Dockers great on why WA town of only 800 people has produced so many AFL stars

Fremantle great Paul Hasleby is this week’s guest on This is Your Journey - thanks to Tobin Brothers.

Hasleby, who was taken at pick No. 2 in the 1999 draft, went on to play 208 games for the Dockers from 2000 to 2010 where he won a Rising Star in 2000 and became an All-Australian in 2005.

Before all of that though, Hasleby grew up in a town 470km north of Perth called Northampton.

That town with a population of only 800 has become a breeding ground for AFL players with several huge names coming from the location.

Those include Harry Taylor, Josh Kennedy, Patrick Cripps, Daniel Chick and others as well as himself.

Hasleby described the country town as the best recruiting ground in the world for AFL players and described why he thinks so many top-level players hail from Northampton with host Sam Edmund.

Edmund: “You’re yet another one from Northampton, some 470km north of Perth.

“It’s a grossly underrated spot. It’s a footy factory, at least it’s underrated here on the east coast.”

Hasleby: “It’s the best recruiting ground in the world for AFL players.

“There’s a population of only 800 in Northampton.

“So, if you move there, you’ve got a pretty good chance of being picked up.

“Funny enough in recent times because there’s so many (AFL players from the town) it’s become a tourist attraction.

“They’ve got some statues erected in front of a big mural and I often get photos from former teammates and supporters of those that are going past and getting photos of the statues on their way up north.

“It has been the home of so many great players and I’m very fortunate that there was always a player one or two years ahead of us to follow.

“Andrew Lockyer was the first one, then Daniel Chick, Tarkyn Lockyer to Collingwood, myself, Josh Kennedy, Harry Taylor, Patrick Cripps, Jamie Cripps, Liam Anthony and also Brynn Teakle.

“Of the 10 that have played AFL from the town, there could be seven 200-gamers.”

Hasleby also talked about his glittering 200-plus game career and life journey on this week’s show.

Listen to his episode with Edmund below.