Northampton is rolling out the red carpet for players from East Fremantle, East Perth and Claremont football clubs as they prepare to compete in a historic WAFL double header today.
The town of just over 3000 people sustained significant damage from Tropical Cyclone Seroja as it tore through the Mid-West region in April 2021.
The Festival of Footy will help raise community funds – and spirits – bringing the wider community together and celebrating how far they have come in their recovery efforts.
Pre-gameday events, including school clinics, development training, and coaching sessions have been held this week in the lead up to today’s games.
The event was the brainchild of former West Coast Eagles player Andrew Lockyer who hails from Northampton and is proudly supported by the McGowan Government through an $80,000 grant to the Western Australian Football Commission.
The schedule for today is:
- 9:45am – GNFL Women: Northampton FC versus Brigades FC.
- 11:30am – WAFLW: East Fremantle FC versus Claremont FC.
- 1:30pm – WAFL: East Fremantle FC versus East Perth FC.
- 4:20pm – GNFL Men: Northampton FC versus Brigades FC.
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
“The McGowan Government is committed to supporting residents and businesses in our
Mid West region as they continue to recover from Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
“Sporting events like Northampton’s Festival of Footy bring our regional communities together and help raise spirits in tough times.
“The Government’s continual investment in sporting events, programs and facilities throughout our State is helping foster stronger communities and encouraging a pathway to a healthier lifestyle for all Western Australians.”
As stated by Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson:
“The State Government remains deeply committed to supporting the long-term recovery of the 16 impacted local governments and their communities from the impacts from Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
“We have been on the ground since the outset, and continue to work with local governments and in support of impacted communities.
“The State’s recovery efforts have one driving factor – to support the local governments, their communities and residents in their long-term recovery journey.
“Sporting events like these provide a major boost to local business and the Festival of Footy will give this incredibly resilient community a chance to celebrate and acknowledge how important sport is to regional Western Australian communities.”
As stated by Agricultural Region MLC Sandra Carr:
“These games are going to be a great boost for the Northampton community, which was one of the communities hardest hit by Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
“The week-long Festival of Footy has put a smile on the faces of many locals and I know that the works to upgrade the changerooms and improve the playing surface have been well received.”
