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Our brightest stars: Kimberley RegionThursday, June 11, 2020 - 2:17 PM

Western Australia has a proud history of developing elite football talent, with many of the game’s brightest stars beginning their careers at local junior football clubs right across the State.

In a series of articles highlighting the rich talent pool in WA over the years, Lenny Fogliani takes a closer look at the best current and former WAFL and AFL players to emerge from junior clubs in WA’s regions and districts.

This article focusses on junior clubs in the Kimberley Region.

To find your local junior club, please click here.

A number of great players have come from the Kimberley Region. Below are some of the most notable.

Photo: Sam Petrevski-Seton. AFL Media

KIMBERLEY REGION

The Kimberley has proven to be an excellent region for exciting talented footballers wanting to play in either the WAFL or the AFL.

Within the Kimberley, there are three football leagues – Central Kimberley, East Kimberley and West Kimberley.

The Central Kimberley Football League (CKFL) comprises of six teams within the Fitzroy Valley region of the Kimberley. One team is from Fitzroy Crossing, while the five other Clubs are from Indigenous communities within the regions. The six clubs that compete within the CKFL are Bayulu Bulldogs, Junjuwa Magpies, Noonkanbah Blues, Wangkatjungka Crows, Yakanarra Dockers and Yiyili Tigers.

The East Kimberley Football League (EKFL) covers an area from the Cambridge Gulf to the Great Sandy Desert. There are currently twelve clubs that compete in the EKFL – Bow River Blues, Halls Creek Hawks, Kundat Djaru Cats, Kununurra Demons, Kururrungku Roos, Ord River Magpies, Port Wyndham Crocs, Timber Creek, Waringarri Crows, Warmun Eagles, Wirrimanu Tigers and Yardgee Dockers.

The West Kimberley Football League (WKFL) covers an area from Bidyadanga to Derby and has eight Clubs competing in the competition – Bidyadanga Emus, Broome Bulls, Cable Beach, Derby Tigers, Looma Eagles, Peninsula Eagles, Saints and Towns.

Below are some of the notable players to have come from the Kimberley region.

ZEPHANIAH SKINNER – NOONKANBAH BLUES (CENTRAL KIMBERLEY)

A Yungngora man, Zephaniah Skinner is arguably the most notable player to have originated from the Central Kimberley Football League. Across 2011 and 2012, Skinner played eight games and booted five goals for the Western Bulldogs. His best performances came against Geelong (17 possessions and a goal) and Richmond (12 possessions and 2 goals). During this time, he also played 23 VFL games for Williamstown. In 2016, he played two Reserve games for South Fremantle against East Fremantle (9 possessions and a goal) and Swan Districts (7 possessions and 3 tackles). In 2009, Skinner won the QAFL Rising Star Award after he booted 25 goals from 16 games for the NT Thunder. He polled 39 votes to comfortably beat Labrador’s Todd Grayson (19) and Morningside’s Tom Hickey (18). Skinner also played with the Claremont Colts between 2007 and 2008.

SAM PETREVSKI-SETON – HALLS CREEK HAWKS (EAST KIMBERLEY)

Affectionately known as either “Samo” or “SPS,” Sam Petrevski-Seton from Halls Creek was picked up with pick #6 in the 2016 AFL National Draft. In his three seasons of AFL football, Petrevski-Seton has played 65 AFL games, booted 19 goals and currently averages 17 possessions, 4 tackles and 4 marks. He won the 2017 Carlton Best First Year Player Award, finished sixth in the 2017 NAB AFL Rising Star Award and finished 10th in Carlton’s 2019 Best and Fairest. Prior to the 2020 season, he was rated as Carlton’s fifth best player due to his elusiveness, unselfishness, creativity and skill.

JOEL HAMLING – CABLE BEACH GREENBACKS (WEST KIMBERLEY)

Known as “Hammer,” Hamling was born in Denmark, but was brought up in Broome. He was originally drafted by Geelong in 2011, but after three seasons without playing a senior match, he joined the Western Bulldogs as a delisted free agent. In his first season with the Bulldogs, he won the Best First Year Player Award and finished in the top 20 of the Best and Fairest. He was also one of the Bulldogs’ best players in the 2016 Grand Final triumph when he held Sydney’s Kurt Tippett goalless. He was traded to Fremantle after the successful 2016 campaign. In three seasons with the Dockers, he has played 62 games and has three top-ten placings in the Best and Fairest counts (2017: 6th, 2018: 7th, 2019: 7th). Prior to the 2020 AFL season, he was rated as Fremantle’s fifth-best player.

List of notable WAFL and/or AFL players who originally played in the Kimberley.

PLAYER

KIMBERLEY REGION

JUNIOR CLUB

WAFL CLUB

AFL CLUB

Zephaniah Skinner

Central Kimberley

Noonkanbah Blues

Claremont

South Fremantle

Western Bulldogs

Liam Bedford

East Kimberley

Halls Creek Hawks

Claremont

-

Toby Bedford

East Kimberley

Halls Creek Hawks

-

Melbourne

Isaiah Butters

East Kimberley

Halls Creek Hawks

Claremont

Fremantle

Cedric Cox

East Kimberley

Halls Creek Hawks

-

Brisbane

Shane McAdam

East Kimberley

Halls Creek Hawks

Claremont

Adelaide

Irving Mosquito

East Kimberley

Halls Creek Hawks

-

Essendon

Sam Petrevski-Seton

East Kimberley

Halls Creek Hawks

Claremont

Carlton

Francis Watson

East Kimberley

Halls Creek Hawks

Claremont

East Perth

West Coast Eagles

James Klause

East Kimberley

Kununurra Demons

Claremont

-

Carl Peterson

East Kimberley

Ord River Magpies

Claremont

Hawthorn

Richmond

Jason Carter

East Kimberley

Port Wyndham Crocs

Claremont

Peel Thunder

Fremantle

Shaquille Morton

East Kimberley

Waringarri Crows

Claremont

-

Leno Thomas

East Kimberley

Warmun Eagles

Claremont

Fremantle

Clinton Benjamin

West Kimberley

Broome Bulls

Claremont

-

Lewis Broome

West Kimberley

Broome Bulls

Claremont

West Coast Eagles

Josh Hill

West Kimberley

Broome Bulls

Claremont

West Coast Eagles

Western Bulldogs

Jack Martin

West Kimberley

Broome Bulls

Claremont

Carlton

Gold Coast Suns

Casey Sibosado

West Kimberley

Broome Bulls

Claremont

Perth Demons

Fremantle

Angelo Thomas

West Kimberley

Broome Bulls

Claremont

-

Gerrick Weedon

West Kimberley

Broome Bulls

Claremont

West Coast Eagles

Joel Hamling

West Kimberley

Cable Beach

Claremont

Fremantle

Geelong

Western Bulldogs

Christopher Oakley

West Kimberley

Cable Beach

Claremont

-

Anthony Treacy

West Kimberley

Cable Beach

Claremont

West Coast Eagles

Gavin Mitchell

West Kimberley

Saints FC

Towns FC

Claremont

Fremantle

St Kilda

Damon Enosa

West Kimberley

Towns FC

Claremont

Subiaco

-

Neil Marshall

West Kimberley

Towns FC

Claremont

Subiaco

West Coast Eagles

Rowen Powell

West Kimberley

Towns FC

Claremont

Subiaco

West Coast Eagles