Putting the passion back into the derby

Two Bunbury businessmen are putting the bite back into one of the South West Football League’s greatest rivalries.

Bunbury board member Daniel Johnston and South Bunbury counterpart Jeff Hayres have put pride on the line with a perpetual bet on the outcome of clashes between the clubs.

After watching his team lose to the Bulldogs at the weekend Mr Hayres was forced to pay up on Monday, donning a Bunbury jersey and belting out the opposition’s team song at the Centrepoint Plaza to a crowd of bemused onlookers.

Mr Hayres said Mr Johnston proposed the bet, which looks set to become become a derby tradition.

“I played for South Bunbury from under-10s up and I remember the Bulldogs-Tigers rivalry being massive with huge crowds coming along to all the games,” he said.

“Daniel and I want to return clashes between Bunbury, South Bunbury and Carey Park back to those levels and putting pride on the line is a good way to do that.”

The two men have been friends for nearly two decades and Mr Johnston said while rivalries should be fierce on the turf, off the field Bunbury’s football clubs needed to work together to grow the game.

“The three clubs in town probably involve more than 10,000 people a year in some way — a massive section of the community,” he said.

“We want to keep building the football community and make sure everyone sees it as a community and not just one team in isolation.”

Smartphone users: Click here for alternative view