AFL PNG Limited – Our Profile
10 June 2007
AFL PNG Limited has been established as the representative of the Australian Football League in Papua New Guinea.
Corporate Structure with consequent governance & stability
We commenced operations in 2001 and currently have a 7 person Board, 11 full time and part-time staff with associate organisations across the three AFL Regions of PNG and a number of key programs and partnerships operating throughout the country. The organisation has been set up with a carefully designed corporate structure which ensures stability and the ability to set and pursue long and medium term plans. Board members are appointed by the AFL and are responsible to all stakeholders in the setting of policy and strategy. Financial transparency and accountability are key drivers of all activities.
Junior Development focus
AFL PNG is primarily responsible for looking after AFL junior development programs in PNG which includes our Talented Player Pathway which leads all the way from the village to the MCG. An obvious part of our plan is to foster young Papua New Guineans natural athletic ability and to guide them through a carefully designed pathway which will give the very best of them the opportunity to play AFL football at the highest level. Our Talented Player Pathway sees real opportunities for PNG boys to go from village based competition all the way to the AFL Draft. Our links with AFL Queensland have been vital in setting up this unique opportunity in PNG sport.
Lifestyle Rules as selection criteria – developing better communities.
As a young developing nation social problems are a major issue for PNG. AFL PNG is committed to helping address these issues in a positive way. Our major Development programs are the Pikinini Pilai Rules program for boys & girls 7-12yo and our Raitman program for boys and girls 12-18yo.
A key component of our Raitman program is the inclusion of lifestyle rules which teach and instill self discipline, teamwork and the vital lesson that opportunity and success can only be achieved through hard work. A welcome by-product of our programs will be a group of boys and girls better equipped for success and more prepared to take advantage of opportunities as productive members of their local communities.
Pure AFL.
We also recognise that Papua New Guineans have a natural freedom of spirit and that their diverse cultural and sporting experience can bring a great deal that is new or forgotten to Australia and the World in both a sporting sense and in a broader cultural sense. It is with that in mind that we have adopted a philosophy to ensure our children learn and play the game in its purest form, hence our guiding philosophy:
Pure AFL……..Purely Papua New Guinea.
Pathway & National programs starting to show tangible results
In 2004 our Under 14 & 16 National teams known as the Binatangs played off in Mackay and Hervey Bay in the Finals of the Queensland Country Championships for the first time. Six of our boys were selected through to the Country Kookaburras Representative teams. One boy was selected through to the Queensland State U16 Squad.
At Under 18 level 5 PNG boys have benefited from our Oil Search Pathway Program and have the opportunity to play in the Queensland Country Selection trial in Cairns. We continue to have boys selected in the final Under 18 Kookaburras Squad. This year’s selected boys are:
Stannis Susuve
Ali Pinda
John James
These players, along with Donald Barry, David Evertius and Emmaus Wartovo are now playing football at a senior level in Brisbane. In addition the other five boys have stayed on in Cairns playing senior football with the Manunda Hawks. Whenthey are not playing football they are working as AFL Development Officers in Qld schools. All of these boys came through our highly successful PJV Raitman program with its focus on lifestyle rules, attitude and commitment and we believe our programs and goals will benefit all Papua New Guineans and all AFL supporters.
The PNG Mosquitoes – Always hard to beat.
The PNG Mosquitoes have been one of PNG’s most successful National teams over many years. Wearing the Black Red & Gold in matches both on PNG soil and in Australia they have always been hard to beat for more than 30 years.. The PNG Mosquitoes dominated the Arafura Games winning Gold undefeated in 1995, 1997 & 1999. In the 2002 International Cup they lost to Ireland in the Final and again in 2006 they were narrowly defeated by New Zealand in the Grand Final. As they say “third time lucky” and preparations are already under way to go one step further and bring home the International Cup in 2008.
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