Grand year ahead

The ADF and South Australia in action at last year’s 2002 Women’s Australian Football Competition. Photo by Bill Cunneen

By SGT Chris Warwick

MILITARY Australian rules football will take centre stage in April when an Australian Services Football Association (ASAFA) side takes on a combined emergency services team at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Anzac Day.

A month after ASAFA holds the 2003 National Men’s and Women’s Competition in Canberra, an ADF side will feature in the curtain-raiser to the Sydney Swans versus Melbourne Demons clash on April 25.

Given the importance and significance of fostering a strong relationship with the AFL, and a prominent AFL team, the ASAFA moved the national men’s competition to the beginning of the 2003 season in order to select the best possible team from available players to play on the SCG on a day of such national significance.

The Sydney Swans Football Club has long recognised the benefits of fostering a healthy relationship with the ADF.

On the way to the 1997 Arafura Sports Festival, the national men’s team toured the Swans’ training facilities and received a talk from the then coach Damien Drum on leadership and on-field tactics.

Sydney Swans players and coaching staff toured the Royal Military College Duntroon before the 2002 season to further develop their understanding of the military ethos and leadership under pressure

Consequently, when ASAFA approached the Sydney Swans with plans to play a curtain raiser before their Melbourne Demons game against a combined emergency services team on Anzac Day, the Swans recognised the symbolism of the event and were enthusiastic to provide support.

The Navy and Air Force will send their national team to the men’s competition to be held in Canberra from March 24-28 in an effort to break Army’s 15-year stranglehold on the national champion service title.
It’s all part of another big year for Australian rules in the ADF.

In June, the selected ASAFA National Services Women’s team will compete in the Australian Football League’s (AFL) annual national women’s competition to be conducted in the Northern Territory.

Still in developmental infancy, the ASAFA National Women’s team will travel to Darwin for its third attempt in the AFL’s national women’s competition, after a credible effort at last year’s competition at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney last year.

Unlike their male counterparts, the ADF women compete against teams from all Australian rules football playing states and the standard of play will only improve with the experience.

Any local female sailors, soldiers and airwomen in the Darwin area who are interested in providing any level of support to the team during the AFL women’s nationals are encouraged to contact their local unit Australian rules football representative or ASAFA Communications Officer Chris Warwick at chris.warwick@defence.gov.au for further information.

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