Doors open for PNG to enter AFL representative side

WITH a number of Papua New Guinean players winning scholarships to play in various competitions in Australia, there is an exciting possibility of PNG entering an open age representative side in a Queensland competition next year.
Some of these players include Amua Pirika, Stanis Susuve, Emmanuel Tupia, Emmaus Wartovo and others who are currently playing AFL clubs in Australia.
However, to continue this trend, the AFLPNG recently hosted their first Super Series challenge.
Led by AFLPNG’s Walter Yangomina, they put together a draft of the best 23-year-old and under players in PNG to showcase their talents.
From the list, four squads of 25 players each, they came up four teams which include Komatsu Tough Bulldogs, Kwila Insurance Cats, PNG Port Power and Heritage Hire Tigers.
The competition also boosted with Pirika, Susuve, Tupia and Emmaus and a number of other recipients who are in the country after participating in Australia under the AFPNG Coca-Cola Talent Pathway.
Realising the level of talent on show during the five-week BSP Super Series, the Coolangattta Blues Football Club from Gold Coast, Australia, are offering the best two unattached players in the Super Series an opportunity to join the club in the Division 1 League of AFL Queensland.
Blues representative Grant McKenzie said the club recognised the level of talent in PNG and were eager to make new signings.
The finals were a cracker. Both came down to the last kick of the match with the Tigers getting up by three points for third (the kick after the siren by the Power from 40m faded away to only score a point) while the Komatsu Bulldogs snapped truly in the last 10 seconds  to get up by just over a goal against the Kwila Insurance Cats.
The final saw the ‘Amua Pirika show’ in the first quarter of the game with the young Gold Coast forward banging home three goals out of the four for the Kwila Cats to take the lead 25 points to two.
But a determined Bulldogs lived up to their Komatsu tough brand and showed they were certainly tough enough matching the Kwila Cats with some hardrunning by their midfield.
Dominic Livuana and Freddy Peni set the ground alight for the Bulldogs with their speed through the middle as Garry Kele brought the house down with a long range goal for the Bulldogs to win the second quarter for them.
Anega Isaac and Bobby Oreki for the Cats showed why they were part of the Mozzies and Binatangs system as they stepped up a gear to hold down a Bulldogs fight back.
At three quarter time the game was set to go down right to the wire with the Kwila Cats only holding a narrow three point lead, 44 point to 41.
With both coaches biting their nails from the sidelines, the Cats looked to seal the series early in the fourth quarter with defiant goals to Amua Pirika and Charlie Arua.
But a three-goal haul by the Bulldogs pegged back the Kwila Cats and saw them take out the series 60-52.