Fresh avenues are emerging for young Pacific individuals interested in Australian rules football.
The Australian Government and the Australian Football League (AFL) have announced an extended collaboration aimed at bolstering high-performance pathways for footballers across the Pacific. Under the new four-year partnership of the PacificAus Sports program, efforts will be focused on identifying and nurturing players, coaches, and umpires.
Pasifika players will have access to the Queensland junior grade AFL competition, providing a route for their potential development. Opportunities for training and placements will be available with the Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions academies, exposing them to top-tier competition in Queensland.
Additionally, a new AFL Talent Academy will be launched in Vanuatu, complementing existing academies in Papua New Guinea, Nauru, and Fiji.
This high-performance pathway is inspired by the remarkable journey of current Gold Coast Suns player Hewago Paul ‘Ace’ Oea from Papua New Guinea, marking the first player from a Pacific talent pathway to join an AFL list.
Ace expressed gratitude for the support he received and emphasized his passion for facilitating similar opportunities for aspiring Pasifika players, aiming to see them join him in the AFL, possibly even with the Gold Coast Suns.
Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, expressed excitement about providing more opportunities for Pacific talents, highlighting the growth of Aussie Rules throughout the region.
James Ceely, the AFL’s Head of Participation and International, echoed this sentiment, expressing enthusiasm for the future of Pacific AFL and the ongoing partnership with the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports to nurture and expand the talent pool from the Pacific region.
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