Western Desert Communities Unite as Eagles Support 2025 Martu Festival

The West Coast Eagles’ continued support of the Martu Festival in Punmu, signalling a growing strategic importance of regional sports carnivals in fostering Indigenous engagement, cultural recognition, and talent identification across remote Western Australia.

The five-day event drew over 750 participants from 11 remote communities, including Jigalong, Kunawarritji and Yandeyarra. The festival, coordinated by community development organisation Ngurra Kujungka, is the largest annual gathering of Martu communities and features structured football and softball competitions alongside cultural celebrations.

Noting the festival’s increasing value as a talent identification platform, Pilbara-based Youth Engagement Coordinator, Brendon Daily, said: “We’re seeing some of the younger crew filtering through into the fixtured carnival matches, which gives us a real chance to look at some of the talented kids coming through.”

Ngurra Kujungka Program Manager, Mike McMonigal, added: “It adds a layer of excitement and legitimacy… and genuinely contributes to its continued success.”

While the festival is rooted in cultural connection, the sporting component — particularly fixtured football and softball matches — remains a key drawcard. For many attendees, the Martu Festival offers their only opportunity to participate in organised sport, due to the absence of formal competitions in these remote areas.

For the Eagles, who have attended the festival for six consecutive years, the event has evolved into a meaningful touchpoint in their broader regional engagement strategy.

The club’s presence not only contributes to on-ground development but also lends institutional recognition to the event.

Beyond sport, the festival also serves as a cultural anchor — with nightly music performances by Martu artists and opportunities for intergenerational knowledge-sharing — reinforcing the dual role of the event as both a community-building exercise and a soft infrastructure for social development.

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