Komatsu Bulldogs Bag BSP Super Serie One

In a nail biting finish to Series One of the 2009/2010 AFLPNG BSP Super Series, Komatsu Bulldogs showed true grit to win by 8 points from the Kwila Insurance Cats.

It was the Amua Pirika show in the first quarter of the game with the young Brisbane Lions bound forward banging home three goals out of the four for the Kwila Cats to take the lead twenty five points to two.

But a determined Bulldogs living up to their Komatsu Tough brand showed they were certainly tough enough matching the Kwila Cats with some hard running by there midfield. Dominic Livuana and Freddy Peni set the ground alight for the bulldogs with their speed through the middle as Garry Kele brought the house down with a long range goal for the Bulldogs to win the second quarter for them and keep them in the game.

Anega Issac and Bobby Oreki for the Cats showed why they were part of the Mozzies and Binatangs system as they stepped up a gear to hold down a Bulldogs fight back. Oreki showing great strength in holding out former Richmond Tigers backman come Bulldogs forward Ray Hall. Collin Wilshire and Charlie Arua played hard for the Kwila Cats while young Jackson Holee gained good possession for the Cats through the middle of the ground. At three quarter time the games was set to go down right to the wire with the Kwila Cats only holding a narrow three point lead, 44 point to 41.

The fourth quarter of the Series One final lived up to expectations as the crowed watched determined hard fought football as both sides threw all they had at each other. With both Coaches biting their nails from the sidelines the Cats looked to seal the Series early in the fourth quarter with defiant goals to Amua Pirika and Charlie Arua. But a three goals haul by the Bulldogs pegged back the Kwila Cats and saw them take out the Series 60 points to 52. The Komatsu Bulldogs taking home a thousand reasons to “Love their Bank” with a BSP cheque presentation by AFL Asia Pacific Manager Andrew Cadzow.

There was all the more reason to celebrate the Series One Final for all four teams as Andrew Cadzow announced that after the second Series in January a Representative side will be picked to participate in the AFL Cairns pre-season competition. This would be a real opportunity to see the dynamics of having a PNG based side play regularly in either AFL Cairns or the AFL Queensland State competition.

The BSP Super Series Two will start January 23rd 2010.

Boots in the Bag for Coca Cola Talent Camp

These young lads, from the suburb of Waigani in Port Moresby, heading to the Coca Cola National Talent Camp have already packed there bags for the National Sport Institute in Goroka for the December camp.

Hard at training on a Tuesday night, the lads are putting in that extra effort to give themselves the best chance for next years representitive duties and potential talent scholarships on offer.

The news that AFL Club Recruitment personnel may be part of the 3 day camp will certainly boost a determined pack of the top 110 players who have participated in the Bemobile "Raitman" Schools competitions. The Coca Cola Talent Camp is the 3rd step in the Coca Cola Talent Path which has the ability to take participants all the way into the AFL.

Marie Stopes and AFLPNG to Partner soon

In the coming week AFLPNG and Marie Stopes PNG will announce a partership that will see a strong cooperative effort between the two organisations.
This now means that AFLPNG's Bemobile Game Development community and lifestyle awareness initiatives will have more bite with Marie Stopes PNG partnering to offer accessible services to program participants.
AFLPNG certainly understands the real need for youth in PNG to be aware of lifestyle choices they make and this will be a key partnership in empowering our participants.
Watch this space for details.

Labi and Meli start in Melbourne

Our very own Peter Labi and David Meli have journeyed down to Melbourne in the last week to begin there push for the AFL.

Peter Labi has signed up to Carlton for the next two seasons and has already begun training with the Blues. David who is also on a two year term with Essendon, made the journey down to Windy Hill this week and will soon be wearing the Bombers Red and Black out on the training track.

The lads will hopefully update us on how they are going through pre-season.

We wish them all the best

UNI Bulldogs become KOMATSU Tough !

The UNI BULLDOGS team have partnered up with UMW and KOMATSU to pack some punch into there assault of the AFLPNG BSP Super Series Premiership.

Having a great tradition of being tough winners, the UNI BULLDOGS team has in a 9 year history carved out a successful story having played in finals footy in all of their 9 years in existence. Some of PNG footy’s most notable names have pulled on the red and blue jumper for the Bulldogs and its no wonder that success has come down the Dogs path. Maha, Leka, Meli, Gibson and Yangomina are names synonymous with the Bulldog stable and soon enough the names of Aisi, Peni, Ila, Pena and Kele will etch themselves in Port Moresby’s AFL folklore.

The young Bulldog pack led by Willies Aisi, back from Manadha Hawks Club commitments in Cairns have got a tradition to hold up and no doubt they will have plenty to play for with the tough Komatsu brand backing their efforts in this years Prized BSP Super Series. Boasting some notable talent with overseas experience, Joseph Ila (Coolangatta Blues FC, Gold Coast) and Garry Kele (Suncost Power, Sunshine Coast) add class to a young side with plenty of bite. Eddie Meli, Francis Brown and Manu Evertius strengthen the Suburb of Tokarara’s commitment as being a recruiting ground for the Komatsu Bulldogs. The recruitment drive has not stopped in country with the Komatsu Bulldogs looking to 99 game Richomond Tigers back-man Ray Hall filling in a mentoring role for the club youngsters.

The Komatsu Bulldogs is led tirelessly off the field by club strongman, Peter Meli, whose son, David Meli (also from the Komatsu Bulldogs stables) has signed a two year deal with AFL Club Essendon Bombers in Melbourne. By phone on Saturday last week David, who has travelled to his new home at Windy Hill thanked UMW and KOMATSU for their support for the BULLDOGS and wished all in his former club all the best.

Coca Cola Talent Path delivers another to the AFL

Carlton has signed 17 year old AFLPNG Scholarship holder Peter Labi on a two-year International Scholarship. The dynamic half forward who has been playing with Mt Gravatt in the AFL Queensland State League this year has joined the Blues on an International Scholarship just four years after he was introduced to AFL football at school in his PNG birth town of Lae.The speedster has become the second AFLPNG Bemobile Game Development and Coca Cola Talent Pathway product in two months to earn an astonishing passage way to the AFL. Carlton's recruiting team, which has a wide network throughout Australia, have watched the progress of Labi, particularly during the 2009 season, and a five goal performance in the QAFL semi-final only added to the interest from the Blues and confirmed the decision to invite him to become a Blue.General Manager Football Operations, Steven Icke made a special trip to Brisbane to sign the papers with Labi on Thursday, confirming the Blues had advised AFLPNG and Peter of the Club’s intentions in late September.Lab will head south next month on a journey similar to that of countrymen and close friend David Meli, who was recruited by Essendon from Gold Coast-based QAFL club Southport on a similar deal in August.
The second-youngest of six children, Labi, whos mum is from Enga in the Highlands of PNG and father from Morobe was born on New Year’s Eve 1991, stands a healthy 189cm and 84kg but is still growing. A product of the fast-growing AFLPNG Bemobile Game Development network and an excellent Coca Cola Player Pathway system, Labi used to watch AFL football on television but didn’t play until four years ago when AFLPNG introduced a schools program in Lae, run by Northern Region Coordinator Connie Papau.
Labi will head to Melbourne in time for the start of summer training at Visy Park on 2 November and will play next year with the Northern Bullants, Carlton’s VFL affiliate coached by David Teague.
Labi was the Round 17 nomination for the NAB AFLQ Rising Star Award, twice kicked five goals in a game at senior level this year – against Broadbeach in Round 18 and Redland in the semi-final. He impressed Blues scouts no end with his effort in the second week of the finals.Labi, whose father is the Police Commissioner in Lae, had until now been a huge Brisbane Lions fan, listing Jonathan Brown as his favorite player. But he says he “cannot wait” to join the Carlton playing group. Whisper has it that Commissioner Labi has always been a Carlton supporter and no doubt more so now.
Scott Reid, a proud chairman of AFL PNG, said he hoped the recruitment of Labi on top of that of Meli would reinforce the message to youngsters in Papua New Guinea that the AFL was not an impossible dream.“It’s been so exciting for us to see first David and now Peter win the recognition that they so richly deserve but if I can say one thing to AFL recruiting scouts – there are plenty more where they came from,” Reid said.

AFLPNG National Game Development Manager, Walter Yangomina said that news of the Lae local being signed to the Blues will no doubt spur up competition for the hotly contested Northern Region spots for the December Coca Cola National Talent Camp. No doubt AFL Club Recruitment officers have locked in December 4th 5th and 6th as the time to be in Goroka for the Coca Cola Talent Camp.