WAFL heads to KalgoorlieThursday, May 19, 2022 - 10:48 AM - by Rachael Osborne

The footy rich town of Kalgoorlie will host their first WAFL game since 2014, with Subiaco taking on Swan Districts in a round 5 clash, aligning to the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls round, in the lead up to Reconciliation Week. The game comes as a result of the Regional WAFL Fixture Funding Program with major partner Rio Tinto.   

Subiaco Captain and two-time WA State captain said his team is excited to travel to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder region to play. 

“Kalgoorlie has provided Subiaco with some of the clubs most successful and celebrated players who have been instrumental in the success of the club.  In recent times greats like Kyal Horsley, Hayden Kennedy, Scott Worthington and the Borchet brothers come to mind,” Kitchin said. 

 “All of our Kalgoorlie products are extremely proud of the town, so it is a fantastic for our group to have the opportunity to experience Kalgoorlie and hopefully provide a great experience for the community, 
 
We would love to play in front of a large and vocal home crowd.” 

 WAFC Aboriginal and Inclusion Leader and Swan Districts Club legend, Phil Narkle, will be travelling to Kalgoorlie to support in delivering a number of community activities in the days leading up to the game.  

 Narkle said the game shows great potential for Football in the acknowledgement and inclusion of the Traditional Owners. 

 “We are looking forward to working closely with local elders in the lead up to the game and on match day to ensure that football assists in key Cultural Awareness engagement activities”. 

 John Bowler, City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor said hosting a WAFL match would be a big coup for the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Community. 

 “We have no doubt that a big crowd will turn up at Sir Richard Moore Oval,” he said. 

 “The Subiaco Football Club do a fantastic job and are actively involved in our region through the Goldfields Lion Pride Academy. This fixture will enable these kids to see their heroes up close at a live game, having a long-lasting impact to motivate them to be the best that they can be.” 

 The Subiaco Football Club is planning a range of Community and Indigenous Engagement activities in the lead up to and as part of its match day experience and the partnership between the West Australian Football Commission and Rio Tinto.  

 Planned activities include: 

• A ball with Indigenous artwork created by Gertrina Hayden, designed for the 2022 WACFL Belt Up Football NAIDOC Round;   
• Delivery of a Coaching, Education and Cultural Awareness session with Goldfields Football League (GFL) stakeholders;  
• Subiaco FC players will head to 10 schools in the region and run clinics for the upcoming football fans and stars of the region; and 
• Games involving the Indigenous All Stars; GFL Colts; and GFL Country Championships team before and after the League match.  

About the Rio Tinto Regional WAFL Fixture Funding Program: 

Developed in partnership between the WAFC and Rio Tinto, the Regional WAFL Fixture Funding Program aims to deliver enhanced Cultural Awareness and Regional Engagement opportunities for the West Australian Football League. The program enables WAFL Clubs to apply for funding to take fixtures to their regional development zones.