WA sporting heavyweights share anecdotes and insights with local clubs

Held at the City's Reception Hall on Thursday 6 August and emceed by former Hockeyroo Ash Nelson, the Sports Club Breakfast featured:

• West Coast Eagles Head of Football John Worsfold
• Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie
• Perth Glory A-League Men's Head Coach Adam Griffiths
• Fremantle Dockers AFLW Senior Coach Lisa Webb
• Water Polo WA CEO Natalie Medhurst
• Perth Wildcats Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills
• Ultramarathon swimmer Andy Donaldson.

Mayor Mark Irwin AM opened the event, welcoming club representatives and describing grassroots sport as the lifeblood of local communities.

The Sports Club Breakfast was organised to recognise the contributions of the more than 140 local sports clubs that help keep the City of Stirling community active, healthy and connected.

Mayor Irwin acknowledged the pressures faced by growing clubs, from the quality of playing surfaces to the size of clubroom facilities.

"One of the things we can help with is future funding. We advocate strongly for the sector on this to make sure there's equitable funding so you can all have equal opportunities to have great female changerooms in your clubs and be able to play late into the night," he said.

The keynote speaker was AFL premiership player and coach John Worsfold, who reminisced about his early days in grassroots football in Fremantle, where he found his passion and made lifelong friendships.

He said children's sport should be about creating a culture of fun, where kids don't want to leave training because they are having too much of a good time with their mates.

Worsfold also spoke about resilience, opening up about his experiences at Adelaide Football Club after the passing of his friend Phil Walsh and Essendon Football Club in the wake of the supplements scandal.

He stressed the importance of clubs having a clear vision to work towards, especially in times of adversity.

World-record holder Andy Donaldson – the first person to swim the Oceans Seven in one year – echoed Worsfold's emphasis on vision and resilience.

He referenced a quote from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who said those who have a why can bear almost any how.

"When we push ourselves outside the comfort zone, that's where all the growth happens," Donaldson said.

Adam Griffiths, who was elevated to his role as Perth Glory A-League Men's Head Coach last year, said he did not want any of his players feeling overly comfortable or treating their time at the club as a "Perth holiday".

He wanted everyone to be hungry for success, from the young local recruits to senior players from abroad.

Griffiths thanked the City of Stirling for the quality facilities at their new home of Mirrabooka, where they were committed to deepening their connections with grassroots clubs and the community.

Fremantle's AFLW Senior Coach Lisa Webb said belonging was a major focus at the home of the Dockers – creating an environment where everyone felt they belonged, regardless of age, gender or background.

As well as photos of male stars on the walls, they wanted people to walk in and see Kiara Bowers, Kara Antonio and other women that had made the proud club what it is today.

De Ceglie, a former Editor-in-Chief of West Australian Newspapers, was asked about his journey with the Perth Bears, a new club that will join the NRL next year from an AFL state.

He was quick to point out that rugby league had the biggest TV audience of any sports code in the country.

Despite the "short runway" to the NRL, De Ceglie said it was important for the club to slow down, resist the urge to rush and make sure every decision was the right one, including the selection of the club's inaugural squad.

Squad selection is a familiar concept for Danny Mills, the former Director of Scouting at the Philadelphia 76ers, who currently has two spots left to fill on the Perth Wildcats roster.

Mills said recruitment was a "non-exact science" which involved extensive background research to try to get a sense for personality and cultural fit.

While the NBL was a strong league and Perth was an attractive destination for players and their families, they faced a difficult challenge in competing with Europe and Asia financially.

Three-time world champion netballer Natalie Medhurst said one of the biggest challenges facing the sport of water polo in WA was retaining homegrown talent.

Last week, Medhurst launched the new Water Polo WA Performance Program to support the next generation of athletes and strengthen the high-performance pathway in the state.

"I'm really hoping that creates some clarity and reason for athletes who are developing to stay here in WA," she said.

After the panel discussions, local club representatives had the opportunity to engage with some of the City’s key partners such as SportWest, KidSport, CLUBMAP, A Stitch in Time and Good Sports.