stood out from the moment he saw her playing on Cable Beach. Fremantle identified Roberts a long time ago. And now the 16-year-old is living in Perth, hoping to become an AFLW player. The Dockers found her a host family to live with, organised a spot in a school and she’s playing for Claremont. Tighe is excited by what Roberts could become. “I first met Jas up here probably about four years ago on a regional trip,” Tighe explained. “Ben, who works for us up here, was doing a fair bit of work with the Kimberley Spirit and Jas up here at that time. It was her footy skills straight up, but also the sort of character she is. She’s an unbelievable kid. “She’s so committed, fiercely competitive and just loves footy. So we’ve been working with her over the last four or five years. She made the move down o Perth earlier this year to do school and she’s been thriving in the Next Generation Academy. “She’s just recently been added to the state squad for the summer program too. So it’s been great to be able to help her, even just a little bit in that journey, and have something familiar when she does come down to Perth to make it a little bit easier. It’s been very special for us. Seeing her go to the next step every time is incredible.” Tighe said having former Docker Michael Walters working for WA Footy has been a huge boost for Indigenous athletes across the state because he understands the different challenges players face depending on where they live. Fremantle forward Isaiah Dudley grew up in remote South Australia, and his home in Port Lincoln is a famous footy town. He was the most popular person on Cable Beach and said the joy on the faces of all of the kids reminded him of how he felt at their age when an AFL player visited. “It’s pretty hard. It’s remote so they don’t get much,” he said. “But this event here opens up many pathways, opens up a lot of ears and eyes to see that there’s a lot of stars up in the top end. It’s pretty special.” AFL clubs will have a dedicated rookie list spot for Indigenous players next season in a bid to increase the number of First Nations players throughout the league. Dudley is a huge supporter of that move and said teenagers should chase that dream if they have AFL aspirations. “There’s a lot of stars out there that should deserve to be on a list,” he said. “It’s very important, and I’m glad it’s there. If you love what you’re doing, do it with passion. If you don’t have it, then you should not be doing it. But if you have the passion and love for it, keep at it. And the most thing is, have fun. Laugh. It’s not always that serious. If you’re having fun, you can take it many ways and always have a smile on your face.” There were plenty of smiles across Cable Beach. The kids danced to a band after their games, and had dinner overlooking the beach at sunset to a meal that was cooked by professional chefs. Garlick, Brierty and Sutherland were among their waiters. WA Police and the Education Department also play key roles in the carnival. The police were playing games too, building relationships and creating bonds. WA Footy CEO Brad Wira travelled to Broome too. So did Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti. Purple Hands Foundation General Manager, and former Docker, Simon Eastaugh said the Kimberley 9s had changed lives. “We’re super proud of what we’ve been able to achieve now in our sixth year. We started out with a bit of a dream,” he said. “It goes beyond football, and that’s essentially what this carnival is all about. The key learnings of the classroom and being part of the school is that if you change your behaviours, have a really clear focus on what you want in terms of goal setting and having that aspiration and motivation to do it, anything’s possible.”

Fremantle Dockers build community bonds in annual Kimberley 9s carnival

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