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Juniors shine at North West carnival

The East Kimberley U16s team at the recent carnival in Fitzroy Crossing.

The East Kimberley's best junior footballers tested themselves against representative teams from the North West at a recent carnival in Fitzroy Crossing.

It was the first time in several years that East Kimberley players have lined up for the North West Under-16s Championships, taking on teams from Central and West Kimberley as well as the Pilbara.

Coach Deon Cox said the boys had all performed well, beating the other Kimberley teams in tight matches after going down to the combined Pilbara team in their opening game.

"They boys all went pretty well, they had limited preparation for the first game with just 40 minutes to warm up after a seven-hour trip, but after that they played good footy," he said.

"A few of the boys are already playing seniors here in the East Kimberley Football League, but I think it was good for them to be tested against high-quality players their own age and size.

"They all contributed and stood up when needed and eight of the boys made it into the Kimberley All-Stars team after the pool matches."

Cox said the Kimberley All-Stars team then took on the combined Pilbara team, with Kununurra players including Colen Nulgit and Lyle Newry performing well.

"The Pilbara team were already a combined team, so they were pretty strong," he said.

"The boys that were selected were all key players in the Kimberley All-Stars, including almost all the midfield."