Last Saturday was momentous for the Western Districts Saints, who completed an unbeaten season to win the 2024 Kangaroo Island Football League A Grade premiership.

Not only was it a triumph on the field, the success marked another significant moment in the Saints’ history in what’s been a big year. In May, the club unveiled all-new facilities that were built following the bushfires that devastated the club and community back in 2020.

Affectionally referred to by locals as 'the club in the scrub', Western Districts has been an on-field power in the KIFL, having won four senior premierships (2017, 2019, 2022, 2024) in the past eight seasons. However, off the field, the people of Western Districts and the broader Kangaroo Island community have been through extreme anguish.

Picturesque Kangaroo Island, which is situated off the mainland of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide, experienced large-scale bushfires in the summer of 2019-20 which devastated the local environment as well as businesses, homes and community organisations.

Many different stakeholder groups came together to help. AFL investment in the project totalled nearly $1.5 million, which included a contribution made through the AFL Community Relief Fund. Total project investment from all stakeholder groups was nearly $4.5 million.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon travelled there in May to help unveil the new facilities and celebrate with the locals, many of whom rallied and rolled up their sleeves to get involved in the recovery and rebuild.

Past President of the Western Districts Sports Club and President of the Rebuild Committee, Greg Bald, said at the unveiling of the facilities: “It has been a long process and I must thank the many generous groups who have provided support to help us get to this point.

“The community lost so much in the bushfire and still have scars but to have these new facilities will have a significant impact on our clubs and community, after spending three winters in the cold with limited facilities.”

After going down to Kingscote in the 2023 KIFL decider, Western Districts bounced back in a big way on the field (in 2024 the club also won the reserves and under 15 flags) and their off-field bounce back has been similarly spectacular.  

Former Port Adelaide captain, Tom Jonas, capped his first season away from the AFL with a premiership medal for the Saints, won playing alongside brother Sam.

The local community has been given a huge boost and have a magnificent new facility where they can come together and celebrate the club’s premiership success.