WA Football Juniors Launches New Chapter for Junior FootyFriday, November 28, 2025 - 12:30 PM

The WACA Ground has been home to countless iconic sporting moments and on Wednesday night it played host to something entirely new, the official launch of WA Football Juniors. The event marked a significant step forward for junior and youth football across metropolitan Perth.

Bringing together the three Regional Development Councils, Metro South, Metro Central and Metro North, the event combined three Annual General Meetings with a club sundowner, creating a landmark occasion for the junior football community.

More than 200 club stakeholders, administrators, volunteers, umpires and football leaders filled the historic venue, reflecting the strength and unity of the junior football network across the metro area.

WA Football Juniors is a newly established department within the Participation Programs and Strategy unit, created to provide dedicated oversight and enhanced support for junior and youth football across the three metro conferences. Together, these conferences represent over 105 junior clubs and nine WAFL districts, forming one of the most significant grassroots and largest football networks in Australia.

The evening served as both a celebration and a statement of intent, celebrating the achievements of the 2025 season while clearly outlining the roadmap ahead for 2026.

Under the new structure, clubs will access a unified and coordinated suite of support services under the WA Football Juniors banner. These include enhanced access to football administration support, coaching and club development, women and girls programming, participation initiatives and umpiring support, all designed to simplify processes and strengthen the connection between clubs and WA Football.

Prior to the sundowner, the three RDC Annual General Meetings were held, resulting in the appointment of several respected Junior Club Representatives:

• Tameeka McCorkell from the East Fremantle District
• Patrick de Haan from the South Fremantle District
• Mel Parkinson from the Subiaco District
• Tony Pickburn from the Perth District.

Metro North RDC Chair Nicole Rogers welcomed the continuity and experience these appointments bring.

“It is great to have our Junior Club Delegates confirmed for the 2026 season. These individuals are highly respected in our football community and play an important role in actively supporting the development of junior clubs across our zone,” Rogers said.

She also acknowledged the outstanding service of Rosemary Goodin, RDC Life Member and former Subiaco District delegate, who recently concluded over six years of dedicated service on the RDC, following earlier contributions through the Subiaco District Football Development Council and Subiaco Umpires.

The formal proceedings continued with an update from WA Football Juniors and Affiliates Specialist Danni Dix, who shared insights gathered from extensive club feedback across the 2025 season.

“We had a strong response from clubs through both our mid-season and post-season surveys. That feedback has directly shaped several of the rule adjustments and operational changes for 2026, which we presented on the night,” Dix said.

Dix also confirmed an earlier release of key documentation for the coming season.

“Our next step is to distribute all key documents presented and referenced tonight within the coming weeks, months earlier than our traditional timeline. This gives clubs greater opportunity to plan, align and prepare for the 2026 season,” she said.

The launch also introduced two leaders of the WA Football Juniors team, Kathy Monck, Youth Football Specialist, and Russell Askwith, Modified Football Specialist.

Both shared their football journeys, professional backgrounds and strong commitment to supporting clubs, not only through competition management but also through club development, participation growth and mentoring support throughout the season.

A key focus for WA Football Juniors moving forward will be establishing a clear and consistent administrative framework across all junior competitions, while expanding support beyond traditional measures to strengthen club sustainability and community impact.

The WA Football Juniors team also extended its thanks to WA Cricket for hosting the launch at the WACA, a venue that reflects the deep history and shared spirit of two great Western Australian sports.