Mullewa a hotspot for talent on and off field

Anyone wanting a unique experience next season — in terms of football and life in general — could do worse than considering volunteering for Mullewa football club. In a town of about 450 people, about 100km over country roads from the centre of the city you could easily bump into a nationally renowned film, stage and TV performer around the footy club — or end up coaching him. Ernie Dingo, star of the Great Outdoors and Going Places, Bran Nu Dae and Crocodile Dundee II, is a local bloke and the most famous Mullewa fan, and the 64-year-old plays the occasional match for their reserves. He’s not the only person on national TV with a Saints association — former coach Revis Ryder is the star of the Netflix and NITV show Our Law, in his role as a policeman at the only Indigenous-run police station in Australia, in Warakurna on Ngaanyatjarra lands in the WA desert. Club great and president Mick Wall said the coaching position would be advertised in the off-season, and there were plenty of other roles available with volunteers living closer to the city and there were plenty of transport options. “It’s not that hard coaching Mullewa,” he said. “The travel is the main problem, especially if you’re living in Geraldton and you’ve got to come out to training twice a week. “We’re definitely short of volunteers.” He said the town was a talent factory in more ways than one, with Brad Tunbridge turning out for Sydney, Josh Simpson for Fremantle and Dwayne Simpson playing for both the Swans and Dockers. With colts players like Tyler Messina, Quentin Simpson and Michael Wall Jr now coming through , the trouble the club had was not producing talent but holding on to it, with other clubs competing to sign youngsters. “Paddy Ryder’s mother comes from Mullewa, Liam Ryan’s father comes from Mullewa,” Wall said. “We’ve got a few roots there.”