INDIGENOUS LEAGUE STARS PROVIDE DJINDA FALCONS WITH PATHWAY

THE work West Perth has done to develop its Djinda Falcons Indigenous program in the past 12 months has been remarkable and now the youth in those squad have a clear pathway to look to with a host of Aboriginal footballers pressing to make their Falcons debut this Friday night.

It was only 18 months ago when the West Perth Football Club made the decision to put enormous time and resources into developing an Indigenous program to help the youth develop on and off the football field in the West Perth District.

Despite the drafting of Stephen Hill and Brad Hill from West Perth, and a strong history of Indigenous footballers including the likes of Bill Dempsey and Graham 'Polly' Farmer, the Falcons found themselves without a senior Aboriginal player or programs in place.

However, that has now taken on a dramatic change and growth in the past 12 months with the Djinda Falcons program turning into a massive success and a host of Indigenous footballers have joined West Perth for the 2015 season who will push for selection in the league team.

The Djinda Falcons program has been such a success because of the work of the West Perth Football Club's Indigenous Program coordinator Sharon Kenney who is also the Djinda Falcons manager.

The Djinda Falcons program was the brainchild of Sharon and Brad Kenney who presented the proposal to the club, and then it has only continued to grow and prosper ever since it was given the go ahead.

The club then received a much-needed boost to its playing stock of Indigenous players ahead of the 2014 season with the recruitment of former Richmond and Collingwood AFL star, and WAFL premiership player, Sandover Medallist and Simpson Medallist Andrew Krakouer.

After initially signing to play with West Perth in 2014 following the end of his AFL career, Krakouer retired midway through the season but an important part of his recruitment to the Falcons was to help head with the new Indigenous programs and to provide mentoring for the Aboriginal youth.

And Sharon Kenney along with Brad Kenney have been able to take the Djinda Falcons program to the point where it could very well be the most successful and groundbreaking of any Indigenous program run by a WAFL club.

The programs see the youngsters aged 11-15 involved in the Djinda Falcons receive help in setting up themselves for life outside of football, but also providing plenty of chances to develop on the field as well.

Most recently, 31 Indigenous boys turned up to play for the Falcons in the Nicky Winmar Carnival where they were able to win three of their five matches. A great team of supporters and helpers on the day made that possible led by Sharon and Brad Kenney.

West Perth Football Club senior coach Bill Monaghan is delighted to have seen just how well it has developed over the past year.

"A lot of people judged us harshly on the Andrew Krakouer scenario last year, but we were up front with him and he was up front with us that one of the motivating factors on him coming here was to increase our presence within the Aboriginal community in this area," Monaghan said.

"We wanted to engage young people by offering them a pathway. Like everyone, I think the Indigenous population need to see a pathway and at West Perth we haven’t always provided that pathway.

"But through Andrew's presence and the formation of the Djinda Falcons, who recently participated in the Nicky Winmar Cup, the number of young boys coming through that program and being exposed to the West Perth Football Club is great to see.

"Hopefully that gives them some drive and education and will hold them in good stead down the track. That was one of the motivating factors in getting Andrew to the club."

The other offshoot of Krakouer's involvement and the Falcons' dedication to their Indigenous programs has been the arrival of a host of Aboriginal footballers ready to play league football in 2015.

Former West Coast-rookie Callum Papertalk, State 18s players Chris Yarran and Hayden Yarran, and former East Perth small forward Chris Franklin are all at West Perth in 2015 and right in the mix to play in Round 1 this Friday night against South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval.

After being originally rookie-listed by the West Coast Eagles from East Fremantle in 2012, Papertalk is now back in the WAFL system after some time away and ready to have a strong second crack at it. 

Former Perth player Chris Yarran was a prodigious young talent playing in the State 16s team in 2010 and then with the State 18s in both 2011 and 2012. He was a draft prospect, but when he didn’t end up in the AFL he ended up leaving the Demons as well at the end of 2012.

However, after two years out of the WAFL he is ready to make his mark again and has time on his aged just 20.

Hayden Yarran is a 22-year-old who previously played in the State 18s in 2010 and then played three reserves games with Swan Districts in 2011, and four with Claremont in 2013 is giving WAFL football another try with West Perth.

Chris Franklin is an elusive, clever and creative small forward is making a return to WAFL football after playing just the two reserves games with East Perth in 2014.

He previously, he played four league matches with East Perth in 2011 and in eight reserves games in 2012, kicked 12 goals in eight appearances.

The recruitment of those players was never part of the long-term strategy of implanting the Djinda Falcons program, but it is certainly a pleasing offshoot of it and of the presence of Krakouer.

Monaghan is excited mostly to have those players in his senior group to show to the youngsters in the Djinda Falcons that there is a clear pathway for them to follow to play league WAFL football.

"The offshoot of that now is that having Andrew coming here as a player, we have been able to attract five or six young men from around the traps who are having a crack at playing league footy here," Monaghan said.

"Hayden Yarran returns after going to Swans for a year or two, and being at Claremont. Chris Yarran was an AIS player and as a colt he was an extremely talented kid. Callum Papertalk played for East Fremantle and was on the Eagles' list. Chris Franklin was at East Perth.

"They are the guys who are most likely to play league footy for us in the short-term and whilst that is a real positive for us, the model with our programs isn’t necessarily to bring people out of our area to bolster our numbers of Aboriginal players.

"It's in the short-term about giving direction and an end point to those guys in the Djinda Falcons program for them to strive for. We are extremely to have a talented bunch of players and we expected that they can play good footy for us, but ultimately down the track we want the players representing us to be locals like we do in all areas.

"We'll get good service out of those players, we expect that they can all play league footy and in three or four years time the graduates from our Indigenous program will be the ones playing league footy for West Perth."