Musika family creates history

By Ken Casellas

History was created when Jayde and Jack Musika became the first sister and brother combination to represent Claremont in senior football on the same weekend.

Eighteen-year-old Jayde, the smallest and lightest member of Claremont’s WAFLW squad, lined up in a forward pocket in the match against West Perth at Joondalup Reserve last Friday night, and then Jack, who celebrates his 24^TH birthday next Tuesday, shone on a half-forward flank and on a wing in the Claremont league side’s drawn match against Peel Thunder at Rushton Park the following day.

The siblings, who played their junior football with South Fremantle, are enjoying their move to the Tigers, with Jayde playing a major role in her brother’s decision to join Claremont for the 2024 season.

“I had a few reasons to leave South Fremantle, and now I love it at Claremont, so much,” she said.

After playing in the Cockburn junior competition, Jack started at the Bulldogs in their under-14’s squad and went on to play 33 matches for the club’s colts side in 2017-18-19, and another 13 matches in the reserves side in 2020 and 2021.

He then joined North Fremantle and played there in 2022 and 2023 in amateur ranks, in the A grade competition and then in the B grade side after the club had been demoted after an unsuccessful 2022 season.

“I had a lot of close mates at North Fremantle, and I played with the club for two years in a variety of roles, as a rover, an inside mid and a forward, and in one game I had five different roles. It was fun and I enjoyed it.

“There were a few people who found out that I was doing pretty good at North Freo, and I got a few phone calls, including one from Kepler Bradley, and ended up having a meeting with Ash (Prescott) and Kep, and they gave me the opportunity to try out and train, and I was lucky enough to make the (senior) squad.”

Musika then had a spectacular start with Claremont, starring in the club’s opening two matches in the reserves in 2024. His round one appearance against West Perth produced a 20 disposal and four tackle performance, followed by a brilliant effort against East Fremantle when he excelled as an inside mid, having 18 kicks, nine handpasses and four tackles, as well as booting three goals.

This led to his promotion to the league side the following week — and he appeared in all the side’s remaining 18 matches for the year before extending his unbroken sequence in last Saturday’s round one fixture against Peel.

As a comparative lightweight at 74kg, Jack is a fierce tackler. “I’m in there to tackle; that’s my main role,” he explained.

“Jayde is very similar to me, a quick, little forward who uses her pace. She said nothing but great things about Claremont, and how much she was enjoying it here. The club was amazing, and that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to join Claremont.”

Jayde, who stands 158cm tall and weighs a mere 52kg, made three appearances as a 16-year-old in WAFLW matches for the Tigers before playing the rest of the season in the club’s Rogers Cup side (the equivalent of the WAFL colts competition). She took her tally of Rogers Cup games to 27 when she played another 14 matches for Claremont last year before returning to WAFLW ranks in last week’s winning match against West Perth.

Jayde, who is in her first year at Notre Dame University, studying for a health and physical education degree, enjoys boxing with her brother Jesse, who is a successful boxer and is undefeated after seven or eight bouts.

Twenty-seven-year-old Jesse, small of stature like the rest of the family, took up boxing a couple of years ago after playing 20 colts matches in 2015 and 30 in the reserves in 2016-17-18 when tackling was one of his greatest assets. He laid 141 tackles in his 30 reserves matches.

“I’ve also got a little sister Jenna, who is twelve and is into soccer,” said Jayde. “And I’m going to try to convince her to play football,” she said. “As you can see, Mum (Mary Jane) loves the letter J.”

Jayde admits she was quite nervous when she joined the Tigers. “But everyone has been so welcoming, and the whole vibe around the club is wonderful.”