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Mosquitoes buzzing after footy win
P
apua New Guinea’s Mosquitoes AFL team has won the AFL International Cup, played at the MCG in Melbourne, Australia, with a thrilling one-point victory over New Zealand. The Mosquitoes are the first team in AFL International Cup men’s competition to win back-to-back titles. NZ pushed hard in the final minutes, but PNG’s defence held tight. The youngest player in the competition, Hewago ‘Ace’ Oea, 16, was best on ground, utilising lightning speed and tremendous ball skills. “I am feeling proud for all the boys and our supporters here and back home,” Oea said.
Pumped ... the Mosquitoes clinced the AFL International Cup by one point.
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I am feeling proud for all the boys and our supporters here and back home.
FINAL STANDINGS MEN: 1 PNG; 2 NZ; 3 Ireland; 4 US; 5 Nauru; 6 Great Britain; 7 Canada; 8 Fiji; 9 South Africa; 10 France; 11 Croatia; 12 Germany; 13 China; 14 Japan; 15 Sri Lanka; 16 Indonesia; 17 Pakistan; 18 India. FINAL STANDINGS WOMEN: 1 Ireland; 2 Canada; 3 Great Britain; 4 US; 5 Fiji; 6 PNG; 7 European Crusaders; 8 Pakistan. PNG: 1.1 3.2 4.4 4.5 (29) NZ : 2.0 3.1 4.3 4.4 (28)
The Mosquitoes know how to play under pressure, having won the title in 2008 by eight points and in 2011 by three points. Half the team, including captain John James Lavai, was playing in a second AFL International Cup grand final. PNG voices rang out across the MCG and players soaked up the triumph with supporters who had been out in numbers during the fortnight-long carnival in August. “The standard continues to improve throughout the tournament,” AFL chief executive officer Gillon McLachlan said after handing over the trophy.
GOALS PNG: Pirika 2, Oea, Palah NZ: Miller, McKenzie, Johnson, Donnell-Brown BEST PNG: Oea, Pirika, Johnson, Lavai, So-Ong NZ: Clark, Johnson, Clince “I thought Papua New Guinea might rue a missed goal at the end but they stayed calm and got up again.” Twenty six male and female teams representing 21 countries took part. n — TOM POUNTNEY