Kimberley Spirit on the big stage for Sir Doug Nicholls Round
The Kimberley Spirit program recently travelled with 24 U15 athletes to Perth to participate in the Sir Doug Nicholls round curtain raiser. The team who were selected from training hubs in Broome, and Kununurra, took on the Mid-West. Fremantle Football Club and Claremont Football Club hosted the group for a series of education and development sessions.
The Kimberley Spirit Program
The Kimberley Spirit program develops young footballers from throughout the Kimberley region.
The program bridges the gap between regional and metropolitan football opportunities.
The curtain raiser trip is a milestone in the U15 pathway, and comes at a critical stage in the athletic and personal development of the athletes.
Players from both remote communities and towns came together as a team.
Kimberley Spirit Program Manager Simone, who started in the role in early 2024, coordinated the trip, and continues to bring in partner organisations to support the social and emotional wellbeing of the young people engaged through the program.
“What I love about the program and what drew me to the role is that mental health and social and emotional wellbeing is a huge part of what the program focuses on,” she said.
The curtain raiser trip was no exception.
”The curtain raiser provides the boys an opportunity to play on the main stage of Optus Oval and to actually see and feel what it’s like at the top level. But it’s not just about playing footy. We talk a lot about preparation, training and what challenges and opportunities you might expect moving through the pathway”
The team ran away with a huge win.
Program recognised by elite pathways
The Kimberley has long been considered fertile ground for footy talent.
The Kimberley Spirit program provides a crucial environment for engaging and developing talent, and has been recognised by Fremantle Football Club and Claremont Football Club, both of whom invest in the program and want to see it continue to grow.
Fremantle’s Next Generation Academy Coach Roger Hayden see’s relationships and history as the key to the program success.
“The program is embedded in the Kimberley and has been pretty successful in generating participants from remote areas and getting them engaged in football in town centres, and then transferring down to the city,” he said.
The team toured and trained at CFC headquaters.
Claremont Football Club’s talent manager Jordan Smith consider’s the Claremont and Kimberley Spirit connection to be really important to the club.
”The Kimberley Spirit has been a fantastic connection for us for a long period of time now. and it has played a really important role in being able to transistion players from the region down to Perth,” he said.