The 2017 Naitanui Cup

The 2017 Naitanui Cup was held at Leederville Oval on Friday 17 November.  The Cup was the successful culmination of a unique collaboration between the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) Metro Central, WAFC Metro North and the West Coast Eagles FC. The Naitanui Cup was designed by West Coast FC Game Development Manager, Adam Selwood and WAFC Community Development Manager, Isaac Stewart to supply Indigenous and Multicultural players with exposure to talent identification opportunities at East Perth FC, Perth FC, Subiaco FC, Swan Districts FC and eventually the West Coast Eagles FC.

The Naitanui Cup showcased the cultural diversity of WAFC Metro Central and North with 100 Indigenous and Multicultural participants aged 12 to 15 strutting their stuff under lights at Leederville Oval. The participants seized the opportunity to showcase their athleticism and skill to WAFC Talent Managers and West Coast FC Game Development staff. The diversity of Naitanui Cup was highlighted by the backgrounds of participants including Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Sudanese & Vietnamese.

The Naitanui Cup saw the participation of kids with a diverse array of skills, with some being exposed to AFL in 2017 and other playing Junior Football and WAFL Colts or 16s Development. The WAFC hopes to exploit the success of the Naitanui Cup and boost Youth participation by linking participants to Junior Clubs in 2018. The WAFC wishes to recognise its key partners including the Chung Wah Association, City of Perth, City of Vincent, Edmund Rice Centre, Indian Society of WA, John Carey MLA, Tim Hammond MP and West Coast Eagles for supporting the 2017 Naitanui Cup.

“The Naitanui Cup showcased the diverse array of exciting Indigenous and Multicultural players who exist at Youth Community Clubs and WAFL Development Squads in Metro Central and North. The Naitanui Cup produces a number of significant outcomes for WA Football including Fan Development, Club Participation and Talent Identification. The Naitanui Cup was a massive success in 2017, but we hope the expansion of Naitanui In-School and After-School will drive more Youth participation and strengthen WAFL and AFL pathways.”