In the middle of the Great Sandy Desert in central Western Australia lies the town of Punmu, a mere 640 kilometre drive from Port Hedland.

The community, with a population of approximately 160 people, is the hometown of Hawthorn excitement machine Carl Peterson.

David Flood, Hawks Development Coach recently visited the region as part of an annual local football carnival.

The carnival runs for around three to seven days, depending on who shows up and when.

“We drove from Port Hedland and were hoping to arrive before the carnival. We were there for two days when a couple more teams showed up. It’s such a relaxed event, they’re all just there to play footy.” said Flood.

 Participants are largely young kids varying in age from two to 16 and came from all across WA- Punmu, Kiwirrkurra, Warralong, Jigalong, Irrungadji, and Parnngurr.

The sight of the kids playing this type of raw footy is enough to make any recruiter smile. Meeting family and friends of Peterson, Flood had a rare glimpse into the roots of Carl’s natural territory.

“The kids play this unstructured, free-flowing footy.

 “The talent is incredible. They have this deeper understanding of the rhythm of the game that is difficult to teach.” Flood said this was due to the un-structured learning environment that the children playing footy have experienced.

The carnival shows gratitude to the Swan Districts Football Club and also the local Police, who supply fresh fruit and healthy food for the kids.

 “This is a really tight family community. They absolutely love their footy. Their passion brings people together (from) sun up to sun down.” Said Flood.

Finding himself sleeping under the stars in a warm swag with no internet and no mobile phone, Flood had no distractions from the nature of the Punmu lifestyle.

 “When you’re there, you’re running on a different time. If it’s light outside, you do something. If it’s dark, you eat and sleep. It’s a different world.

“It is this type of environment where players can rediscover their roots and connect with the game.”

Flood hopes to return to the carnival next year with more players and representatives from the Hawks.



The town of Punmu, in the middle of Western Australia.