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Sport MORE LOCAL SPORT AT COMMUNITYNEWS.COM.AU BASKETBALL Telethon star’s halftime heroics PERTH Arena’s 14,000 spectator stadium is a far cry from the bas- ketball facilities in the Wheatbelt town of Cunderdin, where the town has a population of around 1000 and basketball games are played out- doors on one of two bitumen courts. The difference in surrounds was just one of the reasons Little Telethon Star Jayton Carter was so thrilled to take part in a recent short game with his country-town mates on the Perth Wildcats home court. Making the opportunity even more special for sports-mad Jayton is that his whole family are Wild- cats members, and they make the trek to the big smoke for home games as often as is physically pos- sible. Jayton’s on-court opportunity – Jayton Carter (front left) and his friends from Cunderdin on part of his Telethon experience this court at Perth Arena after their game. year – allowed him and his mates to play a game as part the half time mother Lisa Carter said. entertainment at a recent Wildcats “For Jayton, just being a coun- HALF-TIME home fixture. try boy in the big city – he loved WITH HAWAIIAN Younger brother Patrick (6) was being in the crowd cheering with the first picked, and another 10 his mates around him.” Property company young Cunderdin boys ranging in Jayton (10), who has cystic fi- Hawaiian has provided age from eight to 12 also took part. brosis, wrote to the half-time enter- opportunities for junior With the players came a travel- tainment organisers Hawaiian to basketball teams to ling tribe of mums, dads and sib- thank them for the opportunity. play during halftime of lings that took up close to 50 seats “I liked it because I watch the each Perth Wildcats at the Arena. Wildcats play on that court every home game this season “It was very different for the home game and to get to experience as part of the game-day Little Telethon Stars Jayton Carter and Alyssa Bogler with Wildcats kids to have a run on the hardcourt playing on that court it is awe- entertainment. players Greg Hire, Jesse Wagstaff and Damian Martin. Picture: The West with an indoor ball,” Jayton’s some!,” he wrote. Australian SEE THE PICTURES FROM THE WILDCATS SEMI-FINAL VICTORY OVER ILLAWARRA HAWKS AT COMMUNITYNEWS.COM.AU FOOTBALL CRICKET Davies steered league into strong position Bag of eight sparks upset WHEN circumstance saw fit to ap- point John Davies president of the JOSH Nicholas took a career- WA Amateur Football League in best eight-wicket haul as 1996 the competition consisted of Perth blew the Premier 38 clubs and there was not enough Cricket minor premiership money to pay staff for annual race wide open with victory leave. over Rockingham-Mandurah Two decades later, the league at Fletcher Park on Saturday. boasts 68 clubs, more than 240 Nicholas was the star tak- teams and a healthy bank balance ing 8-65 to rip apart the in excess of $2 million. Mariners batting line-up Davies began his involvement after they resumed at 6-102 in amateur football in 1964 as a chasing 151 to win. foundation member of the North Second-placed Perth are Beach Amateur Football Club, now one point behind the where he played 216 games. Mariners with one round to “There was a gentleman named play, meaning the race for the Herbert Grosvenor who encour- minor premiership, known as aged me to run for the WAAFL the Kevin Sullivan Silver board,” Davies said. Cup, is open to three clubs. “I’m not sure what he saw in The Mariners could only me to be honest but I got on that manage to add nine runs to board in 1976 and then became their overnight score, with vice-president in 1995. Nicholas along with Ryan “Within six months I was pres- Duffield finishing off their ident because the previous one, batting line-up. Don Baker, decided to retire. With victory secure, Luke “It was just chance really, I John Davies is able to look back with pride on his two decades at the helm of the WA Amateur Football Jury hammered a second in- guess it was the right time.” League. nings century as Perth fin- Davies inherited a board com- ished at 4-242 in their second prised of “amateur players, unem- anything. That improved things “We wanted to make clubs eas- Looking back on his 20 years at innings. ployed people and truck drivers” dramatically.” ier to run so we introduced one- the top, Davies said he would miss Perth are away to third- and promptly set to work securing Ron Webster was appointed line player registration and pro- the camaraderie of the position placed Willetton at Burren- the league’s financial future. general manager in 2002 and his vided every club with a free iPad and had grown a life long admira- dah Reserve next Saturday. “It was a totally different time business savvy soon had more to assist with administrative du- tion for volunteers of any kind. If leaders Rockingham- back then, we had no professional money, in the form of sponsor- ties,” he said. “I spent a lot of my time at Mandurah lose to Scarbor- legal or financial experts and ships, flowing into the league. “We brought in a defined pro- clubs all over Perth meeting the ough, the winner of the Wil- there wasn’t a great emphasis on “Ron was a pure businessman motion and relegation system people who are the backbone of letton-Perth clash will be money management or supporting with contacts in all sorts of sectors which gave clubs more certainty. this league,” he said. minor premiers. the clubs, some of which were re- all over Perth,” Davies said. “Previous to that it was done “I truly believe that without South Perth’s fate was ally struggling,” he said. “Before he came onboard we on an ad hoc basis, with clubs oc- sporting clubs we’d have anarchy sealed as wooden spooners “Clubs used to have to pay considered $500 a fantastic spon- casionally finishing on the bottom in our communities and so many after losing to Claremont- their fees in three instalments sorship but he was pushing for of the ladder and staying in A- of those clubs are run by long-time Nedlands at Richardson Park which we changed to four spread $100,000 a pop.” Grade just because they said they volunteers who will do just about on Saturday. throughout the year. Davies oversaw the adoption of wanted to – it was very messy.” anything to help them survive.” Partnerships meant South “We also encouraged clubs to a comprehensive insurance Established in 2009, Davies con- Davies will spend his new found Perth’s 170 was never enough collect some of their fees during scheme for players, umpires, siders the success of the eight- free time travelling and complet- against the finals bound pre-season, because many players coaches and committee members team Integrated Football program ing a history of the WAAFL hope- Tigers. Simon Ringrose tried would knick off before the actual and the transition to digital record for players with intellectual dis- fully in time to coincide with the hard, but it was in vain as the season started without paying keeping and administration. abilities a proud achievement. league’s 100th anniversary in 2021. Sky Blues fell to another loss..