Kokopo launches schools AFL comp

Last Saturday saw the successful launch of Kokopo primary schools’ AFL competition at Kalabond AFL field.
Round 1 saw Kabaleo Primary facing off against Sacred Heart VIPS, while Kalamanagunan played Kokopo Primary in the Under-13 and U15 male and female matches.
The competition saw 260 students playing and the same number will be involved over the next five rounds.
Fair play, a fun environment, and developing AFL skills are the focus of the competition so no formal scoring was kept, with students free to focus on playing to the best of their ability.
Playing modified 12-a-side matches where spectators had the chance to enjoy AFL action from two matches played simultaneously.
Parents and teachers were thrilled to watch their children throwing themselves into the game and coming up with some outstanding passages of play.
Particularly impressive was the fact that many of the children had only had three to four AFL training sessions before playing their first game, and the skills they showed had many realising the huge potential for the youths to excel at AFL.
Sacred Heart VIPS, although physically smaller than their opponents, impressed with their ability to share the ball among team mates with skill and poise.
“It is a proud day for us, everyone involved in AFL and the participating schools and students.  Every student played in the right spirit and enjoyed the action today,” AFLPNG development officer Alfred Samario said.