Albatross rules the roost

The action was fast and at times furious during the ADFA women vs ADF women curtain raiser to the Kapooka 12s grand final. ADF won 7.7.49 to 1.2.8. Photo by Ben Caddaye.

By Ben Caddaye

FOR the second consecutive year, a Navy team has walked away with the Kapooka 12s Australian football title, with HMAS Albatross soaring above the opposition to claim the 2003 prize at a canter.

Last year, HMAS Cerberus emerged victorious, but this year it was the boys from Nowra’s turn to shine as Albatross cruised through the tournament without losing a match.

In a result that augurs well for Navy’s chances in the 2003 ADF championship this month, Albatross never looked like losing its grip on this year’s trophy — even when grand final opponent ARTC (Army Recruit Training Centre-Kapooka) was handed an enormous lifeline in the decider.

Leading by 25-points at half-time in the grand final, Albatross had its score wiped back to zero after it was found guilty of fielding an extra player in the opening stanza.

With ARTC suddenly in the lead and a parochial crowd behind the home side, Albatross had a battle on its hands.
But it was a battle it won easily, kicking four goals to two behinds in the half to run out 22-point victors.
The final score was Albatross 4.1 (25) to ARTC 0.3 (3).

Sixteen sides from across all three services competed in the 2003 Kapooka 12s — an annual carnival where teams of 12 players fight it out in a modified Australian rules format.

Preliminary games, elimination finals and semi-finals were played over two 10-minute halves, which were extended to 15 minutes for the final.

The Riverina Football League provided the umpires for the tournament and DEFCREDIT kicked in with valuable sponsorship.

Hot, sunny conditions tested players’ stamina, with many succumbing to cramps and muscle strains in the latter stages of the tournament.

The preliminary rounds, played in the relative cool of the morning, proved an accurate form guide, with Albatross and ARTC finishing first and second on the ladder respectively with three wins apiece.

One other Navy outfit, defending champion HMAS Cerberus, also made the finals, finishing fourth, but was knocked out in the semis by ADFA 1.

Albatross firmed as the favourite for the title when it easily disposed of ARTC 6.3 (39) to 1.1 (7) in the third semi-final.

The side carried that form into the grand final, silencing the big crowd and inflicting more misery on ARTC with a convincing but well deserved win.

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