WA Football

Kingfisher Oval was a carnival of coloured guernseys last Wednesday (July 8), with more than 50 youngsters gathering for East Perth Football Club’s annual ‘Smarter than Smoking’ school holiday clinic.

Both parents and children arrived in their club colours, excited to meet their sporting heroes and learn from the best.

East Perth’s Nic Italiano and Colts captain Ryan Maldenis ran drills with the kids, giving them handy hints on how to improve their kicking and handballing skills.

It wasn’t long before the arrival of five of Fremantle’s brightest young football stars caused an uproar and had juniors running for autographs.

Swan Districts’ Football Club attracted big numbers to its July junior school holiday clinic, with a record-breaking 310 junior footballers gathering at Bassendean Oval keen to make new friends, polish their footy skills, and gain insight from Fremantle AFL players.

Swans' District Manger manager Angela Doyle said attendance was the biggest ever for the club.

“We have never gotten to the 300 mark, so this is big stuff,” Ms Doyle said.

Junior footballers spent 15 minutes at 10 stations covering skills such as kicking, handballing and even umpiring.

Ms Doyle said the clinics provided an opportunity for kids to interact with other players.

Peel Thunder travelled north to Rockingham recently for a football clinic with some of the town’s promising youngsters.

The clinic was organised in preparation for Peel’s upcoming game against South Fremantle, being played at Anniversary Park in Rockingham on August 1.

The Rockingham Football Club is one of the main feeder clubs that exist within Peel’s zone, and is the source of many talented players.

One of Peel’s newest Rockingham recruits, Matt Ware, said it was important to nurture the talent of local clubs such as Rockingham.

Redcliffe Junior Football Club is calling all past players, coaches, managers, supporters and officials to help celebrate the club’s 50 anniversary on Saturday, July 25.th

A 50-year reunion has been planned to celebrate the club’s formation in 1959, with the event to be held in the Starting Gate Function Room at Belmont Park Racecourse from 12-5pm.

East Fremantle league coach Shane Woewodin has been drilling district coaches to improve their players' kicking skills.

Woewodin is not satisfied with the standard of kicking among the junior players and hopes to improve this in the future.

“It’s going to be an ongoing process, it’s not going to happen overnight,” Woewodin said

“We want more Auskick groups really focusing heavily on kicking skills…we want to get on it when they’re young so when they get older they only get better and better.