AFL 2023: How every Kimberley star has fared so far this season

With the AFL midway through the 2023 season, Broome Advertiser journalist Cain Andrews analyses how the region’s homegrown football stars are performing in the competition so far.

Ash Johnson

Home town: Halls Creek

Best performance: Round 12 Collingwood vs West Coast

Games played: 11

Goals: 14

Behinds: 9

Average disposals: 8.3

The Halls Creek local has had a massive two seasons since making his debut in mid-2022.

Racking himself up 14 goals this season so far, just one behind his last season total, the Kimberley product has proven himself as a key asset in Collingwood’s forward line.

The Collingwood forward has his season best performance during the Magpie’s clash with West Coast in round 12 where he earned himself a 100 per cent goal accuracy and kicked three goals.

And with plenty of good footy years ahead of him the breakout Magpie has an exciting career in store.

Shane McAdam

Home town: Halls Creek

Best performance: Round 1 GWS vs Adelaide

Games played: 1

Goals: 1

Behind: 1

Average disposals: 7

The Halls Creek product had a rough start to the 2023 season after copping a three round suspension for a high tackle against GWS defender Jacob Wehr in round one.

Coming off a near career best performance last year, the Adelaide forward suffered another setback in the form of a quad injury after serving out his suspension and has been missing from Adelaide’s line-up ever since.

But having overcome his injury, McAdam returned to the footy field in round nine of SANFL for the Crows in their match up with the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles with the Kimberley product no doubt looking to crack his way back into Adelaide’s AFL line-up.

Jy Farrar

Home town: Halls Creek

Best performance: Round 1 Sydney Swans

Games played: 4

Goals: 0

Behinds: 1

Average disposals: 11.5

Having singed a two year extension to his contract at Gold Coast in May, it is clear the Suns see Jy Farrar in the future of the side.

The Halls Creek prospect hasn’t got much on field time this season but that hasn’t stopped Farrar from becoming a stalwart in the Suns’ back line.

The 26-year-old has proven he can defend both tall and small forwards with his combination of speed and jumping ability.

But despite the emerging defender playing a whopping 14 games last season, he has been relegated to the bench being played just four times this year.

Callum Ah Chee

Home town: Derby

Best performance: Round 10 Brisbane vs Gold Coast

Games played: 1

Goals: 0

Behinds: 0

Average disposals: 5

After a massive 2022 season where he played nearly every round, unfortunately Derby product Callum Ah Chee has only played one game so far this year after coming down with a quad injury before the start of the season.

The impressive all-rounder returned to the field in round 10 to face down his old club Gold Coast before taking up a spot on the sub bench the next round.

It’s hoped the Kimberley player will be able to make his way back into Brisbane’s line-up before the end of the season but it may take until 2024 before we see Ah Chee return to form.

Jack Martin

Home town: Broome

Best performance: Round 13 Carlton vs Essendon

Games played: 2

Goals: 1

Behinds: 3

Average disposals: 7

Having jumped ship from Gold Coast and joining the Blues in 2020 the Broome product has now played nearly four seasons with Carlton and has established himself as a regular in the line-up.

Martin had an impressive 2022 season, kicking 12 goals in the 12 games he played as well as averaging four score involvements.

With his speed and tenacity allowing him to break through packs and punch through the forward fifty Martin has solidified himself as one of the top ten goal kickers in the club.

But having played just two games following a calf injury, the Kimberley product hasn’t had the chance to put his football prowess on display this season.

Samo Petrevski-Seton

Home town: Halls Creek

Best performance: Round 3 Fremantle vs West Coast

Games played: 7

Goals: 2

Behinds: 0

Average disposals: 12.7

Having transferred from the Blues last year, the Kimberley local returned home to WA and managed to make 14 appearances in his first season for West Coast in 2022.

Despite suffering from a knee injury in February that year, the Halls Creek product was deployed across a variety of roles across the Eagles’ line-up.

However, the former Blue hasn’t been able to secure himself a regular spot in West Coast’s line-up despite solid performances during the Eagles’ fledgling 2023 season.

Toby Bedford

Another specimen from the Halls Creek football factory, Toby Bedford, has had a career best season in 2023 while donning the Giants guernsey.

Requesting a trade from Melbourne at the end of 2022, the Kimberley product got his wish and has since seen major improvements in his game.

The GWS forward had a season best performance during the Giants’ round 12 clash against North Melbourne, slotting an impressive goal after sprinting from the back fifty line to the forward fifty in just 12 seconds.

Bedford has proven his adaptability also, averaging 5.3 tackles per game with the 23-year-old showing he’s more than just a goal kicker.

Home town: Halls Creek

Best performance: Round 12 GWS vs North Melbourne

Games played: 7

Goals: 6

Behinds: 3

Average disposals: 12.9

Bailey Banfield

Home town: Broome

Best performance: Round 10 Fremantle vs Geelong

Games played: 11

Goals: 10

Behinds: 8

Average disposals: 12.1

Broome’s favourite son, Bailey Banfield, has continued to make his home town proud during 2023, cementing himself as a regular in Fremantle’s line-up.

Despite the Dockers slow start to the season, the Kimberley product made a season best play during Fremantle’s round two loss to North Melbourne, snapping a goal from just inside the forward fifty after causing a turnover.

Coming off a career best goal count of 18 goals last season, the Fremantle forward has continued his performance at the goals in to 2023 currently sitting a goal count of 10.

And with 10 rounds left to go before finals there’s no reason the Fremantle forward can’t beat his previous best.