Latest news with #SwanDistricts
West Australian
01-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
WAFL 2025: Swan Districts coach Andrew Pruyn says they have to find right selection balance in horror season
WAFL 2025: Swan Districts coach Andrew Pruyn says they have to find right selection balance in horror season
West Australian
29-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
West Australian young gun Darcy Jones signs two-year contract extension with GWS Giants
West Australian rising star Darcy Jones has signed a two-year contract extension with Greater Western Sydney, tying him to the club until the end of 2028. The Swan Districts product has emerged as one of the best young talents in the AFL in recent years, with his blistering pace, agility and forward craft having an instant impact at the top level. Affectionately dubbed 'the kid with the lid', Jones has quickly become a cult figure at the Giants, sporting an eye-catching orange and charcoal helmet across his 24 games so far. After an ACL injury in the pre-season wiped out his debut campaign, the former first-round pick burst on the scene in round seven last year with a brilliant debut and hasn't taken a backward step. The 21-year-old has continued to improve this season, including a career-high 24 disposals and two-goals against West Coast. Giants footy boss Jason McCartney said the club was thrilled to lock Jones, who was already contracted for next season, in for the next few years. 'Darcy is the kind of player that excites fans and energises a team,' McCartney said. 'To come back from a serious knee injury and have the impact he did in his debut season speaks volumes about his character, work ethic, and natural talent, and we're thrilled to have him locked in for at least the next three seasons. 'His pace and his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and others around goal are real weapons and we're excited about what he can produce for us over the coming years as part of a really dynamic forward line.'
Sky News AU
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Sky News AU
AFL 2025: North Melbourne has thrown hand to embattled former player Tarryn Thomas
North Melbourne has reached out to embattled former player Tarryn Thomas after his latest brushes with trouble. Thomas, who was banned from the AFL for his off-field behaviour, has had a tumultuous 12 months and was last week entangled in a pair of incidents. It was first reported Thomas was involved in a 'hostage drama' in a botched car deal in Ballarat before he was then allegedly set to be charged with possession of drugs in Melbourne's CBD. Thomas, 25, was taken at pick No. 8 by the Roos in 2018 and played 69 games at AFL level. His former coach, Alastair Clarkson, said the Kangaroos had reached out to Thomas and hoped he found 'a pathway forward'. 'Perhaps that's a question more so for the AFL then it is perhaps for us, we don't know the depth of what has transpired,' Clarkson said. Tarryn Thomas trained with Swan Districts earlier this year. Picture: Philip Gostelow 'There's a lot of people at this footy club that still care for his welfare and what's going on in his life – our club has reached out to him 'I am sure the AFLPA and the AFL are concerned for anyone who has played the game and the mistakes young men make along the journey and how can they rectify themselves, get on with their lives again. 'I am sure it's a concern for our club, a concern for the AFLPA and concern for the AFL and obviously a concern for Tarryn and his network of people supporting him. 'What we're hoping is through all that support he can find a pathway forward that allows him to get back on track with his life but also somewhere in the future get the opportunity to play footy again.' Thomas was deemed eligible to play state-league football for stand-alone clubs this season but was knocked back by all seven Victorian clubs. He then travelled to Perth and trained with WAFL club Swan Districts but the Swans too opted against fielding the former top draft pick. 'This process has uncovered many deep concerns and personal experiences,' Swan Districts chief executive Jeff Dennis said at the time. 'It's highlighted domestic violence has affected many people in our Swans family and shown us that we're just not ready for this.' Originally published as AFL 2025: North Melbourne has thrown hand to embattled former player Tarryn Thomas
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Roos reach out to embattled former player
North Melbourne has reached out to embattled former player Tarryn Thomas after his latest brushes with trouble. Thomas, who was banned from the AFL for his off-field behaviour, has had a tumultuous 12 months and was last week entangled in a pair of incidents. It was first reported Thomas was involved in a 'hostage drama' in a botched car deal in Ballarat before he was then allegedly set to be charged with possession of drugs in Melbourne's CBD. Thomas, 25, was taken at pick No. 8 by the Roos in 2018 and played 69 games at AFL level. His former coach, Alastair Clarkson, said the Kangaroos had reached out to Thomas and hoped he found 'a pathway forward'. 'Perhaps that's a question more so for the AFL then it is perhaps for us, we don't know the depth of what has transpired,' Clarkson said. Tarryn Thomas trained with Swan Districts earlier this year. Philip Gostelow Credit: Supplied 'There's a lot of people at this footy club that still care for his welfare and what's going on in his life – our club has reached out to him 'I am sure the AFLPA and the AFL are concerned for anyone who has played the game and the mistakes young men make along the journey and how can they rectify themselves, get on with their lives again. 'I am sure it's a concern for our club, a concern for the AFLPA and concern for the AFL and obviously a concern for Tarryn and his network of people supporting him. 'What we're hoping is through all that support he can find a pathway forward that allows him to get back on track with his life but also somewhere in the future get the opportunity to play footy again.' Thomas was deemed eligible to play state-league football for stand-alone clubs this season but was knocked back by all seven Victorian clubs. He then travelled to Perth and trained with WAFL club Swan Districts but the Swans too opted against fielding the former top draft pick. 'This process has uncovered many deep concerns and personal experiences,' Swan Districts chief executive Jeff Dennis said at the time. 'It's highlighted domestic violence has affected many people in our Swans family and shown us that we're just not ready for this.'
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy legend Andrew Krakouer is mourned by teammates and loved ones after his tragic death aged just 42
Hundreds have gathered to mourn and farewell AFL legend Andrew Krakouer who died of a suspected heart attack in Perth last month at the age of 42. Born in Melbourne, he racked up 102 games for Richmond from 2001 to 2007 before a jail term interrupted his AFL career and ended up changing his life for the better. Krakouer was sentenced to at least 16 months in jail for a serious assault in 2006, with his younger brother also imprisoned over his role in the attack. However, he fought his way back into the AFL after his release on parole in 2009, going on to rack up 35 games with Collingwood from 2011 to 2013. Once his first-grade career was over, he moved into construction and became a TV host and public speaker who specialised in sharing the lessons he'd learned during his rollercoaster career. A funeral service, held at the spiritual home of Krahouer's WAFL premiership with Swan Districts, brought together former teammates, family and friends. Among the many mourners present was former Pies teammate Héritier Lumumba who remembered Krakouer as an 'incredible human being'. 'He moved like he just had rhythm all the time, he always was always on beat, he was graceful and had the ability to move clean under pressure, but it also showed up in how he navigated life as well,' Lumumba said. 'He was loyal to his people and just wanted to do the best and get the most out of himself in life, whether it was in the media, whether in the community, he was a man that met every challenge head on. 'We all know the legendary bloodline that Krakouer came from and you know the brilliance that the family has given to the football world, inspiring so many is something that Andrew carried forward from his uncle and his dad. 'He did things on the field that had never been seen before, and inspired a whole new, different way of playing the game of football. 'He didn't stand in that shadow, he came in, and he added to that legacy, he did things that were just remarkable. 'I know how many people he inspired doing it, but it wasn't just what he did on the field, moreso it was what he did off the field. 'His spirit will live on his work, his impact will continue to inspire people for generations to come.' Krakouer's Swan Districts coach Brian Dawson explained that there were 'simply not enough superlatives to describe his 2010 season or his grand final display'. 'He won just about all there was to win in 2010. He played in the State team, he won the Sandover Medal with 44 votes, eight clear of the runner-up, he won the Swan Medal for the cub fairest and best,' Dawson explained to mourners. 'He won the club award for best player in the finals, he won the Simpson Medal in the grand final with the maximum 15 votes, and a premiership medal to top it off, where he absolutely dominated the game, with 41 possessions, four goals and most importantly the winning goal with 28 seconds left to play. 'His grand final display ranks as probably the finest and most impactful individual game ever played in the WAFL.' In 2022, Krakouer signed on to host the SBS TV show Yokayi Footy, and last year he released a children's book aimed at helping kids whose parents have been jailed. 'My Dad's Gone Away' was inspired by Krakouer's experiences as a prisoner - and by the jailing of his father Jim when he was just 13 years old. His Yokayi co-host, Megan Waters, said Krakouer's story was simply 'remarkable.' 'The reality of moving forward in a world that Andy no longer physically exists in is one of the most gut-wrenching things I have ever faced,' she said. 'The way he moved through the world made people feel seen as it was important for him to do what he could uplift our community and lead by example. 'I am so grateful to have learned from him, who I become moving forward and the values that I carry will be a testament to the mark that he's left.'
