When the Hunter Wildfires began lobbying for entry to the Shute Shield competition back in 2020, Donny Freeman is exactly the type of player the club talked about. 

While Hunter’s first focus was to provide a pathway for aspiring rugby players in the Newcastle and Hunter regions, they also wanted to create a home for country kids from around the state that wanted to take their rugby seriously without moving to the big smoke. 

“We’ve actually had 40 new country boys join our colts program this year which is fantastic for the club. It’s great to see that country players are seeing Hunter as a genuine rugby pathway,” Freeman told Rugby News. 

“Over the last few years we’ve been able to retain the majority of our squad, then add more players to the group each year and I think we’re starting to see the benefits of that.”

Freeman, from the Central West of NSW, was a standout schoolboy at Kinross in Orange in the ISA competition and was recruited by Eastern Suburbs after finishing school. 

While the backrower said he enjoyed his three years at the club, he was quick to admit that living in Sydney “wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.”

When Hunter joined the competition, around the same time as Sydney’s tough lockdowns, Freeman jumped at the opportunity to get away from the big city. 

“There are a lot of country folk up here in Newcastle because of the Uni, plus a lot of people move here to do their trade as well from all over country NSW. 

“Because of that and because of Newcastle’s identity as a blue collar working town, it just has a really good community feel to it. 

“It’s just a big country town on the coast really and I love it.”

Freeman, still just 23, has developed into one of the most dominant backrowers in the Shute Shield since heading north but has struggled with injuries at times in recent seasons. 

Despite coming in and out of the Wildfires starting XV, the tough, on-the-ball No.7 did enough to catch the attention of the Western Force coaches in the early parts of last season and was invited to Perth on a training contract midway through 2023. 

“I thought as a club we took a huge step forward, playing in the finals for the first time. I think we proved to a few people that we mean business, we’re not just here to make up the numbers. 

“From a personal perspective, I got a chance to head over to Perth but unfortunately that opportunity came at the same time as the Shute Shield finals. All the boys and the coaches were really supportive of me taking the opportunity though and that made the decision easier.”

While Freeman said it was painful to watch his teammates make their Shute Shield finals debut from the other side of the country, the backrower said he loved every minute of his 10-week contract with the Western Force. 

“I learnt so much. All the coaching staff were so knowledgable but they were still so approachable as well. 

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from that level of footy, but they genuinely care about you as a person and a player and they are happy for you to pick their brain at anytime. 

“Probably the biggest thing I took out of it was the detail. You’ve constantly got several coaches watching every little thing you do during games and in training and they are constantly in to you to make sure you’re executing every little skill perfectly. It helps you to learn and improve really quickly.”

After growing up a Western Force fan, Freeman said he’d love to get a more permanent opportunity over the Nullarbor, but said his first focus was on helping the Wildfires push deeper into the Shute Shield playoffs and towards a premiership. 

“Last year after we had a bit of success, the local community really got behind us so hopefully we can build on that momentum this year. 

“We’ve had a few really solid preseasons back to back now and you really notice at this point of the year how far ahead we are compared to 12 months prior. 

“Even little things like volunteers at the club. As a new, small club, it’s hard to get people to want to be involved but we’ve probably got three times as many people putting their hand up to help out down the club as we have in the past. 

“It’s all heading in the right direction and now it’s up to us to continue that momentum on the field.”