Pilbara-based staff member Brendon Daily was in attendance to support the five-day sports and cultural carnival, providing a week of structured sporting competitions on the red dirt to the 750 attendees from across the Martu region.
Following a successful 2024 event in Parnngurr, the festival returned to Punmu - a remote community located more than 660km east of Newman, as ten other communities made the journey including Yandeyarra, South Hedland, Strelley, Warralong, Nullagine, Parnpajinya/Newman, Jigalong, Parnngurr, Kunawarritji, and Kiwirrkurra.
For Club community partner Ngurra Kujungka, the Martu Festival is their major annual event with regional stakeholders from across WA venturing to different remote locations to support the carnival each year, including WA Police, Softball WA, Fair Game, Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS), the Australian Defence Force and more.
Club official partner in ECU also joined the carnival for the second straight year with Tutor and Laboratory Technician Corey Wilson venturing to the Western Desert once again to assist Daily and all other stakeholders in providing an engaging and impactful carnival.
The carnival’s major drawcard is it’s competitive fixtured matches throughout the week in both football and softball for adults and older teens, with the youth participating in mixed junior matches along with the festival’s first ever girls-only match.
The matches were played throughout the day and into the late afternoon, with communities uniting once the sun set to celebrate Martu culture with live music from Martu artists.
Eagles Newman Youth Engagement Coordinator Brendon Daily praised the carnivals growth through the next generation of talented Martu players.
“The natural ability in both the football and softball games from both teams was outstanding. For a vast majority of participants, the festival provides what is likely their one form of sporting competition for the year because there’s no structured sporting competitions in any of the communities as they’re obviously quite remote,” Daily said.
“This carnival is yet another talent identification opportunity through our Pilbara carnivals. We’re seeing some of the younger crew filtering through into the fixtured carnival matches which gives an extra bit of involvement for us to have a look at some of the really talented kids.”
While sport is a central feature, the Martu Festival is also a vital cultural gathering and an opportunity for communities to reconnect, share traditions, and celebrate their heritage in a meaningful way.
Ngurra Kujungka Program Manager Mike McMonigal emphasised the festival’s importance to the Martu people.
“The Martu Festival holds deep significance for communities across the Western Desert. It’s far more than a sporting event - it’s a rare and important opportunity for people to come together in a positive environment to reconnect, share culture, and celebrate identity,” McMonigal said.
“It allows participants to travel, represent their communities, and take pride in both cultural and sporting achievements. The festival builds a strong sense of belonging, particularly for younger generations, and strengthens the bonds between families and communities across vast distances.
“The presence of a respected elite organisation like the West Coast Eagles sends a powerful message of recognition and encouragement to these communities. It adds a layer of excitement and legitimacy to the festival, and your involvement genuinely contributes to its continued success.”
2025 marks the Club’s sixth straight year attending the festival in what is viewed by Daily as a significant display of strength in the regional partnership.
“We’ve had a long-standing partnership with Ngurra Kujungka so it was great to support them in what’s their biggest annual event that they hold in the Western Desert,” Daily said.
“It’s a really memorable experience for us to attend and to be able to spend time in community and witness what is a really important event for these regional communities.”
The West Coast Eagles' involvement in supporting Pilbara communities is made possible through the Club's long-standing twenty-year Youth Engagement Partnership with BHP.
