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| All Stars successive win in Services Challenge Cup Edition 4909, 31 May, 2007 |
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The Australian Services Australian Football Association All Stars proved too strong for the National Emergency Services team in their annual challenge to record their fifth successive win in Sydney recently. The All Stars successfully defended the Services Challenge Cup 10.5 (65) to 5.10 (40) against the best that NES could muster from their police and fire brigade ranks around the nation. The game had been scheduled as a curtain-raiser to the Australian Football League match between Sydney Swans and Melbourne Demons at the Sydney Cricket Ground on April 28 but rain forced the match to be switched to Randwick Barracks. All Stars’ coach, Air Force’s SGT Paul James – who recently stood down after a long stint as Air Force coach at the inter-Service championships – said that all ADF players performed to their utmost and embodied the spirit of the Anzacs in their defence of the cup. The All Stars began slowly against a much-improved NES team, and while they led at quarter-time, the margin would have been considerably less had NES kicked accurately. The All Stars began to put their game together in the second quarter and pulled away to a handy half-time lead. The All Stars’ expectation that they would kick away even further in the third term proved unfounded as NES produced good attacking football to reduce the margin and set the stage for a highly-competitive final quarter. In the end, the All Stars were too strong and went on to win their fifth straight Services Challenge Cup. “All players performed credibly in what was a real team effort,” SGT James said. |