It was a long bus ride for a scratch match…
The junior football season has been quite disrupted in the Goldfields and coach of the Year 7/8 team from the Kalgoorlie City Junior Football Club, Peter Hicks, wanted to reward the efforts and commitment of his team by bringing them to Perth to play a metro team.
Peter and our Vice President, Jayd Holmes, both played junior football in the Goldfields. While they were on opposing teams, they played together from Colts through to Seniors. Peter put the idea of a scratch match to Jayd, the respective clubs ensured all the relevant checks and balances were in place and the rest took care of itself. The boys (and girls) came across to Perth on the bus, checked into their accommodation at Ern Halliday Recreation Camp, and it wasn’t long before they joined us at Beach Road - a game under lights, exciting for all of us as we usually play on a Sunday.
Given the Kalgoorlie team was a combined Year 7/8 group, Jayd Holmes put the question to our Year 7 Cats and Year 8 Cats and formed a combined team, coached by Paul Neale, Murray Lynch, Alistair Barnes and Scott Pleitner. Trevor Hess, Year 8 Team Manager was runner for the evening (thanks Trev - we heard you ran 10km on the night). We played on the big oval but had plenty on the bench, as did Kalgoorlie City, and the game was a cracker from start to finish. While Kalgoorlie won according to the scoreboard, it really didn’t matter as everyone had a fantastic time and played their hearts out.
Coach Peter Hicks, was assisted by Steve Shaw, with Team Manager Shannon Gibbs and plenty of parents that made the journey from Kalgoorlie to Carine. Our Year 7/8 Youth Girls were playing at the same time, on Lower Beach, against North Beach Junior Football Club. Without a designated girls competition in Kalgoorlie, the representative team also contained a number of girls and we were all able to meet up and share in some hospitality at the Clubrooms after both events.
We were delighted that Kyle Stainsby (from the Carine Junior Football Club player) and Hayden Kennedy (from Mines Rovers Junior Football Club in Kalgoorlie) were able to join us and they addressed both teams prior to the game. They now play for Subiaco and the boys and girls could see what the future might hold for them. Subiaco beanies and caps were awarded to some of the best players from both teams at the end of the evening. While the Carine Junior Football Club presented the Kalgoorlie team with some club merchandise to share, without a doubt the most prized awards of the evening came in the form of two signed Eagles guernseys. Peter’s nephew, Dom Sheed arranged the signing and the guernseys were awarded to Jayden Joubert (JJ) from Carine and Jake Tucker from Kalgoorlie. We hear they are both die-hard Eagles fans too, which made it all the more exciting for them.
A special thank you to the 2021 Trip Group who ran the canteen for the evening and supplied hamburgers for all the players and visitors - you did an amazing job to feed all those hungry young men and women and we know that you’re on the BBQ and coffee machine again tomorrow for Auskick and the Sunday competition. We also can’t forget to thank our umpires, especially as it’s Round 8, and ‘thank and resect the unpire’ round. Alex Pannell, from Subiaco District Umpires Group persuaded Connor and Jayden to join us for the evening, and they were invited to stay afterwards for hamburgers and a drink too!
Thanks for coming Kalgoorlie - our boys are already talking about making a visit East next year and many of the boys exchanged contact details (aka Snapchat, Instagram, etc). Perhaps this is the beginning of something we can do annually, especially where there is an opportunity to link up with regional clubs in the Subiaco Football District.
