Papua New Guinea

 

The controlling body is the Papua New Guinea Rules Football Council. PNG has 7 main leagues.

Australian Rules was introduced to Papua New Guinea in the 1950s by Australian school teachers and defence force personnel employed under Australian Government Administration of Papua New Guinea. The code developed rapidly and until the late 1970s - early 80s is reported to have been the predominant football game in PNG with vibrant competitions in all centres. In 1978/79 the VFL appointed a full time manager for the PNG Rules Council, Mr. Peter Evans (formerly with the Hawthorn Football Club).

During the 1970s there was an annual competition against a team from the Gold Coast. PNG fielded a team in the 1979 Teal Cup (Australian Under 17 Championship) in Hobart. Since 1990 there has been a regular competition against teams from Cairns.

PNG's national team, the Mosquitoes, competed at the 1995 Arafura Games in Darwin. PNG won the gold medal by defeating New Zealand in the Grand Final. Other teams who participated in the International Division were Nauru, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. PNG players named in the World Team were George Kava, Willie Lipou, Thomas Gori and Tony Megea. In August 1996 the Mosquitoes travelled to Perth as part of the AFL Centenary Celebrations. They played a match against the Central Desert Eagles as a curtain raiser to a West Coast v. Carlton match. PNG 21.22 (148) defeated the Central Desert Eagles 5.8 (38).

PNG successfully defended their Gold Medal at the 1997 Arafura Games, defeating New Zealand 14.9 (93) to 9.6 (60) in the final. PNG also had the opportunity to play against the NTFL, Australian Defence Force and Central Desert Eagles as well as their international counterparts. PNG players named in the 1997 World Team were Gibson Isaiah, George Kaore, David Lucas and Willie Lipou.

In 1995, after PNG's success at the Arafura Games, Ed Biggs from the then Australian Football Foundation (AFF) and Ian Collins from the AFL visited all the major Australian football centres in PNG and had discussions with officials.

PNG Rules Football Council officials were advised to draw up a three year development plan to qualify for football development assistance. The plan was to include a summary of the current state of Rules Football in PNG, a management structure, facilities improvement, development proposals and financial estimates.

In 1999 PNG made it a hat-trick of gold medals at the Arafura Games, once again defeating New Zealand in the final.

In 2000 the AFL finally sent a Development Officer, Andrew Cadzow, to PNG. Based in Port Moresby, Cadzow also visited other regional centres.

AFL PNG was established in August 2001. AFL PNG is the representative of the AFL in PNG and has been incorporated to coordinate, support and operate Junior Development and Community based programs relating to AFL footy in PNG. Scott Reid, Salvatore Algeri and Mel Togolo are the current Directors of AFL PNG and are responsible for establishing and promoting AFL Junior Development Programs in PNG.

Their plans involve operating four main Australian football programs across PNG: Pikinini Pilai Rules (based on Auskick), Raitman (modelled on Rio Tinto's Kickstart), Saveman (accreditation opportunities for coaches, umpires and administrators) and Binatang Representative (progress path for players leading to Under 16 National selection).

Footy continues to grow in other parts of PNG, an example being the Eastern Highland Rules Football League. After a break of about 10 years in this province four teams (JP Hawks, Apo Stars, University Bears and Asaro) played an official competition.

Australian football had not been played officially in Rabaul since 1992, and efforts to revive the code were overshadowed by the 1994 volcanic eruption. By 1998 ten clubs were keen to field teams in both A and Reserve grades - Saints, West, Vunakanu Tigers, Royals, Kerevat National High, Vudal, Wantoks, Toma Brothers, Vunapope and Laes. A team from Matupit Island, the Brown Eagles, was also a possibility. A smaller number actually played in the competition.

The Buka Rules Football League was established with interest from local players and Peace Monitoring Group and PNG Defence Force members. The North Solomons and Tabubil are planning to start their own rules football competitions.

 

The Sydney Swans Connection

The Sydney Swans are keen forge a closer relationship with Australian football in PNG. This has come about as a result of the success of their first Group trek across the Kokoda Trail in 2001. "The Track" as it is called will see a group of Swans players challenged each year, and will also see the PNG Binatangs (PNG's National Under 16 team) play in the Curtain Raiser to the Kokoda Memorial Match each year in Sydney in August. Other support including a PNG Cultural Festival, PNG Training Camps, Scholarships and other plans will see strong links develop between AFL PNG and the Sydney Swans.

 

PNG players in the AFL

In 1997 Winis Imbi played a few reserves games for Essendon while playing for the Ballarat Rebels. He was promoted to the rookie list in 1998 and won the Bomber's reserves best and fairest. He was released by the club the following year.

Mal Michael was born in Port Moresby in 1977. In his early years he was the team mascot for the once powerful Boroko Australian Rules Football Club in Port Moresby, which was co-founded by his father Peter and Gesmond Nongkas.

Mal was the first player in the AFL to be elevated to the seniors from the rookie list. He made his debut for Collingwood in 1997, finishing eighth in the club champion voting and earning a Norwich Rising Star Award nomination. In 2001 Michael won an AFL Premiership in his first season with the Brisbane Lions.

 

National Championships

Year	Venue	National Champion
1995	Kimbe	Lae
1996	Kimbe	NCD
1997	Lae	NCD
1998	Port Moresby	NCD
1999	Kimbe	NCD
2000	Kokopo	Hoskins

There were no championships staged in 2001. The national titles in 2000 attracted teams from Buka, Pomio, Rabaul, Kove, Hoskins, Kimbe, Lae, Mt Hagen and National Capital District (Port Moresby).

 

International Matches

1995	Papua New Guinea 14.5 (99) d. Hong Kong 2.6 (18)
1995	Papua New Guinea 16.4 (100) d. New Zealand 3.0 (18)
1995	Papua New Guinea 7.10 (52) d. Nauru 4.6 (30)
1995	Papua New Guinea 10.11 (71) d. Japan/Singapore 5.7 (37)
1995	Papua New Guinea 16.10 (106) d. New Zealand 8.7 (55)
1996	Papua New Guinea 21.22 (148) d. Central Desert Eagles 5.8 (38)
1997	Aust. Defence Forces 13.6 (84) d. Papua New Guinea 4.1 (25)
1997	Papua New Guinea 8.6 (54) d. New Zealand 5.7 (37)
1997	NTFL 21.4 (130) d. Papua New Guinea 3.4 (22)
1997	Papua New Guinea 18.7 (115) d. Central Desert Eagles 2.3 (15)
1997	Papua New Guinea 14.9 (93) d. New Zealand 9.6 (60)
1999	Papua New Guinea 12.13 (85) d. Hong Kong 4.4 (28)
1999	Papua New Guinea 7.6 (48) d. Northern Territory 6.8 (44)
1999	Papua New Guinea 20.5 (125) d. Japan 1.0 (6)
1999	Papua New Guinea 13.15 (93) d. New Zealand 9.2 (56)
2002	Papua New Guinea 13.11 (89) d. Great Britain 2.2 (14)
2002	Papua New Guinea 9.15 (69) d. Denmark 3.5 (23)
2002	Papua New Guinea 23.9 (147) d. Japan 0.0 (0)
2002	Papua New Guinea 13.13 (91) d. Nauru 6.8 (44)
2002	Ireland 7.9 (51) d. Papua New Guinea 2.7 (19)

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