Port Moresby AFL organising pre-season friendlies in Central

PORT Moresby Australian Football League (POMAFL) is organising exhibition matches in Hula, Central, this week prior to its season kick-off which will be announced later this month.
POMAFL president Douglas Lai said there would be three friendlies on Saturday, with the AFL Papua New Guinea (AFLPNG) Commission also launching its national competition.
“Teams made up of a mixture of POMAFL clubs will take part in the friendlies,” he said.
“Two men’s matches and one women’s fixture will be played.
“Friendlies are common and have been around for a while now but this is the first time that POMAFL will play such matches in the rural areas.
“The event will also see the commission launch its season for all AFL centres, including Lae, Kimbe, Port Moresby, East New Britain and Mt Hagen.”
Meanwhile, the commission said last week that the sport’s standard operating procedures had been submitted to the PNG Sports Foundation for approval prior to the season kick-off. “These procedures cover a lot of areas in the game that we want to get right,” AFLPNG senior football manager Rex Leka said. Leka said although the number of Covid-19 cases reported in the country had decreased, it was up to everyone in the sport to make sure the procedures were understood and followed.