Les senior had a couple of standard responses when Mum asked him where he was going or what he’d been doing. “Building a wigwam,” he’d say or, “I’m goin’ to Mukinbudin.” Truth was he’d be heading to or coming from the Grand Hotel in Boulder or the TAB.

I would have loved a wigwam in the backyard and was surprised Dad didn’t build one there – no travel involved. Mukinbudin was another matter. I knew he just making that name up. It was a surprise to learn later it was real place.

Traveller Robin Belford spent a night in Muka in 2019 and sent us a photo of the revamped scoreboard all ready for the new season and a premiership defence. The Rams won the Central Wheatbelt Football League grand final against Bencubbin at Nungarin in 2018.

Mukinbudin joined the Dampier Football League in 1926. They were a bit too strong and eventually split into two teams who eventually became North and South Mukinbudin. They merged and joined the CWFL as Mukinbudin in 1969.

Some good footballers have come out of Muka including West Coast 2006 premiership players Rowan Jones and Mark Seaby; Craig Nelson who played 198 games for West Perth and Todd Menegola who played for Swan Districts and Richmond. Seaby played a game for the Rams in 2018 and kicked four goals.

We’re very pleased they didn’t go digital with their scoreboard revamp.