Country Week Football
The first Country Week competition took place in 1912 after the Goomalling Football Association proposed the idea of a Country Week competition to the WAFL, most likely as a result of the success of the Country Week Cricket competition which began in 1907.
Unfortunately, Goomalling could not raise a side, leaving Avon, Bunbury, Geraldton, Moora and Nelson as the first teams to participate in this competition from July 22 to 26 that year. Continue reading
West Australian National Country Football League
In 1973 at a meeting of the WA Football League and representatives of Country Leagues, it was resolved to form the WAN Country Football League (WANCFL). Mr A S (Bud) Byfield was elected President, Mr R Black Senior Vice President, Mr N J (Jock) Beattie Junior Vice President. One representative from each attending league was appointed the WANCFL Council until the WANCFL was properly constituted. This committee was formed to represent the interests of those participating in football in regional Western Australia.
In 1974 the WANCFL oversaw the state, south of the 26th parallel and west of Kalgoorlie, divided into eight zones with each of the eight WAFL Clubs being allocated a regional zone. In 1981 an application was lodged for incorporation as an Associated Incorporation with the objects defined as Promoting, Developing, Managing and Representing the interests of Country Football.
Since that time the WACFL has played a significant role in the structuring and management of country football leagues, the talent development pathway for country players and the development and representation of the code across regional WA. The WACFL is a governance committee made up of 10 volunteer executive members and staff.
In 2019 the WACFL affiliated network is comprised of 25 Senior Leagues, 150 Country Clubs and around 12,500 players, not to mention the 5,000 plus volunteers who help facilitate football each weekend.
Visit the WACFL website HERE
COUNTRY WEEK TEAMS
Which included Katanning Representatives
Central Great Southern National Football League
1981
COUNTRY WEEK TEAM
John Fleay (Kojonup)
Michael Mathwin (Kojonup)
Gavin McDonald (Kojonup)
Athol Farmer (Australs)
Robert Marinoni (Kojonup)
Neil Carroll
Bryce Hinkley (Gnowangerup)
Gary Parnell (Gnowangerup)
Michael Quartermaine (Wanderers)
Ken Quartermaine (Wanderers)
Peter Walsh
Kevin Broome (Kojonup)
Michael Davies (Kojonup)
Keith Ladyman
Raymond Williams (Tambellup)
Geoff Hall (Australs)
Rodney Zilm (Wanderers)
Drew Jessop
Brenton Stewart (Australs)
Bruce Trevaskis (Tambellup)
Geoff Farmer (Tambellup)
Brian Aylemore (Gnowangerup)
Tassie Hayward (Gnowangerup)
Richard House (Gnowangerup)
Howie Ward (Dumbleyung)
Wayne Hams (Wanderers)
Tim Ayres
Coach: Murray Gibbs (Kojonup)
President: John Richardson (Dumbleyung)
Secretary: Brian Yardley (Wanderers)
Great Southern National Football League
1994
COUNTRY WEEK Team
John Woods
Paul Evans (Wanderers)
Steven Mead
Vincent Pickett (Australs)
Jeffrey Farmer (Tambellup)
Troy Sutherland
Brett Colbung
Troy Cox (North Albany)
Rick Wilson (Wanderers)
Mick Mustey (North Albany)
Brett Eades (Australs)
Gavin Morgan (V/C)
Brad Higgins
Brendon Ugle
Bradley Hitchcock (North Albany)
Russel Jones (Mt Barker)
Brendan Marshall
Ronald Coles (Australs)
Scott Whitmore (Australs)
Darren Byrne (Australs)
Murray Anning (Mt Barker)
Alec Williams (C)
Simon Curtin
Nathan Ashton
Aldo Leonetti
Matthew Rigg (Wanderers)
Mal Bryant
Simon Norsworthy (Kojonup)
Brendon Noakes (Kojonup)
Clinton Strickland (Wanderers)
Coach: Gerald Maguire
President: Alan Barnett (North Albany)
Manager: Brett Turpin
Secretary: Mike Brotherton
Umpire: Darryl Carpenter
Goal Umpire: Arthur Todd
1995
COUNTRY WEEK Team
Clint Strickland (Wanderers)
Chris Penny (Tambellup)
Ian Beeck (Royals)
Joe Tricholo (Royals)
Troy Cox (North Albany)
Murray Anning (V/C) (Mt Barker)
Gavin Wilks (Mt Barker)
Andrew Krakouer (Mt Barker)
Mick Mustey (North Albany)
Jamie Ramm (Wanderers)
Rocky Eades (Australs)
Alec Williams (C) (Mt Barker)
Michael Kowald (Wanderers)
Bradley Hitchcock (North Albany)
Wayne Hulm (Royals)
Todd McGregor (Railways)
Ian Pope (Mt Barker)
Andrew Geddes (Railways)
David Knight (Royals)
Russel Williams (Tambellup)
Glen Willis (Royals)
Wayne Wynne (Tambellup)
Darren Byrne (Australs)
Jeff Stade (Wanderers)
Daniel Simpson (Kojonup)
Malcolm Thomson (Railways)
David Steer (Australs)
Gavin Norrish (Kojonup)
Darren Bartley (Mt Barker)
Coach: Gerald Maguire
President: Alan Barnett (North Albany)
Manager: Brett Turpin
Secretary: Mike Brotherton
Field Umpire: Lindsay Hicks
Goal Umpire: Arthur Todd
1994
COUNTRY WEEK Team
John Woods
Paul Evans (Wanderers)
Steven Mead
Vincent Pickett (Australs)
Jeffrey Farmer (Tambellup)
Troy Sutherland
Brett Colbung
Troy Cox (North Albany)
Rick Wilson (Wanderers)
Mick Mustey (North Albany)
Brett Eades (Australs)
Gavin Morgan (V/C)
Brad Higgins
Brendon Ugle (Tambellup)
Bradley Hitchcock (North Albany)
Russel Jones (Mt Barker)
Brendan Marshall
Ronald Coles (Australs)
Scott Whitmore (Australs)
Darren Byrne (Australs)
Murray Anning (Mt Barker)
Alec Williams (C)
Simon Curtin (Wanderers)
Nathan Ashton
Aldo Leonetti
Matthew Rigg (Wanderers)
Mal Bryant
Simon Norsworthy (Kojonup)
Brendon Noakes (Kojonup)
Clinton Strickland (Wanderers)
Coach: Gerald Maguire
President: Alan Barnett (North Albany)
Manager: Brett Turpin
Secretary: Mike Brotherton
Field Umpire: Darryl Carpenter
Goal Umpire: Arthur Todd
1999
COUNTRY WEEK
Team
Nathan Skinner (Mt Barker)
Jordan Watson (Royals)
Paul Evans (Wanderers)
Justin Parsons (Mt Barker)
Chris Denny (North Albany)
Chris Dorman Royals)
Leith Edwards (Royals)
Jarrod Murphy (Wanderers)
Dion Poolman (Denmark-Walpole)
Murray Anning (C) (Mt Barker)
Mick Mustey (Denmark- Walpole)
Gavin Morgan (VC) (Royals)
Matthew Cullen (South Barker)
Allan Ward (Wanderers)
Michael Cramer (North Albany)
Craig Doncon (Royals)
Shaun Plaisted (Railways)
David Stade (Wanderers)
Daniel Simpson (Kojonup)
Keith Mills (Royals)
Mark Bird (Royals)
James Eardley (Royals)
Chris Delacey (Denmark-Walpole)
Leigh Whicker (Kojonup)
Warren Marshall (Mt Barker)
Trevor Scott (Railways)
Cord Brunings (Denmark-Walpole)
Geoff Stade (Wanderers)
Brendon Buitenhuis (Royals)
Ian Parry (North Albany)
Coach: Darrell Panizza (Royals)
President: Peter Sheridan (Tambellup)
Secretary: Mike Brotherton
Field Umpires: Paul Armstrong, Terry Eaton, Steven Russell
Goal Umpires: Robert Byrne, Norman Young, Colin Nichols, Arthur Todd
Boundary Umpires: Clinton Norton, Daniel Seaton
GREAT SOUTHERN
1994 Country Week Team
Back: Brendan Marshall, Simon Curtin, Brett Colbung, Brendon Stoney, Vincent Pickett, John Woods, Steven Mead, Brendon Ugle, Troy Cox.
Middle: Ronald Coles, Harry Caroll (Property Manager), Russell Jones, Simon Norsworthy, Gavin Morgan, Brett Eades, Nathan Ashton, Troy Sutherland, Michael Mustey, Derrick Woods, Murray Anning, Alan Barnett (President).
Front: Darren Byrne, Brad Hitchcock, Brendon Noakes, Gerald Maguire (Coach), Scott Whitmore, Mal Bryane, and Aldo Leonetti.
BRENDON HENDRY
Brendon Hendry played for both Saints and Wanderers in Katanning during his school years before returning to Lake Grace. He later went to Claremont where he won that club’s Colts Fairest & Best Award in 1990. He played 43 games for Claremont between 1992 – 1994
DARRYL CARPENTER
FIELD UMPIRE
Darryl Carpenter was considered the best country field umpire of his time. He was selected to represent the West Australian Country Football League at various national championships and was named best country umpire in Australia.
Photo: John Lussick, President of the WA Country Football League, congratulates Darryl Carpenter on receiving the J.J. Lussick award as 1993 Umpire of the Year.
MICHAEL GARDINER
Michael Strickland Gardiner (born 5 July 1979) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles and the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Originally from Albany, Gardiner played for Royals Colts in Albany and then the Claremont Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) before being drafted by West Coast with the number-one pick in the 1996 National Draft. He made his debut for the club in 1997, and over the next seasons replaced Ryan Turnbull as the club’s first-choice ruckman. After being named in the All-Australian team in 2003, Gardiner missed most of the 2004 season due to injury. Loss of form and a series of off-field controversies led to him being traded to St Kilda at the end of the 2006 season, having played total of 129 games for West Coast. During his time at St Kilda, Gardiner added another 52 games, including St Kilda’s 2009 and 2010 losing grand final teams, before retiring at the end of the 2011 season.