Site Search

Demons Driving Diversity

Friday, June 19, 2015 - 2:23 PM

Demons District staff is driving diversity in AFL with the successful delivery of the AFL National Diversity Championships in Cairns, Queensland. Demons District Development Officer, Chris Brown grabbed the opportunity with both hands to be Western Australia’s KickStart Assistant Coach and Team Manager. The AFL National Diversity Championships, which was played at Cazaly Stadium, showcased the best Under 15s Indigenous Talent in Australia in the KickStart Carnival coupled with the cream of multicultural talent in the All Nations Carnival.

The All Nations Carnival was dyed in black and red with a suite of junior community players named in the All Nations Squad including Queens Park JFCs, Hunter Montgomery and Nicky Winmar Carnival starlets, Ethan Hansen, Kyrell Bennell, Lachlan Hansen, Mitch Yarran and Sydney Stack representing the Demons District in the KickStart Squad. The KickStart side, which was led by Nicky Winmar Perth Country Coach, Jermaine Davis Senior, was selected on the back of a second placing at the WAFC Nicky Winmar Carnival, which saw more than 300 participants.

The WA KickStart side, which was coached by Shane Hayden, saw Bennell, Ethan and Lachlan Hansen, Stack and Yarran participate in a series of educational and practical sessions. The WA KickStart Squad dominated proceedings from start to finish, going through undefeated to score a 5th KickStart Championship, slicing through Northern Territory, ACT/New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria/Tasmania in the process. The Demons District continued to be a defining presence, with the silky Stack making the Flying Boomerangs National Squad, following his glittering performance in the 9.3 to 2.1 triumph against Victoria/Tasmania.

WAFC Community Engagement Manager, Paul Mugambwa said the friendship and unity developed between the Indigenous and multicultural players in the WA KickStart and All Nations sides was fantastic. “It was an excellent result keeping the sides together from the initial training session’s right through to the AFL National Diversity Championships. WA was the only state to combine the All Nations and KickStart squads and it really showed with the All Nations and KickStart players cheering each other on,” said Mugambwa.