This is a trigger near Bailey Banfield’s coronary heart.
The Fremantle ahead and proud Kimberley product has been one of many driving forces behind the membership’s Purple Hands Foundation Kimberley Floods Appeal, urging Dockers member and followers to assist the area get well from the worst floods in WA historical past.
Banfield, from Broome, is one in every of 5 present Fremantle gamers recruited from the Kimberley area alongside Joel Hamling, Liam Henry, Roy Benning and Conrad Williams.
“The Kimberley at the moment is going through a really rough time with the rain and the flooding,” Banfield mentioned.
“The communities up there are really affected with the roads flooding and the bridge coming down.
“As a Freo family, we really want to get behind our community up there.
“We’ve got really strong links with the Kimberley, we’ve got five blokes who are from there and a number of NGA (Next Generation Academy) players drafted from there.”
Banfield nonetheless has sturdy ties to the area, together with the household pearl business Willie Creek Pearls in Broome.
He is aware of first-hand concerning the devastation within the area.
“I’ve got aunties, uncles and cousins up there at the moment,” Banfield defined.
“Mum and dad were in Perth when the flooding happened, (but) we’ve got a family business up there as well.
“One of our tour boats sunk so they’re fishing that out of the bottom of the creek at the moment.
“Everyone up there is being affected and we were probably luckier than most.”
Banfield, who’s performed 61 video games for Fremantle after getting drafted from the Kimberley-aligned WAFL membership Claremont within the 2018 rookie draft, was happy with his membership for getting behind the trigger.
“It’s awesome,” he mentioned.
“It’s part of our purpose as a club, not just on-field success which is obviously really important, but our off-field position and how we want to be a part of our community.”
All donations made to the Purple Hands Foundation Kimberley Floods Appeal between January 16-23 shall be handed on immediately as one ‘Purple Army’ lump sum to the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund (LMDRF).
DONATE TO THE CAUSE HERE
