Something magical is taking place in WA’s central Kimberley.

Every week night, as the sun sets in six of the region’s remote indigenous communities, dozens of girls and women can be found running laps, doing handball drills and taking shots at goal.

They range in age from 13 to 47 and include mothers and daughters, sisters and cousins. Many have never played sport before but are now not only part of a team for the first time in their lives but are travelling several hours every week to play footy against other women.

It is the very definition of a grassroots movement, one which has been described as a miracle by local football administrators who believe this new-found passion for football is instilling hope and purpose in young women and could lead to better outcomes for indigenous communities.

Camera Icon The Mowajum Ladyhawks get together at quarter time. Credit: Danella Bevis

The movement began with the Yungngora women of Noonkanbah Station who started their own football team last year, inspired by the AFL Women’s league which has captivated footy fans all over Australia.

Central Kimberley Football League football manager Geoff Davis came across the team in full flight when visiting Yungngora to meet the men’s team ahead of a new season 12 months ago.

More than 50 women were training on their 200m by 60m dirt strip of an oval as other community members watched on, including young men sitting on car bonnets shouting out encouragement, young children having their own game of kick-to-kick and elders on deckchairs minding their grandchildren.

Mr Davis has three decades experience in community development in remote and regional WA and describes what he saw that day as a rare “light bulb moment”.

“I was totally blown away. Something special was happening and I thought if it could continue, it would make a difference that would go beyond kicking a footy around an oval,” he said.

“I knew we had to tap into this unique opportunity, where women were mobilising in incredible numbers to get involved in playing football, as an avenue to enhance community development.”

Camera Icon Mowanjum Ladyhawks captain Cecilia Umbagai, 21, and vice-captain Jerisha Wungundin, 20, after a training session at the Mowanjum oval. Credit: Danella Bevis

And that’s what Mr Davis and the CKFL have done, by helping the indigenous women of the central Kimberley form a league of their own.

Within two weeks, five teams had been created from Yungngora, Bayulu, Wangkatjungka, Yakanarra and Muludja and they played a pilot season of four games last year.

This year, women from Mowanjum have joined the league and the teams will play 10 games in their first full season.

The West Australian visited Mowanjum and Yungngora last week before their round one clash at Fitzroy Crossing.

Mowanjum Ladyhawks manager Fiona Smith, who also works for sport and recreation body Garnduwa, which supports the CKFL, oversees a squad of 31 local women.

Camera Icon The reigning premiers, the Yungngora Blues play the Mowanjum Ladyhawks in the Mowanjum womens side’s inaugural game in the Central Kimberley Football League. Credit: Danella Bevis

They started training two months ago, making do with four flat footballs during their first session.

“I was wanting them to get motivated physically and mentally. I said ‘let’s just give it a crack and see how you feel, you’ll soon find out if you want to play this game or not’,” Ms Smith, pictured below, said.

“Eight weeks down we’ve got a full team. It’s been a big job but it’s had a positive impact on our community.

“We’ve got kids from the age of two playing on the oval around us.”

The flow-on effects were huge, Ms Smith said, in particular the positive mental and physical benefits.

“White society says we get a lot of things handed to us on a silver platter but it sure ain’t true and these girls will tell you about it — we don’t even have shoes this week to go to the football,” she said.

At Yungngora, which as The West Australian revealed last week has undergone a huge transformation thanks to an all-female council which has led to reduced crime, alcohol and drug use, the women’s team was last week preparing to defend their undefeated title from last year.

Camera Icon Mowanjum Ladyhawks vice-captain Jerisha Wungundin, 20. Credit: Danella Bevis

Camera Icon Yungngora Blues second-year player Londisha Yamera, 18. Credit: Danella Bevis

Brenda Mulligan, who captained the Yungngora Blues in their first season, said 30 women showed up to the first training and it only grew from there.

“It’s inspiring to see. We get lots of little ones come down and run around with us, and we want to encourage even more girls to play with us,” she said.

The new league has opened up job, administration and training opportunities for players and led to increased participation in the men’s competition.

Participation numbers in the Fitzroy Valley more than doubled between 2017 and 2019 and the league had no forfeits last year, compared with 13 in 2017.

But as Mr Davis and his wife, CKFL president Marmingee Hand have discovered, with increased participation comes logistical complications and the need for more investment.

“We have had some fantastic buy-in from local organisations such as the local indigenous radio station, resource agencies and Men’s Shed but the pure financial cost in doubling the size of the competition cannot just be passed on to the players who already contribute more than 70 per cent of the cost of running the competition,” Mr Davis said.

Camera Icon Central Kimberley Football League president Marmingee Hand and husband Geoff Davis, who is the CKFL football manager. Pictured on the oval at Fitzroy Crossing. Credit: The West Australian, Danella Bevis.

Given the remoteness of the communities, with some teams having to travel up to 500km, the clubs are under pressure to find the resources to compete — in particular transport to get to and from games.

On the eve of round one last week, a plan for the Yungngora Blues to travel to Fitzroy Crossing by bus fell through and Mr Davis had a matter of hours to find a plan B, which involved a favour and an $800 taxi fare.

Both teams made it to the ground and hundreds of locals gathered on a warm Friday night to watch the Blues defeat the Ladyhawks 88 points to 12.

Camera Icon Locals come down to Fitzroy Crossing’s oval to watch the match. Credit: Danella Bevis

The Ladyhawks, in their first game, kicked their only two goals in the dying minutes to huge cheers from the crowd, giving the players a reason to celebrate as they walked off the ground, exhausted.

“This is so much more than footy,” Mr Davis said after the game.

“The passion to play football can be the goose that lays the golden egg in relation to the broader issue of engagement in community development.

“The challenge is to now match the magic of wanting to play and be engaged, with the reality of finding the resources to support and nurture sustainable participation. Investment in training, mentoring, management, resources and support services.”

Camera Icon Locals come down to Fitzroy Crossing’s oval to watch the reigning premiers, the Yungngora Blues play the Mowanjum Ladyhawks. Credit: Danella Bevis

Speaking moments before round one last Friday, Ms Hand, whose own love of sport growing up helped break down racial barriers, said it had been amazing to witness the dedication the women had showed at a playing and administrative level.

“It was just awesome, the strength they showed blew us away,” she said.

“The logistics and cost is huge on communities, most people playing are from a low socio-economic background but they’re putting what little dollars they have towards playing football and it’s at a grassroots level.

Camera Icon Yungngora community children down at the football oval to watch their teams train. Credit: Danella Bevis

“Hopefully people can recognise the talent existing in these communities and the players realise they can progress further at any level — whether it’s administration or playing football.

“The sky’s the limit.”