By Ken Casellas

The gentle nature and Keifer Yu’s ever-smiling countenance belies the fierce commitment he has shown on the field over the past ten years at Claremont.

And this year he has reinvented himself, switching from the role of a fearless and uncompromising defender to a robust and aggressive forward. His vigour, his courage and unyielding attitude has resulted in being knocked out six times, broken bones and a variety of injuries to most parts of his muscular body.

Now 27, Yu will chalk up a memorable milestone when he leads the Tigers on to the field for the clash against reigning premiers Peel Thunder at Claremont Oval on Saturday. He will be the 116^th player to notch a hundred league matches for Claremont --- and only the second indigenous player in the club’s 93-year history to achieve this honour and the first from the Kimberley region.

Of the many outstanding Aboriginal footballers to have represented the Tigers, only dual league premiership player Kevin Mitchell (113 games) has reached the century. Many other indigenous men from Claremont went on to forge marvellous reputations in VFL and AFL ranks and they include Jim and Phil Krakouer, Derek Kickett, Dale Kickett, Michael Mitchell, Chris Lewis, Scott Chisholm and Gavin Mitchell.

Yu, charming and unassuming off the field, has never shirked a physical battle on the field and his inspirational courage has made him a much-admired and loved character at Claremont.

He holds a unique record, being one of only two men to have played in six premiership sides for the Tigers, the other being Gerrick Weedon, another indigenous star from the Kimberley. Yu enjoyed premiership success with the Claremont colts side in 2009, the reserves in 2010-11-12 and 2016 and the senior side in the 2012 Foxtel Cup triumph over Werribee.

Yu’s ferocious and fearless attack on the ball has left his body battered, bruised and broken, but he has never complained. His courage was rewarded in just his second league appearance when he won the Ralph Honner trophy as the player who most clearly embodied the Anzac spirit when the Tigers defeated East Fremantle by 72 points in April 2010.

Yu said that he had only one more box to tick after having played in six premiership sides --- and that was to help the Tigers win the league grand final this year, a task he believes is well within the side’s capabilities.

Sadly, for his many admirers, Yu will retire as a Claremont player at the end of this season. His partner Sophie is pregnant and is expecting the couple’s first child on January 30.

“I will be moving back to Broome at the end of the year and I’ll probably play up there with one of the clubs,” he said.

Originating from Broome and educated at Hale School, Yu was a member of Claremont’s development squads from the age of 14 and played in 17 colts matches in 2009 and, wearing the No. 20 jumper, he was a member of the side which beat Peel Thunder in a memorable grand final under lights at Subiaco Oval.

Wearing the No. 55 jumper, Yu made only five league appearances in 2010 when he admits he was a bit chubby. However, he became determined to succeed and his attitude to training improved dramatically. But he fractured his left wrist in 2010 --- and kept on playing --- before he tore the ligaments off the bone in his right elbow in the reserves grand final when, typically, going back with the flight of the ball, he landed awkwardly.

“I had an operation on my elbow and then surgery on my damaged wrist which forced me to miss the first half of the 2011 season,” he said. Yu returned to action in 12 appearances with the reserves in the second half of the season.

“I was still a bit unfit in 2012 when Marc Webb was coach and I played in two league and 17 reserves matches,” he explained. Fourteen league matches and six with the reserves in 2013 was followed by only five league appearances under first-year coach Michael Broadbridge in 2014.

“Those five games came towards the end of the season after a meeting with Broadbridge and Jake Murphy,” Yu said. “It was a straightforward conversation and they told me what I needed to do. It was to get fitter, and I took their advice and was able to play 21 league games in 2015 and 14 the following year.”

Yu has been a league regular in 2017 and 2018 under coach Darren Harris. He has missed only one game this year, and that was the week after he was knocked out and concussed in the round five match against South Fremantle in Albany in late April.

A fortnight before he was knocked out when he was tackled heavily and his head crashed into Nick Suban’s knee, Yu was a hero in the round-three match against East Fremantle at Claremont Oval when he kicked the winning goal as the final siren was sounding.

Jordan Law had taken a mark at centre-half-forward, about 40m out from goal and defender Yu dashed alongside his teammate and called for a handpass. Law obliged and Yu’s soaring kick was sailing goalwards as the siren blared.

“Darcy Coffey was calling me from the bench to get the ball because Jordy had missed one in the second quarter from about the same distance,” Yu said. “I’ve never done that before, calling for the handball in a similar situation. It was a pretty amazing feeling.”

Yu has is recognised as Claremont’s longest kicker, and this exciting goal quite likely prompted Harris and his coaching assistants to switch Yu from defence and into attack. “I think that the coaches wanted someone with a penetrating kick to head up forward,” Yu said.

Regarding his ferocious attack on the ball and his fierce tackling, Yu said: “I got that from my cousin Kimba O’Connell, who taught me how to tackle as a young fella. He’s a big boy and I’ve always enjoyed tackling.”

Yu, a qualified carpenter who holds a building diploma, has in recent years enjoyed mentoring youngsters from the Kimberley at Claremont. His message is: “Give it a crack and stick at it. I never thought I’d play a single league game, let alone one hundred. I hope youngsters Jimmy Egan and Shaq Morton go on and play a hundred games as well.”

Yu is looking forward to his parents Peter and Sarah and other members of the family coming down from Broome to watch Saturday’s match.

His biggest regret at ending his wonderful career at Claremont is in his words: “I’ll miss being around the club where everyone is so friendly and all have welcomed me with open arms.”