A record number of Esperance Soccer Association (ESA) sides are headed to Country Week this year with the inclusion of a second U11s team, a men’s side and two girls’ teams.
“Previously, I think five years ago, we had one team going and now we have seven,” ESA vice president Olie Jones said.
“I think it’s the first time since the early 2000s that Esperance has taken two girls’ sides so that’s a big step for us as well.”
The tournament in Perth is set to host more than 1,000 regional association players, coaches and referees from September 27 to October 3.
Jones said it would be a tough competition, particularly for the U11 side he was coaching.
“They’re playing in the best U11 league at Country Week,” he said.
“That’s going to be an extreme challenge for them so I’ve got no idea how they’re going to get along.
“The rest of our teams will go and be competitive and one might get to the final but it’s for the experience for the kids and I think most of them will be competitive sides.
“If we haven’t won the league in the last four years, we’ve been in the top four of ten teams, so our teams have performed really well.”
Jones said the competition exposed the juniors to a high standard of soccer where they had the opportunity to be selected for the Football West Country Camp.
He said some players could progress further and be chosen to represent the WA state side too.
“We’ve had players progress to the trials and a few have made it through — Sunny Petrie (15) and Jordan Fleeton (16) have made it through to the state side and his brother Ollie Fleeton as well.
“We’ve had Harlem Moore (14) play for the state side twice in a row.”
The juniors won’t be the only ones out to impress this year.
Football West is reintroducing a men’s draw to commemorate 50 years of Country Week.
Jones said it would be the first time Esperance had ever entered a competitive men’s team, comprised of 20 players.
He said the team would put up a good fight, with the likes of juniors J. Fleeton and Petrie, who had been given special permission to play in the older grade.
“Every other team that has entered has come from a formed league so they’re choosing from over 1000 players,” he said.
“We’re definitely the weakest team in it by a fair shot but we have one player who I’m adamant should be playing NPL, which is the highest competition in WA.
There’s some exceptional talent in our team that no one in Perth is going to have any clue we’ve got down here so I’m hopeful.
“I think we’re going to shock a few people.”
Jones said Southern Ports was sponsoring the Esperance juniors at Country Week again this year.
He said they had also found a local sponsor who was supplying the ESA kit.
“We’d like to say a huge thanks to Yupiri Farms, owned by Virids Ag, for assisting with the funding,” Jones said.
“It’s nice to know we’ve got local companies who are willing to jump in and fund it and make it a lot easier for us to make it viable.”
