Karratha Kats Football & Sporting Club

Club Awards

 

 

 

 

The Karratha Kats Football & Sporting Club is built on a team‑first culture where every player, volunteer, and supporter pulls in the same direction. Our focus has always been on club success—playing for each other, representing our colours with pride, and building a legacy that lasts well beyond any single season. At the same time, we never overlook the hard work and talent of individuals. We celebrate personal milestones and awards because they reflect the strength of the whole group. When one Kat succeeds, the entire club stands taller.

 

Kevin Richards Clubperson

Best Clubperson of the Year

Kevin was a member of the Karratha Kats since his arrival in Karratha in March of 1981, when his great friend Barry Goddard invited him to his first club function. From that moment on Kevin, Bev and Family were hooked on the Kats. Kevin then began a relationship with the club which endured until his death on 12/09/2004.

During his association with the club, Kevin was a member of the board of management, was one of the founders and long-time caller of Kats Bingo, (which operated for 24 years from 1983 to 2007, raising in excess of $250,000.) became a loan guarantor and treasurer when the Kats were erecting their own clubrooms and was our much treasured Santa at Kats Christmas parties.

When the original clubrooms opened on 05/08/1989, Kevin was awarded Life Membership, then in 2002 as a further mark of his untiring dedication to the club, Kevin was a rare recipient of Life Membership with Sapphire which indicates twenty years of service to the club. This is the highest honour we can bestow upon an individual. In all his time with us, his support never waivered and in 2005 the club renamed the Best Club Person award in his name. In time “King Kev” grew in stature and became the voice of the North West and its people through his outstanding Shire Councillor, Shire President, Community & Regional roles. His legacy lives on through his untiring efforts in providing better regions and infrastructure today & tomorrow. On 05/07/2009 the Shire of Roebourne recognised Kevin’s many achievements and dedicated the Millars Well Oval as the Kevin Richards Memorial Oval.

 

Tilbrook Medal

League Fairest & Best 

Clive came to Karratha in January 1978 to take up a teaching appointment at the local high school. Clive immediately became involved with the Kats by joining the Cricket team. In the following five years he occupied many positions within the club, amongst them being Vice President, Cricket Captain, Member of management committee and Member of the Football selection committee. Clive had close associations with the 1979 & 1981 League football premiership sides & was Captain of the 1979 & 1982 Cricket Premiership sides. During his involvement with the Kats, Clive gained a reputation amongst fellow club members & opposing sportsmen as being a competitor of the highest calibre, who always placed a very high priority on fair play.

In February 1983 Clive collapsed and died whilst at work at the Karratha Senior High School. The Club decided a fitting tribute in recognition of Clive’s many past services would be to name the League sides Fairest & Best Footballer each year as the “Tilbrook Medallist”. An appropriate gold medallion has accordingly been presented to each League Fairest & Best award winner since 1983.

 

Couper Medal

Reserves Fairest & Best 

Clarke, Shirley & Family arrived in Karratha in 1969. Clarke was initially employed with Midland brick as a carter. The Kats and the Couper Family are as one given that they have been intertwined since the first day that the Kats were formed in late 1971, and their family business (Karratha Smash Repairs) is our oldest continuous sponsor having joined us in 1973 and is still sponsoring the Katters today.

In 1973 Clarke was appointed the League Coach of the Kats in a competition that had a side from Dampier and Cape Lambert in the West Pilbara Football Association. All games were played at Dampier as no other town had an oval in the early days. Clarke knew that Karratha needed an oval of its own, so he set out and graded an oval for Karratha alongside the current Karratha Golf Club, (the area still has some palm trees around it today).

Clarke played in our first ever premiership team in 1974 before turning his attention to starting the Reserves competition for the association. He had many false starts before finally achieving his dream with a regular competition in place for the 1980 season. Since then, the Reserves competition has gone from strength to strength, and the Kats have won many Premierships and featured in the finals more often than not.

As recognition of Clarkes efforts, the Club has dedicated the Reserves Fairest & Best Award in his honour from 1983.

 

Mallard Medal

Women's Fairest & Best 

Shane Mallard moved to Karratha in January 2011 with his wife Megan & their 2 children. Arriving in town just before the Junior football season, they joined the Kats Junior Football Club where Shane would go on to coach & hold various volunteering positions from 2011 to 2014.

In 2012 after little convincing, Shane himself commenced his playing days for the Kats senior sides, playing through until the 2023 season. Over this time, He would coach the 2015 League side & achieve playing 57 senior games himself, which included the 2015 Reserves premiership & the 2016 League premiership. In 2018 he says a lifelong goal was achieved when he was able to play alongside his son Jaxon, an opportunity he says he will be forever indebted to the club for providing.

In 2020 when the inaugural Woman’s competition was announced, Shane expressed interest in assisting the club in any way possible. Shane would later be appointed as our inaugural Women’s Football coach, a role he would hold until the end of the 2022 season. During his tenure as the Women’s coach the ladies would remain undefeated for all 3 seasons bringing home the “Kattrick” of 3 premierships, a feat very rarely achieved in all of football. Shane has stated that these 3 years of coaching were the most enjoyable & personally his best years of football on his extensive footballing resume. For his contribution & achievements towards the Kats & in particular the Women’s football program, the club decided to dedicate the Women’s Best & Fairest player each year as the “Mallard Medallist”

 

Paddy Rogers #11 Guernsey

League player adjudged the most consistent in dedication to training, the game, sportsmanship & the club

In 1984 Paddy would transfer to the Swan Hotels Dampier as the Head Chef & begin his time with the Kats. In his time with the club Paddy was renowned as a gifted footballer who held down the positions of Ruck, Centre Half Forward & Centre Half Back with ease & was never reported and was well respected by all football followers in the Pilbara, He would build a strong Kats Football resume which includes, the 1984 Tilbrook Medal, 2x League Premiership Player (1989 & 1991), Club Committee member 1985 to 1994 which included the clubroom building committee 1988/89, Would go on to play 166 games for the club including representing the NPFL & would be awarded Life Membership in 1992.

Paddy always wore the number 11 jumper, He said it was his lucky number, and upon his retirement in 1994 the Kats dedicated his Guernsey to be presented each year to the League Player adjudged the Most Consistent in dedication to training, the game, sportsmanship & the Club.

 

Matt Bishop Most Consistent Player 

League Most Consistent Player of the Year

During his time with the Kats, Matt was highly respected by all in the football community for his sportsmanship, ability, endurance and sense of fair play no matter what the occasion. His leadership and camaraderie both on & off the field are legendary within our club and his efforts of receiving Four Tilbrook Medals may never be repeated. He has constantly inspired so many from his Junior debut in 1990 to his departure and retirement in 2006.

Matt started his football career with the Karratha Kats as a junior player in 1990. He was then nine years old and played for the under 10’s Kats Blue team. His first award came when he was presented with the Coaches Award of 1993 for the Under 13’s. He then progressed to the under 16’s where he won two Fairest & Best trophies in 1996 & 1997 whilst also being the Captain of the 1997 Premiership team. In all he represented the Karratha Kats Juniors in over 130 Games.

In 1997 he commenced playing in the Reserves competition and in 1998 made his League debut which culminated in being awarded the trophy for Most Talented First Year Player (Then known as the Minchin Medal). In 1998 he also played representative football for the NPFL in Dampier. In 1999 he again represented the NPFL, this time in Broome when they won the North West Football Championships for the first time. Matt would also be selected in the All-Stars Team of the Carnival.

He was a member of the Kats 1999 League Premiership Team and finished Third in the Tilbrook Medal of that year. In 2000 he would again be a  League premiership player and would win the first of His four Tilbrook Medals, Adding to a stellar year he would also be awarded the DeGrey Medal for the Fairest & Best in the NPFL and was awarded the coveted #11 Paddy Rogers Guernsey.

Matt Spent 2001 to 2003 in Perth and returned to the Kats for season 2004, where again he would become a League Premiership player and win a second Tilbrook Medal. In 2005 He was made League Captain & would create club history by becoming the first player to win a third Tilbrook Medal. In 2006 the script would not change and as League Captain, Matt won a fourth Tilbrook Medal (Third in a row) by a record margin. In all he represented the Karratha Kats Seniors in over 100 Games.

In 2006 the club decided that a fitting tribute in recognition of Matts many past services and four Tilbrook Medals, would be to name the Most Consistent League Player award The Matt Bishop Most consistent Player

 

Minchin Medal

1990 – 1992 Fairest & Best of NPFL Colts Competition (until the Colts competition desolved)

2004 to present - League sides most consistent “colts age” player. (Under 21 years of age)

Mick, Jan, Arron & Paul Minchin arrived in Karratha in 1976. Mick transferred in employment with the agriculture protection board and He and Jan were welcomed into the Kats family soon after arriving. Mick spent a record eight years as the President of the club between 1979 & 1993 and was a driving force behind the club moving from Bulgarra to Millars Well and erecting our own self funded & built clubrooms, which he oversaw & supervised from planning and inception in 1986 to the completion & opening on the 5^th of August 1989

Mick was an inspirational president who led by example and set the club on the road in every aspect of operations both on & off the field. The main tenet of Micks was that no matter what the club does, it must be done correctly and be done in a sportsmanlike and professional manner.

From 1990 to 1992 the Kats played in the NPFL Colts competition, and a Fairest & Best medal was struck in Micks honour. Unfortunately, due to a lack of numbers the Colts competition died out in 1993. Then in 2004 the club decided to bring the Minchin Medal back as an award and present it to the League sides Most Consistent Young Player of colts age for the season (Under 21 years of age)

Goddard Medal

Women’s side most consistent “colts age” player. (Under 21 years of age)

 

Barry Goddard or better known as “The Ghost” from his love of phantom comics, arrived in Dampier in early 1971 as the newly appointed plumbing inspector whose primary role was to oversee all plumbing installations in the then Shire of Roebourne but mainly the rapidly developing Karratha township. Barry had many sporting interests in his time & would regularly participate, officiate or administrate these sports including Golf, Darts, Cricket & ties with the Karratha Rec club, but his true passion would lie with Football.

As an ex East Perth WAFL player seeing the game grow was his driver & would set him upon his path of being an early founding father of the now NPFL & more so the Karratha Kats Football & Sporting Club.

Football was very new to the West Pilbara & there was no formal competition & players from Karratha would travel to Dampier on Sunday afternoons to play scratch matches. As Karratha grew so did the interest of a Karratha team/club, Barry would be a prominent driver behind this & in March of 1972 an initial general meeting was held to garner interest & formalize the creation of the “Karratha Football Club”. Barry was elected to the committee & inaugural league delegate. What was then the Dampier Districts National Football League was formed for the 1972 season consisting of 3 teams, Karratha, Dampier & Cape Lambert. The club needed a nickname & the dream of “The Kats” was alive.

Barry was not finished by any means and along with other club administrators he shared the dream of having our own clubrooms & together they worked tirelessly until this would come to fruition on the 5^th August 1989 when our first clubrooms would open its doors.

Barry was a gifted sportsperson & during the 70’s & 80’s The Kats had four sports, Football, Cricket, Darts & Netball, Barry remains the only person to achieve premierships in all the then male sports (Football, Cricket & Darts). Aside from being one of the “Founding Fathers” of the football club, Barry amassed an impressive Kats Resume over his time.

• In 1972 He was honoured as Inaugural Captain & in 1974 our first premiership captain.
• 1975 Coach/Captain & would become just our second Life Member
• Committee member 1972 to 1975 & again 1990 to1994
• President for 1976/1977
• Cricket player 1976 to 1984 with a premiership in 1982
• Bingo director 1989 to 2004
• Darts premiership 1990

In 1993 The Ghost would be awarded the clubs first ever Sapphire Life Membership. This is given in recognition of 10 years continuous service post a Life Membership recognition. There is no higher individual Honor bestowed by the Karratha Kats Football & Sporting Club inc. Upon his passing on the 14^th of June 2023, in recognition for all his invaluable & outstanding contributions & achievements with the Kats, the club dedicates each year the Women’s sides Most Consistent Young Player of Colts age (Under 21 yrs) as the “Goddard Medallist”