FAMILY BONDS
Among the new faces at the Suns in their AFL and AFLW squads are two cousins who relied on a chance meeting to finally be united. Eliza Reilly reports.
THIS is the remarkable story of how Jy Farrar met Kitara Whap-Farrar.
Earlier this year they were cousins bound by the same grandmother ... but who had never once met.
Now they will make history as the first male/female family duo to play for the same AFL club.
Kitara wrote her name into the history books when she was named one of three inaugural Gold Coast Suns AFLW signings in February before Jy’s name was read out at pick 60 during the AFL draft last month.
But that’s the most insignificant detail of their journey with the pair finally reunited on the Gold Coast and set to begin their careers with the Suns next year.
“It’s a funny story,” said 190cm utility Jy, originally from Halls Creek, a small town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
“I hadn’t actually met her until I got over here.
“I was here for a work holiday one time (earlier this year) and a mate and I went for a cycle and I saw a whole bunch of girls kicking a footy around on the front oval.
“I sort of spotted one and she stood out and then I thought, ‘hang on that might be my cousin’.
“I pulled up at the front of the gates and all the gates were locked so I yelled out ‘Kitara’ and she turned around and she came over and that’s the first time I met her.”
When Cairns midfield product Kitara, 18, turned around that day a case of mistaken identity was quickly replaced by joy when she finally came face-to-face with her cousin.
“I heard he was going to be here in town so I messaged him but it was hard because I had training,” she said.
“I heard someone calling out my name at the back fence and I turned around and saw a basketball shirt.
“The people I live with, their son has the exact same shirt so I was like what is he doing here at training. I went up there and was like ‘oh my gosh, it’s Jy’. I was really happy to see him.”
LIFE AT THE SUNS
Whap-Farrar said it took a barrage of social media messages to realise her cousin would also be at the Suns.
“I didn’t know the draft was on the Thursday night because I thought it was on the Friday night,” she said.
“I got a whole heap of messages asking me if I was related to Jy Farrar.
“I got the first few and thought it was a random thing and then I saw a whole heap pop up on Instagram and Facebook so I thought something was up so I went and checked the draft and saw his name. I was in awe. I was more happy for him than the day I was signed.”
Now the cousins are eager to make up for lost time as they begin their journeys with the Suns with the intent of doing the family name proud.
“To be at the same club now is unreal and we want to do the club and the family proud,” Jy said.
“It’s great for the family as well and to be closer to someone I haven’t really had much to do with.
“I’m looking forward to a whole heap of coffees and catch ups while I’m here.”
Kitara said: “I feel a little bit more at home now that he’s here.
“I’m keen to get some feedback from him and a few tips.
“I think I’ll take him to Miami Beach which is my favourite here on the Coast.”
Jy is also cousins with fellow Halls Creek products Sam Petrevski-Seton (Carlton) and Shane McAdam (Adelaide).
“Every AFL listed player is hoping to become great but I just want to do my family and the town proud,” Farrar said.
RISE TO THE TOP
Farrar, who celebrates his 23rd birthday today, admits his journey to the big league has been unorthodox.
After completing boarding school in Perth, he played the most of his football in the Adelaide amateurs league for Scotch Old Collegians.
He managed only two senior SANFL games all year before being invited to the South Australian State Combine, meaning there was interest from at least two AFL clubs in his abilities.
Insiders suggest that the Scotch best and fairest winner would have attracted AFL interest earlier if not for a dislocated ankle midway through 2018 that plunged him into the darkest days of his football career so far.
“I was in a pretty bad spot,” he said. “I hadn’t really had an injury like that before but I managed to come out of that bad spot bigger and stronger.”
Farrar completed the first of many training sessions with the Suns on Monday.