World Footy News

The AFL Queensland Girls State Championships have played out in Brisbane this weekend. In its eighth year, the competition has shifted south, from Cairns to the AFL Queensland Administration and Training Centre, Yeronga. This is the second season the competition has been for under-17, transitioning from the previous Under-16 format. Amongst the sides participating is the AFL PNG Coca-Cola Under 17 Kurukums – being the first time PNG has been represented in this tournament.

With some girls only arriving from Port Moresby about an hour before the game – the Kurukums were up against it against the bigger and stronger South West Magpies side. It should be noted that over half of the Kurukums are under 15 years of age and that the PNG squad is actually the youngest of the (for the first time) 8 sides in the tournament.

The Kurukums are coached by Regan Atkinson, who has previously coached in the USA and Western Australia and was formerly a statistician for the Fremantle Football Club. Atkinson was thrilled with the endeavour of his side who improved in the second half as a team that had never played together before started to find their feet.

The match was played in the evening at Yeronga in Brisbane.
South West Magpies 13.11.89
PNG 1.1.7
Best Players: Benita Mai, Joshilla Aquila, Susan Savere, Ruth Reddy, Sylvia Emeck, Vaine Lai.

The other 6 sides include the Brisbane Flames; Gold Coast Sunsets; WCCCA Crusaders (from Cape York); Capricornia Cobras (Mackay, Gladstone, Rockhampton); Suncoast Storm (Sunshine Coast); North QLD Lions and the opponent above the South West Magpies who come from the West of Brisbane and Darling Downs region including Toowoomba.

For those able to – Day 1 started off with combine testing on Friday afternoon. Matches began Friday evening with the PNG v Magpies match a 7pm start.



Susan Suvare (left)of the Kurukums goes through her paces on Friday at the combine testing.

Saturday would see PNG as first round losers to play the loser of Game 4 (Storm v Crusaders). As it was this match saw the Crusaders pitted against PNG. The result was another loss but a much closer margin.
Crusaders 7.11.53
PNG 4.2.26

PNG then were set to face the Capricornia Cobras on the last day. Up against the Capricornia Cobras and the Kurukums showed the predicted (by coach Atkinson) improvement and scored their debut win.
PNG 5.15.45
Cobras 2.1.13

Bonita Mai was named MVP for the Kurukums for the tournament.

For the record, the Brisbane Flames were too good for the Suncoast Storm in the Grand Final. The Storm were considered a surprise packet in just their second year in the tournament. PNG’s first up opponents the Magpies comfortably secured 3rd place over Gold Coast. The Crusaders got up over the North QLD Lions for 5th.