Bush and Burbs: Peel Thunder premiership hero Blair Bell playing for Cunderdin in Avon Football Association

The West Australian sports reporter Jackson Barrett takes a look at what’s happening in the country and amateur leagues around WA in his weekly column. Peel Thunder premiership hero and fan favourite Blair Bell has a new footy home. The 32-year-old made his debut for Cunderdin at the weekend in the strong Avon Football & Netball Association. Bell was named in the best for the Magpies in their 16.11 (107) to 10.13 (73) victory, his first match at any level since the Thunder beat East Perth in last year’s WAFL decider at Optus Stadium. The 137-game veteran played alongside former Thunder teammate Brayden Lawler for Cunderdin, in a side that also included former Perth forward Matt Rogers and ex-Subiaco player turned country star Kaidyn Fullgrabe. The match was also umpired by former AFL whistleblower Dean Margetts. Bell won Peel’s best-and-fairest in 2023, was the club’s leading goal-kicker three times and played a State game in 2019. He retired after missing the first round of this year’s WAFL season. Also in the Avon league at the weekend, Federal smashed struggling reigning premiers Quairading by 99 points. The Bulls have now won just two of their first seven match and sit a game below Kellerberrin-Tammin in last-place. Jason a kick down south Former Fremantle Docker Jason Carter has made a standout start to life in the South West Football League with Eaton. The hard-running running half-back was cleared to the Boomers on a season-long permit from South Fremantle in April and has taken no time to establish himself amongst the competition’s best players, missing selection in Eaton’s best players only once in his seven games to date. Carter, who was raised in Wyndham in the State’s north and boarded at Aquinas College, made history in 2018 as the first graduate from the Dockers’ Next Generation Academy. He played two AFL games at the back end of the 2019 season before leaving the club midway through their 2020 campaign after being told his contract would not be extended. At the end of his time at the top level, he returned to his junior WAFL club Claremont, where he stayed for three seasons until shifting to South Fremantle. He played three reserves games at the Bulldogs at the start of this season before making the move to the South West. Carter is one of several big names to have been selected in an extended South West squad for next month’s Country Championships, alongside former Sydney Swan Durak Tucker, 150-game WAFL veteran Haydn Busher (both Bunbury) and East Fremantle premiership player Luke English (Collie). The State’s traditional country footballing powerhouse will be looking to defend a title they won back from Avon at last year’s edition of the championships. - Josh Kempton Former Eagles in footy showpiece Former West Coast pair Kate Bartlett and Ella Smith have been named in the women’s country side to take on the Perth Football League at Gosnells Oval on Friday night. Bartlett was first drafted by the Western Bulldogs before joining the Eagles in 2020, where she played 16 games and kicked six goals. She has been picked for the country side out of Secret Harbour. Smith is in her first year playing for South West Football League club Donnybrook after playing two games for the Eagles. She is also a Dhara Kerr Medal winner for the best player in the WAFLW with Claremont. Got a country or amateur sports story worth telling? Email jackson.barrett@wanews.com.au