WHEN Kade Chandler was just 14, he packed his bags and left home, moving 534km from the rural South Australian district of Charra to the hustle and bustle of Adelaide.
Charra, which sits along the Eyre Peninsula and is one of the final stops before you enter into the Nullabor Reserve, is an isolated locality with a population of approximately 12.
It’s where Kade spent his childhood, growing up on his family farm and dreaming of a life as an AFL player.
This week, he will celebrate his 100th AFL game, having solidified his future at the top level, re-signing with Melbourne for a further five years.
The boy from Charra, all grown up.
Earlier this year, during the AFL bye week, Kade opened the door to his family home in Charra, where Melbourne Media got to know the place, people and community that made him into the person and player that Demons fans love so dearly.
We landed late on a sunny Sunday afternoon, greeted by a big ‘CEDUNA’ sign painted on top of the humble one-building airport.
As we exited the airport, Kade’s mum Tracey was the first to embrace us with that welcoming, warm nature that you often get in country Australia.
It was the first time Kade had been back in Charra since last October, and the first time he’d been back during winter for years.
His dad Milton was next to arrive, still wearing his work gear, having come straight from the farm.
The parents were particularly eager to see Kade’s four-month-old son, Albie, who was visiting Charra for the first time.
Hugs and quick catch-ups were shared before we jumped into Milton’s car and started the 40-minute journey from Ceduna airport to Charra.
As they took us on a tour of the area, Kade and Milton proudly detailed the farm, their family and both of their lives growing up in the same place. It didn’t take long for us to see that this quiet, isolated spot in Australia, meant so much to the both of them.
Kade grew up on his family farm, alongside his dad, mum, and three brothers, Broadie, Jesse and Harlee.
The property covers roughly 45,000 acres of land, his family making up the majority of the district population.
As they took us around the beautiful vast landscape, it was hard to grasp just how big 45,000 acres of farmland was, even when seeing it with our own eyes. For context, the MCG and surrounding Yarra Park is roughly 86 acres, making it 523 times that.
Their farm is home to 4000 head of merino sheep and crops approximately 15,000 acres of wheat and barley.
Growing up on the farm meant there was plenty of work to be done, and always a helping hand needed, which kept the four brothers busy.
It created experiences and memories that Kade cherishes, the connection to the land, his family and the community helping shape him into the person he is today.
“It’s quite isolated, but I think that's part of its beauty,” Kade said.
“It was a one hell of an experience growing up here, it was just full of so many fond memories, so much freedom and fresh air.
“Growing up with three brothers, there was always something to do, and we always had ample space to do it.
“The roles changed, but it always involved helping out dad, even from a young age.
“We just helped out any way possible because it's a big operation and the more hands the better.”
As the sun started to set and the tour was wrapping up, we rolled into the small town over from Charra, Penong, home of the Western United Tigers Football Netball Club.
This club is the heartbeat of the local community and where multiple generations of Chandlers spent their weekends over the last 50 years.
“I grew up playing junior footy for the Western United Tigers, which is the furthest team west in South Australia,” Kade said.
“I have many fond memories here, it gives me chills being back.
“It’s a very family friendly club. Mum and dad were both stars of netball and football and then my brothers all played here as well.”
Up on the wall were photos of Milton, Kade, Jesse and Harlee, clearly a family who had made a big impression on the club over the past few decades.
For many, playing at this club as a junior, the dream of becoming an AFL player wasn’t often discussed, because no one had yet achieved that feat. Enter Kade – a self-proclaimed ‘dreamer’.
The odds of becoming an AFL player were against him, whether that be because of where he lived, the fact no one from Charra had done it before or even his height.
“No one had done it before, so there wasn't a reason to think about, but I'm a dreamer, so that's the only reason why I never doubted myself,” Kade said.
“It was hard because I was small as well, I'm still small and I also wasn't highly touted, there were definitely players that were a lot better than me that didn't get drafted at the time, players that were ranked a lot higher.
“So, I was very fortunate to end up getting drafted to Melbourne.”
His journey to the AFL officially started when he made the move to Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, a journey many teammates are familiar with, the likes of Tom Sparrow and Kysaiah Pickett among the college’s alumni.
“I played [at the Tigers] until I was 14 and then moved away to boarding school in Adelaide,” Kade said.
“Having come from a community like this, I just hated being an Adelaide, but I knew it was a sacrifice that I had to make if I wanted to chase my dream and it was all worth it in the end.
“When you look back now, there were a few road bumps and a bit of tough love along the way.
“I wanted to play AFL, and I knew that going into Adelaide and putting myself out there was the only way to do it and now, there's nowhere else I'd rather be.
“Home is not going anywhere, I’ll come home when we've won a couple of flags at Melbourne.”
As Kade discussed his journey to Melbourne Football Club, you could feel the pride Milton had for his son.
Even after eight years and 100 games, Kade’s career is still something that Milton considers surreal.
“To watch one of our sons run around playing AFL, it's pretty cool,” Milton said.
“We're proud of all our boys, but especially Kade with what he's sacrificed to get where he has and it's an absolute credit to him.
“It's a bigger world now, they can aim for the stars a bit more now that there's a pathway there. They can see that it's possible.”
Introductions to the whole family were on the agenda that night as we headed to the farm for a welcome barbecue.
As we mingled with the family, everyone making us feel at home, it was obvious how important the women in Kade’s life were.
From his Nanna, who helped build the farm into what it was today.
To his mum, who now worked alongside Milton to keep it ticking along.
And lastly, his fiancé Amy, who is his home away from home in Melbourne, the duo raising their son Albie together.
“The women in my family are very strong, driven, hardworking and very selfless,” Kade said.
“My nanna is one of a kind. Dad often says that if it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have the farm today.
“We wouldn't have what we would have now if it wasn't for her. We just love her to bits.”
The following day was for farm work, Kade mustering the sheep while his brothers spent the day spraying the crops.
After lunch, we had the privilege of seeing a number of special spots around the property, including an area near the beach they kept secret just for locals.
The day finished with a bonfire in the corner of one of the many paddocks, another opportunity to sit and enjoy each other’s company – “filling up his cup” as Kade would say.
Throughout the two days spent in Charra, we could see first-hand how special and unique Kade’s home was.
So, the question that kept coming up throughout the trip was, why Melbourne? Why not move back to South Australia instead of re-signing for another five years?
“My U18s coach said that you only need one club to like you, one club to take a chance on you, and I was very lucky that Melbourne took that chance on me,” Kade said.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity because I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you guys if that never happened.
“I've got such strong family ties back home, and it would have been so easy for me to want to go back to Adelaide, but I think it just says a lot about the footy club and how much I love it.
“I just love the place, I love everyone in the four walls of the club. I love our supporters, I love playing on the MCG and I'm really optimistic about our future.
“To re-sign, even though I've got some really strong pulls back to South Australia, it was a no brainer. There's nowhere else I'd rather be.”
