Ex-AFL Kangaroos Sam Wright, Joel Tippett join Katamatite
Recruiting coup: the Picola and District league is abuzz after the Tigers regained a former junior and gained his great mate for the 2021 season.
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The return of a favourite son is always a happy time for football clubs.
They send them off with much goodwill, and they welcome them back with a warm embrace.
In the case of Katamatite – known as the Tigers and, more informally, “Katty’’ – it was doubly delighted when Sam Wright confirmed he was coming home after a worthy AFL career with North Melbourne.
He will be bringing with him classy company: his former North teammate Joel Tippett.
The news that two ex-AFL Roos will be in their line-up next year has created a buzz at Katamatite, which plays in the Picola and District league.
Wright last played for the club when he was 16, by which time he was also attached to the Murray Bushrangers.
President Max Wright knows all about Katty’s recruit. He is Sam’s father.
“He would have played half-a-dozen senior games for us when he was a kid, because most of the time he was playing in the Under 17s,’’ Wright said of his son.
“Everyone is pleased to have him back. The whole club is up and about. We’ve sort of been building for a few years. We’ve got a good bunch of local kids – some talented kids who are hanging around – and there’s a real sense of excitement, even with the juniors. We’re picking up some juniors now because both Sam and Joel have openly said they want come back and put a bit into the juniors.’’
Football and ankle problems tailed Sam Wright during his AFL career, but he played with North for a decade after being drafted from the Bushies in 2009.
There were 136 games and 58 goals.
Wright sought help for his injuries from The Australian Ballet, and he is now its full-time welfare and development co-ordinator.
He’ll serve as a Tigers assistant coach with a focus on player development.
Tippett, 32, spent time at Brisbane, Gold Coast and North Melbourne, playing seven of his nine AFL games with the Roos.
In 2019 he was runner-up in the best and fairest at Williamstown, where he was rarely beaten as a key defender.
“Joel’s a seriously good player, and a lovely bloke as well. He’ll fit in so well at Katty. The people here will love him,’’ Max Wright said.
They’re getting used to having top-end talent around the town.
Port Adelaide defender Tom Clurey also played through the under-age ranks at Katty. He is from nearby Invergordon, as are the Wrights and young Lachie Ash from Greater Western Sydney; they all live within a couple of kilometres from each other.
“It’s a good area for AFL players at the moment,’’ Max Wright said.
He played football for Invergordon and Katunga, and became involved in Katamatite when his sons joined the club. That was more than 20 years ago.
He has five boys – Matthew, Jacob, Jedd, Sam and Joey – and coached the fourths and thirds before joining the committee.
He’s been president for seven years. And one of his more recent tasks was to ratify the appointment of Jedd as senior coach. He will be entering his fourth season in 2021. The club – which last won a premiership in 2001 – reached the finals in 2019.
Next year the competition will be strengthened by the return of Tungamah and Katandra.
Wright said the clubs were at the heart of their communities.
“It’s about families,’’ he said.
“There’s junior and senior football, there’s junior and senior netball. On the footy side we start at 9am with Under 11s on a Saturday. We go from Under 11s to Under 14s to Under 17s then seconds and seniors. With the netball we start off with the minis and go through to the four senior teams. It’s a big day. All the clubs are the same. On Thursday nights we have a $10 community tea and kids’ meals from 5pm. It’s a great family offering, our league.’’
Wright said it had been a difficult year without football and netball, and also school being disrupted.
“We’ve got families with new babies and people haven’t even met them yet,’’ he said.
“Hopefully a good, clean season will get everybody engaged gain.’’
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