Blue ribbon boots
Air Force men scoop the pool at ADF Football national championships

Volume 48, No. 22, November 30, 2006

KING’S CROWN: CPL Andy King from 6SQN was one of our soccer stars, winning the over-30’s player of the series during the ADF Football Federation’s National Championships in Sydney. Photo by LACW Alice Gardiner

MOVE OVER: CPL Damien Vincent races his Army opponent to the ball, as CPL Martin Collins chases behind during an over-30s match in the national championships. Photo by Billy Cunneen

CPL Bradley Moore and FSGT Brett Chapman attack an Army player for the ball. Photo by Billy Cunneen

By Barry Rollings

TWO titles and three individual awards were enough to make Air Force the top guns at the ADF Football Federation’s (ADFFF) national championships from October 28 to November 3 in Sydney.

Air Force men took the inter-Service cup and were named overall carnival winners after beating Army 1-0 in a stand-out pivotal match, and also won the over-30s crown, the Patron’s Shield, named in honour of the federation’s patron, the Deputy Chief of Joint Operations, RADM Rowan Moffitt.

The men’s game was played at an intense pace and was extremely physical, with the skills on both sides evenly matched, until a penalty decision was converted by Air Force to seal the crown.

CPL Andy King from RAAF Base Amberley was the over-30’s player of the series, while CPL Geoff Gillard from RAAF Base Williamtown kicked the men’s golden goal of the tournament, and LACW Caryn Addie from RAAF Base Townsville emulated the feat in the women’s competition at the Melita Eagles Stadium in Parramatta.

ADFFF won the Test match against the Royal New Zealand Defence Force in another outstanding encounter where the 3-0 score did not reflect the close, tight game. Both played very well, with NZ raising the bar with their tight marking of ADFFF opponents.

The Tasman Cup has been inaugurated for future matches between the ADFFF women and their RNZDF counterparts.

The ADFFF has also selected the core of its representative teams for its Asian tour in March based on efforts at the nationals.

The ADFFF men’s and women’s teams will tour Singapore, China and Malaysia for one-off games against their military.

The core players for squads of 18 players for the Asian tour have been selected, but those who could not make the nationals or were overseas will still have a chance to make the team. Positions in both squads are still available. A selection camp to fill those remaining positions will be held at Randwick in late January, most likely the Australia Day long weekend.

ADFFF men and women also will contest the Arafura Games in Darwin in May.

ADFFF president LCDR Paul Denneny was pleased with the response to the inclusion of the over-30s section of the tournament this year.

“The under-30s, who were included this year to gauge interest, went unbelievably well,” he said.

ADFFF over-35s will hold selection trials for the Masters Games in Queensland with the prospect of touring to the International Masters and over-35s competitions in Thailand in October.

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