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In 2004, there are almost 10,000 Aussie Rules players in PNG and a fast growing junior development program and has the most senior players of any country outside of Australia . {Link without Title} HISTORY OF AUSSIE RULES IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA Australian Rules was introduced to Papua New Guinea in the 1950s by Australian school teachers and defence force personnel. At the time, Papua New Guinea was an Australian territory. The sport experienced rapid growth. In the 1980s, it was reported that Aussie Rules was the most popular code of Football in the country, with competitions in all major population centres. The VFL appointed Peter Evans as full-time manager in 1978/79 he VFL appointed a full time manager for the PNG Rules Council. During the 1970s there was an annual competition against a team from the Gold Coast. PNG fielded a team in the 1979 Teal Cup (Australian Under 17 Championship) in Hobart . Since 1990 there has been a regular competition against teams from Cairns. In the mid 1990s, Marcus Bai had become the first Papua New Guinean to become a major sports star when he debuted in the National Rugby League . Almost overnight he had a cult following in the country and Rugby League , which had also been introduced by Australian servicemen eventually and consolidated the code, which already had development officers in place, as the National Sport . The popularity of rugby league was aided by extensive Television coverage of the sport in the country and interest in the Rugby League State Of Origin . Aussie Rules had slipped back to second most popular football code. PNG's national team, the Mosquitoes , competed at the 1995 Arafura Games in Darwin, Northern Territory . PNG won the gold medal by defeating New Zealand in the Grand Final. PNG players named in the World Team were George Kava, Willie Lipou, Thomas Gori and Tony Megea. In August 1996 the Mosquitoes travelled to Perth as part of the AFL Centenary Celebrations. They played a match against the Central Desert Eagles as a curtain raiser to a West Coast Eagles v. Carlton Blues match. PNG 21.22 (148) defeated the Central Desert Eagles 5.8 (38). PNG successfully defended their Gold Medal at the 1997 Arafura Games, defeating New Zealand 14.9 (93) to 9.6 (60) in the final. PNG also had the opportunity to play against the NTFL, Australian Defence Force and Central Desert Eagles as well as their international counterparts. PNG players named in the 1997 World Team were Gibson Isaiah, George Kaore, David Lucas and Willie Lipou. In 1995, after PNG's success at the Arafura Games, Ed Biggs from the then Australian Football Foundation (AFF) and Ian Collins from the AFL visited all the major Australian football centres in PNG and had discussions with officials. PNG Rules Football Council officials were advised to draw up a three year development plan to qualify for football development assistance. The plan was to include a summary of the current state of Rules Football in PNG, a management structure, facilities improvement, development proposals and financial estimates. In 1999 PNG made it a hat-trick of gold medals at the Arafura Games, once again defeating New Zealand in the final. In 2000 the AFL finally sent a Development Officer, Andrew Cadzow, to PNG. Based in Port Moresby, Cadzow also visited other regional centres. AFL PNG was established in August 2001. AFL PNG is the representative of the AFL in PNG and has been incorporated to coordinate, support and operate Junior Development and Community based programs relating to AFL footy in PNG. Scott Reid, Salvatore Algeri and Mel Togolo are the current Directors of AFL PNG and are responsible for establishing and promoting AFL Junior Development Programs in PNG. Australian football had not been played officially in Rabaul since 1992, and efforts to revive the code were overshadowed by the 1994 Volcanic eruption. LEAGUES AND COMPETITIONS
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Year, National Champion
There were no championships staged in 2001. The national titles in 2000 attracted teams from Buka , Pomio , Rabaul , Kove , Hoskins , Kimbe , Lae , Mt Hagen and National Capital District ( Port Moresby ). GOVERNING BODY The governing body is the PNG Rules Football Council . PNG PLAYERS IN THE AFL The elite competition for Australian Rules Football, the AFL, has had a few players from PNG.
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