Southern District Junior Football Association go undefeated at Great Southern Junior Carnival

Budding young footballers from a variety of regions came together to take part the 2023 Great Southern Junior Carnival on Sunday in Gnowangerup.

The carnival gave the Year 5/6 players from smaller towns such as Newdegate, Kukerin and Boxwood Hill an opportunity to face off with other keen players their own age.

For the Southern Districts Junior Football Association, it provided a great chance to face new competition in a fresh location as part of composite teams.

Players came from areas such as Albany, Denmark, Mt Barker, Katanning, Newdegate, Boxwood Hill, Kojonup, Lake Grace and Kukerin.

The SDJFA sent two teams, the Lions and the Eagles.

The Lions went through the competition undefeated to finish as champions, claiming the under-12s carnival shield. Their other representative squad finished second, ahead of third-placed Kojonup on percentage.

Ongerup claimed fourth place place in front of fifth-placed Katanning while Lake Grace-Kukerin rounded out the six competing teams on the ladder.

The undefeated Lions, coached by Scott Sedgwick, battled out a thrilling contest against the Eagles, coming from a deficit early in the game to emerge with a gritty four-point win. They held the Simon Deegan-coached Eagles scoreless in the second half.

A signed West Coast Eagles jumper was supplied by West Coast Eagles southern community co-ordinator Brad Nisbett, awarded to the player of the carnival as voted by the coaches.

The winner was Zac Langdon from Jerramungup, representing the Ongerup Football Association.

The best players from each team also received a medallion and a football — Kade Lester from the OFA, Katanning’s Sebastian Green Kojonup’s Charlie Thorn, Lions’ Tyler Ravenhill, Eagles’ Zephyr Endacott and Thomas Ditchburn from Lake Grace-Kukerin.

Carnival organisers thanked the Gnowangerup Junior Football Club for hosting the event and marking ovals as well as running a canteen, with particular mention to Chris Rumble, Lachlan Lewis and Rochell Walker.