They played, and played, and played... The Western Desert’s premier sports event - the Punmu Sports Carnival - attracted six teams, dozens of players and hundreds of supporters over three days in July. Teams from Parnngurr, Warralong, Kiwirrkurra, Nullagine and Jigalong turned up at the small community of Punmu, about 140km from Telfer, to display their deft and bare-footed skills at Aussie Rules football, and softball. Even the older folk got involved, showing how it ought to be done (and was, a long time ago), with spear-throwing demonstrations and water-bucket-carrying races. For the footballers, the prize for displaying superior skills during the Carnival was election in the combined team to play the following week in the Western Desert Shield at Subiaco Oval. Newcrest, an inaugural and continuing major sponsor of the annual event, was supported by a strong contingent of personnel from the Department of Sport and Recreation’s Indigenous Sports Unit headed by Clem Rodney; and the ever-reliable Janelle McGrath (nee Cockayne), the popular Lecturer in Hospitality at Pundulmurra College in Port Hedland, and her team of helpers.