WICKHAM FATHER PROUD OF SONS AFL STATE OF ORIGIN DEBUT

BY TANGIORA HINAKI

Ross Humphries says watching his son Lawson pull on Western Australia’s black and gold jumper was a moment of deep pride, nearly 70 years after his own father did the same.

Lawson Humphries represented WA in the recent AFL State of Origin clash, continuing a family legacy that began when his grandfather, Brian Humphries, played for the Sandgropers in the 1950s.

“I was pretty proud of him,” Ross Humphries said.

“It was important to him to recognise the significance of representing his state and following in the footsteps of his grandfather.”

Despite being the youngest and least experienced player on the ground, Lawson Humphries delivered a strong performance in his first Origin appearance.

He finished with 23 disposals at 91 per cent efficiency, took eight marks and gained about 460 metres.

Ross Humphries said his son worked into the game after a steady start.

“He was running really well and getting into good spots but had a bit of trouble finding the ball early,” he said.

“In the second half he was probably as good as anyone out there.”

The 22-year-old grew up in regional towns including Derby, Jabiru, Broome and Wickham, before moving to boarding school to pursue his football ambitions.

Ross Humphries said breaking into elite sport from rural and remote Western Australia remained challenging.

“If you want to make the top in anything and you come from remote areas, it’s very tough to get exposure to development pathways and the training you need,” he said.

“WA is such a big place. You can be 2,000 kilometres away from where the opportunities are.”

He said the decision to send Lawson to boarding school was pivotal.

“I don’t think if we hadn’t done that he’d be where he is now.”

While Lawson Humphries has handled the on-field pressure of elite football, his father said the off-field attention had been harder to manage.

“There’s a lot of pressure, but he’s pretty cool. He just looks forward to getting out there, the bigger the game, the better,” he said.

“But now, when he goes out, especially in Victoria, people are constantly coming up for photos and autographs.

“He’s at the stage where he doesn’t really like going out much.”

Ross Humphries thanked supporters from across the Pilbara and Kimberley who have followed his son’s journey.

“We really appreciate the support from people back home,” he said.