WHEN a Balnarring Football Club women’s player moved to South Australia this year to take on a role at Ceduna Area School, little did she know that a couple of the girls from the school would make the trip to Victoria to pull on the boots for her old junior football club.
In her role as a student support officer, Grace met footy mad Indigenous twin sisters Kailee and Kaianne who travel 800km (approximately eight hours) a weekend to play football.
This feat is even more amazing, considering the girls come from a family with six kids; their parents having to juggle an incredibly long drive to keep their football dream alive, with four other children.
Kailee and Kaianne Colbung-Ware are 16-year-olds from Ceduna in South Australia. Originally from the small town Ungarra, their footy journey began in 2022 with Eyre United’s U12s in the Great Flinders League. The team made the grand final that year, Kailee kicked the winning goal and Kaianne earned “Best On Ground”; it was the first premiership for the club in 15 years.
In 2023, the twins joined Mallee Park’s new U16 girls team in the Port Lincoln League, reaching the grand final. Later that year, the girls also played U14 boys.
In 2024, after moving to Ceduna, Kailee and Kaianne continued playing for Mallee Park, travelling 400km each way each week. Competing in U16 girls and A Grade women’s, the sisters were integral in Mallee Park’s first premiership. Both girls finished in the league’s top five.
Later that year, they joined Koonibba’s U16 boys, which was the closest local club and is the oldest surviving Indigenous club in Australia. The team won the premiership, the first girls to do so for the club. As a result Kailee and Kaianne were invited to play in the Under 15’s Norwood Development squad in Adelaide, an eight hour drive from home. The girls continue to be involved at Norwood.
Season 2025 saw a return to Port Lincoln for the final U16 girls season and A Grade women’s, of which both the girls were key players. Kailee placed fifth in the open women’s medal count, and both sisters made the A Grade Team of the Year. Kailee and Kaianne were selected to represent Eyre Peninsula at the SA Country Championships, and were the youngest players in the squad.
Due to the national age policy, Kailee and Kaianne can’t continue in U16 boys for their local club, thus the eight hour drive each weekend to be able to continue to play.
“When Grace told us their amazing story, we invited the girls to come over to stay and play with us for a few days in their off season to give them a taste of footy in another state, and enjoy the bonus of playing at an oval only five minutes drive away,” said Pir Price, the secretary of Balnarring Junior Football Club.
“Balnarring is a strong local community club with 17 teams of which seven are female teams, six junior and one senior.
“We were amazed to hear there are no junior girls teams where Kailee and Kaianne play; female football starts at the U16 age.
“We are fortunate that our girls program starts at U10’s, with girls able to play at seven years old.
“Also, where the girls play, female football is played in summer, not in the traditional winter season. Netball is played instead; the girls are also very talented netballers.”
Through connections in their football family community, during their visit Kailee and Kaianne met the Hawthorn AFLW team and watched a training session, participated in a Stingrays Talent League training session and played (and dominated) in the Balnarring Junior Football Club U18 Girls team.
“Not only are the twins very talented, they are the most gorgeous girls inside and out, and have created life long friendships during their time with us,” said Price.
“It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know them. We look forward to continuing to be involved with the girls and their football journey, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for these talented athletes.”
First published in the Mornington News – 19 August 2025
