Brisbane youngsters McKenzie Dowrie and Arianna Clarke set for WA homecoming against Fremantle

Brisbane has a lot to thank the tiny outback town of Kambalda for, as its produced two of the Lions’ rising stars, and McKenzie Dowrick and Arianna Clarke hope for a winning return to WA on Sunday.

Brisbane’s Arianna Clarke and McKenzie Dowrick. Picture: Peter Wallis

It’s the tiny outback mining town that produces footballing gems and on Sunday there will be a unique reunion.

Friends and family from Kambalda will form a guard of honour at Fremantle Oval as Lions McKenzie Dowrick and Arianna Clarke run out for their first AFLW match in their home state together.

Another Kambalda product Jasmine Stewart was Fremantle’s top pick in last year’s draft but will not play.

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Dowrick, 18, nominated Queensland as her preferred state, which delivered her to the Lions, so she could reunite with best mate Clarke who is in her second season at Brisbane.

Clarke, 19, moved to Queensland five years ago and is the recipient of a Riewoldt Family AFL Excellence Scholarship with Bond University.

The pair grew up scrapping for every kick playing against the boys, often older and stronger than they were, in Kambalda, six hours’ drive east of Perth.

Brisbane Lions AFLW players Arianna Clarke and McKenzie Dowrick. Picture: Peter Wallis

Dowrick, who has one of the most lethal left boots in the competition, even had to fight officialdom to receive special exemption to play under-16s with the boys at Mines Rovers in Kalgoorlie, the junior club of West Coast Eagles Grand Final hero Dom Sheed.

She did not play in girls’ competitions until her family moved to Perth and her potential was instantly recognised and she began to feature in elite programs, setting her on the path to the AFLW.

But rather than join Stewart at Fremantle, she opted to follow Clarke across the country.

“You can only nominate one state and I wanted the change and living away from home is something I haven’t done before and Ari living over here was a major factor on why I chose Queensland,’’ she said.

“But also I had heard from all my mates from the under-18s program how good a coach Craig (Starcevich) was and when I spoke to the Lions girls and they all said it was an amazing program.’’

Brisbane Lions draftee McKenzie Dowrick.

She admits she took her time discussing her options with her parents but the opportunity to move in with Clarke at Robina and work alongside her at a Gold Coast cafe gave her the confidence to pack her bags.

“We just weighed up the positives and negatives of living away from home, financially and stuff like that, but I also had to learn to cook my meals, I was used to coming home from training and having dinner waiting,’’ she said.

“That was a massive change, and I am slowly getting better at it.

“I have loved it, I had heaps of people telling me I would get homesickness and I love my family and miss seeing them every day but I’m not homesick, it has never come into my head.’’

Originally published as Brisbane youngsters McKenzie Dowrie and Arianna Clarke set for WA homecoming against Fremantle