World Footy News

In an incredible performance for an AFL junior footballer, local Cairns product, Kanjia Kamara, has won the Under 14 Best and Fairest award. Now, this kind of thing happens all the time, so what would make this particular award so different?

Firstly, this young man is another success story of a kid from Sudan playing our national game and experiencing success. But secondly, and far more tellingly, Kanjia has won this award – the best and fairest in the whole Under 14 competition – in just his very first season playing Australian Rules football.

Are we seeing a new Sudanese superstar in the making who could go all the way and equal, if not better, the deeds of North Melbourne’s Sudanese player, Majak Daw? In a situation that is likely being played out with other teams and leagues across the nation, kids of African heritage are taking to the game in greater numbers and, as proved by Kanjia, experiencing success. Figuratively speaking, Majak has kicked the door down and the young kids are now walking through that doorway.

Kanjia plays for local Cairns junior club, the Cairns Saints. In our recent article The "Majak" of Far North Queensland we wrote of the success of three other African kids and their Australian Rules football journey. At that stage, Garang Asheen (from Sudan) and Tom Daniels (of Ugandan and Sudanese parentage) were playing with local club, Pyramid Power, whilst Modasir Bahar (also from Sudan) was with Cairns Hawks. At the time of the story, Kanjia was not really on the radar outside of his own club, the season only being a few rounds old. Over the course of the next few months that situation changed dramatically.

At the vote count, held last Monday for the AFL Cairns Juniors, Kanjia polled a total of 33 votes to run away from the field, which included many other highly talented players. To put that figure in perspective, it is the equivalent of 11 best on ground votes (based on a 3, 2, 1 voting system) across 16 rounds. That is some impressive feat for a kid from Africa playing in his first ever Australian Rules football season.

On Sunday, Kanjia and his Cairns Saints team mates get the chance to share in some team glory when their team plays in the Under 14 Grand Final. This is a team sport, and Kanjia will get an opportunity to revel in team glory – the ultimate goal.

But I feel sure that his team are mighty happy to boast such a talented player in their ranks in the most important game of the year.

And it wouldn’t be a silly thing to suggest that any local talent scouts who are in town for the match report back to their teams down south and suggest "…we might have a little more ‘Majak’ to show you".

We will continue to watch the development of Kanjia, and the other African boys, over the coming seasons, and wish them all the best.

Footnote: Last weekend, Cairns Saints were defeated in their Grand Final. A premiership has eluded Kanjia, but with his talent developing along with his team he will see another chance. Garang Asheen was certainly luckier with his Pyramid Power team winning their Grand Final. A great reward for what was also Garang’s first season in junior Australian Rules.