AFL Cape York Kickstart Events - Secondary

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U17 Indigenous Secondary School Cups
Djarragun College v Gordonvale State High School The second Regional Cup has been played with Djarragun at home to Gordonvale. The more fancied Djarrgun College started slowly with Gordonvale kicking the first goal in the first 30 seconds. The 1st quarter was a hard fought contest with scores even at the first change. The second term Djarraguns class shone through going into the main break with a handy lead. Gordonvale showed glimpses of a fight back in the third and last term however their breakdown was across half forward with their depth and class. Djarragun ran away with the rising game in the last quarter to finish winning by 42 points. “Supported by Which Way Our Way (Qld Health)"
U17 Indigenous Secondary School Cups
Abergowrie College vs Shalom College Thurs 11th June The first of the regional cups in the U17 Indigenous High Schools Championships had Shalom College travel to Abergowrie College. In the first quarter Shalom came out firing, opening the account with two quick goals. Abergowrie settled and kicked the next three (3) goals to go into the first break with an eight point lead. The second quarter saw both teams show poise and skill in what was turning out to be a close contest. The third term followed the theme of a hard intense game with Shalom going into the last break only six (6) points down and the game still there to be taken. Abergowrie showed its fitness running away with a 30 point win in what was an exciting even contest with both teams showing passion and determination. A highlight of the game was the carnival like atmosphere with music in the background which made up for the umpiring decisions at times. Score; Abergowrie 11.17 .83, Shalom 8.3.52 “Supported by Which Way Our Way (Qld Health)”
U14 Country Championships
Recently the Queensland Country Championships were held in Cairns at Cazalys on 5th and 6th June. The Crusader U14 team was name during the 2009 Crusader Championships in Weipa. The Crusaders came together , from far and wide throughout the Cape and Torres Strait region, two days prior to the carnival to start their intensive training and teambuilding program in preparation for their first game on Saturday. The players attitude and commitment was evident as they embarked on their new life challenge. Leadership type students like Zengrey Nona, Henry Mareko and Anthony Nicholls made clear messages through their communication skills that they were there to play footy. The first day of training was primarily focused on bringing the students together as one team by getting to know one another through training drills and skills. The AFL Cape York team knew very well that we wouldn’t stand a chance at Country Champs if we play as individuals. Thursday was a challenging full day of training with a gruelling session. The Crusaders finished the day heading out to Holloways Beach Environmental Education Centre where the boys were arranged into their leadership groups. Friday brought a new day of teambuilding and training based drills around game style and getting their hands on the footballs. By lunchtime the boys finished off their session and headed to Trinity Beach for a recovery session with a few of the boys showing their ‘crash-tackling skills’ on the waves. Saturday 5th June The Crusaders were itching and raring to show the football world their skills and flair. The boys were up early for a walk and stretch on the beach before heading to Cazalys for their opening game against... The Crusaders started off slow in the first quarter before the on-ball brigade of Derek Ingui, Ralph Daniel and Henry Mareko turned the afterburners pumping the ball inside the forward 50m with Wujal Wujal spark Hazeman Nandy, nephew to Patrick Nandy, kicking many goals helping the Crusaders kick away after half time and coming away with the win. The Crusaders had to regroup for their second game, Anthony Nichols was standing strong down back, and Jonathon Tomsana worked into the game well. Again Hazeman Nandy was on fire in the forward line booting goals and the on ballers ran hard through the middle. After the two gruelling games on the big open spaces of Cazalys, the Crusaders headed out to Holloways Beach for a recovery session and a well earned rest. Sunday 6th June The Crusaders were up again early for a walk and stretching session, followed by breakfast, then headed to Cazalys for their final two games. Their first game being the big one against rivals Cairns. The final game against Townsville finished with a strong effort however not being able to accommodate for the well drilled Townsville side. The Carnival finished with the Crusaders finishing 3rd overall, a great effort considering this was some of the boys first games of football for 2010. A big congratulations goes out to Henry Mareko, Ralph Daniel, Jonathon Tomsana, Zengray Nona, Derek Ingui for making the QLD Country Side. Also well done to Jonathon Tomsana and Zengray Nona for winning the Crusaders Most Valuable Player Award. The Crusader program is a great incentive program for students from the Cape York and Torres Strait region to aspire to. Its primary focus lays outside the footy arena in terms of students school attendance and behaviour within their respective communities. To make the Crusader team is a great achievement in itself and to those 23 boys who made it, a job well done. You have left a positive and high benchmark for future Crusader participants. "Proudly supported by Skytrans"
U14 Skytrans Crusaders
The 2010 Skytrans U14 Crusaders team has been named to participate in the U14 Queensland Country Championships in Cairns. The team will travel to Cairns on Thursday 3rd June for a training camp on Friday 4th June before the carnival commencing on June 5th and 6th at Cazalys, which will give our local football community an opportunity to view the boys in action and support them Players: Peter Sailor, Daniel Bosun, Bernard Mosby, Anthony Nicholls, Zehn Medek (Tagai T.I.), Derek Ingui, Ralph Daniel, Tyson Smiler, Zengrey Nona, Hazeman Nandy, Clinton Sullivan (Djarragun College), Tolowah Savage (Cairns), John Lowry, Jonathon Tomsana, Jordan Ambrum (Abergowrie), Tom Riordan, Trey Pengally, Henry Pope (Cooktown), Rim Kris, Marley Ahmat (Weipa), Rashid Nona, Nuts Tamwoy, Bando Mene (Badu Island). Coach – Marc Harbrow (AFL Cape York) Emergencies:- Bradley Bond (NPA), Ronderson Crapp (Abergowrie), Sam Patrono, Lumbee Pablo, Billy Dix (Weipa)
Crusader U16 Carnival 2010
The new crew of U16 Crusaders took part in the U16 Country Championships in early May, aiming to make history and winning the championship for the third straight year in a row. The carnival was held over Saturday and Sunday with the Crusader boys playing six games against some quality opposition from the other country regions of the state. The Crusaders arrived in Rockhampton on Wednesday and took part in two full days of training and team building in preparation for the carnival. Friday the boys finished their final training session at lunch and then headed out to Yeppoon for a recovery session in the saltwater and a relaxing afternoon. Come Saturday the Crusaders were raring to play some football. Saturday was a massive day scheduled for the Crusaders having 4 games, however, they performed extremely well. Accounting for Townsville in game one and then Mackay in Game two the boys were on song, but realised their biggest challenge in their three peat attempt was in Game three against Cairns. Cairns came out firing kicking the first three goals despite the Crusaders having the majority of possession in the first half and wasting opportunities in front of goal. The skills and pressure applied by Cairns enabled them to go on with the game to win. Despite the defeat to Cairns the Crusaders regrouped to put in a great team effort in the final game of the day to defeat Bundaberg Wide Bay and earn a well deserved rehab session in the pool on the way home. With a slim hope of taking out the championship, the Crusaders arrived at the ground for their first game on Sunday against Capricornia who had been playing some solid football throughout the carnival. The Crusaders were on song putting in a brilliant effort to come away with the win. With a long break in between this game and the last of the carnival the Crusader boys were excited about playing for the last time with each other and showing everyone the Crusaders style of flair and speed. Spurred on by the tradition of the ANZACS and our ancestors the boys put in a great final game to account for Darling Downs in the final game and come away with second place in the championships. Not a bad effort considering the team came together for the first time on the Wednesday before. A big congratulations goes to our four QLD Country Representatives; Aquila Gela (Abergowrie), Eddie Daniels (Bentley Park), Sig Wigness (Abergowrie) and Milton Miskin (Trinity Bay), well done boys. Also congratulations to Aquila Gela for taking out the Crusaders MVP award. Aquila had a great carnival and showed tremendous leadership around the group on and off the field. Final congratulations goes to Hodrick Newman for winning the Coaches Award. Hodrick showed fantastic leadership around the group, along with his professionalism. The Crusaders program has given opportunities to indigenous boys from Cape York to travel and be a part of something special. To learn about respect, healthy living and making positive life choices, gives these boys a memory that will last a lifetime. Kane Richter – Coach Game 1 Crusader vs Mackay Aquila Gela, Harry Harold, Eddie Daniels, Ernest Beckley Hodrick Mudu 1, Sig Wigness 2, Aquila Gela 2, Adrian Akiba Game 3 Crusader vs Cairns Ernest Beckley, Aquila Gela, Hodrick Mudu Sig Wigness 2 Game 4 Crusader vs BWB Aquila Gela, Yamba Bowie, Ishmael Soki, Hodrick Mudu Harold Harry 3, Sig Wigness 2 Game 5 Crusaders vs Capricornia Tinnus Daniel, Aquila Gela, Eddie Daniels, Hodrick Mudu Milton Miskin 1, Cameron Hooker 1, Ishmael Soki 1, Sig Wigness 1, Aquila Gela 2 Game 6 Crusaders vs Darling Downs Hodrick Mudu, Aquila Gela, Eddie Daniels, Daniel Mooka Aquila Gela 2, Sig Wigness 1, Hodrick Mudu 1, Eddie Daniels
U17 Indigenous Secondary State School Match - Gordonvale
AFL Cape York in conjunction with the Kickstart program held preliminary rounds of the U/17 Indigenous High schools Championships on Tuesday 11th May. The three team program was held at the Gordonvale AFL facility the home of Pyramid Power junior club. Teams participating were Djarragun, Gordonvale and Abergowrie Colleges with a further match to be held be played between NPA and Tagai Colleges in Bamaga later in the month. It was the first time Gordonvale SHS has been involved in the program and they showed with some solid training that they will be very competitive when it comes up to regional championships played in late June. The first game was between Djarragun and Gordonvale which was played with a lot of enthusiasm due to both schools being situated in Gordonvale and each school looking to take bragging rights. Gordonvale Power opened the scoring with plenty of dash and work ethic coming from their half back and centre line players. Former Crusader player Jayden Kynuna and Power centre half back Ken Darcy along with Steve Daniels playing in his first AFL competition lead the way. Djarragun were trailing at the start of the second half that was until small live were Kieran Johnson and ruckman Tinus David were injected into the lineup. From that moment Djarragun College jumped into gear eventually winning the game convincingly. Game two between last yrs champions and Djarragun College lived up to expectations with both teams taking the contest very seriously and it also acted as a good opportunity to get a good understanding how each was looking going forward to Championships held later on in the year. Ity was goal for goal throughout the match with Abergowrie kicking clear late in the second half. They had many fine contributors like Javid Bowen, rover Paul Savo who dominated the in close play and Aquila Gela fresh from State AFL Championships was everywhere. For Djarragun Kieran Johnson, Patrick Atu, Tinus David and Paiwan Gaidon were solid and provide their forward with plenty of opportunities but unfortunately were unable to convert. Game three played between Abergowrie and Gordonvale again showed that Gordonvale has what it takes to compete at this level. Abergowrie was the more dominant team but Gordonvale didn’t give an inch and were very competitive against a much more experienced team. To finish the day we selected two teams from the day’s pool of players and held a scratch match. The game was a ripper with teams being evenly matched. The group seemed to really enjoy playing alongside players from other teams and gelled really well together, this also helps in breaking down any barriers that may occur. Although it was tough trying to give each player equal playing time due to each team having 29 players it was a great success. We would like to acknowledge all students and schools for supporting the games and in particular to the staff, Christian, Gordonvale SHS, Dave, Djarragun College, Jim, Pyramid Power, and Michael and Sue from Abergowrie College for making the trip north. We would also like to thank the great umpiring duo of Marc Harbrow and Kane Richter, stay at it lads you just might make good umpires one day. We look forward to the next round of matches when teams contest regional finals followed by winners contesting Regional championships to be held in Cairns, July 26th-27th.

HamDarra Cup

hamdarra_cup On Friday 26th of March a primary school match between Hambledon PS and Djarragun College was held at Hambledon School in front of a large home crowd of Hambledon students. The game started out in a high intensity with Hambledon grabbing a slight early lead in the first quarter. Djarragun closed the gap in the second, sneaking a couple of late goals to bring game in the balance at half time.
ruck_hamdarra After the main break Hambledon came out firing with their size and skills around goal providing the deciding factors running away in the second half winning by 5 goals. The game was played in great spirits, in what was a ‘Fun’ and ‘enjoyable’ experience for all players.

Djarragun College Level 1 Coaches Course
junior_coaches On Friday 19th of March, AFL Cape York in conjunction with Dave Maddock-Jones and Djarragun College AFL Academy ran the first session on an AFL Accredited Level 1 Coaches Course. Students from grades 9 – 12 participated in the session which focussed on the following aspects in a theory and practical based course:
• Role of the Coach
• Differences in Development U8’s – U18’s
• Planning an Auskick Session
• Skill Development and Games
Following Part 1 of the course the Students then assisted with the Djarragun Auskick program in the afternoon where they were in charge of running the warm up and a game.
Part 2 of the course will be held on the April 29 where the participants will complete their accreditation.

AFL Indigenous Youth Tour to South Africa 25/01 – 04/02/10

What a tour, what an opportunity for 24 young indigenous players. The AFL Foundation in conjunction with the AFL Kickstart program successfully coordinated the third Boomergangs tour of South Africa. Previous tours were conducted in 2006 and 2008. Patrick (PJ) Nandy; Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Community and George Freeman, Rockhampton represented Queensland with great distinction. All State and Territories other than Tasmania had representation. Patrick was named joint Captain along with Kial Crowe, NSW. The major focus of the tour was to prepare future Indigenous leaders. During the tour players were put through a series of workshops and leadership responsibilities. Five team groups were established with each group assigned a key mentor or elder. Two games were staged, one in the North West Province or Potchestrom the other in Cape Town. Potchestrom staged game one at the only AFL field in the region. The Boomerangs were surprised by the competiveness and skills of the North Province team. They were also struggling to come to terms with the water logged surface. Potchestrom had received heavy rain falls leading up to the match. Due to a determined last quarter the Boomerangs prevailed by 10 points. Game 2 saw the Boomerangs travel to Nyanga Community to take on the Lions Coastal team. From the first bounce the Boomerangs controlled the game. They made the most of the windy conditions to kick seven goals to the Lions one. Although the Boomerangs were happy with their performances it was more about learning more about themselves and how they can build on their leadership qualities. Mark Yettica – Paulson from Melbourne did an amazing job in pulling the leadership program together. Players demonstrated leadership through day to day tasks, public speaking and team work activities. Each day a new group would be responsible to manage the remaining group. This was great exposure to learning how to manage a group and tasks required. Players were spoiled by having fantastic Indigenous mentors on the tour. Jason Mifsud AFL Foundation CEO, Michael O’Loughlin former Sydney Swans star and Indigenous team of the century player; Chris Johnson, three time premiership player with the Brisbane Lions, Malcolm Lynch, 2006 Boomerangs captain and three year with the Western Bulldogs. All men are outstanding leaders in their own right and forwarded many learning experiences on to the Boomerangs. As well as all the leadership there was also an opportunity to explore the wonderful South African wilderness and culture. The African people are so friendly and welcoming. In all areas visited locals demonstrated a real appreciation of the Boomerangs and engaged freely with the team. Our highlights consisted of a tour of Pilensburg National Game Park, a visit to Suncity, tour of the Apthied Museum, hike up Table Mountain, tour of Seweto township and a two day stay at Monash University Johannesburg where the group took part in a interactive African Drum session; AFL commissioner Linda Dessau was in her element. It may take sometime for parts of the group to realise the magnitude of the tour, but we are sure they will take back to their communities a greater sense of their responsibility and identity. The group will now be monitored by AFL Indigenous Employment Manager who will be assisting team members to gain meaningful and consistence employment and also tertiary education.

Qantas U15 National Indigenous AFL Kickstart Camp - Melbourne The Annual U15 Qantas AFL Kickstart Camp was held in Melbourne to reward the positive action and choices for 50 Indigenous Youth from around Australia. The Qantas AFL Kickstart Camp is part of Qantas' community program - Sharing the Spirit, a series of programs and events designed to help Australians connect - with their dreams, their heroes and their loved ones. Qantas is proud to support the Kickstart Camp by providing all flights, accommodation, meals and the various activities included in the camp program. The camp took plcae in Melbourne from Tuesday 18th August until Sunday 23rd August 2009. All participants were accommodated at the Vibe Hotel, opposite the home of the Carlton AFL Club, Royal Parade during the camp participants took in the following activities; - Training sessions with AFL coaching staff - High Performance testing at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre under the guidance of AFL High Performance coaches - Attendance at an AFL team training session - Visit to Koori Hertiage trust - Play a match on the MCG as a curtain raitser to the Hawthorn and Richmond class on Saturday 23rd August - Team building and personal development activities with the involvement of AFL players and other Indigenous community role models including Qantas Ambassador, Catherine Freeman - Beach recovery session - Cultural Awareness sessions AFL Cape York in conjunction with AFL Kickstart Program nominates the following students; - Jacob Bob (Yam Island), Aquila Gela (Yorke Island), Patrick Nandy (Wujul Wujul), Cameron Hooker (Wujul Wujul), Shaquille Nixon (Weipa), George Freeman (Rockhampton) All were selected due to consistent school attendance behavior and commitment to AFL Programs. The highlight of the camp were meeting Cathy Freeman and Ernie Dingo and playing the curtain raiser match on the MCG prior to the Richmond Vs Hawthorn match from the camp 23 players will be selected to travel to South Africa as a member of the National Flying Boomerangs team.




Abergowrie Take Out U17 Secondary Schools Championships - 29th July 2009 'Sponsored by Dept of Communities & Dept of Communities-ATSIP' St Teresa's Abergowrie College are the 2009 winners of the U17 Indigenous Secondary Schools Championships held at Cazalys Stadium, Cairns on 29th July 2009 after defeating Tagai College Thursday Island and Djarragun College Gordonvale in the finals. Djarragun College finished second. Game 1: Abergowrie vs Tagai Q1 Abergowrie made their intentions known from the start by kicking 3.4 to nill with a handy breeze. Abergowrie dominated the midfield clearances and settled immediately into their rhythm. The Loban brothers, Stacey and Lorrie, were solid defenders for Tagai whilst Ali Sambo hit the contest hard and provided some drive off half back against a very even Abergowrie outfit. Q2 Abergowrie kicked 2 early goals against the breeze and the warning bells were sounding for Tagai, who now trailed by more than 5 goals. Tagai shifted George Gabey to Centre Half Forward in an attempt to generate more in their forward line and Richard Passi began to dominate the ruck contests, but was mostly unrewarded with Abergowrie winning most clearnaces. Hodrick Newman provided lot of drive as the Abergowrie link-man Harry Kepple was creative on the wing and Bert Whap was nearly impassable at full back. Lorrie Loban continued to play well for Tagai across half back. The teams traded goals until Abergowrie scored late to take a 5 goal lead in at half time (7.4.46 to 2.4.16) outscoring Tagai against a strong breeze. A highlight was a 60 meter plus kick-in by Bert Whap against the breeze. Q3 Abergowrie crushed Tagai, making the most of the scoring end. Javid Bowen showed good signs, with his height and pace causing Tagai constant troube. Leroy Enosa switched into the ruck and began to dominate the ruck contests for Abergowrie 13.6.84 to 3.4.22. A highlight was a full length of ground goal by Abergowrie starting with a clearance from the goal line by Bert Whap and passing through at least 10 sets of Abergowrie hands without any Tagai playertouching the ball. Q4 Tagai started well with a goal immediately upon resumption following strong ruck work by Richard Passi and hard running by Ali Sambo, but this served to increase the effort by Abergowrie who piled on 4 unanswered goals to run out 17.6.114 to 4.6.39 winners, with Leroy Enosa and Harry Kepa their best in the final quarter. Game 2 Tagai vs Djarragun Q1 Tagai started off with renewed vigor and caught Djarragun off-guard but failed to capitalise on several goal opportunities with the breeze. Djarragun's more experienced players, Paul Walit, Alton Matthew and Alex Namai, began to assert themselves and Djarragun eventually scored 2 goals against the breeze against the general run of play. Djarragun 2.1 to Tagai 0.2 Q2 Djarragun began to find space but missed some easy shots on goal. Tagai players were winning plenty of the ball but had difficulty linking with their team mates and many passes were being intercepted and being turned into Djarraun opportunities. A lot of game time was lost when a Tagai player went down with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury. Djarragun had to settle for 2 goals with the breeze to no score, scores being Djarragun 4.6.30 to Tagai 0.2.0 at half time. Q3 Tagai suffered a further setback with the loss of Richard Passi, who had exhausted himself with efforts in the ruck and at ground level. Tagai were now without an interchange bench. Djarragun were now dominating across the ground and piled on 4.2 against the breeze to Tagai's 1.2 to lead 8.8.56 to 1.4.10 Q4 Tagai kicked the first 2 goals against the breeze but any hope of a miraculous comeback was snuffed out as Djarrgun kicked the next 3 goals to run out comfortable winners 11.11.77 to 3.4.22. Best for Djarragun were Joel Danger, Eliza Jackonia, Patrick Atu, Alton Matthew, Alex Namai and Paul Walit while Lorrie Loban, Stacey Loban and Ali Sambo played well for Tagai. Game 3 Abergowrie vs Djarragun Q1 The first term of what was effectively the Grand Final began as an arm wrestle as both teams threw themselves into the play. Whilst most observers would have placed the bigger Abergowrie as clear favourites, 2008 winners Djarragun were not going to let the champions cup go without a fight. After trading goals early, Abergowrie began to improve their use of the ball and finished the quarter off with a goal to take a 7 point lead at 1/4 time. Q2 Abergowrie now has use of the breeze but still couldn't shake Djarragun, who ran the ball wide at almost every opportunity in order to avoid the dominate Abergowrie players who favored the central corridor. Each team scored a goal, with Abergowrie taking an 8 point lead at half time, 4.3.27 to 3.1.19. Q3 Abergowrie opened with a quick goal to finally get some scoreboard space, only for Djarragun to immediately reply from a downfield goal following a late hit on Djarragun's Paul Walit by an Abergowire opponent. Abergowrie goaled again only to have that goal negatived with a second Djarragun goal to Paul Walit after another Abergowrie indiscretion. However, Abergowrie again broke away with a goal to Leroy Enosa after a great mark. With Kiefer Paul showing some real ability at full forward, Abergowrie ended up with 5 goals to 2 against the breeze to take a 26 point lead into the final quarter - 9.3.57 to 5.1.31. Best for Abergowrie were Hodrick Newman and Leroy Enosa, whilst Harry Kepa showed great dash with the ball in his hands. Q4 Abergowrie had the breeze and took full advantage against a tiring Djarragun team. Sensing that the contest was theirs, Abergowrie lifted as a whole and closed Djarragun out with a 3.3 to nil final quarter. Paul Walit battled hard for Djarragun in a best on ground display in a losing team. Abergowrie 12.6.78 defeated Djarragun 5.1.31 Coaches Award Winners; Abergowrie College - Leroy Enosa, Djarragun College - Paul Walit, Tagai College - Francis Mosby Team Captains; Abergowrie College - Harry Kepa, Djarragun College - Alton Matthew, Tagai College - George Gabey Following the Championships the following players were selected to play in the U23 NQ team to play the Pacific Forum in Cairns - Richard Passi, Francis Mosby and George Gabey (Tagai), Leroy Enosa, Harry Kepa and Javid Bowen (Abergowrie) and Alton Matthew, Paul Walit, Alex Namai and Mark Akiba (Djarragun)






U14 Qld Country Championships - Cairns 6th & 7th June 2009 Game 1 Crusaders 9.3.57 def Mackay 0.2.2 It was a great start to the Championships with the Crusaders notching up a convincing victory over Mackay. In good conditions the Crusaders were in control from the first bounce. This was due to a dominant midfield lead by Badu Island lads Yamba Bowie and Joseph Kebisu. When Mackay did win passion they were halted by the Crusaders rock solid defence. Ritti Nona, Soloman Blanket and Medi Richard were almost unpassable across half back. Best Players; Alfred Bond, Yamba Bowie, Joseph Kebisu, Milton Miskin, Medi Richards Goal Kickers; Alfred Bond (3), Joseph Kebisu (2), Ashton Yam (1), Medi Richards (1), Ralph Daniel (1), Milton Miskin (1) Game 2 Crusaders 7.6.48 def Townsville 3.2.20 Townsville always gives a great contest and this game was no different. The Crusaders had to work hard in all facets of the game. The midfield was again and the top of their game and gave good delivery by foot to key forwards when it did hit the deck Alfred Bond was there to crumb, finishing with 3 goals. Best Players; Zengrey Nona, Alfred Bond, Joseph Kebisu, Tyson Smiler, Yamba Bowie Goal Kickers; Alfred Bond (4), Joseph Kebisu (2), Ashton Yam (1) Game 3 Cairns 10.5.65 def Crusaders 4.3.27 This match was always going to be the match of the championships with both sides evenly matches. The first half was a battle royal with both teams winning the hard ball and giving forwards opportunity. Half time scores were locked together which made the 2nd half an early awaited contest. Cairns skipped out of the blocks and added a lot of pressure on the Crusaders ball winners. There were several undisciplined actions from the Crusaders which gave Cairns Lions the upper hand. In the end it was a well deserved victory by the Lions and very good learning curb for the Crusaders. Best Players; Joseph Kebisu, Alfred Bond, Ashton Yam, Yamba Bowie, Paul Yaram Goal Kickers; Joseph Kebisu (2), Alfred Bond (1), Tyson Smiler (1) Crusaders Medal; Joseph Kebisu / Coaches Award; Joseph Kebisu Kookabarras Selection; Yamba Bowie, Milton Miskin, Joseph Kebisu



U17 Indigenous Secondary High Schools Games Abergowrie College sent out a strong warning to other colleges taking part in the 2009 U17 Indigenous Secondary High School series. Practice games were conducted at Gordonvale and Bamaga to kick off the 2009 Program, which is proudly sponsored by Department of Communities and ATSIP. Shalom, Abergowrie, Djarragun Colleges and Gordonvale/Woodleigh High Schools played a round robin carnival at Gordonvale while NPA College played host to Tagai College at Bamaga Oval. Abergowrie showed that they will be very hard to contain coming into regional games and chmapionships. They have very good depth, talent and a good understanding of the game. Djarragun College also showed good signs as did Shalom College and combined team Gordonvale/Woodleigh. Tagai College had the wood over an undermanned NPA College in their encounter Tagai had a very fast and more senior team than that of the younger NPA squad. It was great to see the U17 girls match between Tagai and NPA being played as a Curtain raiser match to the boys game. Although there were no scores and it was very competitive match.'We look forward to the next round of matches held in mid June. The winners from these fames will travel to Cairns for the Regional Championships in July.



Abergowrie, Djarragun, Shalom, College Matches The day started with a fantastic atmosphere, with Abergowrie taking on Djarragun. The wet and slipplery conditions set the scene for some tough footy. Although the weather tried to dampen the day, the slinky skills of both sides shone through. Abergowrie took the honors in the first half with Djarragun fighting their way back in second half with possession, but just could not capitalise on the score board. It was Abergowrie's tall timber that was the difference between the two sides, as they were able to brush the smaller players aside. The ability of the Abergowrie players to take strong marks in the wet their direct kicking through the middle of the ground made hard work for the Djarragun defence. The run for the backline players made the game an exciting one. Abergowrie ran out winners 6-6-42 to Djarragun 1-4-10. Shalom and combined was a good tussle with the weather playing a major role with their skills. Some palyers showed great skills for Shalom to push the more experienced Combined schools to a hard fought win. Combined Schools eventually ran out winners 2-2-14 to Shalom 1-1-7. The next game between Shalom and Abergowrie was a one sided affair with Abergowrie's size and experience shining through and taking control of the game. Shalom's size slowed Abergowrie's run in the middle, but wasn't enough to stem the tide of players running though the middle Abergowrie won the game convincinggly 8-6-54 to Shalom 0-1-1. Game 4 saw combined play Abergowrie. by this stage Abergowrie started to tire and allowed Combined Schools to stay competitive, until Abergowrie's experience and size shone through to push Combined aside. Again the Combined players played well, but were outmuscled by the bigger Abergowrie players. Abergowrie 9-1-55 defeating Combined Schools 4-3-27. Djarragun's experience came to the fore when they played Shalom. Their ability to find the running player made the game an exciting one to watch. If it wasn't for the defence of the Shalom defenders the scoreline would have been a lot greater. Their ability to read the play and repel the attack was great, only to see the ball being kicked back over their heads from the centre. Djarragun won 10-7-77 to Shalom 1-1-7. The las game saw Djarrgun vs the Combined Schools. Due to the long day the players were getting weary and lost focus on their skills, but never gave up. Both teams battled until the end with Djarragun winning the game 7-4-46 to Combined Schools 4-3-27. Overall the day was a fantastic successful day, well run by Marc Harbrow and his support crew in JJ, Miles and Graham with Rick Hanlon ensuring the day started off well. Congradulations to the players for their efforts and outstanding skills that were on display. Thanks must also go to Steve Daniels, Jimmy Floyd and Joe Christianson for their assistance throughout the day and especially the schools for allowing their students to give up important classroom experiences for the priceless learning experiences these carnivals create. Although these carnivals are an AFL based event, they also teach the young adults about team work, playing your role in the team, help and support your team mate under pressure, communication skills and overall respect for yourself and people you associate with. Posted: 27 May 2009