Kimberley kids! Spirit's remarkable journey to Country ChampsWednesday, July 9, 2025 - 6:44 PM - by Jordan McArdle

The Kimberley Spirit’s journey from various communities and towns across the State’s Kimberley region down to Perth is one of the more remarkable and heartwarming stories of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships.

The Spirit, competing in Division Two of the CBH Group Colts competition, touched down in Perth on Tuesday night ahead of the two-day tournament as they prepare to face teams from the Avon/Mortlock and Pilbara leagues as well as Regional Districts – made up the best players across the Upper Great Southern, Lower South West, Ongerup, Eastern Districts, Esperance and Goldfields.

It’s not just the distance that’s a hurdle for these budding footballers spread across some of the more remote communities in the Kimberley, as team manager Simone Haugh from Garnduwa Amboorny Wirnan Aboriginal Corporation explains.

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“There’s a lot of work that goes into the lead-up of it all, weeks and weeks in advance,” Haugh said.

“The simple things that we take for granted like having access to the internet to complete registration forms and mobile phones makes it really hard to communicate and make sure they’ve been made aware and they’ve had the relevant support and assistance to get their forms filled out and their guardians’ approval to send them on the camp.”

Among the squad are Orlando Thirkall and Dequane Mick, both from the remote community of Noonkanbah, about a 166km drive from Fitzroy Crossing, where former Western Bulldogs forward Zeph Skinner was born.

Both were selected after impressing in the recent Kimberley Colts Carnival in Broome which saw teams from East Kimberley, West Kimberley, South-East Kimberley and Central Kimberley go head-to-head.

The commute can start days before the first ball is bounced.

“Leading up to the event, you’ve got to arrange for pick-up,” Haugh said.

“Noonkanbah is probably two-and-a-half hours from Fitzroy and then you’ve got to get them into Broome and that’s just the start of the trip for them in terms of making their way down to Perth on the flight.”

Haugh spoke glowingly about the “amazing” football leagues across the Kimberley which provide so much support for these talented youngsters.

“Each of the leagues to a phenomenal job to work with us and enable these kids to get down and experience such an amazing opportunity at these events,” she said.

The Spirit squad got to train on Revo Fitness Stadium, home of their WAFL affiliate Claremont, for the first time together on Wednesday morning.

They also got to use the Tigers’ auditorium for a team meeting before learning the importance of recovery at Reclab recovery centre.

The word ‘legacy’ has been spoken about a lot since the group connected this week as they look to follow in the footsteps of some current and former AFL stars and represent the Kimberley with pride.

Joel Hamling, Ash Johnson, Zeph Skinner, Shane McAdam, Francis Watson, Samo Petrevski-Seton and Cedric Cox are just some of the names to have been drafted from the fruitful Kimberley region.

“To get the opportunity to play as a region, to represent home and play together as part of their communities, it doesn’t come around very often,” Haugh said.

“We’ve spoken a lot about legacy this week and we get to continue that on.

“There’s a lot of people in the Kimberley that have been a part of this program to allow us to be here today and it’s our time now to have a little piece in the history books of the Spirit.

“We talk a lot about wearing the jumper with pride so that future Kimberley Spirit kids can continue to come down here.

“I think just to have the entire Kimberley region here playing in one football team, it’s such an expansive area and it gives your goosebumps when they take to the field and play united as one.”

The Spirit’s CBH Group Colts campaign gets underway against Regional Districts at Guildford Grammar School on Thursday morning at 11am.

They then take on the return of the West Pilbara colts team, back after sitting out in 2024, at 12pm and Avon/Mortlock at 2pm.

All games across the Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships will be streamed live on Streamer.com.au

Entry to all Colts games, played across Guildford Grammar and Scotch College on day one and East Fremantle’s The Good Grocer Park on day two, will be free.