Around The Leagues: Great Southern trio stand tall in WAFLW win, Shark reaches 200 games and Tambellup’s pride

The Advertiser brings you Around The Leagues, taking a look at football stories of players and personalities from the Great Southern, Ongerup and Upper Great Southern regions. Tigers trio fire as unbeaten season continues Great Southern trio Taylah Orzel, Emma Henderson and Megan Green have played huge roles in Claremont remaining unbeaten in the 2025 WAFLW season. Orzel and Green, both from Royals, each kicked two of the Tigers’ eight goals as they beat Swan Districts by 33 points at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday. Denmark-Walpole product Henderson is enjoying a brilliant debut season in the WAFLW and laid 10 tackles in a strong performance. Henderson also had 10 possessions to be named alongside Orzel in the best players. Orzel was dominant across the ground, collecting 17 disposals, five marks and three inside-50s to go with her two majors. Green finished with 15 touches, three marks and two inside 50s to cap her terrific display forward of centre. The Tigers are yet to lose a game this season and have one draw to their name from eight matches, sitting locked on points with Subiaco and now six points clear of the third-placed Swans. North Albany’s Mabel Markey has been a standout for the Tigers in the Rogers Cup competition and was named in the best players on Saturday in their 12-point loss to Swans at the same venue. Fixtures released for annual country championships Country Football WA has released the fixtures for the 2025 Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships next month in Perth. This year’s competition will see the Great Southern, Ongerup and Upper Great Southern all face off in the same senior division. The trio of regions will all clash with each other in an exciting division two competition of the annual championships. Upper Great Southern, who were demoted from division one after finishing last in 2024, will be out to prove a point in their first-up clash with Great Southern at HIF Health Insurance Oval on July 11. Ongerup and Upper Great Southern square off later that day while Great Southern will also tackle Eastern Districts on day one. The highly intriguing clash between neighbouring rivals Great Southern and Ongerup will take place on July 12 from 2pm at Fremantle Community Bank Oval. It will be the first time the two sides have met since 2017. Upper Great Southern meet Eastern Districts and Central Midlands Coastal on day two. Great Southern’s other qualifying match will be against North Pilbara to kick off day two. Ongerup also clash with Central Midlands Coastal on day one and North Pilbara on day two. In the top division of the championships, promoted team Great Northern meet Goldfields and Avon on day one at Sullivan Logistics Stadium. Reigning champions South West start with a grand final rematch against Avon and then tackle Peel. Lower South West’s long-awaited return to the carnival will happen when they tackle North Midlands in division three at Gil Fraser Reserve on July 11. The championships run from July 10-13 with the grand finals on Sunday at Sullivan Logistics Stadium. The CBH Group colts competition, split into two divisions, will be played at Scotch College and Guilford Grammar on day one. Great Southern face Great Northern, reigning champions Peel and South West in their bid to reach the grand final the following day. The Wiz stitched with Great Southern pride Tambellup legend Jeff Farmer has spoken of his pride in helping create Fremantle’s Indigenous round jumper this year. The Dockers were known as Walyalup during Sir Doug Nicholls Round and it was former champion Farmer who designed a jumper that represented the Great Southern. With the help of his parents, Iris and Jeff Farmer Sr, and former teammate Roger Hayden, the jumper featured the three rivers of the Great Southern — the Kalgan, the Gordon-Frankland and Palinup — in the original Dockers tri-colours as well as its four lakes. Fluttering between the waterways are two of Tambellup’s emblematic birds, the djiti-djitis (willie wagtails). The back of the guernsey lists every Indigenous player — male and female —that has ever played for Fremantle. Below that is a poignant silhouette of what Farmer dubs the “seven brothers” — Roger Hayden, Troy Cook, Steven Koops, Antoni Grover, Des Headland, Dion Woods and Farmer himself — standing on the Great Southern’s most recognisable mountain range. The Dockers released a captivating video of the story behind the jumper and the Farmer family during Sir Doug Nicholls Round, featuring a trip back to the small Great Southern town where it all started for the man known as the “Wizard”. Major milestone for stalwart Shark Albany player Jake Stuart reached a big milestone on Saturday, playing his 200th game for the club. Stuart was the first player at Albany Football Club to reach 100 league games back in 2018, having been an inaugural player since they joined the league competition in 2012. He has played reserves in the past few years but rarely misses a game for his beloved Sharks. Stuart ran out in his 200th club game against Denmark-Walpole at McLean Park in round six of the Great Southern Football League competition. The Sharks led early but the Magpies were the dominant team as they clawed their way to a 17-point win to upset Stuart’s celebration. Stuart becomes the first Sharks player to reach the 200-game milestone and it comes after close mate Zac Pearson broke more club history earlier this year. Pearson was the first Shark to play 150 league games and earn life membership, the achievement coming back in May. Another Claremont colts debutant, big man dominates Jerramungup product Charlie Mckinlay impressed on debut for Claremont colts on Saturday, becoming the latest Great Southern product to pull on the Tigers jumper. The region has a rich association with Claremont and Mckinlay made his debut in round eight against Perth at Revo Fitness Stadium. The talented tall was a strong contributor as the Tigers won by 30 points, playing mainly as a ruckman. McKinlay finished with 25 hit-outs, 16 disposals, three tackles and five inside-50s in a dazzling start to his WAFL career. Lake King product Joshua Graham was dominant for the Tigers with 29 touches, six marks and six tackles while Albany’s Kaleb Germain had one of his best games of the season with 18 possessions, eight tackles and three inside-50s. In the Tigers league side, Albany junior Kieran Gowdie shone with seven goals in a powerful showing. Gowdie destroyed the Demons with 7.1 from 15 disposals and 10 marks as the Tigers recorded a thumping 67-point victory. The 23-year-old giant has kicked 17 goals in seven matches this season and is approaching his 50th league game for the club. Borden’s Anthony Davis (24 touches and eight marks) and former Royals and Albany player Tyron Smallwood (12 disposals, four tackles, four inside-50s and one goal) were also named in the best players. Got a footy story from our region to share? Email cameron.newbold@albanyadvertiser.com