West Eagles retain crown

Kokofa Cats commended despite loss in grand final

By ROBINSON LEKA
THE West Eagles retained the Port Moresby AFL title with a 44-33 win over Kokofa Cats in the men’s grand final at the Colts Oval on Saturday.
A strong Eagles offence saw them dominate early in the opening half with goals from skipper Jeffery Vogai and fellow forward John Susuve for a 26-7 lead at halftime.
Kokofa Cats’ poor combinations in attack saw them struggle with skipper Bena Michael and Douglas Lai Jr finding it difficult to crack the Eagles defence which was led by Clyde Pulah, Alois Mondo and Patrick Miller.
Kokofa Cats found some rhythm in the third quarter with ruckman Curtly Ila dominating the centre line and finding space for key man Glen Saniong to spark a comeback with four goals and two behinds.
But the comeback was shortlived as the Eagles managed to control the final quarter and finish with two goals and six behinds for the win.
“It was a big challenge from Kokofa Cats and we didn’t expect the game to turn out this way,” Vogai said at fulltime.
“For our management and players who put 100 per cent into this short season, it’s a blessing and we are thrilled to have retained the title.”
Meanwhile, Pulah was named the man of the match while centre man Saniong bagged the player of the season award for his consistency throughout the 10 rounds this year.