NMFL: Carnamah-Perenjori’s drought-breaking win even sweeter against premiers Morawa

In a comeback that will go down in country footy history, a North Midlands Football League team not only nabbed their first win in three years, but crushed the reigning league premiers.

Carnamah-Perenjori won its first league game since 2018, in a round-two clash on May 8 against Morawa, 16.17 (113) to 10.5 (65).

Alex Solomon, who kicked four goals, with Brendan Stone and Hudson Toomey scoring three apiece, did the damage on the scoreboard during the drought-breaking 48-point victory over the reigning NMFL champs, with Riley Barham, Tom Walton and Mitch Hutton also starring.

Carnamah-Perenjori coach Nigel Routledge said it felt good to come back after so long against the league’s best.

“We didn’t have a win last year, but got a good one on the weekend,” he said.

“The footy club’s been struggling for a while. They had a flag back in 2012 but have struggled since then, so it was good to get a win on the board, especially against the reigning premiers.

The footy club’s been struggling for a while....it was good to get a win on the board, especially in (our first game of the season) against the reigning premiers.

“We’ve got no complaints.”

The club has been to hell and back over the past five years, including in 2016 when hours after finding out about club legend Daniel “Boots” Wellington’s death from cancer, they fulfilled a league fixture against Dongara and lost, 42.25 (277) to 0.1 (1).

A year later, Morawa’s Antoine Gartlett kicked 22 goals in a 46.9 (285) to 3.9 (27) rout.

League president Gary Parker said the club remained solid despite its struggles.

“(Carnamah-Perenjori) certainly give you a good run for your money,” he said.

“To my knowledge, in the past 10 years they’ve never, ever forfeited.

They’ve always managed to get a team on the park, and the whole league has the utmost respect for their endeavours.

In round three over the weekend, Coorow Latham beat Carnamah-Perenjori, 15.5 (95) to 12.3 (75), and Mingenew defeated Dongara, 11.12 (78) to 10.5 (65).

Three Springs have not been able to field a team, giving Morawa a bye.