Western Districts, Jonas brothers claim 2024 Kangaroo Island FL flag
Tom Jonas has teamed up with his brother to achieve his first ever senior footy premiership as part of a rejuvenated SA country footy club.
Local Sport
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They’ve been dubbed by some local fans as the Collingwood of Kangaroo Island, but love them or hate them the Western Districts Saints have well and truly risen from the ashes, led by Tom and Sam Jonas.
A power of the five-club Kangaroo Island Football League, Western Districts was brought to its knees in 2020 when its facilities were destroyed by bushfires which tore through the island.
The KI community, which was also boosted by assistance from the AFL, pulled together to help the club back on its feet and four years later it has finally unveiled new clubrooms.
On Saturday, the undefeated Saints marked their big year with a seventh consecutive grand final appearance and a huge 24.18 (162) to 4.2 (26) win over second spot Wisanger, the club’s second flag since the fires.
The premiership is Tom Jonas’ first at the senior level and was made all the more special for the former Power captain by the fact he shared it with his best on ground brother – also this year’s Mail Medallist.
Both Jonas brothers were dominant and efficient around the ground as the premiership favourite booted 11 goals to one through the first two terms and never looked back.
“I suppose we’ve just been along for the ride, the other guys are the ones who have stuck it out,” Jonas said.
“They’ve rebuilt a terrific club with the help of the island and it is now the focal point of their community so to be a part of something really special for the club is fantastic.
“I’m really grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to win my first senior flag and obviously an opportunity to have a kick with Sam – it’s been a lot of fun.
“It’s definitely very special winning a flag with your brother, the club has welcomed me with open arms so I’ve really enjoyed myself and it’s great to finish the year off with something like this,” Sam Jonas added.
A star defender for Port Adelaide through 215 AFL games, Tom made the decision to return to community footy this year after retiring from the top level in 2023.
He said the opportunity to return to the grassroots and play alongside his SANFL premiership-winning brother, who is also a paramedic on Kangaroo Island, was too hard to pass up.
“It has just been incredible to play genuine community football and you probably don’t appreciate it until you come back,” Jonas said.
“The amount of volunteers and people who put in the work to make everything happen, you realise how much it matters to the community.
“Particularly with what the club has been through and the whole of the island so it’s really special to be able to contribute to
local footy here and I’m looking forward to getting involved in more of the local level in the future.”
The A Grade premiership marked a special day for Western Districts, with the club also celebrating Senior Colts and Reserves flags.
Club president Ben Riggs said he could not be prouder of the Saints and the wider KI community.
“It’s amazing to see where the club is at now with new rooms and experiencing this much on field success,” Riggs said.
“We’ve probably got more members now than we had before the fires – it’s fantastic and just shows how those things bring us together.
“The club is our church. It’s where we come together every week.
“We’ve got a strong identity, it probably is the case that some people don’t like us but we probably use that a bit and we’re doing a bloody strong job now out west.”
Saints stalwart Jamie ‘Ripple’ Boyle, who has been part of the club for 37 of its 54 years, said was overjoyed by the side’s 2024 success and the arrival of the Jonas brothers.
“The fires were gut wrenching but the community came together and put a lot of money towards it and the AFL helped us as well and now here we are,” he said.
“It is fantastic to see where the club is now and it makes us very proud.
“To also have Sam and Tom come over has been huge for us and it’s not just the way they play but the way they help the younger guys and the kids because they’re our future.”
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