Football First for Northampton in 2022Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - 3:30 PM

A WAFL and WAFLW match have been confirmed to be played on the last weekend of April in Northampton, a town steeped in football history. The double-header in the Mid-West town will provide a huge boost for the local community following the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Seroja.

In the WAFL, East Fremantle will host East Perth and in WAFLW East Fremantle will host Claremont. 

West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) Chief Executive Officer Michael Roberts says the weekend will be a resounding success. “We know how resilient Northampton residents have been over the past twelve months, and the town’s reputation for producing champion footballers over several decades is second to none. Being part of East Fremantle’s zone, we believe bringing the games to Northampton will inspire the next generation of aspiring stars”.

The WAFC is partnering with the AFL Rams Community Support Fund for this special weekend.

Rams Founder and former AFL player Andrew Lockyer came up with the proposal.

“The plan is to help lift the spirits of locals who are still doing it tough. If we can take their minds off the challenges they face for a couple of days and raise some much-needed funds then we will have achieved our goals”, Lockyer said.

Sentiments echoed by Northampton Shire Chief Executive Garry Keeffe “we’re hoping to draw a crowd of more than one thousand spectators.

It’s not often we get to host quality sport, and the benefits will be felt across the region, not just Northampton. It could lead to more of these types of events in the future” Keeffe said. 

The weekend will be a Festival of Footy including School Clinics, Talent Squad Training, Football Forum and Coaching session, Umpire Education and Auskick matches over the two days. 

A local GNFL game will also be played prior to the WAFLW match.

The WAFC acknowledges the generous support provided by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Shire of Northampton, Great Northern Football League, the WA Country Football League and the competing clubs.