Two brothers, eight flags
Kenwick’s David Irvine speaks to Chris Egan
Having established in 1948, the Kenwick Football Club was a breeding ground for some of the greatest players that Western Australia ever produced. A powerful junior club throughout much of its existence, Kenwick had always had great success in introducing boys and young men to the game of Australian Rules.
Yet despite being the home to some of the greatest individual footballers and having a strong junior area across the first few decades of the club, Kenwick was starved for team success.
It took until 1983 for the club to win their first premiership, winning the final premiership in the South Suburban Murray Football League, before it became the Sunday Football League in 1984.
As the club entered the 1996 season, Kenwick had won just one premiership in their 48 year history. Few could have seen the run that was about to come for Kenwick.
Led by a pair of brothers in Mick and Gavin Hanley, the club would finally be able to harness the powerful juniors that were coming through, with a mix of their local home grown talent, blended with those who could make a contribution to the team success that the club craved.
Kenwick under Mick Hanley would win four straight premierships across 1996 to 1999, an unprecedented run of Sunday Football League success. Gavin would take over following Mick and start off another winning era as Kenwick won premierships in 2002 and achieved another three-peat between 2004 and 2006.
Together the two brothers would coach these eight premierships.
Having grown up around the club Kenwick life member and former President David Irvine, points out the respect that the two Hanley brothers had within the team.
“They were both pretty influential, when people walked in they were respected,” Irvine said.
Beyond the coaches though, Irvine is also quick to point out what made it a special time for the Kenwick Football Club, and the backbone of the success.
“We had a great culture over time, especially the glory years,” Irvine said.
“The four walls of the football club is one thing but it’s always the people within it that make the club and we’ve had many a great people here.”
While this success was enjoyed during the final years of the Sunday Football League, as the remaining Sunday Football League clubs joined the Perth Football League, Kenwick has remained as a consistent threat throughout the various ‘C Grade’ competitions they have competed.
They claimed their first Perth Football League flag in 2014, and if previous history has told us something about Kenwick, you never know when a dynasty may come. Sometimes it just takes great people and great culture.
And a couple of brothers.
