Keapara hosts launch

By ROBSON AKIS
THE Port Moresby Australian Football League (POM AFL) went rural earlier this month to launch its 2021 season at the Shell Park in Keapara village.
Keapara alias “Keaparadise” is one of the three villages that make up the Hood Lagoon community along the central coast of Rigo in Central.
The Hood Lagoon is traditionally known as Kerepuna, the name acquired through the traditional barter system along central coast of Rigo.
The other two villages which form Kerepuna are Alukuni and Karawa.
These three villages have produced some of PNG’s finest sporting heroes in cricket, soccer, netball, athletics and Aussie rules (AFL).
Cricket and AFL had a number of stars come out of the Hood Lagoon area.
Some of the grand legends who featured prominently in both sports were Api Leka, Vili and William Maha, John Kali, Alu Opina, Karo Vala, Numa Alu, Kota Ila, Mau Au, Notau Alewa, Tani Amini and Navu Maha, just to name a few.
Hood Lagoon is the home of the immortal mighty Koboni (Demons) AFL club, founded by late Herea Amini following his 1968 stint with VFL’s Melbourne Demons in Victoria, Australia, and the club since then has won 18 premierships out of 25 grand final appearances. Koboni still exists in the modern era and it was fitting for the POM AFL to bring its season launch to Hood Lagoon to revive AFL interest and maintain the Koboni legacy in the Hood Lagoon community.
The launch featured an exhibition match between the reigning premiers West Eagles and the competitive Dockers.
The Eagles had the upper hand with their high marking skills and fast flow-on football to come from behind to deflate Dockers 5.9 (39) to 2.3 (15).
Local talents were later put on show between Keapara and Alukuni with Keapara edging out Alukuni 5.4 (34) to 4.4 (28) in a closely contested match.
Alavana Swans from Hula, who turned up as an invitational team at the launch, also showed some untapped talent faring well in the contest but could not hold off a more organised Karawa outfit who won convincingly 5.14 (44) to 2.1 (13).
The show of talents and hunt for skills commenced at 10am with AFL PNG officials conducting a junior development programme with the U12 Hood Lagoon School children (both boys and girls).
POM AFL president Douglas Lai said that the idea of bringing the 2021 AFL season launch to Hood Lagoon was to foster interest, develop untapped talent and maintain the Koboni legacy in Hood Lagoon villages.
PNG AFL Commission chairman Loi Bakani said rural communities were the focal point of sports development and the PNG AFL Commission was embarking on the “Go Rural” concept to revitalise and elevate the image of AFL to the status it once enjoyed across the nation.