PNG’s Winis revered footballer on western border

Richard Jones

 

PNG-born Aussie Rules coach Winis Imbi is a revered figure in Victoria's far south-west region.

As playing coach of Portland in the Western Border Football League, Imbi led the Tigers to the 2008 premiership and nine rounds into this season  Portland sits undefeated at the top of the ladder.

Imbi, 30, was born in PNG and spent the first 11 years of his life there. His mother moved the family to ortland where she had relatives.

The cold, windy winters were something of a reality check for the Papua New Guineans but they coped and Winis, in particular, thrived. He played footy in the local junior competition and by his mid-teens had caught the eye of scouts from the North Ballarat Rebels, a leading club in the TAC Cup under-18 competition.

Awarded a scholarship to St Patrick's College, Imbi moved to Ballarat. He played in the Rebels' 1997 premiership team. The side also included Adam Goodes (a Brownlow Medal star these days with the Sydney Swans) and North Melbourne's Shannon Watt.

Although overlooked in the AFL national draft despite selection in the TACCup team of the Year for '97, Imbi was eventually rookie-listed by Essendon. He made a few appearances for the Bombers in the pre-season Ansett Cup and then was cleared to North Melbourne where he had a short stint.

Injuries ended his AFL hopes so he completed a teaching degree before returning home to Portland in 2003. Since then he's won the WBFL fairest and best medal, helped the club win the flag under the coaching of former Adelaide Crows' midfielder, Brodie Atkinson, and then captained the Tigers in their 2006-2007-2008 premierships.

The hat-trick of flags was Portland's first in its 123-year history.

No longer a dashing speedster Imbi is now a stocky, bustling defender. On Saturday (June 13th) he led the Tigers to an 18.7 (115) to 15.11 (101) victory over fifth-placed North Gambier.

The Western Border Football League straddles two states. Five clubs, four of them from the City of Mount Gambier and one from Millicent, are South Australian-based. The other five clubs are from Victoria's south-west region.

With thanks to Adam McNicol and The Sunday Age

Photo: Winis Imbi [centre] leads his team off the ground

Comments

[Owen Paiva]

Good on you, Winis!

[Essendon Dentist]

Essendon for the Flag. Come on!